The 9 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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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 a guide such as Ivan exploring Rio’s Centro, Santa Teresa, and Lapa. See churches, colonial squares, Kobra’s giant mural, Parque das Ruinas, Selarón Steps, and the Lapa aqueduct, with a scenic tram ride and one included drink.

“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 Santa Teresa with an English, Portuguese, or Spanish-speaking guide, passing yellow trams, colonial homes, murals, and Parque das Ruinas. Stop for açaí and pão de queijo, then take in Rio from a restored belle époque mansion. Rafael and Fernanda are among the praised guides.

“Per pura coincidenza ero l'unico ad avere prenotato il tour in quel giorno ed orario per cui avevo la guida solo per me. Ho potuto chiedere ogni cosa e il fatto di essere da solo mi ha permesso di ascoltare tutte le spiegazioni lungo il percorso in modo ottimale. Il quartiere è molto caratteristico ed interessante. Merita sicuramente di passarci una qualche ora e magari anche tornarci per conto proprio”

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7.Explore Santa Teresa: Walking Tour

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

Join a bilingual guide such as Thiago, Renato, or Leo for a three-hour shared tour of Santa Teresa. Walk past mansions and murals, visit Parque das Ruínas and Chácara do Céu Museum, explore Largo dos Guimarães, and ride the famous historic tram.

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8.Lapa and Santa Teresa with Tram Ride

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

You’ll ride Rio’s historic bondinho from Centro to Santa Teresa, walk through Ruins Park, descend the Selarón Steps, and visit Cinelândia and Confeitaria Colombo. A guide in English, Portuguese, or Spanish leads the four-hour outing, with pickup from selected South Zone and Barra hotels.

“Guiden talte dårligt engelsk og var generelt forvirrende.”

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9.Lapa and Santa Teresa

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

Meet Aldo or another Kerotur guide at PortoBay Rio de Janeiro for a private six-hour walk through Lapa and Santa Teresa. See the Selarón Steps, cathedral, Carioca Aqueduct, local art, and ride the historic Santa Teresa tram. Transport and attraction tickets cost extra.

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