Brazil · FULL-DAY
Good full-day tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Leave Rio’s south zone by coach and cruise around Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande. Swim at Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde, visit Cataguases and Freguesia de Santana, and eat a Brazilian buffet lunch at Japariz. Multilingual guides such as Marcelo and Thiago keep the large group moving.
“A wonder place, a great organisation and wonderful people. A memory that will last for ever.”
Spend about 10 hours exploring both national parks with hotel pickup in Foz do Iguaçu or Puerto Iguazú. Guides such as Roberto, Jefferson, Pablo, and Henrique keep border crossings and park timing on track. Add the optional Gran Aventura boat ride if you want to get soaked beneath the falls.
“It was amazing! We saw the waterfalls from both sides and had the option to go by boat too. I would suggest to include all the entrance tickets too.”
Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis, then cruise around Ilha Grande by schooner, stopping at calm beaches, Lagoa Azul, Aracatibinha, Green Lagoon, and Japariz. Guides such as Nayt, Elainne, Felipe, and Flavia have earned praise for friendly service, but expect a long day and possible crowds.
“Lots of fun, amazing experience, tour guide was adequate, food was ok, good music, overall a good experience”
Join S2 Rio for an early guided hike to Pedra do Telégrafo, with English, Spanish, or Portuguese support from guides such as Erick, Dayvison, Nicolas, or Felipe. Reach the photo rock before crowds build, then relax at Grumari or Prainha Beach. Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and accident insurance are included.
“It was good. Nice views. Dayvison was a great guide”
Spend a full day on the Amazon near Manaus with an English-speaking guide such as Antônio or Francisco. Cruise to the meeting of the waters, visit Lake January, look for pink dolphins and Victoria Regia lilies, eat a regional buffet lunch, meet Dessanos and Tucanos people, and choose Indigenous body painting.
“i think the trips are more or less standardized, no matter which operator you book. the positive thing: contrary to the information given, we were picked up at the hotel by the operator. the tour itself is varied. you can swim with pink dolphins, visit an indian tribe, walk a short distance through the forest, have the opportunity to fish and see the meeting of the two rivers. there's even a buffet lunch in between. transportation by boat was perfectly fine. the guide did his best to explain the essential facts in english, but 90% of the travelers are inland tourists, so that's where the focus is.”
Join LencoisPrime EcoTour for a full day at Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Bonita, with pickup, sandy 4x4 rides, a regional lunch stop, lagoon swims, and sunset from the dunes. Portuguese-speaking guides such as Diego lead the outing, while Sebastian helps with arrangements and support.
“This is a fantastic tour of Lencois! Sebastian and Diego were so fun, friendly and helpful and they made sure we had a great day. This tour takes you to various places, avoids the crowds and the lunch stop was delicious and relaxing. Best way to enjoy the area with amazing service! Highly recommend!”
Spend up to nine hours exploring Tijuca Forest with a bilingual guide such as Gustavo, Ricardo, Pietro, or Tito. The 10.4-kilometer route climbs 848 meters to Taquara Hill, then reaches caves, coffee-farm ruins, waterfalls, and viewpoints. It is a serious hike, not a casual rainforest walk.
“I enjoyed every part of it. The length and difficulty was perfect! The hike was very fun! Pietro, my guide, was fun to talk to. He was very knowledgeable about the different parts of the forest and its history. He even gave me recommendations for food and other things to do in Rio. Highly recommended for those with a little bit of hiking experience.”
Spend eight hours from Barreirinhas exploring the Bonita and Azul lagoon circuits in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Ride a 4x4, walk across the dunes, stop for lunch at an oasis, and watch sunset before returning. Portuguese-speaking guides may include Dybala, with Jhonatan driving.
“L’excursion n’a pas eu lieu car le chauffeur ne s’est pas présenté, nous avons fait 10h de route exprès pour cette excursion nous avions qu’une seule journée sur place et le chauffeur n’est pas venu, nous a répondu 3h après et n’a pas voulu nous trouver de solution Aucun professionnalisme, 0 pointé”
Spend 8.5 hours seeing Rio with a small group, multilingual guide, and air-conditioned minivan. Visit Christ the Redeemer early, ride both Sugarloaf cable cars, stop for lunch in Ipanema, and tour Lapa, Selarón Stairs, Maracanã, the Sambadrome, and downtown.
“chilled atmosphere,knowledgeable guide, would consider dropping maracana for Santa Teresa but well happy overall.”
Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis for a full day of island scenery, swimming stops at Lagoa Azul, Santana Beach, and Cataguás Island, plus lunch at Praia de Japariz. The day starts around 7:00 am, lasts about 14 hours, and is operated by Pepe Rio Tours.
“Experiência péssima , não recomendo a ninguém ! Começámos o dia com uma recolha às 7h para só chegarmos a Angra dos Reis ao 12h tivemos cerca de 3h a recolher pessoas , informação que quando confrontamos a guia de seu nome Sandra ela disse que era assim, no entanto, em momento nenhum da reserva somos informados disso . Depois chegamos a Angra e na primeira paragem nem 10 min tivemos por causa da corrente do mar , no entanto foi nos dito que ficaríamos mais tempo na próxima paragem , o mesmo não aconteceu. Dizem que temos buffet livre , no entanto posso dizer que não existe buffet nenhum…”
Spend nine hours exploring the Amazon from Manaus with an English, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide. Swim with pink river dolphins, visit an Indigenous community, eat at a floating restaurant, fish for pirarucu, see water lilies, and watch the Negro and Solimões rivers meet.
“A wonderful trip on a wonderful day! Although our ship was 2 hours late getting to Manaus, the tour accommodated us and we still saw and went to all the places promised before dark! Everything was as advertised, the places we visited were not over crowded and boat proved a great view of the Amazon River! I would recommend this excursion to everyone.”
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.”
Spend seven hours seeing Rio’s essential sights with a private guide and air-conditioned vehicle. Patricia, Thalyta, Leandro, and other local guides are praised for history, photos, food tips, and flexible routing. Entrance tickets cost extra, and hotel pickup covers Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and downtown.
“Excellent Guide (Patricia, lovely to meet you!) and definitely worth the trip. Never stood in queues, minimal waiting time for sights and got a lot of local recommendations and tips everywhere we went. Thanks so much 🙏 driver was also great, always on time to fetch and take us all over! If you want to see the main sights in the city it’s for sure the faster way to go as it would have taken us a few days for the same experiences had we done it all ourselves.”
Spend about 10 hours exploring Natal’s south coast in an air-conditioned 4x4 with a licensed guide. Visit Barreira do Inferno, Pirangi’s giant cashew tree, Camurupim Beach, and two lagoons, then finish with dune driving and sunset views. Groups are limited to six.
“Guia Bruno Sena muito atencioso, carismático e demonstrou ser apaixonado no que faz! Está de parabéns!!!! Recomendo!!”
Spend about eight hours touring Rio with a bilingual guide, visiting Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Maracanã, the cathedral, Selarón Steps, and Lapa. Transport, major entry fees, and lunch are included, but expect a shared group, early start, traffic delays, and limited time at each stop.
“Hello Ana! The City Tour in Rio de Janeiro was a captivating experience, largely thanks to our guide, "Mini Guia" Roberto. His enthusiasm, knowledge, and friendly demeanor added an extra layer of enjoyment to the journey. Roberto's anecdotes and insights about the city's landmarks, such as Christ The Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the iconic Celaron Steps, truly enhanced the tour. However, a slight drawback was the timing. I felt that if we had started the tour a bit earlier, it would have allowed for a more leisurely exploration of the main attractions. Spending an additional 10 minutes at each landmark, especially the aforementioned iconic spots, would have been ideal. The…”
Pick a summit, a shoreline or a dancefloor.
