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This is the only authentic private tour for gay people in operation in Brazil since 2007. Check out our TripAdvisor reviews for more options on tours including nightlife!
This is definitely more than a tour. It’s a really fun day with a local friend who will be able to show you the city from a perspective that no other tourists can access.
In this specific tour, I pick you up at your place, and we go up to Corcovado Hill for Christ the Redeemer, cutting a few lines to get there and making the most of your time. Great photos are guaranteed! Then we head to the Santa Teresa area, where you will enjoy this vibrant, artistic, bohemian, and diverse atmosphere. Old mansions, genuine art galleries, great views, authentic people and Brazilian culture, exquisite restaurants—you are going to experience that and much more. Lapa stairs or Selaron stairs and Cinelândia area are also included!!!
Posted By : robarak2
. Undoubtedly the most organized, pleasant and funny tour guide we have met.
As an Israeli couple, the trip with Marcelo was successful at every stage. We felt great already with the smooth communication with us (as if we already know each other), the positive atmosphere and the smiles, the choice of sites and driving all over the city with a new air-conditioned car. He was experienced and full of knowledge. We visited all the sites we chose together, efficiently and cutting the line everywhere
. An unforgettable experience
Huge bonus: it takes amazing photos
A 10/10 experience. Was totally worth it, as people wrote in comments before.
A huge plus: he's a wonderful photographer :))
Thank you Marcelo - hope we'll get to see you in Tel Aviv!
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Posted On : 2024-05-10 13:01:31 
Posted By : gjmatt26
I can't say enough positive things about Marcelo and his hospitality! There's no way we could have seen half of what he showed us in a day if we were on our own. You not only maximize your time by skipping lines, but he provides so much historical insight and history of the city along the way. So many inside tips on scenic viewpoints, the best restaurants and shops, and ways to enjoy the gay scene. Everything was planned perfectly, and Marcelo instantly has a friendly way of connecting with you. Not only did we see a huge part of the city, we had a blast doing it all and made a friend. Rio is an incredible city that I look forward to returning to, and I will most definitely reach back out to Marcelo. I highly recommend him...you'll have an amazing time!
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Posted On : 2024-04-11 15:21:31
Posted By : ashleypaulj
Marcelo provided our group a fantastic and safe tour of parts of Rio after our Atlas Cruise. He even collected us from the terminal.
Marcelo was a pleasure to spend the day with. He provided us with knowledge of Rio and took care of the small stuff (tickets etc) making our day more enjoyable.
Highly recommended.
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Posted On : 2024-04-09 22:22:56
Posted By : peterbJ731UO
We visited Rio de Janeiro a few days after Carnaval. We wanted to see a few of the sights in Rio, so I did some online research. I found Marcel Vidal's website -- Rio Gay Tours -- and the description of his tour of the Christ Redeemer statue and the Santa Teresa artistry area. That read exactly like what we were looking for, so I contacted Marcel directly. Marcel was very easy to work with. We scheduled our tour beginning the morning after our arrival in Rio the night before.
Marcel was waiting for us in the lobby of our hotel (Sol Ipanema Hotel) at the agreed upon time. Marcel is charming, very knowledgeable, and speaks English perfectly. He drove us from stop to stop in his comfortable car. The tour price included "jump the line" tickets to the Christ the Redeemer statue, but there is no way we could have navigated our way through that crowd without Marcel's expert guidance. The signage was not obvious and the crowd was daunting. But Marcel whisked us through the crowd, the statue was amazing, and we got all the photos we wanted!
After that visit, the tour also included a drive along the Copacabana Beach (we were staying on Ipanema Beach), a stop at the Escadaria Selaron (also called the "Lapa Steps"), and a stop to walk around the main square of the historic center, which included the Rio Opera House.
We asked him whether he wanted to be our guide for our visit to Sugarloaf Mountain the next day, and he candidly advised us that visitors do not need a guide for Sugarloaf -- the signage and crowd control is much better there. He was right, we were able to navigate it on our own, and we greatly appreciated his candor. In sum, Marcelo is wonderful guide, and I recommend him wholeheartedly!
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Posted On : 2024-04-08 22:21:14
Posted By : Richard W
Marcelo Is wonderful. Really catered to what we were interested in seeing. Incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommend his tours.
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Posted On : 2024-04-06 21:39:38
Posted By : sdobbins
My husband and I spent a magical day with Marcelo exploring Rio. We immediately connect with him and knew we were in good hands in a city that can be tricky to navigate for visitors. He knew all the secrets to avoiding the long lines at Christ the Redeemer and filled our day with interesting facts and conversation. When he learned we were foodies, he quickly upgraded our lunch experience and took us to an amazing restaurant tucked away in the hills.
Highly recommend Marcelo for any of his Rio tours. We're already planning to come back.
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Posted On : 2023-12-06 06:50:20
Posted By : barrymQ646AD
Marcelo is an outstanding guide and I recommend him highly. I initially reached out to him about 6 weeks before our trip. After describing our travel plans, he proposed a couple of alternative itineraries that responded to our needs and interests. I so appreciated his flexibility and ability to work around the uncertainties of our schedule. He was always prompt and thoughtful in responding to my messages, and I could tell from his Trip Advisor reviews that he was the best choice for us.
On the day of our tour, Marcel picked us up in his extremely nice and comfortable car and showed us “his” Rio de Janeiro. It was such a different tour than the packaged group bus trip we’d gone on the day before. We finally got the magic of Rio. Marcel showed us where he lived, and then took us to a scenic overlook that was way better than the one at Christ the Redeemer. We toured Santa Teresa with him, getting better acquainted as we browsed the shops and had a fantastic meal at Aprazivel. We walked around Centro with him, peeking inside some of the landmark historic buildings and learning more about Rio’s history and architecture. He also took us to a stunning Baroque church, and to the Tomorrow Museum—both of which were exceptional.
Marcel drove us through rush hour traffic back to our hotel to collect our bags, waited for us while we got cleaned up, and then drove us to the international airport for our long journey home. He went above and beyond what is expected of a tour guide and for this we were very grateful. He is also a very nice guy, and it was really fun to spend time with him. Five stars all around.
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Posted On : 2023-12-05 18:31:30
Posted By : R1894OHchristopherj
Our experience with Rio Gay Tours was wonderful. Marcelo - the owner - is a wonderful host and tour guide. I felt with him like we'd been friends for a long time. He's friendly and easygoing, and he certainly knows his way around Rio and facts about the city. He took us to some of his favorite haunts, plus he tailored other parts of the tour to include places and events we said we wanted to see.
As a general rule, when we travel, we often go to cities where we have friends. In Rio, we knew nobody, but Marcelo made us feel instantly comfortable and welcome, just as if we'd known him for a long time.
I give Marcelo FIVE starts!
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Posted On : 2023-12-04 01:53:42
Posted By : 884arsen
This was our first time visiting Rio. Marcelo was fantastic tour guide. We spent two days with him. First, while visiting Corcovado/Cristo Redentor statue, bustling Santa Teresa district when we visited it. It’s very convinient that he uses his own car, also while showing some other sigtseeings and important city landmarks. It was amazing to have one of the favela’s overlook. The another day was exploring Rio’s nightlife, including bochemian Lapa’s district and gay nightlife.
Marcelo is professor of tourism, well educated and knowledgable about wide range of topics. He is avid traveler himself.
We would strongly recommend to have at least one day with Marcelo early on as he can provide very useful and practical additional information regarding your trip and Rio in general.
The most important, he helped us feel more safe, and even more fell in love in this magnificant city. On personal level, he is at the same time professional and personable, with good sense of humor. And also very practical and adaptable. Very nice guy and we enjoyed time spent with him. Would strongly recommend!
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Posted On : 2023-08-14 23:51:51
Posted By : Tragicdreams
Marcelo is an experienced tour guide. I felt very comfortable with him. He speaks good English and knows the areas really well including its history. From the time of booking, Marcelo provided a clear and detailed flexible itinerary. I felt safe and i don’t need to worry about transportation because he has his own car and picked me up and dropped me off. Overall, i had a great tour of Rio de Janeiro and i highly recommend Marcelo.
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Posted On : 2023-05-24 07:07:34
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