World City Guide

Tours of the City

Tours of the City
Walking Tours
A number of companies provide specialist guided walks in Rio, available on request. Roteiros Culturais (tel: (21) 3322 4872; e-mail: culturalrio@uol.com.br) runs cultural sightseeing tours to Rio’s historic and colonial landmarks, led by History of Art Professor Carlos Roquette. The average tour takes four hours and costs US$40 per person. The Downtown Rio Tour crosses the best areas of the oldest neighbourhood in town, from the Opera House District to the oldest and richest Baroque church in Rio.

Aventuras Rio (tel: (21) 3813 0312; e-mail: mail@aventurasrio.com.br; website: www.aventurasrio.com.br) specialises in walks along one or more of the Tijuca forest’s 200 trails, passing mountains, ruins and waterfalls. The price is R$75 for a four-hour Tijuca hiking trip, including transportation. Rio Hiking (tel: (21) 9271 0594; e-mail: tours@riohiking.com.br; website: www.riohiking.com.br) also provides English-language guided walks in Tijuca forest and up Rio’s mountain peaks. The price for a day trip of approximately five to eight hours, including an ascent of Tijuca Peak, is R$165. Pick-up and transportation to Tijuca is included.

Favela Tour (tel: (21) 9772 1133; e-mail: info@favela.com.br; website: www.favelatour.com.br) offers guided tours to some of Rio’s favelas (slum communities), revealing a different and spirited perspective on life in the city. The three-hour tour costs R$45 per person and hotel pick-up can be arranged.

Jeep Tours
Several companies offer jeep tours to out-of-the-way attractions. Rio by Jeep (tel: (21) 9693 8800 or 2575 8626; e-mail: riobyjeep@riobyjeep.com; website: www.riobyjeep.com) specialises in in-depth tours of Tijuca National Park and out-of-town beaches. Rio by Jeep offers two ecological tours of Tijuca forest. The ‘National Park Tour’ takes three and a half hours and costs US$30, while the ‘Complete Tour’ is longer, at five and a half hours, costing US$40. Hotel pick-up can be arranged.

Jeep Tour (tel: (21) 2589 0883 or 9977 9610 (24-hour information); e-mail: jeeptour@jeeptour.com.br; website: www.jeeptour.com.br) offers a number of different jeep tours, as well as walking tours, panoramic helicopter tours and combined tours in Rio and further afield. A four-hour tour of Tijuca forest costs US$35, while a three-hour tour of the Favela de Rocinha – the largest slum in South America – costs US$30. Hotel pick-up can be arranged.

Helicopter Tours
For a bird’s eye view of the city, Helisight (tel: (21) 2511 2141; e-mail: infohsgt@helisight.com.br; website: www.helisight.com.br) offers sightseeing flights of various lengths and itineraries. A 15-minute flight covers the city centre, the Sambdromo, Maracan stadium, Corcovado and the statue of Christ, Po de Acar and Copacabana and Ipanema beaches and costs R$320. Departures are from one of three helipads, located at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, Dona Marta Belvedere (access routed to the statue of Christ) and Sugar Loaf (cable car’s first stop). Helipads are open daily 0900–1800 and night flights are also available from the Sugar Loaf and Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon helipads.

Boat Tours
Saveiros Tour (tel: (21) 2224 6990; e-mail: saveiros@saveiros.com.br; website: www.saveiros.com.br) operates a cultural boat tour around Guanabara Bay, providing a unique viewpoint of the city and Niteri island. The two-hour trip departs from the Gloria Marina daily at 0930. Tickets cost R$20 and are available for purchase at the Marina.