Historical Rio Walking Tour: Explore Downtown Rio's Architectural and Cultural Richness

Discover the historical and cultural richness of downtown Rio on a guided walking tour. Explore architectural gems and immerse yourself in the city’s vibrant atmosphere.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Copacabana Beach - You will meet our tour guide at the entrance of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel and you will be taken by subway to downtown, stopping at Cinelândia Station
What's Included
  • Professional guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

If you want to have a different and cultural morning, come with us and take the subway to enjoy a guided walking tour in downtown Rio. Many cariocas still refer to downtown as “the City”, as if it were a city apart, so busy, profuse and attractive. Rich in history and buildings of great architectural appeal, the center of the former capital of the…

Location
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro
Avenida Atlântica
Departure at 9:00am
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(20 Ratings)
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1 star
David_o
Mar 31, 2025
Get Senora Lu if you can - Our guide was senora Lu. She was both knowledgeable and fun. I brought along a friend so it was just the 3 of us. It was worth the extra money to take it privately. We were able to ask all sorts of questions about history, but also questions how it related to lives today. This tour was exactly what I was hoping it would be…..and we had fun while doing it
Review provided by Viator
Freedom22297677501
Oct 30, 2024
Superb city tour - We loved our ride with Meilin. We got a private ride with her. She was super nice to us and knew how to adapt the itinerary according to our interests. We had booked a tour in English, but she did it in French just for us 😊. That effort was greatly appreciated. She knows the history of her country well and shares it with passion. Thanks again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chrissn50si
Sep 4, 2024
It was awesome - Awesome maylene was amazing………………………. That is all. She really knew the town and made Rio come alive for us. All of the culture we could see in action.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chiangj2024
May 30, 2024
Excellent and experienced tour guide! Explored the most essential parts of Rio in 1 day! - Monica was an amazing tour guide! Really knowledgeable and experienced. We initially wanted to engage in a 2-day tour but changed it to just 1 day and she still managed to squeeze in all the important sights into a 1 day itinerary! She brought us to the best photo spots on Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf mountain, was an amazing photographer for us, and also gave us great explanations to the iconic buildings of Rio de Janeiro city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suea755
Feb 3, 2024
Well worth it - Our guide Meilin made the difference on this tour. She is knowledgeable and passionate about her city. An excellent way to learn about Rio and see lots in one tour.
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Traveler826529
Sep 11, 2023
Bruno made a difference in Rio! - Our guide Bruno Linhares clearly made a difference, due to the high historical knowledge he demonstrated and especially the clear and fun way in which he transmitted this knowledge to us. It exceeded our expectations and added historical and tourist attractions not included in the initial program. It was the guide we wanted to have in every city we visited around the world. Thank you Bruno.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alfred_j
Jan 11, 2023
A great tour! - Matilde was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. She was also considerate in having me take a coffee and pastry break. Was very impressed by the beauty of Rio after this tour. Thanks Matilde!
Review provided by Viator
Pkapshuk
Jan 19, 2022
The wonders of the old city of Rio - This was an enlightening tour of the old city of Rio de Janeiro that was highlighted by the wonderful architecture of some of Rio’s most iconic buildings such as the Opera house, the St. Anthony Monastery and Rio’s state legislative assembly building. This is a must do tour for history buffs and those enthralled by exquisite architecture. In addition, my guide Sergio took me on the ferry to Niteroi (across the bay from downtown Rio) which provided magnificent vistas of downtown Rio. This is highly recommend tour with a tour guide that had a outstanding command of the history of Rio and the historical figures that played an integral part in the development of this beautiful city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dyan_123
Nov 14, 2019
Fabulous sites and guide - It poured on us but Leonardo hung in there! His English was excellent, which we appreciate since many guides are hard to understand and he was very knowledgeable. He took us to many fabulous sites and made our tour special. We had already done 2 day tours in the area, but, this one is a must if you want to see the historical section of Rio.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Whitehalltraveller
Oct 10, 2019
See another side to Rio - We spent 4 and half hours with Leonardo, our guide on this tour, who was excellent. We met him outside the Belmont Copacabana Palace hotel, Rio’s oldest hotel, which is a popular meeting point for tours. We then went by metro to centro where we visited the opera house, city council office, variously squares, traverse do comercio which shows off the colonial alleys. Several churches which were al beautiful. Leonardo was very knowledgable and gave us a history lesson on Brazil. Well worth doing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $64
up to 15 guests
2 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).