Day trips from Rio de Janeiro: six ways to spend a day

Rio has two great viewpoints, an old centre and a rainforest in the middle of the city, and beyond it the mountains of Petrópolis and the coast out to Búzios and Paraty. Here is what each of our six Rio tours involves, and which to pick if you only have one day.

If it is your first day in Rio: Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf. If you have one day to spend outside the city: Petrópolis, the shortest drive of the three.

The six, side by side

Trip	Length	Leaves	Price
Rio de Janeiro Private Tour: Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain	8h	07:00	Price on request
Rio de Janeiro: Private City Tour of Centro, Lapa and Copacabana	4h	07:00	Price on request
Rio de Janeiro: Private Tour of Tijuca Forest and its Viewpoints	4h	07:00	Price on request
Petrópolis Private Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro: The Imperial City	9h	07:00	Price on request
Búzios Private Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro	11h	07:00	Price on request
Paraty Private Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro	12h	07:00	Price on request

Prices on request: send us your date and group size and we reply with the price.

How to choose

It is your first day in Rio

Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf. Eight hours from 07:00: up Corcovado early, before the crowds and the clouds build, then the Selarón Steps, the two cable cars up Sugarloaf, lunch in Urca or Botafogo, and the seafront at Copacabana and Ipanema. If the top of Corcovado is in cloud in the morning, we go up Sugarloaf first.

You only have half a day

The city tour of Centro, Lapa and Copacabana. Four hours, starting at 07:00 or 13:00: the Selarón Steps, the Lapa Arches, the cone-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral, the Theatro Municipal and a coffee at the Confeitaria Colombo, then the wave promenade at Copacabana. The Centro is very quiet on Sundays, so choose a weekday if you can.

You want green and cool

Tijuca Forest. Four hours, starting at 07:00 or 13:00: Parque Lage under Corcovado, the Vista Chinesa and Mesa do Imperador viewpoints, the Cascatinha Taunay waterfall and the little Capela Mayrink. Most stops are a few minutes from the car.

You want the mountains and the emperors

Petrópolis. Nine hours, with about an hour and a half up the Serra: the Imperial Museum, Pedro II's summer palace with the imperial crown, the cathedral where he is buried, the Crystal Palace and Santos Dumont's odd little house. The museums are closed on Mondays.

You want a beach day

Búzios. Eleven hours, about three of them each way on the road: the Orla Bardot, a swim at João Fernandes, lunch on Rua das Pedras, and the afternoon at Geribá or Ferradura, whichever you prefer.

You want the colonial town

Paraty. Twelve hours, the longest day here, and about eight of them on the road along the Costa Verde: the car-free cobbled centre, the Igreja de Santa Rita by the water, and the quay where the boats leave for the islands. If you can, spend a night there instead; we drop you one day and collect you on another.

Four things worth knowing before you book

Tickets are paid on the day

The price covers the private vehicle, the driver, fuel, tolls and parking. The Corcovado van or train, the Sugarloaf cable car, museum entrances, boat trips and lunch are paid on the day.

Book Corcovado early

Works on the access to the statue began in August 2026, and fewer visitors are allowed up at a time. Book your Corcovado ticket as early as you can; when you book with us, we tell you which tickets to buy and for what time.

Private costs less than you think for a group

A coach seat is cheap for one person and stops being cheap at four. Our prices are by group size, not per seat: up to four of you share one car at one price, and the price only steps up when you need a van. And you are not waiting for forty strangers at every stop.

You can change your mind

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up, refunded in full. If the date stops working, message us and we will do our best to move you to another day.