Tours/Rio de Janeiro/Rio Downtown Tour with Selaron Metropolitan Cathedral and more
Viator · group up to 19 pax

Rio Downtown Tour with Selaron Metropolitan Cathedral and more

4.8(32)Rio de Janeiro1 hour
VIATOR4.6(16)TRIPADVISOR5.0(16)

Description

With this tour you will have the chance to see and visit the main attractions in Downtown Rio, the oldest part of Rio de Janeiro!

Tour Options

Rio Downtown Tour with Selaron Metropolitan Cathedral and more
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

Admission included30 min

The Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, more commonly known as the Mosteiro de São Bento (Monastery of St. Benedict), is a Benedictine abbey located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The abbey was founded by Benedictine monks who came from the state of Bahia in 1590. It is still operational today, along with the Colégio de São Bento (St. Benedict College) nearby. The façade was part of the original Mannerist project and featured a centralized edifice with three archways at the entrance, as well as a triangular gable. Two towers crowned by pyramidal spires flanked the entryway. After passing through the entrance archway, the building houses a tiled porch and iron gates from the nineteenth century.

30 min

With architecture inspired by the Mayan pyramids of Mexico, the conical shape is believed to give proximity to God. Four stained glass windows run from floor to ceiling forming a cross at the top. Acoustics are "heavenly" here!

Admission not included15 min

The Maracanã Stadium, was inaugurated in 1950 to host the World Cup. It is the largest stadium in Brazil, with capacity for more than 78 thousand fans. The "Maraca", as it is also called, besides the games of the national champions, is the Brazilian and of other great international competitions, is the stage of the great musical spectacles.We will not go inside it and will make a quick stop outside, at Bellini's statue, for pictures visit.

Pass by

Fort Copacabana is a military base at the south end of the beach that defines the district of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. The base is open to the public and contains the Museu Histórico do Exército (Army Historical Museum) and a coastal defense fort that is the actual Fort Copacabana.

Pass by

The Carioca Aqueduct is located in the centre of the city, in the Lapa neighbourhood, and is frequently called Arcos da Lapa (Lapa Arches) by Brazilian people. Since the end of the 19th century the aqueduct serves as a bridge for a popular tram that connects the city centre with the Santa Teresa neighbourhood uphill, the Santa Teresa Tramway.

30 min

Escadaria Selarón, also known as the 'Selaron Steps', is a set of world-famous steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claimed it as "my tribute to the Brazilian people. In 1990, Selarón began renovating dilapidated steps that ran along the front of his house. At first, neighbours mocked him for his choice of colours as he covered the steps in fragments of blue, green and yellow tiles – the colours of the Brazilian flag. It started out as a side-project to his main passion, painting, but soon became an obsession. He found he was constantly out of money, so Selarón sold paintings to fund his work. It was long and exhausting work but he continued on and eventually covered the entire set of steps in tiles, ceramics and mirrors.

Pass by

Botafogo is a beachfront neighbourhood. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of Mundo Novo, Dona Marta (which separates it from Laranjeiras) and São João (which separates it from Copacabana). The word Botafogo also refers to a Latin American ballroom dance move, named so because the area of Botafogo is where it originated.

Pass by

Flamengo is located between Catete and Botafogo districts on the edge of Guanabara Bay. The beachfront area is dominated by the Brigadier Eduardo Gomes Park, also known as Aterro do Flamengo, built on nearly 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land reclaimed from the bay and completed in 1965. The park features gardens designed by well-known Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx.

20 min

Lavradio street is a famous place in Lapa district because it has several antique shops, bars and restaurants that attract people all the time. On the first weekend of each month there is a street fair that concentrates national and foreign tourists and locals who know of the local fame. The bars occupy the streets with small tables and several stalls market everything, which gives a respectable agglomeration

Highlights

Professional guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)

What's included

Included
Professional guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
Not included
Gratuities

Pickup Locations & Times

If your hotel is not in the list, please contact us so we will help you finding the nearest pick-up point

Traveller Ratings

4.8
32 reviews
5
29
4
1
3
1
2
0
1
1

Important Information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Wheelchair accessible, please advise at time of booking
  • Children up to 5 years old with ID and on the lap will be free

Reviews(32)

S
sandragS5456CC
January 3, 2026
Excellent, we loved it

Excellent tour, very punctual, the gua Monica very nice and interesting, we were very comfortable and had time to know the places and take pictures, we loved the tour, it is just what we were looking for in this experience!

Operator response

¡Muchas gracias por tu reseña! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaron del tour, que Mónica hizo la experiencia agradable e interesante, y que pudieron conocer los lugares con comodidad y tiempo para fotos. ¡Esperamos verlas nuevamente pronto!

6
683sus
July 12, 2025
Highly recommended tour

Excellent tour, highly recommended. Monica was a luxury, attentive, very willing and informed guide. It provided history of each of the places we visited.

G
gregory_l
April 17, 2025
Very unprofessional...

Very unprofessional company. Late for pick up for almost 1 hour. Driver drive van very fast and guide make little comments. On each spot we stay not more than 5-10 min with little comments

Operator response

Hi Gregory, I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your tour. As you know, we offered you a complimentary second tour when you decided to end the initial one due to rain, and this was free of charge. Please note that weather conditions are beyond our control. This tour typically lasts 3-4 hours, during which we visit many historical sites in the center of Rio, where all customers are welcome to disembark and explore. Our guides are specialists in the city's rich history. Regards,

F
F3870EFandread
February 21, 2025
Ride in the centre of Rio

Wonderful day with ride to the center at the main attractions of Rio. The guide Monica was helpful, friendly and extremely competent.

L
Luciana211
January 4, 2025
Opinion on the guide

Monica is very kind. He handled the guide in two languages excellently, giving equal attention to everyone. The time given to visit the attractions was enough

R
Ravi_P
December 28, 2024
Monica was knowledgeable,...

Monica was knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate, offering insightful stories, local history, and vibrant cultural experiences. Highly recommended for exploring the city!

N
NIAN_Z
December 20, 2024
Good Rio city tour.

This Rio de Janeiro city tour is worth to take. It covers most of the key sight seeing spots for people who are short of time to stay.

M
memetgorgeous
December 1, 2024
Excellent

Monica was good n knowledgeable in her job…she toured us around according the description of the tour.

K
kerrygC6308QG
October 23, 2024
Rio with the Aussies

We had a fantastic time with Meiling and Andre, incredible experience, thank you! We highly recommend for English speakers.

7
75mariadelosangelesr
October 19, 2024
Rio City Centre Tour with Monica Bertazzolo

We were on a tour of downtown Rio with our Monica Guide Francesca Bertazzolo, an amazing day!! Monica explained everything in many details, about the history of Rio, its creation and in each place we visited explained and absolved all our doubts. Super friendly, attentive to our needs, very patient and very cheerful, we take great memories of Brazil and will definitely return to Rio and again think of Monica to accompany me and my family.

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