Private day tour
Rio de Janeiro Private Tour: Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain
Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf and the Selarón Steps, in a private day.
8hPrice on request
Private day tour from Rio de JaneiroPetrópolis Private Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro: The Imperial City
9h, from 07:00
Up to 16 people
Your hotel or apartment in Rio de Janeiro (Zona Sul, Centro and Barra)
Free cancellation, 24h
The summer town of Brazil's emperors, up in the mountains above Rio: the Imperial Museum, the cathedral with the imperial tombs, the Crystal Palace and Santos Dumont's little house.
The day
Up the Serra dos Órgãos road into cooler air. Petrópolis is small and the sights are close together.
07:00
Your hotel
Collected anywhere in Rio. The drive up the mountain takes about an hour and a half.
08:45
Palácio Quitandinha
A huge 1940s hotel and casino by a lake, built when gambling was still legal in Brazil.
09:30
Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara
A Gothic-style cathedral where Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina are buried.
10:15
The Crystal Palace
An iron-and-glass pavilion made in France and put up in Petrópolis in the 1880s.
11:00
The Imperial Museum
Pedro II's summer palace, with the imperial crown and the rooms as the family used them.
Entrance not included
12:30
Lunch in the centre
Restaurants along the river avenues of the old town.
13:45
Santos Dumont's house
A small, odd house built by the aviation pioneer, with steps cut so you have to start with the right foot.
Entrance not included
14:30
Back down to Rio
The road down the Serra, then home.
16:00
Back to your hotel
In the afternoon.
Photos by Samuel Nascimento da Silva, Mauro Lima, Carlos de Almeida on Unsplash
In the price
- Private vehicle and driver for the whole day
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Itinerary changed on the day
Not in the price
Entrances to the museums and lunch are not included.
Before you book
- Mondays
- The Imperial Museum and other sights in Petrópolis are closed on Mondays. Choose another day.
- Weather
- Petrópolis is cooler than Rio and can be misty. Bring a light jacket.
- Start time
- Starts at 07:00, every day. Every tour is customisable: a different start time, extra stops, more time where you like it, or a longer day. Tell us when you book.
- Language
- Guided in English. Other languages on request, if we have notice.
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before, refunded in full.
Questions
Yes. The tour is private, and the price depends on how many of you travel. Send us your date and group size and we reply with the price.
Yes. Petrópolis has several breweries near the centre. Tell your driver and we will fit one in.
Yes. It is a busy main road. Your driver knows it well.
Two vehicles travelling together, on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Yes. Every tour is customisable: a different start time, extra stops, more time where you like it, or a longer day. Tell us when you book.
Message us and we'll move it if we can — we work with several drivers, so there is usually room. More than 24 hours ahead costs nothing.
More in Brazil
Private half-day tour
Rio de Janeiro: Private City Tour of Centro, Lapa and Copacabana
Selarón Steps, Lapa, Centro and Copacabana, in four private hours.
4hPrice on request
Private day tour from Rio de Janeiro
Búzios Private Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro
Búzios, its waterfront and its beaches, in a private day from Rio.
11hPrice on request
Not sure which to pick? Read our guide to day trips from Rio de Janeiro