How to have a great time in Brazil and avoid dangerous areas when visiting Rio?

“He refused to take us to areas where there was too much risk, which I dearly appreciated. His pricing was extremely fair. I highly recommend making contact with him for your Rio private tour.” Paul Sluyter – Canada

WARNING: Reading every word of the article below is of paramount importance for your safety in Rio

Imagine you wake up in your hotel room in Rio de Janeiro. You think, “Yes, I’m in Brazil”. You go for a delicious breakfast and then to the lobby to meet your tour guide. He arrives right on time, smiles at you and gives you a warm ‘Welcome to Rio’.

Your Rio de Janeiro private tour is about to start and you feel reassured that you are in good hands. Your guide discusses with you about the sights and tourist attractions you want to see in Rio to make sure you will visit only what you want to visit. After all, your tour of Rio is private and customized exclusively for you.

You get into your tour guide minivan and realize that his vehicle features what was stated on his website — 2010 model, comfortable, air-conditioning, playing nice Brazilian music and plenty of room for your legs.

You local tour guide heads straight to Corcovado. He knows you can hardly wait to see Christ the Redeemer statue from close as well as a breath-taking view of Rio de Janeiro. On the way, he slows down and even stops wherever there is an interesting site for you to take a picture of. By the way, on a full-day guided tour you can easily take 100 photos of Rio de Janeiro. Charge your camera!

You visit Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, Maracana Stadium, Copacabana Fort, the Girl from Ipanema bar, Rio de Janeiro downtown and some hidden treasures that only a local tour guide who has guided thousands of tourists in Rio can take you to.

Time flies and at the end of the day your guide drops you off safe and sound at your hotel. You feel great, you had a wonderful day, you laughed, ate and drank as a vacationer must do.

Yes, your day was fascinating mainly because you wisely decided to hire a reputable, experienced, English-speaking guide to guide you in Rio de Janeiro.

Give yourself a happy end in Rio de Janeiro — it is possible. E-mail me now to check my availability to serve as your private tour guide in Rio de Janeiro.

Click on any logo below to see Rio Private Tour Guide Madson on the media:

What I can do for you as your tour guide in Rio?

Prioritize your safety above all and by all means
Customize your tour in a way that you visit only the highlights that are important to you
Organize the itinerary to avoid time-consuming dangers, hassles, queues and traffic
Offer you a “seriously entertaining” tour of Rio – enjoyably informative but never pedantic
Be myself — professional, knowledgeble and absolutely fluent in English

Discover Rio de Janeiro on a Memorable Private Tour with Madson!

Christ Statue

Christ Statue Tour (Corcovado)

Hassle-free guided tour of Christ the Redeemer, one of the 7 new wonders of the world. Christ Statue is Rio’s most visited monument, situated at 710 meters (2,329 feet) above sea level on the top of Corcovado mountain. From there one can have a 360-degree view of the city.

Sugar Loaf

Sugar Loaf Tour

Visit with your personal tour guide Rio’s second most visited monument: Sugar Loaf. It is a 396-meter (1,299 feet) high one-block stone from where you can have a panoramic view to Copacabana, Botafogo and Flamengo beaches besides downtown, Rio-Niterói bridge and Guanabara bay.

Beaches Tour

Rio de Janeiro Beaches Tour

Car guided tour of Rio de Janeiro beaches São Conrado (the beach where the hangliders land), Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana. Opportunity of seeing and photographing locals enjoying a day at the beach surfing, jogging, walking, playing football or beach volleyball or just getting suntanned to show off at night.

Cultural Tour

Rio de Janeiro Cultural Tour

Visit of Rio’s modern cathedral (a church different from all the others you have seen); Visit of the 17th century Saint Benedict Monastery’s Church (a gem of Brazilian religion art, Barrocco-style); Visit of the Sambadrome (where the Carnival parade takes place) and its museum.

Santa Tereza Bohemian Neighborhood

Santa Tereza Bohemian Neighborhood Tour

Hurry-free full guided visit to this 250-year old charming neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Possibility to ride on the tram (as long as it is not packed!); Walk along its main street; Visit of its most traditional hand crafted art store; Quick stop in front of former house of British train robber Ronald Biggs, who escaped jail and lived in Brazil for over 3 decades.

Maracaña Football Stadium

Maracaña Football Stadium Tour

Let me be your tour guide inside this temple in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is the only country 5-time football (soccer) world champion and Maracanã is the world’s biggest football stadium of its glory days, with an official world-record attendance of 199,854 for the 1950 World Cup Final against Uruguay. It’s a great visit even if you are not a football fan. It will host the final of 2014.

Botanical Garden

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Tour

The 200 year-old Rio de Janeiro garden is one of the ten most important in the world and defined by UNESCO as one of the reserves of biosphere. The visit consists in taking a stroll on your own along the centenary imperial palm trees and visiting the orchid house.

Samba City

Samba City Tour

Samba City is a pavillion where samba schools work on their floats for the following Rio de Janeiro Carnival. I can guide you in there and explain everything about it. If you are not in Rio during the Carnival time then this is your chance to see a float from close. Besides, you can see people dismantling the old floats and building new ones. Definitely a must visit!

Hangliding (Delta Flight)

Hangliding over Rio de Janeiro

Hangliding is an activity that a passionate Rio de Janeiro tour guide like me has to recommend. Rio is one of the few cities in the world where you can hanglide over the city and land on the beach safe and sound. All you need to do is to run off the ramp together with your instructor (flights are in tandem) and follow his easy-to-follow landing instructions. Unforgettable experience!

Helicopter Tour

Rio de Janeiro Helicopter Tour

Besides being your Rio guide and driver I can book you a helicopter tour. A helicopter tour of Rio is a short but very intense memorable experience. As your Rio Tour Guide I strongly recommend it. It’s the only way to take a photo of Christ Statue from above. I can book a tour for you when we meet, drive you to the closest helipad and wait for your return with a « That was something!!! ».

Rio Tour Guide Madson and French Family at Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro	Rio Tour Guide Madson & John, Martin, Richard and Linda (Philadelphia - USA)
Rio Tour Guide Madson, Carlos and Maria (Peru-USA)	Rio Tour Guide Madson & Richard and his family (Canada)
Tour Guide Madson & Marc Torralba -- Sugar Loaf in the background across Rio's bay	Madson & Canadian Michel Mayoux visiting Christ Statue in Rio de Janeiro
Rio Tour Guide Madson, Bernie and Steeve on a guided tour in Rio de Janeiro (Holland-Mauritious Island)	Rio de Janeiro guide Madson and THOMPSON family (Boston, USA) posing for a photo on Carnival at Sambadrome
Rio de Janeiro Tour Guide Madson & Italian Family at the hanglide landing path in São Conrado	British WYE Family and Tour Guide Madson at a fruit market in Rio de Janeiro

Click here to view more photos of tourists who visited Rio de Janeiro on a guided tour with Madson

Last modification on 08/27/10 at 08:39 PM (-3 GMT)

Glowing Customers' Reviews

Carson Phillips, Chicago, USA.
"Madson!! Thank you so much for a fabulous day exploring Rio! The only thing that could have made it better would have been if we were staying there for several more days! I feel like we only began to see the city! Your tour was so fun and a great introduction to a great city! Please contact me if someone requests a personal recommendation. Best regards."

Ralph Brush, USA.
"Nice job … we’re back in the USA. We enjoyed the day you spent with us in Rio. If you ever need an endorsement, don’t hesitate to contact me."

Jerry Radin, Phyllis, Roz and Mel, USA.
"Thank you for a really wonderful, professional and most informative tour of Rio and its environs. You gave us an insider’s look into the real FLAVOR of Rio and we loved what we discovered. All our very best wishes."

Nick Pentith, UK.
"I will be recommending your guiding services to family and friends who may visit Rio in the future."

Lynnette Layman, USA.
"Your service was impecable and I appreciate that you helped me navigate the day without any hassle."

Walt, USA.
"Madson, We had a very good time with you as our guide in Rio. Your knowledge, personality and wit are terrific. Thank you for sharing your Rio with us. Should you need anything from us, do not hesitate to let me know. Next trip perhaps we can both hang glide."

Paul Sluyter, Canada.
"He refused to take us to areas where there was too much risk, which I dearly appreciated. His pricing was extremely fair. I highly recommend making contact with him for your Rio private tour."

Ginger and Bob, USA.
"Our many thanks for all of your hard work and special touches - you really did a great job and we appreciate everything! Keep up the good work and let us hear from you - we look forward to showing you around NYC! Happy Holidays and all the best to you!"

Aviva, Joe, Marion and Eric. USA.
"Hello Madson (or should I say Mad-Son ?) We came back home from our trip a week ago, and only now we are back to our regular routine. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful time that we spent with you in Rio. All four of us immensely enjoyed the tours that you arranged for us, and consider our visit to Rio one of the highlights of our trip. We still remember some of the jokes and the laughs that we shared. Your command of the English language and your knowledge of Brazil in general and Rio in particular made our relatively short visit rich, informative and fun."

Jason, New York.
"Hey Madson, I wanted to let you know my friends and I had an amazing time in Brazil. I can’t thank you enough for all of your help. If there is anything we can do to help you out in the future, just let me know. Thanks again for everything."

Janie Shendelman. Toronto, Canada.
"We arrived home from our cruise last Monday. What a fabulous trip we had. 2 memerable days stand out from all the rest. That was the 2 days we spent with you in Rio. Warren and I will never forget how warm, friendly and very funny you were with us, Elaine and Len. I don’t know if you have heard from Len but I felt I had to write you and thank you for a most memerable trip to Rio. I have already given your card to my travel agent friend, who will refer you to clients. I have pictures of you and the beautiful girls of Brazil. Anyways, take care of yourself and Thanks again."

Brad and Vicki Wertman, USA.
"Dear Madson, We are missing the heat of Brazil and the food and the music and the most wonderful tour guide! Thanks, again, for the wonderful tour guide services. We really did enjoy Rio and meeting you!! Take care."

John, USA.
"Madsen, Returned home safely, wanted to thank you again for a great time in Rio. What is the best way to provide a testament to your excelent tour guide services? When we transferred from our ship in Valparaiso to Santigo we shared a van with a couple from England. It seems they were your clients on the 2 days before us. I guess they had wanted Tuesday as well, but I had already arranged. Its a small world."

Judy Kempf, USA.
"Thank you for the exceptional Rio visit. You showed the boys and me things we never would have had the hance to see without your tour. I will be talking with my travel agent and most certainly be recommending your tour guide services. Thanks so much for the wonderful visit."

Hilary, Michael, John & Jan. USA.
"Madson, Please post this on your customer reviews. March 2009. We booked Madson for 2 half day tours of Rio and his English is excellent, his knowledge of the city second to none and we would defintely recommend him to any one of our friends or relatives going to Rio.. Thank you for making our time in Rio de Janeiro so good."

John O'hara. Atlanta, USA
"Madson, thanks for the tour ~ i had a great time and learned alot. i´m already planning my return trip with friends and I´ll get them to take your private tour when I come back. I´m also checking out some more affordable hotels down by Copacabana beach ~ any you can recommend ?? I´ll send you my contact info when I get home in case you ever need a contact in Atlanta. Thanks again, John"

George, USA.
"You are a gentleman. Thank you for replying that you are full, rather than leave us wondering. We see why you get good reviews. Thank you."

Ed, USA.
"Madson, Marilyn, Webb, Kathy and I all had a fantastic time with you in Rio. We will definitely recommend you as THE private tourguide in Rio de Janeiro. We were the first in line on Christmas Day for Sugar Loaf and really enjoyed that visit. We are all back to work at home with great memories of you, Rio and the rest of our trip. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a Happy New Year! Ed"

Melody. New York, USA.
"Hi, Madson, Just wanted to send these few photographs with you in them. We had a wonderful time in Rio! You’re a great tour guide!! Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you here in the U.S., and of course, if you’re coming to New York, let me know when. All the best."

Dr Jedda McDonogh and Dr Jenny Wilsher, Australia.
"Dear Madson, We have returned to Melbourne and carry with us the most wonderful memories of our time with you in Rio. We are so glad that we arranged you for our guide since it made our stay in Rio perfect and we were thrilled with your attentive care, ensuring that we saw the best the city had to offer. I hope you have enjoyed learning a few more Aussie words and hope you like the photos we took of you. Many, many thanks for cheerfully complying with our rather odd requests to see Pet Shops, our dogs love their new outfits !! I am at this moment listening to the “surprise” you had for us and it is evoking such lovely memories I could cry. Madson, thank you so much, we have no hesitation at all in recommending your services to other travellers from all walks of life. Best wishes from us for your future endeavours and keep on making people smile and have fun, it is your gift to Rio! Warm regards."

Arthur van Veen, Holland.
"thanks for the great tour of Rio and the last minute accommodation of my request. Cheers."

Roberto, Italy/USA
"It was a great pleasure to meet with you last week while Allen and I were visiting Rio De Janeiro. Anyone plans to visit Rio De Janeiro I will tell to contact you as the best guide there. Please be in touch and when you are planning come to California in the near future please let me know you are always welcome."

Allen Siewert, Califórnia
"I totally want to echo what Roberto said. You are SO doing it right! You showed us an amazing amount of things in Rio and yet I never felt rushed. I was especially impressed how you seamlessly integrated our need to buy some scuba flippers into the tour without missing a beat. You always knew the background/history of whatever we asked about but you never talked too much. Your sunny charming personality always made me feel at ease. Anyone I hear of that is heading to Rio is definitely getting your name from me!"

Renee, Canada
"I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful day in Rio de Janeiro...you were absolutely fabulous!! It was most definitely the highlight of my trip and really did make me want to see more of Rio, to say nothing of spending some time in those wonderful cafes drinking coffee and watching the world go by! Keep up the good work and don't forget to invite me to your wedding! Cheers."

Judy and Tony
"Just a quick line to say how much we enjoyed our day in Rio. When I get home and have more Internet time, I'll email you more fully. Kind regards."

Deepak and Kiran, London
"We must thank you for a fantastic time we had in Rio ;the city is of course spectacular,but you with your personality and sense of humour gave an insight to the city and it's people and the time we spent with you was not just enjoyable but very informative. Kiran's reservations and fears about the safety in Rio de Janeiro were unfounded,thanks to you. We will recommend you any of our friends should they visit Rio."

Roberta and Linda, USA
"We arrived home safely this afternoon - back to reality - but I would prefer Rio De Janeiro. Linda and I really appreciated our guided tour yesterday and want to thank you so much. If you would like to use us as a reference at any time, I would be willing to give you a excellent report. We enjoyed all the areas of Rio that you showed us, as well as the restaurant. With much appreciation, Roberta and Linda"

Harold and Margherite Pilcher, USA
We were both delighted with your planning and execution of the 6 hour tour showing us the best of Rio in your air conditioned van. I just finished downloading my pictures of the trip and those from Rio, even with the rain and clouds, were most enjoyable to review and remember the trip. The trips to Sugerloaf, St Teresa, the beaches and Corcovado were highlights of our entire cruise on the Star Princess. We would be happy to recommend your tour guide service to anyone who wants a quality tour of your beautiful Rio de Janeiro. We wish that we could have spent more time with you than we were able to get. Maybe some time in the future we will get back again when you are available for hire. I know that six hours was far too little time to see all that is available in Rio. Sincerely, Harold and Marguerite Pilcher"

Ben Barton, IL, USA
"We were very please with your guiding services and will pass on to our travel agency. Thanks again."

Mikhail Shindelman, New York - USA
"We still keep the best memories of our trip to Rio de Janeiro and are gratefull very much for your tour guide services and friendly conduct. We will definitely recommend you to all our friends who want to see the best of Rio de Janeiro. Thank you very much and have a great life. Best regards, Mikhail Shindelman"

Michael, London - UK
"The guided tour of Rio was excellent in terms of its scope, your knowledge and insights, and your pleasant demeanor. Thank you for making that a memorable afternoon! Best regards, Michael"

Dennis Giokas, Toronto - Canada
"Thanks for the great service and good laughs on tour."

Henrike Düerkop, Germany
"Thank you for our impressive visit in Rio. You have showed us so many unknown places and managed everything perfectly. Sunshine, no waiting lines, safty first… You made our trip to Rio de Janeiro unforgettable"

Marc Torralba, USA
"Just wanted to let you know that I made it back home to Jacksonville smoothly; and even though I'm happy to be home, I wish I was still in Rio. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks again for a great time in Rio. I am really glad that I decided to have you show me around your exciting city. I truely enjoyed everything, especially the helicopter ride, lunch in Sta Teresa, and the entire trip to Niteroi. You are really good at what you do, making me feel comfortable driving around with you. Best of luck with your work with the website and all of your female conquests...lol."

Carlos & Maria Balbin, New Jersey - USA
"Dear Madson, Back home we could count in our pleasant memories of our stay in Rio-Brasil, the remarkable experience of having you as a very professional, knowledgeable, cool and fun tour guide. Thank you very much!!! We are still astonished you could get us a photo with Mr Selaron at the stairs!!!. I will be highly recommending to anybody, considering to visit Rio de Janeiro and get some exposure to the Carioca spirit, to do himself a favor and contact you. Please don't forget that if you need anything from us in the future don't hesitate to contact us. Best Regards."

Jim, USA
"Both Anna and I had such a good time. You are a wonderful tour guide and we appreciate your knowledge of the sites and your ability to get around Rio de Janeiro so well! Thank you."

John, Richard, Linda, and Marty. USA
"We are missing Rio -- or more exactly, your extraordinary introduction to Rio. During the two days that we were with you, there really was nothing that could have been improved upon. The highlights would be too numerous to mention and you always arranged for everything to flow incredibly smoothly during the tours. Thanks for your important role in contributing to so many wonderful memories of Rio de Janeiro. With our best regards".

Joe, USA
"Thanks Madson for a terriffic day in Rio- You were a great tour guide and made the trip a pleasure Currently enjoying busy Sao Paulo Will let you know how things turned out when I return to NYC. Again, many thanks"

Tracey Kornelson and Yvonne Stelzer, Canada
"We would like to thank you for making our venture to Brazil a wonderful experience. Outside of your professionalism and much flexibility what we enjoyed most was your outgoing personality and ability to have fun. We very much felt welcome in a foreign country but more so had the opportunity to experience things we probably would have never done on our own. Perhaps some day we will be able to return the experience if you ever decide to come to Canada. Best of Luck in the Future. Regards."

Robin Eilers. Tampa, Florida
"I just want to thank you for the wonderful tour you took me and my husband on while we were in Rio. The tour was most definitely my favorite part of visiting Rio. You did an outstanding job, above and beyond what we asked for or expected. Your warm and friendly personality and expertise made the tour extra fun. I would highly recommend you to anyone visiting Rio. Thanks again for showing us the real Rio! Sincerely, Robin Eilers"

Nina & Shana. Sweden
"Just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for an excellent tour and a very enjoyable dinner/party-evening! Both Shana and I enjoyed it very much! If you ever have your way to this part of the world you are most welcome to stay with us. We have told the family all about Madson and they would like to meet you in person as well. Until next time, from Nina and Shana"

Keith, Philadelphia - USA
"I just wanted to tell you thanks again for taking us tour and all over Rio last week. I am telling everyone that I know that is going to Rio to give you a call. I just got back from Salvador and I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm coming back to both places in a couple of months."

Ivy and Carly, USA.
"Hi Madson, We had a great time in Rio. Thank you. If you ever come to n.y. please look us up. We can get you tickets to a broadway show. Take care.

Arthur, NY.
"Just got back into NYC today. The tour was amazing and something I'll remember for the rest of my life. Getting to meet with and put a tile on the Selaron staircase was a once in a lifetime moment. Your tours were by far the best I've been on. I will certainly recommend you to any friends going to Brazil and wish you the best in your endeavors!!"

Tour Guide Rio – Personal Tour Guide in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil