The Best of Rio Full Day Tour provides a comprehensive view of this fascinating city. Your tour begins when your professional guide meets you at the ship pier where you will board an air conditioned vehicle. From here you will start out on a day of interesting and exciting experiences!
The first part of your tour involves a panoramic tour of downtown Rio de Janeiro passing by the Sambodrome and the Metropolitan Cathedral. The Sambodrome, is a purpose-built parade area built to accommodate 90,000 spectators for Rio’s world famous Carnival. The Metropolitan Cathedral is a cone shaped structure located in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The Cathedral reached a height of 260 feet. This unique, magnificent building with a capacity of 20,000 people is not only one of the Brazilian city’s landmarks, but also a masterpiece of modern art.
You will also see traditional Cinelândia Square with its historical buildings, the Municipal Theater, the National Library and the National Museum of Fine Arts. Via the Aterro do Flamengo, you will be taken to the neighborhood of Urca where one of the largest symbols of the city is located: Sugar Loaf. Sugar Loaf is a mountain located at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising 1,300 feet above the harbor, Sugar Loaf is one of the most recognizable images of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. You will have the unique opportunity to visit this landmark up close! Climb aboard a cable car for the breathtaking trip up the mountain. The first cable car takes you to Urca Hill, a vantage point 700 feet high for beautiful views of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niterói Bridge and Corcovado Mountain. From this stage, a second cable car takes you up to the top. At 1,300 feet you will enjoy splendid views of Copacabana beach, the Santa Cruz fortress and several beaches of Niterói.
Departing Sugar Loaf you will drive to a local authentic restaurant where you can relax and enjoy lunch. After lunch, you will drive by the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (except on Sundays). Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is a lagoon surrounded by parks and is one of Rio’s most scenic and best-known landmarks.
Next you will arrive at the Cosme Velho Train cog station at the bottom of Corcovado Mountain. Corcovado Mountain, meaning "hunchback" in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro. The 2,329 foot granite peak is located in the Tijuca Forest, and is known worldwide for the 125 foot statue of Jesus atop its peak, entitled Cristo Redentor or "Christ the Redeemer". From the cog station you will take the ride up to the top, through the dense Tijuca rain forest to the Christ the Redeemer Statue. The statue was designed by local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted by French artist Paul Landowski. The statue was completed in 1931 and in 2007 it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. From the top of Corcovado Mountain you will enjoy spectacular views of Rio and the surrounding countryside.
Departing Corcovado Mountain you will return to your cruise ship.
