Tours in Rio
Tours in Rio on Day 1, 2 and 3
When you hire Madson as your tour guide in Rio you can 100% customize your tour as you wish. The tour is private, the minivan is exclusively for you and you choose only what you want to visit. Briefly, you are the boss!
Just roughly calculate here below how much time you will need to visit all you want in Rio de Janeiro and combine it all in one or more days. The price is based on period of hours. The minimum time you can book is 4 hours. Here below are the most popular tour options as a guideline.
Tour in Rio # 1 – Christ Statue (Corcovado)
It takes two hours to visit Christ the redeemer with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
A tour in Rio not to be missed and better visited with your Rio de Janeiro Tour Guide. Recently elected one of the 7 new wonders of the world, Christ the Redeemer 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 roughly have a 360-degree view of the city.
Approx. time required to visit Corcovado: 2 hours (car ride + minibus shuttle service). Entrance fee: 24 reais (roughly 14 USD/10 Euros/8 GBP).
Tour in Rio # 2 – Sugar Loaf
It takes two hours to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Sugar Loaf is Rio’s second most visited monument. 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, Guanabara bay as well as others highlights of Rio de Janeiro. You have to include it in your tour in Rio!
Approx. time required to visit it: 2 hours (car ride to get there + 4 very smooth ride on cable cars).
Entrance fee: 44 reais (roughly 25 USD/18 Euros/13 GBP).
Better to visit Sugar Loaf with your private guide Madson.
Tour in Rio # 3 – Beaches Tour
It takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
In-minivan guided tour of the main beaches in Rio: São Conrado (the beach where the hangliders land), Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana. Opportunity to see and photograph locals enjoying a day on the beach.. surfing, jogging, walking, playing football or beach volleyball or just getting suntanned to show off at Rio’s night.
Approx. time required to visit it: 1 hour and 30 minutes (car tour + quick optional step-offs) .
Tour in Rio # 4 – Rio de Janeiro Cultural Tour
It takes 4 hours to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Visit of most of the following:
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);
Car tour of the Sambadrome (where the Carnival parade takes place) and its museum (optional);
Possibility to get a feeling of the subway by taking it from one station to the next;
Optional stroll in the business district as well as in the historic part of downtown (colonial-style Portuguese buildings);
Optional stop for a drink or a meal at the 19th century confectioner Colombo (oldest in Rio).
Car tour along the bohemian neighborhood Santa Tereza (just a quick overview of the area, for a full visit take also the tour below).
Approximate time required to visit it: 4 hours (car rides + a 30-minute or-less walking tour).
Better take the cultural tour with Madson, your Rio de Janeiro private guide.
Tour in Rio # 5 – Santa Tereza – Rio’s Bohemian Neighborhood
It takes two hours to visit it completely with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Hurry-free full guided tour to this 250-year old artistic neighborhood.
Possibility to ride on the street-car (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;
Visit of Ruin’s Park (from where we can have a panoramic view of the neighborhood);
Stop for a typical drink at a local coffee shop and/or a quick meal.
Approximate time required to visit it: 2 hours (car tour + very short walking tour).
Better visit Santa Teresa with your personal tour guide.
Tour in Rio # 6 – Maracaña Football (Soccer) Stadium
It takes only 1 hour to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
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 is a very interesting visit even if you are not a football fan. The Rio de Janeiro stadium will also host the final of 2014.
Walking tour inside the stadium itself includes:
Visit of players’ hall of fame (see Pelé, Kaká, Romário, Ronaldo’s footprint in cement);
Visit of dressing room, turf and bleachers;
Possibility to visit football- and Maracaña-related souvenirs store on the spot (an opportunity to buy the original Brazilian football yellow shirt).
Approximate time required to visit it: 1 hour (car ride to get there + the visit itself).
Better to visit Maracana Stadium on Madson’s Rio private tour.
Entrance fee: 20 reais (roughly 12 USD/8 €/6 £)
Tour in Rio # 7 – Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
It takes only 1 hour and 30 minutes to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
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 walking tour (30 to 40 minutes) along the centenary imperial palm trees and visiting the orchid house. NO EXPLANATION ON PLANTS OR FLOWERS ARE GIVEN.
Possibility to visit a library, a small coffee shop, and a gift shop that sells souvenirs with ecological themes.
Approximate time required to visit it: 1 hour and 30 minutes (car ride to get there + 40-min walking tour).
Entrance fee: 5 reais (roughly 3 USD)
Tour in Rio # 8 – Open-Air Fruit Market
It takes only 1 hour to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
A walking tour of an open-air fruit market in Rio is definitely a must. It is an opportunity to see vendors yelling out their product names and Cariocas (residents of Rio de Janeiro) doing their shopping. On such a tour you will see an enormous variety of vegetables, peppers and fruits as well as their by-products (e.g freshly made sugar cane juice). You will be able to taste and photograph fruits that you have never seen before such as cashew (the fruit itself), sapoti, jabuticaba, pitanga, carambola and others.
Approximate time required to visit it: 1 hour (car ride to get there + walking tour from vendor to vendor).
To learn about what you will see it is better to take a tour with Madson, Rio de Janeiro tour guide.
Tour in Rio # 9 – Favela (Rio shanty town)
It takes only 1 hour to visit a favela with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Despite of the fact that most tourists visiting Rio don’t want to visit a favela, there is actually a minority of several thousands that are eager to visit a Rio de Janeiro shanty town. The fact is that several thousands do take favela tours every year. If you are in the group that want to see a favela from inside and learn about it then I have the right private tour for you. I can take you to a favela 100% safe, which means no drug lords, no gangs, no shottings, no threats, no mugging, no kidnapping, no risk! Actually, the favela I will walk you through can be considered safer than most famous areas in Rio and has been visited by international celebrities due to its safety. Learn more about Favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
Approximate time required to visit a favela: 1 hour (car ride to get there + 20- to 30-min walking up/down tour).
Take a safe favela tour with Madson, Rio de Janeiro tour guide.
Tour in Rio # 10 – Selarón Staircase
It takes only 30 minutes to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
In 1990, Chilean-born Selarón began covering with tiles a 250-step stairway that ran along the front of his house. It was an obsessive and exhaustive work and he eventually covered the entire set of stairs with tiles. He is constantly replacing the dull ones (the first ones) for tiles donated by Rio de Janeiro visitors from all around the world. You can be the next donator and become part of history (bring a tile from your city/country!). His work has featured in many famous magazines, newspapers, travel shows, documentaries, commercials and video clips such as Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful”. During the visit you can also have a look at his paintings and even meet him in person if it is your lucky day!
Approximate time to visit it: 30 minutes
For a safer visit of the staircase, take a tour with tour guide Madson.
Tour in Rio # 11 – Samba City
It takes only 1 hour to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Rio Samba City is a pavillion where samba schools work on their floats for the following Carnival. 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! To learn about Rio de Janeiro Carnival do this visit on Madson’s private tour.
Approximate time to visit: 1 hour (car ride to get there + 30-minute walking tour)
Closing days: Sundays and Mondays
Closing months: From February 06th to June 1st
Tour in Rio # 12 – H. Stern Precious Stones Workshop Tour
It takes only 30 to 60 minutes to visit it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Brazil is one of the greatest producers of gemstones and one of the most important gemological areas in the world. According to specialists, Brazil is the only source of Imperial Topaz. H. Stern headquarters in Rio de Janeiro is the place to see how a raw stone can be turned into a beautifully designed jewellery. You will see gemologists working live on the gemstone. However, the tour ends at the sales room. Expect some extremely well-trained salespeople!
Approximate time required to visit it: 30 min-1 hour (car ride to get there + the 12-minute walking tour). Free entrance.
Tour in Rio # 13 – Hangliding (Delta Flight)
It takes only 2 hours to do it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Rio de Janeiro 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 instructions for the landing. I have done it and it is unforgettable. I can book a flight for you with the same instructor I flew with, who has flown over 10.000 times in tandem. To fly with the right instructor do it as part of your Madson’s private tour.
Approximate time required to hanglide in Rio: 2 hours (car ride to get there + instructions + the flight itself.)
Price: 240 reais (roughly 120 USD/90 €/70 £). The flight lasts at least 10 minutes.
Forms of payment accepted : cash only (reais, euros or dollars) paid on the spot.
Tour in Rio # 14 – Helicopter Tour
It takes only 30 minutes to do it with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Besides visiting the city by land you can also do it by air. It is a short but very intense and unforgettable experience. I strongly recommend it. It is the only way to take a picture of Christ Statue from above it. I can book a tour for you while we are together, drive you to the closest helipad and wait for your return with a « That was something, Madson !!! ». The minimum tour time is 7 minutes and the maximum is 60 minutes.
Approximate time required to fly in Rio: 30 minutes (paying + reading the instructions + waiting for the helicopter + waiting for your turn + the flight itself)
Price: 150 reais (roughly 70 USD/ 60 €/ 47 £) for a 7-minute tour of Rio de Janeiro.
Forms of payment accepted : cash (reais, euros or dollars) and major credicards. Paid on the spot.
Tour in Rio # 15 – Lunch Out
It takes only 40 minutes to 1 hour to have lunch with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Brazilian cuisine is tasty, generous and healthy. Since food is part of a country’s culture I have selected of couple of non-touristic Rio de Janeiro restaurants where you can experience typical Brazilian food surrounded by locals. You will find a large variety of options that you are familiar with as well as dishes that you have never tasted before. The service is fast, the place is clean and the price is reasonable. Definitely a must during your tour in Rio.
Approximate time required for lunch: 40 minutes to 1 hour
Lunch price per person: from 25 reais (roughly 12/ 9 euros/ 7GBP)
Tour in Rio #16 – Shopping
If you want to go shopping during the tour see below the options you have.
1) Shopping Malls - Good for clothing, shoes, Havaianas (Brazilian flip-flops), jewelleries, swimwear, music CD’s and DVD’s. This is where locals go for good quality Brazilian-made products. The largest one in Rio de Janeiro (housing over 600 stores) is in Barra, just on the way to the wild beach Prainha.
2) Tourist Stores – Good for typical Brazilian souveniers e.g mini Christ Statue, Brazilian football shirt, Rio’s t-shirt, Cachaça (Brazilian cane liqueur), etc.
3) Hippie Market (only on Sundays) or Handcrafted Art Stores – Good for art naïve paintings, handmade household decoration, folk art, etc.
Approximate time required to visit it: it depends if you are a woman or a man!
Tour on Day 4 Just Outside Rio de Janeiro
Rio-Niterói Bridge Crossing & Visiting Niterói City
It takes only 6 hours to visit Niteroi with Madson’s Tours in Rio!
Do not subestimate a day in Niterói. Rio-Niteroi bridge (13-km/8-mile long) is the longest one in the South Hemisphere and links Rio to the city of Niterói. Once in Niterói we will visit:
- The Niemeyer Way: an architectural complex signed by the Brazilian living legend Oscar Niemeyer (the century-old architect that also projected the Brazil’s current capital Brasília). Visit of the Popular Theatre and of the impressive MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói).
- Car tour along Niterói’s beaches
- Stop at Santa Cruz fortress dated from 1555.
- Stop at a 290-meter (885-foot) high viewpoint (and paragliding ramp) overlooking Niterói’s beaches and lakes as well as Sugar Loaf, Christ Statue and great part of Rio de Janeiro.
- Lunch at a very authentic non-touristy place.
Approx. time required to visit it: 6 hours
Approx. lunch price per person: about 25 reais (roughly 15 USD/10 €/8 £)
Note: Combine this 6-hour tour with some option(s) above and make it an 8-hour tour.
Tour on Day 5 – A full-day away from Rio in Petropolis
Petrópolis – The Imperial City
Petrópolis is just 65 kms (43 miles) from Rio de Janeiro and it was the city where the emperor of Brazil used to live a few months a year. The city is at 809 meters (2660 ft) above sea level has a pleasant climate and an European air. Its visit takes the whole day and its main attactions are: the road itself to Petrópolis, The Cathedral (houses the tomb of the emperor), Santos Dummont house (in Brazil, considered the father of aviation) and The Imperial Museum (the palace where the emperor lived). During the visit to the palace you will see original personal objects, music instruments, paints and furniture left intact. The highlight is the emperor’s golden crown covered with brilliants and diamonds.
Approximate time required to visit it: 8 hours
Price per private car: R$ 725 (roughly 370 USD/260 €/230 £)
Entrance fees per person: 5 USD
Tour on Day 6 – A full-day away from Rio in Buzios
Búzios – Brazil’s Saint Tropez
Búzios is a peninsula with 27 beaches 169 kms (105 miles) northeast of Rio. It was a quiet fishing village until Brigitte Bardot started hanging out there in the 60’s. Nowadays, a statue of the legendary movie star graces its main street and the town is considered Brazil’s Saint Tropez where many rich and famous Brazilians have summer houses.
The Búzios full-day tour consists of a 2-hour drive to get there, time-off to stroll at its main street (great for shopping), sunbathing and lunch on the beach. By the end of the afternoon return to Rio.
Approximate time required to visit it: 10 hours
Price per private car: R$ 870 (roughly 450 USD/315 €/275 £)
Tour on Day 7 & 8 – Two full-days away from Rio in Paraty
Paraty – The Colonial City
Paraty, located in Rio de Janeiro State, was founded in 1667 and a visit to this village is a dive into the past of Brazil. Back in time, it was an important sugar cane liquor producer as well as a key port to ship out to Portugal the gold and precious stones brought from Minas Gerais State. Nowadays, it is a beautiful colonial city that preserves its architectural charm. The village is surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, and of course, paradise-like beaches.
Paraty is 240 km (160 miles) from Rio de Janeiro and a visit to this village suggests ideally two overnight stays. You can book you hotel directly.
One-way Transfer: R$ 750 (roughly 380 USD/270 €/240 £)
Learn how to get around in Rio
Learn about Rio Nightlife: Samba, Bossa Nova and Forró
