Take your Rio de Janeiro sightseeing experience into your own hands on this customizable, private tour of the Marvelous City. Alongside a ‘carioca’ (Rio de Janeiro resident) and personal driver, tick off top Rio attractions chosen by you. Personalize your itinerary according to your interests and only visit the sites you wish to see: your guide tailors the tour according to preferred themes, such as food, history, or sport, and offers undivided attention throughout. Pickup and drop-off from your Rio de Janeiro hotel are included.

Private custom sightseeing tour of Rio de Janeiro
Create an itinerary featuring only sites of interest
Tailor your tour according to themes such as food, sport, history, or culture
Choose to visit top attractions including Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Statue of Christ the Redeemer
Receive undivided attention from a private guide and driver
Hotel pickup and drop-off are included

What's Included

Certified multilingual guide and driver
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Private tour for up to 14 people
Transport by private vehicle

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Ticket entrances

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Please contact us with your Hotel name so we can organize the pick-up.

What To Expect

Prior to your tour, your guide contacts you to discuss an itinerary. Whether you want to explore Rio’s traditional food joints, tick off all of the city’s top attractions, or stray from the beaten path to gain local insight, your drive and guide can make it happen.

Choose to visit the iconic Statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, or take a cable car ride to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain. Opt to recline on the white-sand beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, both world-famous Rio spots, or check off landmarks including Sao Bento Monastery, Maracana Stadium, and the Sambadrome, which hosts the renowned Rio Carnival. All entrance fees are at your own expense.

Your tour concludes with drop-off at your Rio de Janeiro hotel.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
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

61 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 61 reviews

Full day with lots to see and do

Donna_v, Mar 2024

Victoria was our guide today. She was very welcoming and friendly. I had booked our tickets to be on the first train up to Christ the Redemeer so we had an early start. Victoria was very knowledgeable about her beautiful city. We had a list of sites we wanted to explore and she also gave us other suggestions which we took her up on and and had a fantastic day. Unfortunately I dont recall our drivers name but he did a fantastic job getting us safely to our destinations. Would recommend this full day private guided tour.

Well exceeded our expectations.

Alan_S, Jan 2024

Ederson was our guide. He was VERY professional and knowledgeable. As we had been to the Christ the Redeemer statute the previous day, we were able to start the tour at the scheduled 9am start time. Saturday was a city holiday and school was not yet back in session. He offered to purchase Sugar Loaf 'fast pass' tickets for us that we would reimburse him for the next day. We accepted. 'Fast Pass' tickets are WELL WORTH the expense for Sugar Loaf just as 'skip the line' tickets are for Christ the Redeemer, which we also used. Ederson offered us two tour options after Sugar Loaf which was first thing in the morning. One was a walking tour of city center which would have been crowded (very hot and humid) and involved a lot of walking because roads were blocked off or a trip to the national park to see the water falls and enjoy lunch at a place were he would eat with his family. The choice was a 'no-brainer'. The national park was very relaxing and much cooler than the city center. We saw other sites as well including the beach where the para-gliders land. The meal was EXACTLY what we were looking for--very local. On our own, we would not have ordered much of what was put before us. We are glad that we let Ederson do the ordering. All the food was EXCELLENT and abundant and by US standards VERY inexpensive. The food was served family-style and we paid for Ederson's lunch. There was so much food leftover that we asked Ederson to take it home to his family which he did.

The best

David_H, Jan 2024

The best tour guide ever! Angelie took us to the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf mountain, and many of the local sites. She is extremely knowledgeable and absolutely delightful.

The best

Marshall_S, Dec 2023

Our guide was fantastic and worked with us to provide the best possible experience that we could desire.

Beautiful day in Rio

what, Oct 2023

It’s was a very good tour and well run. We were able to see more than we would have if we tried to do it on our own. Victoria is passionate about here country and it has a positive influence on the tour.

Enjoyable day with a great tour guide!

LYNN_M, Mar 2023

Edisson was a great tour guide and gave us a great overview of the City. He was punctual and spoke great English. Having a guide is great as you can skip some of the lines and gain his knowledge of the city. I would highly recommend.

Best of Rio was great

Erickson_P, Mar 2023

Great trip with Ederson. He was amazing at getting us to skip the long lines and we were able to get a bunch of Rio sights all in one day. Highly recommend.

Amazing!

shelleycascio, Feb 2023

The best way to see all of the highlights of Rio de Janeiro. Peter and our driver aka Vin Diesel were amazing! Definitely recommend this tour!!

Great personal guide

Susan_A, Dec 2022

Vincente was an excellent guide, packed loads into our two half days with him. Brilliant at ensuring we got ahead of any queues. Vicente was extremely knowledgeable, was very upbeat with a great sense of humour. Would thoroughly recommend a personal guided tour with Vincente if you want to make the best of a short time in Rio.

Exceeded Expectations

paula_c, Dec 2022

I had wanted to go to Rio for many years so already had high expectations but our tour guide Thomas Vincent created an experience that exceeded all our expectations. His knowledge of the city, insights into the history and culture of Rio, and willingness to show us what we most wanted to see were phenomenal. I provided a list of things I most most wanted to see in order of their importance and he met each one effortlessly and with enthusiasm. Days later, I’m still amazed at not only his expertise but at his extreme like ability. Wish he lived in America so we could remain friends.

Eddy showed us all the...

ayanna_d, Nov 2022

Eddy showed us all the highlights of this beautiful city. He took us all over the city and to Sugarloaf and Santa Theresa and lots of other interesting spots. The weather wasn't great - it was too foggy to see Christ the Redeemer so he took us to the loveliest spot, high above Rio - Mirante Dona Marta. The views were incredible and we made it to Christ the Redeemer a few days later. Thanks for an amazing day, Eddy!

Thumbs up for an amazing day in Rio

Anthony_C, Oct 2022

Our tour guide was Victoria and she understood the assignment! She was on time and had amazing energy. She provided us with a private experience that left us wanting to do it all over again! She is fluent in English German Portuguese and Spanish! She was engaging up to the very end and provided relevant information throughout the tour! I encourage everyone to consider doing a farmer’s market tour. It was different and was an opportunity to engage with locals and try fruits and vegetables you’ve never seen. If your tour isn’t with Victoria…is it really worth it?? We love you Victoria!!! Anthony & Terrence

The dynamic duo - Gisela and Victoria!

George_L, Oct 2022

Carioca Tropical Tours provided a fabulous full day private tour of Rio de Janeiro for me. Although Gisela was nominally the driver and Victoria the guide, they were both able to provide interesting facts and anecdotes, and to ensure that I was well informed about everything that I was seeing. They were also very capable of answering my sometimes very random questions! I felt almost that I was being shown around Rio by a couple of friends, rather than by a tour company. Great value for money.

Super Fun Day

Kenneth_C, Sep 2022

Vincente was an absolute gem! Knowledgeable, personable and a joy to be with. He took us on a journey to some of the lesser traveled locations providing a great view and sense of the city. He augmented the views with historical commentary on Brazil and Rio. Great time!

Great time, great tour guide

Todd_J, Mar 2022

Our guide was awesome from start to finish. Very knowledgeable about the history of Brazil. My daughter has issues with her mobility and our guide made it a NONE issue. Friendly, kind, accommodating, funny, personable. Would give him 10 stars if i could

Superb Rio Tour Operation 2020

Scott_B, Mar 2020

We really lucked into a great vendor in Efraim, and his go-to tour team of Flavio (great driver) and Katia (great tour guide)! It was effortless via Viator, and Efraim's communication, suggestions and coordination were flawless. Efraim and Katia did an excellent job of merging our "wish-list" compilation with the "don't miss" venues. Katia was superb: punctual, considerate, effusive, and a pleasure to spend time with. My wife and I loved all the walking, nature, neighborhoods, architecture, vistas, cool sights, museums, and cultural highlights that Rio is famous for! Thanks to Katia, we had the most complete experience possible. By the way, we were coming off a cruise and our one need was to have our luggage accompany us (safe/securely) throughout the day until airport drop-off at the end. Thank you, Efraim, Katia, and Flavio, for delivering a great private tour at our pace and insuring that we had nothing but a great time. Can't wait to return to do more with you! Cheers! Scott & Shani

Great tour of Rio!!

Janet_L, Jan 2020

Our guide, Victoria, was wonderful. (Driver too). She was very friendly and knowledgeable. Saw Christ, the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf, cathedral, the steps.... and more. She arranged everything so well that we had minimal waits at any attraction. We were exceptionally pleased with this tour.

Excellent tour! I spent the entire...

Melanie_M, Jan 2018

Excellent tour! I spent the entire day with driver Roberto and tour guide Leonardo. They were so proud to show me the highlights of their country and I am truly grateful. Thanks so much guys!

Our guide and driver were excellent...

Stephen B, Mar 2017

Our guide and driver were excellent. We were met on time at the start of the day. Our guide customized the day to accommodated a few special requests and allowed us to get exactly what we wanted out of our time in Rio.

Quelle déception!

Caroline_P, Mar 2024

Malgré une visite de 8 heures, nous n'avons eu le temps de presque rien voir parce que le guide était complètement désorganisé. En plus, il est arrivé avec 30 minutes de retard. Il nous a systématiquement amené aux lieux touristiques au pire moment de la journée, n'a pas prévu d'horaire pour la journée nous obligeant à retourner sur nos pas dans la circulation dense, n'a pas prévu que nous devions manger, n'a pas prévu de bouteilles d'eau malgré une température de 36 degré Celsius et ne parlait pas suffisamment fort pour que nous l'entendions.