Rio Carnival Tour: Explore the History, Costumes, and Samba at Carnaval Factory

Experience the vibrant Rio Carnival like never before on this exclusive tour. Explore the Carnaval Factory, try on costumes, learn samba, and immerse yourself in the history and culture of this iconic celebration.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cidade Do Samba - At the appointed time, your escort will rendezvous with you at your accommodation and transport you to the Carnival Experience in Rio’s central district. Ever wondered about the preparation behind its most famed festivity? We’re about to uncover that.
    We’ll explore the behind-the-scenes areas of the Rio de Janeiro carnival,…
What's Included
  • Professional licensed private tour guide
  • Guided tour of the Acadêmicos da Grande Rio
  • Hotel, airport or port pick-up and drop-off within Rio de Janeiro City
  • Transport by fully-equipped vehicle
  • Samba class with professional dancers
  • Welcome caipirinha upon arrival
  • Costumes provided for photos
  • Private driver for larger groups (more than 4 people); otherwise, the guide drives
What's Not Included
  • Tips. (optional)
Additional Information

Discover more about the Rio Carnival by visiting areas typically off-limits to the public. Dress in vibrant costumes, learn samba basics from professional dancers, and delve into the history of samba. Witness the grandeur of the floats and savor a caipirinha along with other essentials of this festive occasion.
After being picked up from your location,…

Location
Cidade Do Samba
Rua Rivadavia Correia 60, Gamboa
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(21 Ratings)
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Andre_c
Mar 25, 2026
Well organized to coordinate pick up. Our driver Leandro was an excellent communicator, very attentive to our group. - My group love the experience; their feedback was this was the best experience they’ve had on any tour. The interaction kept us engaged.
Review provided by Viator
Jadeu755
Mar 23, 2026
Unforgettable experience - Our guide Antonio gave us almost that a private tour in our language, it was very nice to hear and know more about the carnival, he also took pictures and videos, I recommend 100%
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nadelyn_f
Mar 23, 2026
Carnival Up Close - This tour provides so much history about the work involved in Carnival from the floats to costumes and choreography. It's also great fun to dress in costumes, take pictures and dance samba.
Review provided by Viator
Jackie_t
Mar 18, 2026
Carnival Backstage Tour with Antonio - The Backstage Carnival Tour with Antonio was truly a highlight of visiting Rio de Janerio. The tour was better than advertised. Antonio, our tour guide accommodated us in several ways. Coming off the cruise ship, we had our luggage, so instead of walking, our guide hailed a cab, provided a commentary, stayed with us the entire time, took pictures and accompanied us to the airport. Antonio spoke several languages, including English. He was exxtremely helpful, courteous and professional. We gained insight into the history and importance of Carnival, the spectacle, float and costume design, dancers, and more. Getting dressed in Carnival costumes was so much fun, and having a private opportunity to witness Carnival dancers was a nice surprise. This tour with Antonio was great, don't miss it.
Review provided by Viator
Siobhan_n
Feb 24, 2026
This was such an amazing... - This was such an amazing experience, from getting to see the costumes and props, to the dancing it was a great day.
Review provided by Viator
Kelly_h
Feb 5, 2026
Fun time learning about Carnaval. - So informative!! I had no idea about the history and the competition involved in Carnaval. The tour was fabulous and so fun. I made new friends and we got to enjoy this great Carnaval Experience without the crowds.
Review provided by Viator
Kyle
Jan 24, 2026
Great experience. Nice guides and fun people to hangout and dance with. - Super cool! Nice guide and our driver was super safe and fun. Took great care of us and explained extra things along the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denise_r
Dec 16, 2025
Such a blast! Great experience! - We loved every minute of this experience going backstage at Carnival. We tried on amazing outfits, learned to dance with fabulous professional young ladies, and saw the detail and hard work the Samba Schools perform for the big event. We loved the drink at the end. Highly recommended. This tour company was completely reliable.
Review provided by Viator
Gurujay80
Dec 4, 2025
Touch of samba - Informative tour at the very beginning with some samba costume show from previous year. Afterwards informative video about carnival and later costumes trial and pictorial and nice short samba dancing. Final touch is caipirinha or guarana :) Vitor was a great guide, very knowledgeable (real treasure of the tour operator)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gary_w
Jan 29, 2026
Do it on your own - You do not need a guide. The people there have their own tour guides. It was a lot of waiting before it began. The tour itself was informative and interesting.
Review provided by Viator
From $61
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).