Touring Rio de Janeiro with Rio de Janeiro Now

With so many tour companies popping up all the time in Brazil's main tourist destinations, it's sometimes hard to know which are reliable and worth the money. Having taken two tours with Rio de Janeiro Now tour company, we can honestly say that it is one of the best ways to see all of the main attractions in the city on a budget.

Recommended by some of the advisers for foreign exchange students studying in Brazil; the Rio de Janeiro Now Tour Company offers many exciting tours for hard to beat prices. 

We did the Um Dia no Rio 1 (Classic) which included lunch at a Churrascaria (a typical Brazilian barbecue), admission to Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain, as well as a guided tour in an air conditioned bus all around the city to sites including but not limited to Cinelandia, Maracana Stadium, and the Sambadrome (location of the world famous Carnaval parade). Depending on your native language they have multilingual guides equipped to handle any group from anywhere around the world. 

Our guide for the day spoke Spanish, English, and Portuguese fluently and used all three during the tour and also had a basic knowledge of Italian, French, German, and Chinese. 

If you pay for your spot on the tour in advance via bank deposit or credit card, the price is R$230 for the tour including lunch in a buffet style Brazilian restaurant or R$250 for the tour including lunch in a traditional Brazilian Churrascaria. If you wait to pay the day of, prices rise R$10-15. *Prices are higher than normal because of the World Cup (almost R$50 more than usual) so perhaps after they will drop back down again.*

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We highly recommend this tour instead of trying to do it all yourself. The guides are very knowledgeable and the price is amazing for everything that is included (it would not be possible to do this for less even without a guide). We also recommend booking ahead of time as they will pick you up right in front of your hotel at a scheduled time and the better guides and tours book up quicker. 

If you are interested in a longer tour or seeing a soccer match at one of the famed stadiums, Rio de Janeiro Now Tours also offers these opportunities. Check out their website for the full list of tours, current prices, and what all is included. It will also note how long each tour is and if it is limited to certain days.