Brazil · CITY TOURS

The 15 Best City Tours in Brazil

84 tours  ·  from $12

The half-day orientation run is worth it in a city this size. The 15 below compare the Rio highlights circuits, the São Paulo sights runs and the Salvador historic loops on price, pace and how many stops actually get time.

São Paulo: Main City Sights in 7 Hours – Shared Group Tour - Start early through Brooklin, Vila Olímpia, and Itaim Bibi
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São Paulo: Main City Sights in 7 Hours – Shared Group Tour

1.Main City Sights in 7 Hours – Shared Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 587 reviews · 378 minutes - 7 hours · from $85Our pick

Cover São Paulo’s modern districts, historic center, Ibirapuera Park, MAC Museum terrace, Batman’s Alley, Sé Cathedral, Japanese neighborhood, Municipal Market, and Paulista Avenue in seven hours. A bilingual guide such as Bruno, Joice, or Carlos leads the shared group, with air-conditioned transport and time for photos, lunch, and shopping.

“Overall the tour was okay. Not a negative to the company there just is not much in São Paulo but you’ll see all the city has to offer in this day trip. The highlight of the tour was the guide Leo. He was very kind and even at the end of the trip assisted me with using the subway and explained how to do it when he didn’t need to.”

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Rio: Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail - Inside Grande Rio’s Carnival factory
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Rio: Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail

2.Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 520 reviews · 90 - 150 minutes · from $27Best value

At Cidade do Samba, a bilingual guide leads you through Grande Rio’s Carnival workshop, where floats and thousands of costumes take shape. You’ll learn samba and Carnival history, try parade outfits for photos, watch a samba performance, and finish with a caipirinha. Small-group tours and optional pickup are available.

“It was great getting a look backstage the organisation of one of the Carnaval groups: what is needed, how is it handled/planned. Also was really fun to get to see the costumes of precious years and to actually try some of them on.”

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São Paulo: City Highlights Guided Tour - Jardins and the Nossa Senhora do Brasil church
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São Paulo: City Highlights Guided Tour

3.City Highlights Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 307 reviews · 5 hours · from $66

Spend five hours crossing São Paulo by air-conditioned vehicle, from Jardins and Batman’s Alley to Sé Square, Liberdade, and Luz Station. Guide Mauricio is often praised for clear, friendly commentary in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Expect many photo stops, short walks, and a broad first look at the city.

“The guide was very professional. He spoke about the places we visited and explained in detail their historical and cultural significance. He didn't forget to include anecdotes and interesting observations. The journey in the air-conditioned bus with other tourists was very pleasant.”

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Private São Paulo City Tour - Starting at your hotel, airport, or chosen address
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Private São Paulo City Tour

4.Private São Paulo City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 264 reviews · 4 hours

Build a four-hour São Paulo route with a private guide and car or van. See sights such as Paulista Avenue, Se Cathedral Square, Luz Station, Pacaembu Stadium, and Ibirapuera Park, while guides including Pedro, Mauro, Isaac, Marlene, and Viviane adapt the day to your interests.

“Very courteous and knowledgeable guide. Got to see many places and learn about the history”

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Rio de Janeiro: Private Guided City Tour - Start with Rio’s famous beaches
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Rio de Janeiro: Private Guided City Tour

5.Private Guided City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 207 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $56

Build your Rio day around beaches, city sights, Santa Teresa, Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer, gardens, or local neighborhoods. Your private guide and vehicle handle the driving, while you choose the pace. Guides include Lavinia, Jacqueline, Dario, Meilin, Wagner, and others.

“Perfect guide and took the creativiteit op onze vragen. Very local sites seen RIO is great and now even more”

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City Tour Meet São Paulo Half-Day - Batman Alley and São Paulo’s street-art identity
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City Tour Meet São Paulo Half-Day

6.City Tour Meet São Paulo Half-Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 150 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $67

This 4 to 5-hour São Paulo city tour uses an air-conditioned vehicle and a bilingual guide to connect Batman Alley, Paulista Avenue, Ibirapuera Park, Liberdade, the historic center, MAC’s rooftop, and Luz Station. Guides such as Mauricio, Edson, Carla, and Josafat have led tours, though commentary may be shared across English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

“Saw nice parts of the city and learned a lot about the culture and the history of São Paulo!! Pick up at our hotel was good”

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Rio de Janeiro: Half-Day Christ the Redeemer and City Tour - Maracanã and Brazil’s football passion
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Rio de Janeiro: Half-Day Christ the Redeemer and City Tour

7.Half-Day Christ the Redeemer and City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 101 reviews · 5 hours · from $63

You’ll ride through Tijuca Forest to Christ the Redeemer, then visit Maracanã, the Sambadrome, Selarón Steps, and Rio Cathedral. A multilingual guide, hotel pickup, and entry to Christ and the cathedral are included. Liz, a Brazilian guide named in the tour feedback, is noted for helping families and taking photos.

“Nice guide and driver, and the statue is cool, but some things could be better. The pickup was about 15 minutes late with no communication, even though my hotel was the first stop. and the city tour was kind of meh, with a lot of time allocated. Lots of waiting around. Also, at least my group consisted of both English and Portuguese speaking, so the guide would say everything twice, and often when he got to the English part, we were already past whatever he was talking about.”

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Petrópolis: Imperial City Tour - The morning ride from Rio to the mountain city
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Petrópolis: Imperial City Tour

8.Imperial City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 95 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $68

Spend 9 to 10 hours exploring Petrópolis from Rio with an English, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide. Visit Quitandinha Palace, the Imperial Museum, cathedral, Crystal Palace, Flowers Watch, and Santos Dumont’s house. Add a brewery visit with tastings if you want a relaxed finish.

“This was a really excellent day out. It was so well organised with great communication on meeting times and schedule. Plus it never felt rushed. Chi Chi was such a entertaining fun guide. Her enthusiasm and 'ooh la la' attitude was infectious and she gave some interesting background and history on the places we visited from the Petropolis palace to the former casino. Petropolis palace is an elegant residence set within a lovely old town, with all the old architecture it's a nice contrast to the modern bustling Rio. We had a buffet meal and it offered great choice of items to select and great value. We were given the…”

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Manaus: Half-Day City Tour - Hotel pickup makes a short visit easier
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Manaus: Half-Day City Tour

9.Half-Day City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 94 reviews · 4 hours · from $54

This four-hour small-group tour pairs Manaus landmarks with local life. An English- and Portuguese-speaking guide such as Glaucio, Jennifer, or Aldinei may lead you to the Amazon Opera House, markets, museums, and Ponta Negra, with hotel pickup, transport, and entrance tickets included.

“In the comfort of a vehicle on my own, with guide & driver… couldn’t have chosen better. Water was no problem to get and I learnt new things about Manaus.”

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Rio Samba Bus: hop-on hop-off city tour in Rio de Janeiro - Starting along Copacabana’s famous waterfront
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Rio Samba Bus: hop-on hop-off city tour in Rio de Janeiro

10.Rio Samba Bus: hop-on hop-off city tour in Rio de Janeiro

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 94 reviews · 2 hours · from $31

Ride the Rio Samba Bus through Copacabana, Urca, downtown, Lapa, and Ipanema, with live commentary in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. You can hop off at 26 listed stops, add the Sugarloaf cable car or Corcovado train on your own, and enjoy panoramic or air-conditioned buses.

“Pouvoir prendre le bus à n’importe quel arrêt à l’heure que l’on veut ou peu .😔perdu notre activité parce que on pouvait pas ce rendre à l’arrêt de départ”

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Afro-Brazilian Roots Private City Tour in Salvador - Rio Vermelho and the Yemayá altar
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Afro-Brazilian Roots Private City Tour in Salvador

11.Afro-Brazilian Roots Private City Tour in Salvador

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 88 reviews · 6 hours · from $150

Spend six hours with a private guide such as Wilson, Mônia, Vagner, or Ronaldo, visiting Rio Vermelho, Dique do Tororó, São Joaquim Fair, a Candomblé temple, and a seaside community. Expect thoughtful cultural context, acarajé, lunch, and comfortable private transport.

“Wilson was an incredible guide. He not only pulled back the curtain on Bahian culture, but also taught us an incredible amount about my family’s African heritage. The food as well we spectacular, we ate at places that you would never find on your own. Another thing I’ll say about Wilson is he is a very knowledgeable PhD historian. He was able to answer our questions about everything we were curious about, not just about Salvador. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who is a fan of history and wants an opportunity to see the lesser known side of Salvador!”

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Petropolis The Imperial City with Beer tour and Lunch - The morning pickup and the road to the mountains
City Tours, Drinking Tours, Food & Drink, Lunch Experiences, Petrópolis Day Trips, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Petropolis The Imperial City with Beer tour and Lunch

12.Petropolis The Imperial City with Beer tour and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 83 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $59

Travel from Rio to Petrópolis with an accredited guide, visit the Imperial Museum, cathedral, Crystal Palace, and Quitandinha Palace, then tour Bohemia Brewery with three tastings. Rafael has earned praise for guiding in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, though language support can vary.

“Very nice walk, lots of history, beautiful road. We really liked Petropolis and were surprised. Very good food, excellent brewery! All very good! We recommend it.Auto-translated”

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Learn the History of Rio with an Unforgettable City Center Walking Tour - Cinelândia and the public face of Rio
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Learn the History of Rio with an Unforgettable City Center Walking Tour

13.Learn the History of Rio with an Unforgettable City Center Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $49Top rated

Spend about three hours walking Rio’s historic center with a private guide. See the Municipal Theater, Selarón Steps, Lapa Arches, Metropolitan Cathedral, Confeitaria Colombo, and Paço Imperial. Guides such as Rafael and Danielle bring Rio’s past, architecture, and daily life into focus.

“Amazing, friendly and very informative walk around the historical center of Rio! 5 / 5 stars! Thank you!”

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City Tour Full Day in Rio: Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf - Sugar Loaf: more time for Rio’s famous scenery
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City Tour Full Day in Rio: Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf

14.City Tour Full Day in Rio: Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $126

Spend about nine hours seeing Rio’s essential sights with an accredited guide and a group capped at 19 people. The day includes Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf, a Brazilian buffet lunch, Selarón Steps, the Cathedral, Sambadrome, and an outside view of Maracanã.

“Long day but worth it. Our guide had lots of information to share. We were a group of 20. The only downside was that sitting in the very back of the bus we couldn’t really see any of the scenery and had a hard time hearing the guide.”

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Rio's city walking tour: a glimpse of history and olympic legacy - São Bento Monastery and the art inside
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Rio’s city walking tour: a glimpse of history and olympic legacy

15.Rio’s city walking tour: a glimpse of history and olympic legacy

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 78 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $60

Spend about four hours exploring downtown Rio with a local guide, visiting Candelária, São Bento Monastery, Mauá Square, Confeitaria Colombo, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Hotel pickup and return serve most hotels in São Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana.

“A pretty relaxed meander round the downtown area of Rio which I probably would not have seen otherwise. Quirky guide who looked after us well.”

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New in City Tours

★ 4.1Paraty Historical City Walking TourFrom $728 reviews
★ 4.5City Tour by Trolley with 12 Beaches and PickupFrom $534 reviews
★ 4.5São Paulo Major Tourist Attractions Private Tour: 8-Hour (Santos City Pick-up)From $30738 reviews
★ 5.0City Tour Full VIP – Corcovado Train + Churrascaria RodízioFrom $14743 reviews
★ 5.0Rio de Janeiro City Tour for One DayFrom $17634 reviews
★ 5.0Historic Petrópolis From Rio: The Imperial City –Palaces, Architecture & CultureFrom $29632 reviews
★ 5.0Guided Tour to the Redemptor Christ and City in Rio de JaneiroFrom $9045 reviews
★ 5.0Excursion: Cristo Redentor, Tijuca National Forest and City Tour in 7 hoursFrom $10735 reviews
★ 5.0City Tour of Rio de Janeiro con ingressi e pranzoFrom $25048 reviews
★ 5.0Rio DE Janeiro SUV Private City Tour : avoiding crowds and cloudsFrom $11246 reviews
★ 4.5Maceió City Tour with Barra de São Miguel – Leaving Maceió by WS ReceptivoFrom $1140 reviews
★ 5.0Guarulhos Airport Transfer to Viracopos Airport or Campinas City51 reviews
★ 5.0Personalized City Tour in the Top Attractions of Gramado/Canela51 reviews
★ 4.0Discover Florianópolis: Full Day City Tour and Local HighlightsFrom $3147 reviews
★ 4.5Florianópolis city tour (full day)From $2032 reviews

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Christ the Redeemer Tours45Sugarloaf Mountain Tours48Selarón Steps Tours13Santa Teresa Tours9Maracanã Stadium Tours13Olympic Boulevard Tours6Historical Tours44
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Explore Brazil

Pick a summit, a shoreline or a dancefloor.

Rio’s icons

Christ the RedeemerSugarloafTijuca ForestSelarón StepsMaracanã

On the water

Boat TripsIlha GrandeBeach DaysGuanabara BaySailing

Nights out

Samba NightsBar CrawlsCachaça TastingsDinner ShowsFootball

Out of the city

Iguaçu FallsWaterfallsHikesPetrópolisThe Amazon