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Walking tour in Rio de Janeiro Historical Center.

Recommended by 100% of travelers
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Popular pick
Booked 5+ times last week!
  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Carla_S ·
Feb 2026
This tour hit the highlights of Rio in an effective manner. The guides were knowledgeable and entertaining, while being concerned for our safety and well-being. Both guides spoke English well. The sights visited were popular in Rio, and we were provided with priority access to those that were busy. One of the sights was a hidden gem where we were the only visitors there. Would recommend to anyone!
· Lightning_W ·
Feb 2026
The trip was fabulous. Carlos’s explanation was very detailed ,the route was designed perfectly and we really liked the trip .The trip showed to us the contrast between Rio de Janeiro’s glorious history and its situation nowadays.I strongly recommend this trio to everyone. It was absolutely the best

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Overview
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    What's Included

    • Licensed Guide.
    • Private transportation
    • Air-conditioned vehicle
    • Use of bicycle

    Meeting and Pickup

    Meeting point

    • Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
      Praça Floriano, S/N - Centro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20031-050, Brazil

      Go in front of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre and find the Guide in front of a statue that stands next to the police car. Corner location of Avenida Treze de Mayo with Rua Evaristo da Veiga.

    End point

    • Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB)
      R. Primeiro de Março, 66 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20010-000, Brazil

    Itinerary

    1

    Cinelandia

    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    2

    Escadaria Selaron

    25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    3

    The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian

    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    4

    Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura

    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    5

    Sao Francisco da Penitencia Church

    20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

    6

    Praca Quinze de Novembro

    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    7

    Mosteiro De Sao Bento

    15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
    Supplied by

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

    Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

    Reviews

    4.9
    based on 20 reviews
    Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
    We perform checks on reviews

    Great tour with historical context

    Daniel_L, Apr 2026
    Carlos provided an excellent tour of the city and historical overview of Rio. The different churches and libraries with history of Brazil and as a great enjoyment to learn.

    Great walking tour with Carlos

    Gareth_H, Mar 2026
    We had a really enjoyable tour with Carlos. We were lucky that no-one else joined so that we had our own private tour. He was very knowledgeable and friendly and showed us some great spots

    A nice way to get to see...

    Shivam_V, Mar 2026
    A nice way to get to see all the main historic attractions in rio without stress. Nice ending in a historical cafe.

    Must Do Tour!

    Lauren_M, Mar 2026
    Carlos is a great guide he knows alot about the history of sao paulo and took us to all the main historic places. I came late but Carlos was patient with me and updated me on his location so I was able to meet him at the second stop the seleron stairs. He waited for us when we slowed down from the heat since the tour is alot of walking and he had no problem ordering for us in portugese when we stopped by certain shops. He also took and sent me pictures when my phone ran out of storage. If you want to experience Historic Sao Paulo you must come on this tour! I had an amazing experience and 100% recommend

    Really interesting tour round historic highlights of downtown Rio

    rod_f, Mar 2026
    It's well worth doing. Carlos was a knowledgeable and friendly guide, and he was very happy to take photos of us on our phones at places like the Selaron Steps and Confiteira Columbo. The library (Gabinete) was remarkable, but for us the highlight was the cathedral - breathtaking! This was a great and very reasonably priced way to hit all the high spots in a morning. Warnings are the obvious ones: it was very hot, and very crowded in places, so bring plenty of water, hat, sunglasses, and be careful of bags, phones etc as you would be in any big city. Overall, highly recommended if you like to explore a city on foot.

    Great tour recommend it

    Cathryn_W, Mar 2026
    Great tour , Carlos was very inreying and passionate about Rio and its history. Very friendly and accommodating . He spoke good English .

    Wandering downtown Rio

    Sthefany_A, Mar 2026
    Nice experience! Even though I wanted to visit the Real Gabinete Português, it was closed that day, it was still a very enriching experience. The guides were kind (they speak English and Spanish as well) and really took care of us. We visited the Colombo bakery and tasted the delicious "sorvete" there.

    Excellent tour with Carlos. So informative and great company too

    Mary_K, Feb 2026
    A great guide and so informative. Great company too . I would definitely recommend a tour with Carlos

    A fantastic afternoon being guided round by Carlos!

    T_J, Feb 2026
    Our small group was treated to a personal walking tour of Rio de Janeiro. Carlos was the perfect guide, speaking English and French to our group members as required. Many attractions were visited in a logical way, meaning the walking was not too much. Plenty of information given and opportunities for photos. We would definitely recommend Carlos because he has a warm, friendly personality, and understands the needs of each member of the group.

    The trip was fabulous....

    Lightning_W, Feb 2026
    The trip was fabulous. Carlos’s explanation was very detailed ,the route was designed perfectly and we really liked the trip .The trip showed to us the contrast between Rio de Janeiro’s glorious history and its situation nowadays.I strongly recommend this trio to everyone. It was absolutely the best

    Nice tour on even a rainy day

    Carla_S, Feb 2026
    This tour hit the highlights of Rio in an effective manner. The guides were knowledgeable and entertaining, while being concerned for our safety and well-being. Both guides spoke English well. The sights visited were popular in Rio, and we were provided with priority access to those that were busy. One of the sights was a hidden gem where we were the only visitors there. Would recommend to anyone!

    Best walking trip in the Rio de Janeiro

    Jaroslaw_M, Dec 2025
    Just excellent! Because it was Christmas, the tour was only me and two guides: Carlos and Augusto. Moment they realized that it is not my first trip to Rio, they decided to made few extra stops and showed me places I have not seen before. Also, we had nice discussion about history of the city and visited places. Both were very nice, very good and very hospitable. Excellent value for the money spent. Overall 20/10

    A must to anyone that comes to Rio.

    Julian_W, Dec 2025
    I've learnt a lot. This tour guide Carlos, is a legend. If you want to learn about Rio that's for sure the best option. Plus, he showed me the best angles to take pictures and lead me awesome places. Every moment was worthy.

    Excelent, an amazing experience. I recommend tô anyone that comes tô Rio and want tô learn about the city.

    Cristiane_G, Dec 2025
    It was an amazing tour. The tour guide Carlos is really nice and easy to talk with. He's very knowgeable, and were able to answer all the questions I há.

    Nice visit to the center,...

    Laurie_B, Feb 2026
    Nice visit to the center, we take the time to stop in front of monuments that we would have missed alone.
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    From $29.85

    per person

    up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

    Book ahead!
    On average, this is booked 9 days in advance.

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