Rio's History: Explore Downtown Landmarks

Uncover Rio’s history with a guided tour of its historic center, exploring iconic landmarks and savoring a traditional Brazilian lunch.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro - Discover the charm of Cinelândia and the main theater, and learn why this neighborhood is famously known as cinema land.
  • Convent of St. Anthony (Convento do Santo Antonio) - Located in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil, the Convent and Church of Saint Anthony is a former Franciscan church and convent. Likely…
What's Included
  • Entrance fees
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Delve into the vibrant history of downtown Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of the city in 1565. Explore significant landmarks like the Imperial Palace, National Library, and breathtaking neo-gothic architecture while unraveling tales of Brazil’s past, including imperialism and local uprisings. This engaging tour offers a deep dive into Rio’s cultural…

Location
Praça Floriano, 7
Praça Floriano
We will meet at the entrance or inside the STARBUCKS coffee shop (Address above). This location has wi-fi as well as security for anyone who doesn't want to wait outside in the public square (Cinelândia). The meet up location is safe and with plenty of people and movement.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(3 Ratings)
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P6906ybericr
Jan 30, 2026
Wow! Amazing experience, lesser known attractions and great guide energy! - The center of this city is dope! Yes, it is definitely abandoned and a little bit complicated to navigate. Your find yourself dodging crackheads and sketchy delivery people on bicycles. So I actually did this area alone when it was raining at the beginning of the week, and I saw three places and didn't feel like I got the most out of it. I ended up booking a free walking tour for later in the week, however after I did the hike at with Henry at Two bros I canceled the free tour and joined Henry's group of 6. He gave us an option to meet us at Cinelândia or the hotel as it was close to the others, Portobay. From there we walked to the metro, took a fifteen minute train ride (the metro here is nice, easy and crazy clean) compaing to NYC. 😵‍💫😂. We started the tour at the public square, henry gave details about the architecture and buildings in the area + their history. This dude has a lot of information so bring a note pad haha. The royal reading room was really cool, I had visited it already the first time but it was so busy, I couldn't take a good photo. We arrived at 10am, so just as it opened, which allowed for us to get great pictures. Then we had a snack at this bakery (Manon) really good pastries but the service was whack. Henry told me this beforehand haha but still.... I saw two really old churches, being from new york city, we also have some really beautiful architecture. But to see these churches completely covered in gold and silver is wild. One may have been a monastery, I cant remember. We also visited the port region, which was pretty dark but also very important to the city's history. This was a really well thought out tour, we had plenty of stops to take pictures and also to have good conversation. After the tour ended, I went to lunch with three others who wanted to hang out. Henry came along and we hit up this spot called Bar Cotovelo. The food was fire, beer ice cold. It was right next to the first church that we visited on the tour. But I forgot the name, something like Carioca Square. I really should of taken notes 😂hahaha.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juliasy5696is
Jan 16, 2026
Very in depth, educational and eye opening historic tour of the city center - My guide Henry was extremely knowledgeable of the historical center, he provided a lot of information regarding architecture, slavery, gold and the Portuguese monarch. You could really tell he enjoys this work, especially because he talks passionately about the revitalization efforts and the cities future. We went to an excellent restaurant ran by Rafael Vidal, who Henry spoke very highly of, and we had the honor to meet him. Appreciated this tour a lot because you see so few tourists in the region, yet so much incredible history and value is there. We visited the monastery of São Bento which was mind blowing, and I absolutely loved the port region and all the beautiful art we saw. If you're looking for something more in depth with great detail, Henry and this tour is definitely a great decision to book.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $70
up to 1 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).