9 Santa Teresa Tours in Rio de Janeiro Worth Booking

1.Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia with Tram Ride and Selarón Steps

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 274 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $60Our pick

Ride Rio’s historic Santa Teresa tram, walk through the city’s bohemian hilltop district, descend the Selarón Steps, and explore Lapa and Cinelândia with an English, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking guide. Hotel pickup from Rio’s South Zone is included, along with a stop at Confeitaria Colombo.

“Interesting tour of tour of Rio's neighbourhoods. Tram ride was great and plenty of photos opportunities. Our guide Emma was very helpful and friendly.”

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2.Historic Rio and Santa Teresa Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 228 reviews · 4 hours · from $47Best value

Travel from Rio’s colonial center to bohemian Santa Teresa with a multilingual guide such as Dario, Monica, or Millene. See XV de Novembro Square, Cinelândia, the Arcos de Lapa, Santa Teresa’s winding streets, and Guanabara Bay from Parque das Ruínas. Hotel pickup is included.

“Dario was excellent and knew all the spots and history. He answered all our questions and finally made took us to an amazing library from the 1750s and a remarkable restaurant. Great experience”

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3.Ancient Rio and Santa Teresa Tour with Hotel pick-up and drop-off

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 154 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $55

See Santa Teresa’s old mansions, 1897 tram, Parque das Ruínas, Lapa Arches, Praça XV, Arco do Teles, Cinelândia, and Rio’s grand civic buildings. Guides such as Dario, Renato, Wagner, Monica, and Wanessa have led this route. You do not ride the tram or enter the museums.

“Our tour guide Marcos seemed disengaged and acted as if his only job was to drive us from one place to another. We were hoping for more insight and enthusiasm, but he did not really engage with the group. On top of that, he gave us some incorrect information during the tour, which was frustrating. Overall, it felt like the experience lacked the personal touch and knowledge we expected. Definitely not what we had hoped for.”

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4.Walking tour of the bohemian neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $72Top rated

Set out from Copacabana with a guide such as Edmundo, Lorena, or Ivan for a 3.5-hour walk through Santa Teresa and Lapa. Ride the famous yellow tram, visit Parque das Ruínas, Selarón Steps, the Lapa Arches, and Cinelândia, with time for local art, views, and a caipirinha.

“What a great way to visit a special area of Rio. We were picked up at our hotel, took the Metro to the vintage tram upwards. The neighborhood is enchanting and having a personal guide, who seemed to know everyone, everywhere we went , helped me feel like I was welcome. Edmundo was our guide, being an artist himself, I felt my friend and I had a wonderfully personalized visit to a very special place”

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5.Centro Historico and Lapa – Santa Teresa Walking, Historical and Bohemian Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $137

Spend 7 to 8 hours with guide Ivan exploring Rio’s historic center, grand churches, Santa Teresa, and Lapa. Walk through old streets, ride the famous yellow tram, see Kobra’s huge mural and Selarón Steps, and enjoy a caipirinha, beer, juice, soda, or water. Lunch is not included.

“Superbe découverte du centre ville. Yvan nous a fait découvrir l’histoire de Rio pendant une journée. Merci encore à lui pour toutes ces explications. Je recommande vivement”

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6.Santa Teresa – Bohemia and Art

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 23 reviews · 3 hours · from $60

Walk through Santa Teresa with an English, Portuguese, or Spanish-speaking guide. See colonial homes, murals, yellow trams, Christ the Redeemer views, and Parque das Ruinas, then pause for açaí and pão de queijo. Guides Rafael and Fernanda have led especially well-received outings.

“The tour was rather disappointing. We could not take the famous the street car since the waiting line was too long (poor organisation). Instead we visited the National Library and the Justice Court. Both not really related to an artsy tour through Santa Teresa. We then took Taxis there to walk the streets. I had expected some more unknown places, potentially visiting some local artist and get to see parts of ST that are not obvious to tourists. Instead we walked down the main road, spend far too much time in a gallery (that really was a souvenir shop) and sat in a cafe, tasting local food that was available…”

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7.Explore Santa Teresa: Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

Spend three hours in Santa Teresa with hotel pickup, a bilingual or multilingual guide, and stops at Parque das Ruínas, Chácara do Céu Museum, Largo dos Guimarães, Museu do Bonde, and Rua Laurinda Santos Lôbo. Guides such as Thiago, Renato, and Leo lead this shared tour in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

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8.Lapa and Santa Teresa with Tram Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 5 reviews · 4 hours · from $200

Join a Portuguese, English, or Spanish-speaking guide for a four-hour tour from Rio’s South Zone or Barra da Tijuca. Ride the Santa Teresa tram over the Lapa Aqueduct, walk Santa Teresa, Ruins Park, Selarón Steps, Passeio Público, Cinelândia, and Confeitaria Colombo.

“Tour molto carino e guida molto professionale e preparata, probabilmente però non vale i soldi spesi, troppo costoso per essere un tour a piedi di mezza giornata”

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9.Lapa and Santa Teresa

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $52

Spend six hours with a private guide such as Aldo exploring Lapa and Santa Teresa. Walk the Selarón Steps, see the cathedral and Lapa arches, ride Santa Teresa’s tram, and browse local art. Transport, tickets, food, and drinks cost extra.

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