Historical Rio Walking Tour

based on 17 reviews

Duration:4 hours (approx.)
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil

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If you want to have a different and cultural morning, come with us and take the subway to enjoy a guided walking tour in downtown Rio. Many cariocas still refer to downtown as “the City”, as if it were a city apart, so busy, profuse and attractive. Rich in history and buildings of great architectural appeal, the center of the former capital of the country is best absorbed in the details when you walk through it.

You can also extend your tour and take the afternoon part of this walking tour. Please check our complete walking tour called "Rio Walking Tour - City Center plus Olympic Boulevard and Museum of Tomorrow"

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

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You will meet our tour guide at the entrance of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel and you will be taken by subway to downtown, stopping at Cinelândia Station
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The metro station from the 1900's is a relic of the French Architectural influence in Brazil.
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A French Renaissance-style building with a collection of paintings by Brazil's finest contemporary artists as well as an impressive array of folk and African art.
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The Municipal Theather, and the city Opera's House, from 1909, is filled with gilded mirrors, statues, murals, stained-glass windows and sparkling chandeliers.
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The National Library is the depository of the bibliographical and documentary heritage of Brazil, considered by UNESCO as the seventh largest national library in the world, and is also the largest library in Latin America Read more about Best of Rio Walking Tour - City Center, Olympic Boulevard and Museum of Tomorrow 2018 - Rio de Janeiro - https://www.viator.com/tours/Rio-de-Janeiro/Best-of-Rio-Walking-Tour-City-Center-Olympic-Boulevard-and-Museum-of-Tomorrow/d712-21513P22?mcid=56757
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The Pedro Ernesto Palace, the building that now houses the City Council of the municipality, is part of one of the most valuable architectural ensembles of the city. In the main facade facing the square, perfectly symmetrical and rich in details, the access staircase, the upper gallery with its double columns and the two "tempiettos" that adorn the corners of the building deserve special attention.
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The Cultural Center of the Federal Justice is a known space for incentivizing and ensuring access of the population to many ways of cultural expression, hosting expositions, dance and music shows, courses, seminars, lectures and others.
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This marvelous palace in the center of the city draws attention to those who pass by and get delighted with its Corinthian columns and its eclectic style. The Tiradentes Palace was the former building of the Brazilian National Congress, between 1926 and 1960, and is the current seat of the State Legislative Assembly.
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The square is located between Estação das Barcas, from where boats leave for Niterói, Rua 1º de Março, Arco do Teles and Paço Imperial, colonial building built in the 18th century to be the residence of the governors of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro and which later also became inhabited by the King of Portugal Dom João VI and by emperors of Brazil. Today, the Paço is a cultural center. One of the symbols of the square is the fountain of Mestre Valentim, inaugurated in 1789, which is deactivated. In the square, also is located the Church of Our Lady of Monte do Carmo. In 1888, the square was the scene of celebrations by the Golden Law, signed by Princess Isabel, who extinguished slavery in the country.
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Built in 1743, it was used as the House of the Viceroys of Brazil. With the entrance of the Court of D. João VI to Rio de Janeiro, the Palace became the seat of the governments of the Kingdom and the Empire. After the Proclamation of the Republic, the Post and Telegraph were located. In 1938, it was listed by National Historical and Artistic Heritage and today is one of the milestones of the city's cultural history. Since 1985, Paço Imperial has been a cultural center linked to the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute of the Ministry of Culture, and it has a free entrance all year round.
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The architectural lines of the façade is ecletic style, feature the beginning of the century, built to headquarter a Brazilian Lloyd school. But it didn’t happen and the building was used, for more than 50 years, to make the administrative and operational post areas could work. In 80s, the immobile was disabled to reform it, being reopened in July 2nd, in 1992, partly renovated, to receive the “Exposição Ecológica 92”, integral event of the United Nations Conference on Environment Calendar. – RIO 92 The official inauguration of Centro Cultural Correios happened in August of the next year with the World official exposition Filatelia – Brasiliana, 93. Since then, the Centro Cultural Correios is marking the presence of the Institute in the city promoting events in many areas on many vacancies, like theater, video, music, arts with promotions and events in many areas focusing on the integration of carioca’s people with a varied ways of artistic expression.
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One of the most interesting tours that can be done in the Center of Rio is to cross the alleys and alleys that form the Travessa do Comércio, near Praça XV. Travessa, closed to car traffic, is one of the few places in the city that, in a way, preserves the traits of colonial times.
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Commissioned in 1819 by King João VI to Grandjean de Montigny, architect of the French Artistic Mission, the work itself is an important historical document. This is the first record of the neoclassical style in Rio de Janeiro, a tendency that would then become popular, giving the city marked by its colonial houses a more cosmopolitan tone, European fashion.
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The CCBB is a cultural center that consists of exhibition rooms, three theaters, a library, cinema, and a video room. It is housed in an art deco style building located in what used to be the financial district of Rio de Janeiro.
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The Church of Our Lady of Candelaria is a Catholic temple located in the Center of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is one of the main religious monuments of the city, the traditional stage of weddings of the Carioca society.

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Posted By : chiangj2024
Monica was an amazing tour guide! Really knowledgeable and experienced. We initially wanted to engage in a 2-day tour but changed it to just 1 day and she still managed to squeeze in all the important sights into a 1 day itinerary! She brought us to the best photo spots on Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf mountain, was an amazing photographer for us, and also gave us great explanations to the iconic buildings of Rio de Janeiro city.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-30 14:18:46

Posted By : SueA755
Our guide Meilin made the difference on this tour. She is knowledgeable and passionate about her city. An excellent way to learn about Rio and see lots in one tour.
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Posted On : 2024-02-03 05:49:35

Posted By : Traveler826529
Our guide Bruno Linhares clearly made a difference, due to the high historical knowledge he demonstrated and especially the clear and fun way in which he transmitted this knowledge to us. It exceeded our expectations and added historical and tourist attractions not included in the initial program. It was the guide we wanted to have in every city we visited around the world.
Thank you Bruno.
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Posted On : 2023-09-11 18:40:13

Posted By : Alfred_J
Matilde was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. She was also considerate in having me take a coffee and pastry break. Was very impressed by the beauty of Rio after this tour. Thanks Matilde!
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Posted On : 2023-01-11 10:21:54

Posted By : pkapshuk
This was an enlightening tour of the old city of Rio de Janeiro that was highlighted by the wonderful architecture of some of Rio’s most iconic buildings such as the Opera house, the St. Anthony Monastery and Rio’s state legislative assembly building. This is a must do tour for history buffs and those enthralled by exquisite architecture. In addition, my guide Sergio took me on the ferry to Niteroi (across the bay from downtown Rio) which provided magnificent vistas of downtown Rio. This is highly recommend tour with a tour guide that had a outstanding command of the history of Rio and the historical figures that played an integral part in the development of this beautiful city.
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Posted On : 2022-01-19 17:42:58

Posted By : Dyan_123
It poured on us but Leonardo hung in there! His English was excellent, which we appreciate since many guides are hard to understand and he was very knowledgeable. He took us to many fabulous sites and made our tour special. We had already done 2 day tours in the area, but, this one is a must if you want to see the historical section of Rio.
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Posted On : 2019-11-14 09:09:26

Posted By : Whitehalltraveller
We spent 4 and half hours with Leonardo, our guide on this tour, who was excellent. We met him outside the Belmont Copacabana Palace hotel, Rio’s oldest hotel, which is a popular meeting point for tours. We then went by metro to centro where we visited the opera house, city council office, variously squares, traverse do comercio which shows off the colonial alleys. Several churches which were al beautiful. Leonardo was very knowledgable and gave us a history lesson on Brazil. Well worth doing.
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Posted On : 2019-10-10 15:44:33

Posted By : wasmith59
We had a private tour with Leonardo. We saw the subway to get to Centro. He took us to many beautiful churches, and described the history and architecture of many buildings in Centro. We also learned a lot about the history of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. Leonardo is very professional, knowledgeable and safety conscious. The snack was Colombo was delicious. The ride back on the city bus gave us another good experience.
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Posted On : 2019-06-27 14:00:31

Posted By : PJT99
Away from the famous sites and the beaches, this walking tour lets you find out about the history behind Rio, some of it's most elegant buildings and churches etc.
It's not too onerous, gets you used to riding the metro (very easy) and our guide Leonardo was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
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Posted On : 2019-02-19 10:54:29

Posted By : domiegagnon
We booked this tour with Viator. This walking visit to downtown Rio was exceptional! Rafael gave us much more than we expected. We have learned a lot!!! Not only about Rio but about Brazil in general. it was an exceptional tour! If you like history, this is the tour to book!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2019-02-09 14:12:10

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Historical Rio Walking Tour

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ADDITIONAL INFO ⟱

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Adventure

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WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY