Old Town, Urca, and Sugarloaf Mountain Rio Day Trip

If you want to get to know the real Rio, then this is the tour for you! Spend the day checking out historical sites, modern designs, and stunning views as you take in the city’s past, present, and future.

Start in the famous Copacabana area, then ride the subway downtown to Cinelandia Square. You’ll also ride the newest transportation option in Rio, the VLT tram — an electric tram that takes you to the renovated harbor area that's been transformed into the modern Olympic Boulevard. Get off the tram right by the colorful graffiti mural designed by Eduardo Kobra and featuring images of indigenous people from five continents.

From there, head from the boulevard down to the "Museum of Tomorrow," another impressive landmark that’s great for snapping a few photos with Guanabara Bay in the background. Moving along the old streets of Rio de Janeiro’s downtown, you’ll reach the city’s first bakery, where you can treat yourself to some of the yummiest desserts in town. After this sugar rush, walk to Carioca Square to take the subway back to Copacabana, where we’ll head to a local spot for lunch (not included in tour price).

Walk off lunch with a stroll through one of Rio’s quieter neighborhoods, Urca. You’ll discover the cosy streets of this district that just also happens to be where Rio de Janeiro was officially founded as a city. To reach this area of town, we’ll take the subway to Botafogo so you can experience how locals get around Rio. Hoping off at Urca beach, wander along the coast to the Urca wall. Grab a beer if you like, and maybe sample Rio’s best range of stuffed "empadinhas," which are pastries similar to a pie.

Then, it’s time to head to the Red Beach and the Claudio Coutinho walking path, which leads adventurous hikers to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Don’t worry if you didn’t bring your hiking boots: on this trip you’ll take the cable car up instead. The summit of Sugarloaf Mountain is the perfect finale for your tour, and the stunning 360-degree view will show you why Rio is known as ‘the Marvelous City.’