Rio de Janeiro

Top Rio de Janeiro landmarks

Private Tour: Rio City Essentials including Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf

Badge of ExcellenceRio de Janeiro, Brazil

City Tour The Essentials Classic tour visiting the most famous attractions in Rio de Janeiro

7 to 8 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Tour Rio de Janeiro your way, with a private car and driver, during this fully customizable tour. Choose the landmarks and attractions that you want to visit, such as Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Selarón Steps, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the city's famous beaches. Learn about the food, language, culture and history of the city and its inhabitants from your informative local guide while you explore. Round trip transportation in a comfortable, air-conditioned private vehicle is included.

Tour Rio de Janeiro your way, with a private car and driver, during this fully customizable tour
Choose the landmarks and attractions that you want to visit, such as Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Selaron Steps, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the city's famous beaches
Learn about the food, language, culture and history of the city and its inhabitants from your informative local guide while you explore
Enjoy the flexibility and personal attention that comes with a private tour

What's Included

Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
Certified Tour Guide
Pickup and drop-off in hotels, airports, seaport, you say where!
'On the fly' adaptations: change the itinerary during the tour to match your wishes.
Complimentary bottled water

Tickets for Christ the Redeemer (But we help with that!)
Tickets for Sugar Loaf (But we help with that!)
Food and Drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick-up and drop-off are included; you choose where! If your place is not listed please let us know when booking or by message. For airport pickup please inform the arrival flight details; for seaport pickup please inform cruise ship information

What To Expect

Corcovado - Christ the Redeemer

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Sugarloaf Mountain Cable Car

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Real Gabinete Portugues Da Leitura

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Escadaria Selaron

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Santa Teresa

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
All our Drivers and Tour Guides are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
There are no skip the lines for the Christ the Redeemer so we will book the train ride according to the pick-up time.
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Service animals allowed
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
The "Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Portuguese Reading Room) is not open on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. We will visit another attraction on those days.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

211 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 211 reviews

Day in Rio

Linda_V, Apr 2024

Fabiana was our tour guide and she was absolutely fantastic. She was extremely informative and friendly. Took us to a wonderful restaurant for lunch. We feel we got a full day of seeing the best Rio had to offer!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Linda, we are so happy that you had such a great day with a great lunch. Faby will be extremely happy to read this review. Thank you! Take care. :-)

Perfect!

Marcelo_M, Apr 2024

The tour was great! Flavio, our guide, was super knowledgeable and friendly. He also recommended places to visit, eat and bars too. I would highly recommend the tour and Flavio as your guide.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience! I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that Flavio was able to provide you with valuable insights and recommendations. Hope you have many more wonderful travel experiences in the future! Take care. :)

Top locations and professional tour guides

Johnny_J, Apr 2024

The tour was 100%, more the perfect. Professional tour guides. Now we know Rio in and out. Top star rating for our guide Faby. She’s amazing!!!!!!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Yes!!!! We are happy that you had such a great time. Thanks for the review! Take care. :)

Best Private Tour Available

Paul_S, Apr 2024

The tour was wonderful. Our guide, Fabi and driver Reuben were brilliant and brought us to all the highlights with an efficiency I haven’t seen anywhere else. Fabi in particular was excellent and hugely professional but above all a pleasure to spend the day with. Would not recommend any one else for a private tour of Rio de Janeiro

Response from Host, Apr 2024

That's awesome, it's so good to read this. Thank you so much! Take care! :)

Fantastic tour

Heather_E, Apr 2024

What a fantastic day! Paulo and Reuben looked after us so well and were very entertaining and knowledgeable. In spite of a bit of mist the views from Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf were sensational. Paulo took some brilliant photos of us and had so many jokes we were aching from laughing so much. The Selaron steps were a highlight and the astonishing Cathedral. Worth every penny. A fantastic tour, guide and driver who gave us a very memorable day!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

That's so good to read! It's wonderful that you had such a great day. Thanks for your review. Take care! :)

GREAT RIO TOUR

Edwin_B, Apr 2024

Entire tour memorable. FLAVIO MORAES one of the best tour guides ever had. Did not have to worry about parking at each stop. Price included private tour for my wife and I , a driver and a separate guide FLAVIO Not cheap but well worth the money.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for sharing your positive review of your tour experience! We're thrilled to hear that Flavio was an outstanding guide and that the private tour, driver, and separate guide were worth the investment. We appreciate your feedback. Take care! :-)

Great tour and Faby and Johnny arr wonderful.

MariaMargarita_S, Apr 2024

Getting to ser Christ Redentor and the views from Rio. Sugar loaf was cloudy so we could not see sunst. But the sunset but the expirence was good

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We are so happy that you had a great time! Thank you for the review. Take care! :-)

A perfect day

Nicole_E, Mar 2024

We would like to thank Faby and our driver for this great and eventful day. Faby gave us so much information and designed the trip according to our wishes. We can only recommend this excursion to everyone. In addition to the Sugarloaf Mountains and the Christ the Redeemer statue, we were in the rainforest and Faby took us to great waterfalls and our driver always had a smile on his face and took us safely from place to place (Welcome to jurrasicpark😀). It was so wonderful and supportly organized.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Faby and our driver Junior are blushing harder than a Dilophosaurus frill right now! Thanks for the awesome review. We're thrilled you had a fantastic adventure, from the iconic sights to the hidden waterfalls. Welcome back to civilization (although those friendly faces behind the wheel might miss the T-Rex calls a little). See you next time for another unforgettable day in Rio!

Fun, personalized tour

Tenille_J, Mar 2024

We had a wonderful time on this tour! Everything was very easy to arrange, pick up was on time, and our guide, Nathaly, took us around the city on a very rainy day. She was great to talk to and also helpful and flexible, suggesting an additional stop to tour the factory where they Carnival costumes and floats are stored. This was a fantastic experience, and we had a great time overall, despite the weather. Definitely recommended!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your kind words! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us, even on a rainy day. We are delighted that Nathaly made your experience memorable. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more adventures in the future! Take care!

A perfect introduction to Rio

Clair_O, Mar 2024

The service was excellent! From the moment we booked we received excellent communication regarding our tour & advice from Marcelo. Our trip was planned according to our specific interests by our wonderful guide Arthur. The whole day was special & thoroughly enjoyed. We highly recommend this wonderful tour

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for the amazing review! We're thrilled you had a special day with Arthur. So glad you recommend us! Take care! :)

Very good tour and amazing guide

ErnestoJ_L, Mar 2024

The tour was just perfect and Julio was an AMAZING guide. A great way of visiting Rio’s main attractions. Fully recommended.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Wow, that's fantastic to hear! We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour and that Julio made it so special. Thanks for recommending us!

Rio was breathtaking

Errol_P, Mar 2024

Julio is an amazing tour guide with a wealth of knowledge on everything Rio. We are so happy to have been paired with him. It was a rainy day but Julio made it a memorable excursion. He brought extra ponchos and let us use his umbrella. We were given water and the logistics were too knotch. You can’t ask for a better, more engaging and intelligent guide. He is top of the top. The best!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that Julio made your rainy day excursion in Rio unforgettable. It's wonderful to know that his knowledge and thoughtful gestures added to your experience. We'll be sure to pass on your appreciation to Julio. Take care! 🌟🌧️🙏

Terrific tour guide!!

ThomasS_W, Mar 2024

I fell the day before and Henry escorted us like a master and a rehab worker quickly on all sites. Made our trip despite brace and wheelchair. Couldn’t have done it without him. Very knowledgeable and kind.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

I told you that you were not missing the tour. Thanks for the compliments for Henry and the great review. Wish you a quick recovery!

The best way to see Rio

Kim_R, Mar 2024

Paulo and "Johnny" were fantastic. Paulo's English was perfect and he was very knowledgeable. He should be --- he's a local! Besides the usual we also went to a few places off the beaten path. Besides showing you the sights, Paulo gave us history lessons, putting things into perspective. If I had to do it over again, I absolutely would. If you are on the fence about this tour book it!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for your lovely words, it's so good to know that we've managed to create such a positive experience for our customers. Take care!

The guide and driver were...

Nancy_O, Mar 2024

The guide and driver were excellent and the tour was memorable. I would only say I think the guide was sick and I caught it- I believe he should have gotten a sub

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you found our guide and driver excellent and that your tour was memorable. We are sorry to hear that you fell ill during your visit to Rio. We want to clarify that our tour guide was not unwell but rather managing an allergy that can be triggered by frequent transitions between air-conditioned and outdoor environments. We understand your concern and assure you that we take the health and well-being of our guests very seriously. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we appreciate your understanding. Wish you a quick recovery!

Perfectly tailored your with a fantastic guide

Tamarin_C, Mar 2024

Paulo was wonderful. Contacted us the night before, one hour before, and upon arrival to pick us up. As an anxious individual, I very much appreciated that. He had a great sense of humor “I will be the handsome one in the back shirt in your lobby” and “everything in Rio is the biggest, the best, or both.” Tailored the trip exactly to our goals and preferences. Knew the area and the history and lots of interesting facts. Highly recommend. Also highly recommend the FastPass for Sugar Loaf. Saved us hours of waiting in the heat.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Brilliant! It's so good to know you had a great experience. Paulo has a great sense of humor, indeed and fast pass tickets for Sugar Loaf are the way to go. Thanks for your review. Take care!

Zero Stars!

Paul_H, Feb 2024

A GREAT tour if you: 1) want to start 30 minutes late bc your tour guide doesn't show on time; 2) if you what to pay 2x other private tours or 40x Uber rates (we paid $660 US for 2 people, 8 hrs); 3) what a tour guide that does not know where/how to pick up VIP tickets nor where to take the appropriate line; 4) at your first venue ask you to wait while they use the restroom; 5) share absolutely NO local information, just talk about their son in medical school; 5) claim there is "no wait", then deposit you in a 1.25 hour line while they leave to get food and drink for themselves; 6) tell you a complete trip up/down CTR will have 60-70 minutes when it takes more than 3 hours; I could go on and on. WORST TOUR EVER, please save you monery and find another operator.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We are really sorry you didn't have a great time with our tour in Rio. As you can tell by all of our other reviews, we are committed to superior guest experiences. Regarding your specific concerns: Late Start: We understand how frustrating the delay on your tour must have been, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience it caused. During periods like Carnaval, unforeseen circumstances like heavy traffic, street closures, and high demand can unfortunately impact tours across the city, leading to delays beyond our immediate control. While we strive our best to ensure punctuality through effective planning and proactive communication, these external factors can sometimes present unavoidable challenges affecting not just our guides but also numerous other tour operators. We understand this is not ideal, but we appreciate your understanding. Cost: We understand your feedback regarding pricing. We are committed to offering transparent and competitive pricing while ensuring the inclusion of valuable features like skip-the-line tickets and top-rated drivers and tour guides. We continuously review our pricing structure to ensure we meet these goals. Guide's knowledge: We take pride in our guides' expertise and professionalism. We will review your feedback regarding the guide's knowledge and ensure they are consistently providing accurate information. Wait at Christ the Redeemer: We understand your frustration with the long wait at Christ the Redeemer, especially considering the already challenging schedule due to Carnaval delays. Unfortunately, unpredictable factors beyond our control, including high demand and operational limitations at third-party services, can sometimes contribute to extended wait times. That's exactly what happened: the Christ the Redeemer train operator, 'Trem do Corcovado', had long delays which generated the long waiting times. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We are sincerely sorry for the inconveniences you encountered and are committed to providing a positive experience for all our guests. If you come back to Rio, we hope you will give us another chance to show you the true quality of our tours.

Must do tour

Andrea_b, Feb 2024

We had a great day! We cannot recommend this tour enough!! Marcelo was extremely communicative. He put my mind at ease, was very reassuring, and informative. Then the tour with Flávio was more than we could’ve asked for - we saw everything! We also learned so much about Rio, the culture, the history. It was the most amazing tour. if you’re on the fence about the money, trust me it’s worth it. It was everything that you would want in a tour it was safe convenient no language barrier, & so in-depth. As a team, they are very hospitable kind knowledgeable and professional.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We are so happy to read this! Knowing you learned so much, felt safe and informed throughout, truly warms our hearts. Thank you for choosing us and for sharing your kind words - they fuel our passion to keep exceeding expectations! We hope to see you again soon!

PAULO WAS AWESOME

JOHN_R, Feb 2024

Paulo was an awesome guide to Rio. He was very accommodating to our changes in schedule as well as a fabulous story teller and comedian. He definitely made the day a lifetime memory.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We love reading this! It's so good we can help our visitors to create lifetime memories. Paulo is a great guy. Thank you so much and take care! :)

Amazing experience!

Carlos_C, Feb 2024

The tour guide was amazing. Having it be private was worth it. No big groups, no different opinions and waiting on people, undivided attention. Great experience. The views were amazing. She was so friendly and knowledgeable. Worth every penny.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Sounds like you had an unforgettable experience! The personalized attention and expertise of a private tour truly make a difference. Thanks for the review. Take care! :)

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