The 4 Best Santa Teresa Tours in Rio de Janeiro

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 bohemian hillside district, descend the Selarón Steps, and explore Lapa and Cinelândia with an English, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking guide. Emma, Alexia, Vicente, Leticia, and others have led this tour. Hotel pickup from Rio’s South Zone is included.

“Tram Ride was interesting, we rode thru the town and saw how people live in the hills of Brazil. Nice scenery as well”

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2.Historic Rio and Santa Teresa Half-Day Tour

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

See XV de Novembro Square, Cinelândia, the Arcos de Lapa, and bohemian Santa Teresa with a multilingual guide such as Dario, Monica, or Millene. The tour ends at Parque das Ruínas, where Guanabara Bay opens below you. Hotel pickup is included.

“Very interesting tour, lots to see. Monica was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. She even took photos of our group in choice locations and sent them to us. Much appreciated and strongly recommended.”

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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

Spend four hours exploring Santa Teresa and Ancient Rio in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide. See the 1897 tram, Parque das Ruínas, Lapa Arches, Praça XV, Cinelândia, and grand Belle Époque buildings. Guides such as Dario, Renato, Wagner, and Monica have earned praise for clear local insight.

“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

Spend about 3½ hours riding Rio’s historic yellow tram and walking through Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia. Guides such as Edmundo, Lorena, and Ivan bring local insight, art, history, and personal stories to the route. Expect a small group of up to 12 people, a 9 a.m. start, and plenty of uphill and downhill walking.

“Ivan was an excellent guide. Knowledgeable and considerate. His knowledge made the tour entertaining and intresting.”

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