15 Full-Day Tours in Rio de Janeiro Worth Booking

1.Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,673 reviews · 14 hours · from $77Our pick

Leave Rio’s southern beaches by coach and boat for Lagoa Azul, Lagoa Verde, Cataguases, Freguesia de Santana, and Japariz. Guides such as Marcelo and Tiago lead the multilingual group, while swimming, snorkeling, music, and a buffet lunch fill the day.

“The parking of the boat in the ocean was amazing. I just wish we had more than an hour on the last stop which I enjoyed the most, but no complaints”

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2.Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Grand Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 469 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $90

Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis for a schooner ride around Ilha Grande, with stops at Freguesia de Santana, Lagoa Azul, Aracatibinha, the Green Lagoon, and Japariz for lunch. Guides such as Nayt, Elainne, Felipe, and Flavia may lead the day. Expect a long, social outing rather than a quiet cruise.

“We ended up not going on this tour after the operator (less than 24 hours before the tour and after the cancellation period had passed) unilaterally changed the pickup place and then repeatedly insulted us for not agreeing to the new pick up location. We also were informed at the last minute that the included lunch would not be provided until late in the afternoon. We also realized that the advertising failed to explicitly advise us of an almost 3 hour bus ride each way to the boat. After repeatedly insulting us and questioning our motives, they finally agreed to pick us up at the agreed time and place. By…”

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3.Pedra do Telégrafo Hike and Beach Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 417 reviews · 4 hours - 390 minutes · from $56

Start early for a guided hike from Guaratiba Beach to Pedra do Telégrafo, where Rio’s wild western coast opens below you. Guides such as Erick, Nicolas, and Dayvison are praised for patient pacing and great photos. Finish with swimming or lunch at Grumari or Prainha Beach.

“It was good. Nice views. Dayvison was a great guide”

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4.Tijuca Forest Challenge Hike Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 163 reviews · 9 hours · from $86

Spend up to nine hours exploring Tijuca Forest with guides such as Gustavo, Ricardo, Pietro, or Tito. Hike 10.4 km over rough, steep trails to Taquara Hill, caves, coffee-farm ruins, viewpoints, and a waterfall. Pickup is offered in Rio’s South Zone.

“Super! I had a great time on the hike and I'm so happy that I included it in my itinerary. Riccardo was a great tour guide and expanded my appreciation for the Mata Atlantica.”

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5.Rio de Janeiro Full-Day Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 121 reviews · from $165

Start early at Christ the Redeemer, then ride the Sugarloaf cable car, stop for lunch in Ipanema, and tour central Rio by air-conditioned minivan. A multilingual guide such as Carmen, Vincent, Ana, or Kikko may lead your small group, with hotel pickup from selected Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana hotels.

“Enjoyed learning about Rio history and information and taking in everything around us Good structure of your/ timing/ organisation”

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6.Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 118 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $40Best value

Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis for a full day of island scenery, with boat stops at Lagoa Azul, Freguesia de Santana, Cataguás Island, and Praia de Japariz. The tour starts around 7 a.m., lasts about 14 hours, includes lunch, and is capped at 15 participants for the land arrangements.

“First if all they canceled our tour and didn't notify us about it. I reached out on WhatsApp and found out when they were late for pick up from the hotel. They offered another tour to Buzios, we agreed because we didn't have anything else scheduled. Absolutely uneventful trip. The time on the bus absolutely was not worth the trip. This trip was supposed to include a boat ride but they just canceled it and didn't offer anything instead. We had booked multiple tours with thus operator and we canceled our last tour because of this poorly managed trip. All we basically did 5 hour drive to Buzios (including pick…”

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7.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 major sights by shared transfer, with entry to Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, a Brazilian buffet lunch, and an accredited guide. The group can reach 19 people. Pickup runs from Rio’s South Zone to Centro, not Barra or Recreio.

“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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8.Private Full-Day Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · 7 hours Top rated

See Rio’s biggest sights in seven private hours with a guide and driver. Ride the Corcovado train to Christ the Redeemer, walk Santa Teresa, visit Selarón Steps and the cathedral, then take the Sugarloaf cable car. Patricia, Thalyta, and Leandro are among the guides who have led this route.

“We were warmly welcomed and picked up, and the exciting tour started right away. Our guide was incredibly friendly, and we were truly amazed by the entire history and everything we got to see. We can definitely recommend this tour and the guide; it was a wonderful experience and worth every cent!”

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9.Full Day Tour of Rio de Janeiro with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $186

See Rio’s headline sights in one shared, eight-hour tour: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Maracanã, the Cathedral, Sambadrome, Selarón Steps, and Lapa. A bilingual or trilingual guide, air-conditioned transport, admission fees, and lunch are included, though hotel pickups and lunch quality can vary.

“Our guide Louis was very competent with good knowledge of the history of the city. He shared a lot of interesting facts about Rio de Janeiro with us. His English is excellent and we felt very comfortable with his guidance. He answered all our questions.”

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10.Búzios Full-Day Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 55 reviews · 13 hours · from $69

Travel from Rio to Búzios by air-conditioned bus or van, then board a schooner for three sea stops, a buffet lunch, loud music, and free time on Rua das Pedras. The multilingual tour runs about 13 hours and includes hotel pickup from selected Rio districts.

“Ne prenez surtout pas cette activité il mon donner rdv à 6h50 il ne sont jamais venue , j’ai fait 40min de route à 5h30 du matin pour être là à l’heure , il ne sont pas venue est personne ne répond via whatsap ou sur le chat de l’application”

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11.Full Day City Tour in Rio de Janeiro

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $165

Spend about eight hours seeing Rio’s major sights in a shared, air-conditioned vehicle with a multilingual guide such as Mar. Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Cable Car, lunch, hotel pickup, Lapa, Selarón Steps, Maracanã, and the Sambadrome are covered, with some stops viewed from outside.

“We have a fantastic time our tour guide was wonderful and we enjoyed learning about Rio De Janeiro :)”

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12.Full-Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 50 reviews · 14 hours · from $77

Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis for a full day among 365 islands and clear-water beaches. A bilingual guide leads the boat trip to Blue Lagoon, Praia de Araça, Freguesia de Santana, and other coastal stops, with buffet lunch included. Bring ID, swimwear, and patience for the long day.

“Muy buena actividad. Tuvimos un muy buen guia. Estaba preocupado por nosotros todo el tiempo. En el bus que ibamos tuvo un problema pero rapidamente nuestro guia solucionó el problema y la actividad se hizo a tiempo.”

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13.Full Day in Búzios with Catamaran Tour and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 39 reviews · 14 hours · from $76

Travel from Rio’s South Zone to Búzios, cruise three hours by catamaran with a DJ, swim at three beach stops, enjoy a buffet lunch, then explore the Bardot Promenade and Rua das Pedras. A multilingual guide provides commentary in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“Estuvimos esperando dos horas y cancelaron de la nada”

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14.Rio de Janeiro private Full day Custom Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Spend eight hours with a private driver-guide exploring Rio’s top sights, including Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Lapa. Hotel pickup, transport, fuel, tolls, parking, and bottled water are included. Aline Scot Plavnik is one guide noted for adapting the day to her guests.

“Her name is Aline Scot Plavnik. She was very well spoken and incredibly knowledgeable. It was a private tour for us and we had many highlights already booked. Aline adapted to our needs easily and quickly while telling about things to see that we didn't know we should see, like the stairs and Santa Theresa.”

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15.Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 32 reviews · 10 hours · from $178

Spend 10 hours seeing Rio’s major sights with a live guide, hotel pickup in the South Zone, Sugarloaf cable cars, Christ the Redeemer, and a traditional churrascaria lunch. Choose the Corcovado van route with Selarón Steps or the train route with a Maracanã Stadium lap.

“Interesant tour. Vous allez par différents lieux impossible d'aller par vous même dans un seule journée. l'organisateur vous guide par tout comme si vous êtes son enfants. Toujours en train de voir que vous soyez à l'aise. Il parlait en 3 langues. Malgré que le transport est superbe, le son du système audio très mauvais. Beaucoup de difficulté a comprendre pour la qualité du son. Impartialité au momnet de venir vous chercher et ça cause une angoisse de savoir si l'excursion va avoir lieu ou si vous avez été oublié.”

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