Rio de Janeiro

Top Rio de Janeiro landmarks

Ancient Rio and Santa Teresa Tour with Hotel pick-up and drop-off

Badge of ExcellenceRio de Janeiro, Brazil

Private Tour Ancient Rio and Santa Teresa Tour

4 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Explore the bucolic neighborhood of Santa Teresa and downtown Ancient Rio during this 4-hour tour. In Ancient Rio, visit sites like the France Brazil House, Arcos da Lapa, Teles Arches and Praça XV. In Santa Teresa, admire the stately mansions from the early 1900s and view the neighborhood's original tram, built in 1897. Learn about the importance of both of these neighborhoods in Rio's past through commentary from your guide. Round-trip transportation from Rio hotels is included.

Explore the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa and downtown Ancient Rio
Visit sites like the France Brazil House, Arcos da Lapa, Teles Arches and Praça XV
Admire Santa Teresa's stately mansions from the early 1900s and view the neighborhood's original tram
Learn about the importance of both of these neighborhoods in Rio's past

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

Lunch
Entrance to museums

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Hotel Rio Othon Palace
Av. Atlântica, 3264 - 5º andar - Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22070-001, Brazil

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Pickup is available from most hotels in the areas of Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana, Flamengo and Downtown (Centro). Contact us back to adjust the pickup time. For Barra da Tijuca/ Recreio we provide pick-up for an additional rate.

What To Expect

Santa Teresa

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Centro Cultural Municipal Parque das Ruinas

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Arcos da Lapa

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Praca Quinze de Novembro

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Arco do Teles

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cinelandia

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Museu Nacional De Belas Artes

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

National Library (Biblioteca Nacional)

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
We contact you back in order to provide proper pickup time. Check your emails and/or cell phone.
If requested, you must present a copy of your ID.
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Infants must sit on laps

Most travelers can participate
Comfortable clothing and walking shoes are recommended for this tour.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers per Minivan.
Minimum of 2 people are required for this activity to take place.
Contact us to confirm the pickup time according to hotel location.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 99 travelers

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.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

92 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 92 reviews

Mostly positive.

Greg_K, Apr 2024

We were picked up more than 30 minutes late. The van was completely full except for the two back seats in the middle. I was disappointed with not being able to see out. The guide Dario, was knowledgeable and the places we visited were interesting. I was amazed at the culture and beauty of Rio. We didn’t visit all of the places described, but we saw enough in the allotted time. I rated the tour well for what we saw and did. It was mostly a positive experience.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello! We're very happy to hear that the balance of your day was positive, despite the unforeseen event at the beginning. Nonetheless, we're sorry for the delay. Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour! See you next time!

Very informative

Hilbert_S, Apr 2024

Very knowledgeable guide, who showed us many interesting site. Was good at explaining what things were and know the history of the quite well. Didn’t rush us.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello! We're very happy to hear that your tour was a good one! The Rio Antigo and Santa Teresa tour is one of the coolest we have in our city and it's very worthwhile! When accompanied by one of our guides, it's even better! Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

Interesting trip

Anne_B, Apr 2024

Interesting areas not previously visited. Enjoyed walking around old quarter. Would have liked to have had opportunity to go on tram

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello! Glad you enjoyed your tour! Regarding the tram, it's not included in this tour for reasons of timescale. It's an attraction that requires more time, and on a shared tour, we consider it more interesting to include other important sites in the city so that everyone can see more sights. On a private tour, however, you can define the places you want to go and the activities you want to do. It's a great option too! Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

Perfect

Nina_K, Mar 2024

Perfect guide, speaking not only English but also German Private transfer and interesting facts about the city. Also great restaurant review for the evening.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello! We're very happy to hear that your tour went well! If you ever come back to Rio, don't hesitate to contact us! We offer a wide range of incredible activities and would be delighted to welcome you again! Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

Interesting history

Samuel_M, Mar 2024

Dario was an excellent guide! He was super knowledgeable about the history of ancient Rio and made the trip enjoyable. We felt very safe with him

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello! We're very happy to hear that your tour went well! We work with the best professionals in the city so that our clients can enjoy every second here in Rio. And the Ancient Rio tour is very worthwhile! Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

None. The synopsis must...

Barry_F, Mar 2024

None. The synopsis must say that this tour has a lot of walking on very uneven cobblestone and is not good for anyone that has any kind of walking problem. The tour guide did not even sound that interested.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello, We're sorry your tour didn't go as expected. With regard to the streets, Santa Teresa is a historic neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. It's understandable that many of its old elements are still part of the place, such as some buildings and streets. The cable car is even listed by INEPAC - the State Institute for Cultural Heritage - for its architectural, historical and cultural importance. We're sorry that this inconvenienced your trip. Regarding the guide's behavior, we will try to understand what may have happened. This is not how we would have liked to present this very special part of the city to you. Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour.

Friendly Vibes of Santa Teresa Neighborhood

Judith_T, Mar 2024

This was a fun and interesting tour of the charming Santa Theresa neighborhood and other spots. We loved the chance to catch the flaovr of this colorful area. Our guide was excellent and full of great information. The visits to the cultural centers ad the art were amazing. And ending at Cine Colombo was a wonderful ending with the best capucino I've ever add and fabulous chocolate oce cream in an art nouveau masterpoece..

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello! Glad you enjoyed your tour! Santa Teresa is a beautiful neighborhood and the tour of Ancient Rio is a dive into Brazilian history, since Rio was the capital of Brazil for many years. It's worth every minute! And of course, ending the tour at Confeitaria Colombo is the perfect way to end a very special day! Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

Waisted time

Kristoffer_S, Mar 2024

Lousy car. The guide engaged in talking to the driver 95% of the time. Not interested in what he is doing.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello, We're sorry your experience wasn't pleasant. It's not how we would have liked to present the city to you. Based on your report, we will look into what might have happened to make your tour not enjoyable. Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour.

Awesome tour guide - Monica

Jennifer_k, Mar 2024

Love the tram mosiac tiles and walking along all the shops and streets in Santa Teresa. Monica is a fantastic tour guide, very knowledgeable and professional. She cares for her guests very well given that my husband has difficulty walking, she makes every effort to minimize his walking distance and makes him feel comfortable.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello! How nice to hear that everything went well on your tour! Our professionals are very concerned about any special needs our clients may have, and we make absolutely no distinction about this. Rio is a city for everyone and deserves to be fully enjoyed by all! Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

We expected more from this excursion

Rem_B, Mar 2024

We expected more from this excursion; the guide was boring; he seemed to be working his time without emotion. If he had been our first guide in Rio, we would not have fallen in love with this beautiful city, it’s good that before that we had a wonderful sightseeing tour of Rio with a wonderful guide.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hello, We're sorry that your tour with us didn't go as expected. We will work hard to improve what may have been lacking. Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour.

Great experience!

Gayle_M, Feb 2024

Our guide was fantastic! We ended up being the only couple on the tour, which made it special and a little flexible! I recommend doing this on a weekend when there is less traffic and it’s easier to get around. We could not have seen what we did by ourselves in 4 hours, which to me indicates a great tour!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello! We're very happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour! Getting to know the historic part of Rio is one of the coolest activities we have here in the city! And we work with the best professionals so that our clients can have great experiences on any tour, as yours was. Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

Waste of time and money

Liam_M, Feb 2024

This was without doubt the worst tour I've been on to date. No planning, no back up plan, a tour guide who had minimal knowledge and couldn't answer any questions, all over in less than 2 hours during which we only saw a church! Waste of money and time.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello, We're sorry your experience wasn't good. Our team is deeply committed to the well-being of our customers, and that involves being prepared to serve them in the best possible way, so we're really sorry about what happened. As you can see from our review history, it's not what we usually offer. Nonetheless, thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour. We hope to change your impression of our city and our service another time.

Wonderful tour of Rio- well worth it!!

Karen_D, Feb 2024

Dario was fantastic- very knowledgeable and fun to hang out with- seeing Santa Theresa and downtown Rio with him was wonderful! Be aware a lot of this is a walking tour- morning was best option in terms of heat in late January - learned a lot - so many hidden treasures in Rio

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello! Glad to hear your experience was enjoyable! We work with the best professionals in the city so that our clients can spend every minute in Rio. The Ancient Rio tour is truly incredible! Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour!

Another view of Rio

Nigel_C, Jan 2024

Excellent tour. Expected a group but my wife and I had a private tour with Danielle in her car. We were taken to many interesting and exciting areas and learnt that Rio was much more than the two mountain trips, Copacana and Ipenema.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hello! Thanks for the positive review! The Ancient Rio tour is one of the coolest in the city and we're very happy that you had a good experience! Thank you for choosing Rio Carioca Tours!

Plus and Minus

Foster_L, Jan 2024

Bad experience in not receiving pickup location for tour in advance and not informed that our hotel was outside of their pickup zone...we occurred additional expenses for going to and from our hotel was concerned with meeting the pickup on time. Monastery of Saint Benedict was interesting and impressive with the gilded gold chapel even got to see some monkeys in the trees and orchids thriving on the bark of a tree. Some of the Ancient Rio sites were duplicated on the tour that we had taken the day before the Tile Steps and Santiago Church...other passengers had also mentioned that they had a similar experience (instead of two, they had three duplications). The Columbia Coffee stop was a very good stop...excellent atmosphere and good coffee and dessert. Santa Teresa was an interesting stop to see all of the handcrafted art work. The "Black" town was different. Tour guide was good at English and good coordination of English speaking group from New Zealand, USA, Canada. Van driver was good, but needed to learn how to watch and assist people getting on and off if they needed assistance.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello We're sorry your experience wasn't so good. We always strive to give our customers the best impression of our service and our city. Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tours!

Guide failed to reschedule

Diane_C, Jan 2024

Our flight was late, baggage claim was slow, and it took an hour for our car service to arrive, and another hour to arrive at our hotel. We sent a message to our aviator guide that we would not be able to meet him for our 9 am tour and asked to reschedule. He said he would contact us, but we did not hear from him

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello, We're very sorry to hear that your experience wasn't a good one. It's not what we want to offer our customers. Thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tours.

Unforgettable tour.

Ying_W, Jan 2024

Excellent historical and cultural experience. The guide, Romeu, is both knowledgeable and informative, able to provide an insight on the history of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hello! We're glad your experience with us was good! Our team is very committed to ensuring that our clients are always happy with their tours. Thank you very much for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tours!

Explore by your self

Alphan_A, Jan 2024

Two stars only for the good intenion of the guide. Nothing very special, just drove around the city and nothing really worth to see. I would recommend to catch a cap and gor to Santa Teresa to have a lunch.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello, We're sorry you didn't enjoy your tour. Rio is a city full of attractions and possibilities, so we're sorry you didn't have a good time here. But Rio deserves a second chance! We'd be delighted to welcome you again. In any case, thank you for your review and for choosing Rio Carioca Tour.

A brilliant way to see some of Rio's beautiful old suburbs

Chris_W, Dec 2023

We chose to split our sightseeing into a few different half day tours, this allowed us to pace ourselves and reduce the risk of Rio's temperamental weather impacting all of our sightseeing. This tour took us up to Santa Teresa, along the historic tram routes up the side of the mountains. We stopped a few times for the spectacular views and then wound our way back down to check some of the cities other sights, the Lapa Steps, the Cathedral, and the beautiful colonial buildings in the Parisian centre like the theatre. Our tour finished at the. We finished at the 124 year old Colombo Cafe before being dropped back at the hotel. What a fantastic day sightseeing in Rio!

Lovely experience

Claudia_S, Nov 2023

We had a very nice small group and Dario brought us to some very nice places. Very informative and cocluded with a lovely coffee in a very authentic place. Very recommendable tour.

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