Imperial City Petropolis: A Historic Journey with Palaces and Museums

Embark on a historic journey to Imperial City Petropolis, home to palaces, museums, and the rich history of Brazil’s imperial family. Visit the Imperial Museum, explore the Crystal Palace, and discover the beautiful São Pedro de Alcantara’s Cathedral. Optional visits to Santos Dumont’s House and a brewery tour await. Don’t miss this captivating experience!

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Quitandinha Palace Congress and Convention Center - A historic former luxury resort hotel, renowned as one of the most remarkable architectural landmarks in Petrópolis. At its inception, it was the largest hotel casino in Latin America.
  • Catedral de São Pedro de Alcântara - A cathedral constructed in the Gothic Revival style between 1884 and…
What's Included
  • Professional guide with live tour commentary in English, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Entrance for Imperial Museum
  • Roundtrip transfer from the main hotels at (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Flamengo) and Downtown
What's Not Included
  • Entrance for other attractions with optional visit, as Santos Dumont’s House
Additional Information

Embark on a journey to Petropolis, the historic city founded under the influence of Emperor Dom Pedro II, often referred to as the ‘Imperial City’.
Pass by the ‘Palácio Quitandinha’, an erstwhile casino-hotel dating back to the 1940’s. Take a trip to the Imperial Museum and unravel the rich history of Brazil and the imperial lineage. Visit the Crystal…

Location
Quitandinha Palace Congress and Convention Center
Avenida Estados Unidos 2
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.6
(9 Ratings)
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1 star
Sergiobl5416yb
Mar 12, 2026
Culture, history and an ideal climate: Excellent excursion with C2Rio - If you are looking for a respite from the Rio heat, the "Imperial City" tour with C2Rio Tours & Travel is the ideal choice. Not only because of the destination, which looks like a bit of Germany in Brazil, but because of the warmth of the team. We booked the Petropolis day tour and it exceeded our expectations. From the start, the coordination with Ana Julia by WhatsApp was impeccable; we were confirmed the pick-up at our Copacabana hotel 24 hours in advance. One very positive detail: we saw that people staying in Barra de Tijuca were provided with an Uber to approach the meeting point, something that not all agencies do. Our guide, Thais, was a resounding 10. Although most spoke Portuguese, he took all the time to explain every detail in Spanish with a lot of patience and passion. Also special mention for our driver (a genius, very responsible behind the wheel). We visit: Views of Serra dos Órgãos National Park: The scenery on the climb is amazing. Quitandinha Palace (free admission): The perfect entrance to the city. Cathedral of San Pedro de Alcantara. Imperial Museum (entrance fee included with tour): The main course. The collection is very rich and includes the royal crown, the scepter and the king's cape. (Too bad the stables were closed, a reason to come back!). Crystal Palace Free time: Although Rua Teresa was closed for Sunday and we did not want to go to the craft brewery, Thais suggested excellent options. We opted for the Casa de Santos Dumont and sweetened up at the Chocolateria Katz, a total success! The combi was modern and comfortable. One detail I highlight is punctuality; the organization is so professional that they are watching every passenger on WhatsApp to make everything flow. The return was made very enjoyable thanks to the good vibe of the group and the safe driving of our driver (sorry I do not remember her name but very friendly also and responsible behind the wheel). I would definitely choose Thais and C2Rio again for an upcoming adventure.
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Joseuc5755sx
Aug 16, 2025
Many History.. good experience - For people who like history this is an excellent choice. The agency Punctual and the guide well prepared.. always with a smile and good aptitude
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Roraimaluciad
Aug 12, 2025
Very nice tour - It was a súper nice tour, the tour guide Newton was very friendly and he share a lot of important information in the tour and he care about each member of the group
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Sergiogm1545gf
Aug 10, 2025
Memorable moments with an amazing persons! - Great time with the best guide! (Newton) We visited Petropolis from Río de Janeiro, everything was very well planned and coordinate. Totally recommended!
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955fernandoo
Aug 7, 2025
Wonderful afternoon!! - Excellent tour and congratulations to C2Rio Travel and Guia Marleide (Mari), she was extraordinary and to our driver GG. See you next time!!!
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Weeranantawet
Nov 28, 2023
Best of time! Great tour! Fantastic guide and driver! - I am so thankful to have taken this tour! Our tour guide, mama Cris was fantastic, knowledgeable, funny, kind, sweet, friendly and very caring. She took care of her tour group so well and bring firm on punctuality! The tour was so good and educational! I learnt much more about Brazil, Rio de Janeiro snd Pedro I Pedro II. Highly recommended! Book it, go and enjoy the trip! I hope you get Mana Cris! And our driver Pedro was so patient with us, making all the needed stops! Thank you for driving us safely uncle Pedro! despite the pouring rain going down the mountain to complete our journey back to Rio! I'm grateful!
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Gabriela
Mar 23, 2023
Super recommended - The visit to Petropolis is a must. Not only is it a city steeped in history and wonderfully preserved, it is in a unique setting, nestled in the middle of nature and breathes incredible peace. An ideal visit to spend a different day near Rio de Janeiro. Monica, the guide, was the best thing that could have happened to us: not only does she know a lot, but she is also super clear explaining, organizing the times and was always at the group’s disposal. Lunch was very good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gus11373
Sep 30, 2022
Outstanding tour in Amazing Petropolis!!! - There are no words to describe the outstanding experience we had thanks to Newton, the best guide ever. It was so much information about Brazilian royal history (and more) that we were afraid it could be an exam at the end of the tour!! Lol. We highly recommend this tour. It was totally stress free, it felt like visiting with a local family member. We loved it We are looking to go back in the near future and, of course, count on this guided ser ices. Newton the best guide ever!!
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From $63
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).