Rio de Janeiro
+37%€82median tour
€41middle half of tours€155
- 29% under €50
- #39 cheapest of 50
Americas · 7 cities
Things to Do in Brazil
Seven Brazilian destinations in one place: which Rio tickets need booking, how the Amazon changes between high and low water, and what Carnival does to every price in the country.
3,119 tours listed by Viator 7 cities we cover Median tour €82–€82 Free cancellation
Where to go
Cities of Brazil
In the order Viator’s own catalogue puts them — most-booked first, not alphabetical.
Full list
All cities, by region
Grouped by region using Viator’s own map of the country. The first block is the places it files directly under Brazil.
What it costs
What tours cost in Brazil
From our own price index — 2,400 tours across 50 cities, collected August 2026. Medians, not averages: a couple of multi-day packages drag an average into fiction.
Vertical line is the global median, €60. Full table for all 50 cities in the Tour Price Index.
Boats & cruises
Harbour cruises, catamarans, kayaks and sunset sailings.
ExploreFood & drink
Street food, markets and tasting walks with a local guide.
ExploreAdventure
Rafting, zip lines, canyoning, quad bikes and climbing.
ExploreDay trips
Out of the city and back the same day.
ExploreWalking tours
Small groups, old streets, two hours on foot.
ExplorePhotography
Guided shoots at the right hour, and photographers for hire.
ExplorePractical info
Know before you book
The things that change a decision — not a retelling of the guidebook.
The two Rio icons are timed and sold out often
Christ the Redeemer is reached by a cog train, a van or on foot, and the train slots go first. Sugarloaf’s cable car is easier but queues badly at sunset. Book both ahead, and pick the clearest morning you get rather than the day you planned.
Carnival moves and it changes everything
It falls in February or March depending on Easter, and for that week hotel prices in Rio and Salvador multiply several times over with minimum-stay rules. Book a year ahead if you are going for it, and check the dates carefully if you are not.
The Amazon has two completely different seasons
High water from roughly May to July floods the forest and you travel by canoe among the treetops. Low water from September to November exposes river beaches and walking trails. Neither is better; they are different trips and the lodges sell them differently.
Distances are continental
Rio to Iguazu is a two-hour flight, to Manaus four, to Salvador two. Brazil is larger than the contiguous United States and the coach network, while good, is measured in days. Internal flights are how any multi-city trip works.
Rio has its own street sense
Take to the beach only what you can afford to lose — no phone on the sand, no watch, small cash. It is ordinary local practice rather than fear. Favela tours are worth doing with operators that work with community organisations rather than drive-through ones.
Rio is above the global median
Its median tour is €82 against a global median of €60. Helicopter flights, full-day excursions to Petrópolis and private guiding lift the figure; the walking tours and the cable cars themselves are not expensive.
When to visit
Brazil through the seasons
What is open, how busy it gets, and when to book ahead.
Summer
Dec–Mar
- Best for
- Beaches, Carnival, the coast at its most alive, Iguazu at high flow.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Hot, humid and the most expensive — Rio in February is peak in every sense.
Autumn
Apr–Jun
- Best for
- Comfortable Rio weather, Amazon high water, prices well off the peak.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- One of the best windows of the year in the southeast — warm, drier and quiet.
Winter
Jul–Aug
- Best for
- The northeast and Salvador at their driest, whale watching, cool southern cities.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Rio in July is mild rather than cold — fine for sightseeing, thin for the beach.
Spring
Sep–Nov
- Best for
- Amazon low water and river beaches, the Pantanal, Rio warming up again.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- September to November is the best value period in the country as a whole.
Frequently asked
Brazil: common questions
How many days do you need in Brazil?
Four days for Rio. Ten days to add Iguazu and either Salvador or the Amazon. Two weeks if you want the northeast beaches as well — the country is big enough that each addition costs a flight and half a day.
What does a tour in Brazil cost?
Rio de Janeiro sits at a median of €82 in our index of 50 cities, against a global median of €60 — above the world average. The spread is wide: a group walking tour costs a fraction of that, and a helicopter flight over the bay many times more.
When is Carnival and should I plan around it?
It falls in February or March, tied to Easter, and lasts about a week. If it is the reason you are going, book roughly a year ahead. If it is not, check the dates before you book anything — prices in Rio and Salvador rise several-fold and minimum stays apply.
When is the best time to visit the Amazon?
Both halves of the year work and they are different. May to July is high water: canoe trips into the flooded forest and better wildlife spotting from the boat. September to November is low water: river beaches, jungle walking and easier fishing.
Are tours run in English?
In Rio, Iguazu and Manaus, routinely. Elsewhere Portuguese dominates and English departures thin out quickly — Brazil has lower English proficiency than most of Spanish- speaking South America, so the guided option is worth booking in advance.
