Luis Darin Private Tour Guide In Rio

After leaving your hotel we’ll drive towards Cosme Velho neighborhood. On the way we’ll pass Palacio Guanabara and start the day going all the way up to the summit of Corcovado Mountain at 2,100 feet to visit the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. Places we will drive by on the way to the first attraction depend on your hotel location.

10 minutes

Mirante Do Leblon

Depending on your hotel location we’ll drive by or even stop for a picture at this vantage viewpoint at the end of Leblon Beach.

10 minutes

Praia do Leblon (Pass By)

Depending on your hotel location we'll pass by this very nice beach in the most expensive neighborhood in South America.

Ipanema Beach (Pass By)

Depending on your hotel location we'll drive by this very iconic beach on the way to the main attractions of the tour.

Praia do Arpoador (Pass By)

Depending on your hotel location we'll drive by this rock at the end of Ipanema Beach considered one of the best spots in Rio to observe the sunset during the summer.

Copacabana Beach (Pass By)

This worldwide famous beach is also the area where most hotels are located in Rio.

Avenida Atlantica (Pass By)

The seaside avenue in Copacabana is the most famous beach area in Rio.

Praia do Leme (Pass By)

At the very end of Copacabana Beach Leme Beach is the best place for a picture of Copacabana.

Leme (Pass By)

Depending on your hotel location we’ll drive by this less busy beach located at the very far end of Copacabana.

Botafogo (Pass By)

On the way to the main attractions we’ll drive by this nice neighborhood that can easily be seen from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

Guanabara Bay (Pass By)

Guanabara Bay is 100 miles in diameter and has its 1 mile wide entrance at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Flamenco Beach (Pass By)

Depending on your hotel location we’ll drive by this classical neighborhood that offers the best view of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Guanabara Palace (Pass By)

This was the home of Princess Isabel, the daughter of Brazil’s second emperor. Today the beautiful building houses the headquarter of Rio de Janeiro State government.

Cosme Velho (Pass By)

On the way to Corcovado Mountain we’ll drive through this neighborhood that was once the home for most embassies in Brazil when Rio was the country capital.

Trem do Corcovado

This is one of the ways to reach the Christ Monument on top of Corcovado Mountain. The cogwheel train runs up and down the mountain every 20 minutes taking 120 passengers each time.

20 minutes

Parque Nacional da Tijuca (Pass By)

The area of Tijuca National Park represents 7% of the city. The park located inside Tijuca Forest houses several waterfalls and hiking trails. Tijuca National Park is also the home for the Christ Monument.

Centro De Visitantes Paineiras (Pass By)

The visitors center was created in 2013 and houses an environmental education center and can be visited when going to the Christ Monument by minibus.

Corcovado - Christ the Redeemer

The monument is located inside the Tijuca National Park, is reachable by train or van, and the ride through Tijuca Forest is quite pleasant. Going by van we’ll make a quick stop at the Paineiras Visitors Center and take a shuttle van to reach the monument. The train does not stop at the visitors center. At the monument we’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the city. From there we’ll go to Sugarloaf Mountain, the second most visited attraction in Rio.

1 hour

Floresta da Tijuca (Pass By)

Tijuca Forest is the largest reforested urban forest in the world. The forest takes 10% of the city area and houses the Tijuca National Park.

Praia Vermelha (Pass By)

At the foot of Urca Mountain lies a small and beautiful beach with red sand and surrounded by mountains in both sides.

Claudio Coutinho Trail (Pass By)

This flat trail located at the base of Sugaloaf Moutain is a place for a short walk looking for marmoset monkeys with Sugarloaf and the Red Beach as background.

Urca (Pass By)

This small and picturesque neighborhood is located at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Morro da Babilonia (Pass By)

This solid granite wall rises above the entrance of Sugarloaf cable car. Here we’re very likely to observe climbers trying to reach the mountain summit.

Trilha do Pao de Acucar (Pass By)

This hiking trail staring at Claudio Coutinho Trail also grants access to Urca Mountain.

Morro da Urca

The round shape of this mountain next to Sugarloaf reminded the Portuguese a ship used to carry sugar. This is the first step to reach Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car.

20 minutes

Sugarloaf Mountain

The second most visited attraction in Rio, Sugarloaf is a monolithic solid granite block over 1,200 feet above sea level located at the very entrance of Guanabara Bay in Rio. The access to the monument is at Urca neighborhood. The monument can be reached by taking 2 cable cars to the summit of Sugarloaf. The cable car station at Urca is at the foot of Morro da Babilonia, and the Swiss-made cable car will take us first to Morro da Urca, and then we’ll take another cable car to reach the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain. The views are spectacular during the entire trip. From there we'll go to Santa Teresa, a bucolic district on a hillside and Rio’s bohemian neighborhood known for its steep cobblestone paved streets.

1 hour

Santa Teresa

Our third stop is this picturesque and well preserved colonial style area born in the mid-1800s that turned into an artsy neighborhood full of bars, cafes and good restaurants that offer a myriad food options including the best Acai and cheese bread in Rio. The place offers great photo opportunities with its painted murals, street art, cobblestone streets and a variety of souvenirs shops, including the only one in Rio listed on Lonely Planet for having only items made by local artists. Upon leaving Santa Teresa we'll visit Selaron Steps to see the beautiful work of Jorge Selaron.

30 minutes

Arcos da Lapa (Pass By)

Also known as Arcos da Lapa the aqueduct used to supply the city with water from the rivers born at Tijuca Forest. Now it is used as a passageway for the tram that connects Downtown Rio and Santa Teresa neighborhoods.

Escadaria Selaron

Escadaria Selarón is our last stop. A colorful tiled stairway, gracefully decorated by the Chilean artist Jorge Selarón who moved to Rio in 1983. The steps connect the areas of Lapa and Santa Teresa. The 215 steps that he entirely covered with tiles mostly donated by visitors from all around the world. Since 1990 Selarón has laid over 2000 tiles to the stairs as a tribute to the Brazilian people.

30 minutes

Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (Pass By)

One of the nicest areas in Rio this tidal lagoon connects with the sea and it is surrounded by a bike lane.