Samba Soul Tour

Meeting point for the group. We went up to the museum terrace to have a panoramic view of Praça Mauá and Guanabara Bay. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Plaza Mauá marks the beginning of Avenida Rio Branco avenue and also of the Port Region. From 1910 on, with the inauguration of Porto do Rio ("Rio's Port"), it began an important place to welcome ships and brought tourists to the city. Around the square there are important buildings, such as the Rio Art Museum (MAR) and the Museum of Tomorrow, as well as the Night building, the first skyscraper of the city, built in 1930.

On the VLT (Tram) trip from Plaza Mauá to Samba City, we can see the old docks and the street art gallery on Olympic Boulevard.

Following the same exploratory tour, the Carnival Experience, promoted by Grande Rio Samba School, opens the workshop for visitors who want to know a little more about the creation and production of the parade, long before it takes place at Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome. This unique experience shows how the allegories and customs of the school are produced, the carnivalesque designs, how the customs and the assembly of the big cars are done by hand, and shows up close the hard work of the professionals involved in the production of a parade

Pedra do Sal, at Conceição hill, makes part of the region historically known as small Africa, that stretched from around Plaza Mauá to Cidade Nova. On the backyard, it has happened the rural samba, played with the hands, with tambourine, plate and knifes; and dancing with tap dancing, sieved and "umbigadas". It was there that was born the urban carioca samba, that came from "popular samba" and old ranches of the carnival.

We finish our tour celebrating black women and their role in samba music and afro Brazilian dance. At Largo da Prainha, you can grab a snack and some refreshments and get in the mood to join Pedra do Sal "roda de samba", living an authentic experience of Rio.