I am professional tour guide to Rio de Janeiro. Since 2004 I have guided 5,000+ visitors to the treasures of this city on my entertaining and informative private tours. You, too, can hire me as your Rio de Janeiro tour guide. Choose below the sites you want to visit with me in Rio.
Attractions you can see with Madson as your Rio de Janeiro tour guide:
Christ the Redeemer statue
The # 1 attraction in Rio de Janeiro is located atop Corcovado Mountain at 710 meters (2,329) feet above sea-level. You can include it in a tour with me. By default, we drive up to a certain location, where we take a minibus shuttle that bring us to the statue. Total time to visit it with me: two hours. Admission fee per person: R$ 35 (approx. US$ 10).
Sugar Loaf
The summit of this impressive hill offers panoramic views over Rio de Janeiro. We drive to the bottom of the hill, then we take a couple of cable cars to get to the summit. Total time to visit it with me: two hours. Admission fee per person: R$ 62 (approx. US$ 18).
Maracana Soccer Stadium 
This stadium was built in 1950 for the 1st World Cup tournament in Brazil. Recently, it has been renovated for the 2014 World Cup. During the visit we have access to the grandstands, grass, dress rooms, press room, and other areas. Total time to visit it with me: two hours. Admission fee per person: R$ 30 (approx. US$ 9).
Beach Tour
It covers the top 5 beaches in Rio de Janeiro: Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Leme and Arpoador. This is basically a drive along the beaches with a couple of stops for photos and refreshments. This tour is ideal for those who want to have a beach orientation upon arrival in Rio de Janeiro (for later exploration on their own) or for those visitors who want to have a quick overview of the beaches whether because they have a short stay in Rio or because they will just go to the closest beach to the hotel during their stay. Total time to visit it with me: two hours.
Fruit Market
This is my favorite attraction: an open-air, lively local market where merchants sell fruits, vegetables, seafood, spices, and others. Total time to visit it with me: one hour.
Centro
This is the old Rio neighborhood as well as the business area. A guided tour to downtown with me includes the following attractions:
- Colombo Café — One of the oldest cafés in Rio de Janeiro
- Saint Sebastian Metropolitan Cathedral — The main Catholic church in Rio de Janeiro (modern architecture)
Besides, we visit a couple of other attractions in the Lapa neighborhood and nearby:
- Sambadrome — This stadium was built specifically to host the annual Carnival parade.
- Selaron Staircase — The famous steps of Lapa is an open-air work of art, a collection of tiles from 100+ countries.
- Lapa Arches — An old aqueduct where the tram to Santa Teresa goes.
- Santa Teresa Neighborhood — Santa Teresa is a picturesque area of Rio de Janeiro, with cobble-stones, colonial buildings, charming cafés, restaurants and bars, and art-craft/souvenir stores.
Total time to visit Centro and its surroundings with me: five hours. (Note: you can either take the full Centro guided tour [recommended], or pick some specific attraction and combine it with other attractions such as Christ statue, favela, etc to make a 5-hour tour. Or, book two or three 5-hour tours).
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Summary of attractions and time necessary to visit each one with me:
Christ the Redeemer statue — 2 hours
Sugar Loaf — 2 hours
Maracana — 2 hours
Beach Tour — 2 hour
Fruit Market — 1 hour
Centro — 5 hours
In a nutshell, in 3 x 5 hours we can visit all these attractions.
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Get a visual overview of the sites we can visit together on this video:
Questions and answers on hiring Madson as your Rio de Janeiro private tour guide:
How long does the tour last?
The tour I provide lasts 5 hours each. So, you can book one, two, or three 5-hour tours. You choose the attractions you want to visit and I fit them on the tour according to the itinerary, weather, traffic, and other factors.
How much does the tour costs?
1 adult: US$ 290 – 350
2 adults: US$ 350 – 400
3 adults: US$ 350 – 450
4 adults: US$ 400 – 600
5 adults: US$ 500 – 700
6 adults: US$ 600 – 800
A family: US$ 350 – 600
(please, contact me for a precise quote)
What is included in the tour?
- A tour guide absolutely fluent in English with more than 10 years of experience (myself)
- Pick up and drop off at your hotel/address
- A well-maintained private minivan with air-conditioning (holds 6 passengers and me)
- All the car expenses (parking, fuel, etc) as well as my admission tickets
- A great time, laughs, and tips for the rest of your stay!
What is NOT included in the tour?
- Your admission fees (where applicable)
- Food and beverages (where applicable)
- Tips (absolutely optional)
In what languages can the tours be?
English, French, Spanish, or Italian.
Check Madson’s availability now!
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