Rio Cultural Secrets is a unique tour operator, specializing in private tours of Rio de Janeiro. Booking now for 2024 and 2025.

No Family Stress

Now everyone gets to enjoy the city without worrying about the next turn or getting lost.

Privacy

Your tour is a PRIVATE TOUR. Choose what you want to do stop for pictures whenever you want.

Tailor-Made Experiences

Personalized Itineraries in Rio de Janeiro tailored to your interests.

Private Rio De Janeiro City-Tours

Travelers, immerse yourself in the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro with our private full day city tours. Visit Christ and Sugar Loaf, explore Prainha and Grumari, and embark on a fascinating historic day tour.

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Private Day Trips from Rio de Janeiro

Escape the city and explore Rio's enchanting surroundings with our exclusive private day trips. From Arraial do Cabo and Ilha Grande to Serra dos Órgãos, Niterói, and Petrópolis, get ready for extraordinary journeys.

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Private Rio De Janeiro Hiking-Tours

Discover the breathtaking beauty of Rio de Janeiro on exclusive private hiking tours. Experience Pedra do Telegrafo, Pedra Bonita, Dois Irmaos Hike, and Serra dos Orgaos. Unforgettable adventures await!

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Private Rio De Janeiro Half-Tours

Discover the best of Rio de Janeiro in just 4 hours with our half day tours. Explore Santa Teresa, the historic center, favelas, and Maracanã stadium on a private adventure.

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Rio Cultural Secrets since 2012 offers the best private tours of Rio de Janeiro

Since 2012, Fábio Mendonça has been doing what he loves: introducing visitors to the many wonders of the Marvelous City on our private tours of Rio de Janeiro.

A carioca (Rio local) who knows every hidden corner of his beautiful home city, Fabio honed his high-end tourism skills in the cruise ship and hospitality industry before setting up his own company, Rio Cultural Secrets, in 2012.

Fabio is the ideal Rio de Janeiro private tour guide, and his infectious enthusiasm has earned him stellar reviews on TripAdvisor as well as glowing recommendations from the highly regarded Fodor’s Travel guidebooks and World Travel Awards.

Rio Private Tours with English-speaking tour guide

Conducting tours in English, Fabio offers a door to door pick up service at many major Rio de Janeiro hotels, and tailors his private tours to suit visitors’ interests and time scale. Forget cramped coach tours and rushed group excursions: Fabio offers only private tours of Rio, in comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles.

Fabio knows the city and its history like no other Rio de Janeiro tour guide, and Rio Cultural Secrets has expanded over the years to offer not just full-day and half-day tours taking in the big ticket attractions of Rio, such as the Christ Statue, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches and Sugar Loaf mountain, but also, hiking tours, small-group tours and day trips.

With Fabio as an expert private Rio tour guide, visitors can explore the many beauty spots of Rio de Janeiro State; such as Arraial do Cabo, Ilha Grande and Petropolis, in comfort, style and safety.

Fabio takes great pride in being a friendly, informative private Rio tour guide, and Rio Cultural Secrets offers every visitor a unique, personalized experience, creating memories to last a lifetime.

Click on the links above for further information about each of the tours and experiences, or read on to discover more.

Why choose our private tours of Rio de Janeiro?

Book your private tours of Rio de Janeiro with Rio Cultural Secrets and you’ll get the inside scoop on the city, its history and its people as well as taking in the incredible sights.

Rio Cultural Secrets offers a variety of Rio de Janeiro Walking Tours and Rio City Tours, so you can take your pick according to your time frame and interests. Popular private tours in Rio include half-day walking tours of the historic center – taking a walk through Brazilian history, from colonial times to the founding of the Brazilian Republic – Full Day Tours of Historic Rio, which include visits to the beautiful hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa as well as taking in the historically important sights of Centro and Lapa; and City Tours where you will whizz from one landmark to another while taking in some more off-the-beaten-track sights as well.

Explore the West-zone of Rio de Janeiro with a Private Tour

If beaches are your thing, then sign up for Rio Cultural Secrets’ Full Day Tour Prainha and Grumari, and your private tour guide in Rio can whisk you away from the crowds of tourists to visit beautiful hidden beaches West of Rio,such as Joatinga (a secret beach located in a super-exclusive neighborhood known as the Beverly Hills of Rio…) as well as other little known beauty spots such as Macumba beach, and local favorites Prainha and Grumari.

The little-visited West Zone of the city is also home to some excellent cultural destinations, and the Tour Sitio Burle Marx and Museum Casa do Pontal is a fantastic opportunity to visit the former home of internationally-celebrated landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx, with its suitably glorious gardens, and the fascinating folk art museum Casa do Pontal.

Visiting the marvelous city on our Private Tours of Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is city that will dazzle your senses and steal your heart. Abundantly blessed by nature and with a famously friendly populace as well as one of the liveliest party scenes on the planet, it’s impossible not to fall in love with Rio.

But Rio can be intimidating for visitors, too, which makes a personal guide in Rio the ideal way to see the many spectacular attractions that the city has to offer – from the world famous sights such as the beaches and the Christ Statue to the raw nature of Tijuca National Park and the many opportunities for hiking to spectacular viewpoints.

And as if the city of Rio was not packed enough with thins to see and do, the wider region has incredible places to see, too. Rio Cultural Secrets organizes luxury private tours of Rio and the surrounding region, visiting glorious beach retreats, fabulous diving destinations and mountain hideaways once frequented by the Portuguese monarchy.

Choose a Unique Experience

Taking a private tour in Rio with Rio Cultural Secrets is like having a super-knowledgeable local friend in this most dazzling of cities. Not only will Fabio give you the inside track on the best local hangouts and a wealth of insight into the history of the city and its people, but he will do so in a fun and informal fashion.

Forget stuffy package tours, Fabio’s personal service and commitment to providing excellent customer service are as fun and relaxed as Rio de Janeiro itself. Rather than taking a ‘one size fits all’ approach to tours, Fabio can tailor make your trip to take in the sights and experiences that really pique your interest.

Half Day Tours

If time is tight, a half day private tour in Rio is the ideal way to see some of the city’s top sights. Half Day Tours with Rio Cultural Secrets include visits to cultural and culinary adventures in the boho hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa; and visits to Tijuca National Park, the largest swathe of Urban Jungle in the world; which can be combined with a visit to the less wild, but certainly no less beautiful, Botanical Gardens.

Immerse yourself in the vibrant soccer culture as you enjoy a private visit to the iconic Maracana Stadium, a sacred ground for passionate soccer fans. Witness the history and grandeur of this legendary arena firsthand.

Experience the captivating Favela do Vidigal, a half-day tour that takes you through the heart of Rio’s most intriguing favela. Discover the local way of life, immerse yourself in the community, and gain a deeper understanding of the city’s rich and diverse culture.

Hiking Tours

Rio de Janeiro is an incredible destination for hikers, and stiff climbs to the top of the many peaks are rewarded with stunning views. Some of the full-day and half-day private hiking tours with Rio Cultural Secrets include guided trips up to the aptly-named Pedra Bonita (literally, ‘Pretty Rock’); and the Pedra do Telegrafo, where it’s possible to take amazing ‘death defying’ photos on a jutting rock that appears suspended over the sheer drop below.

Private Day Trips From Rio de Janeiro

Interested in taking a side trip from Rio? Rio Cultural Secrets has carved a reputation for truly unique private day trips in the fascinating and beautiful area surrounding the city of Rio, offering a much more personalised and comfortable experience than large group tours.

Some of the private day trips in Rio de Janeiro state include visits to Niteroi – Rio’s sister city across the bay, famed for its beaches, Modernist architecture and views over Rio; Ilha Grande – a paradise for nature lovers and beachgoers; Petropolis, with its grand palaces; the top hiking and climbing destination that is Teresopolis and diving opportunities in pristine waters at Arraial do Cabo.

All these destinations can be visited within a day on your speedy, comfortable private tour with Rio Cultural Secrets.

Private Rio Walking Tours and City Tours

Rio is a spectacularly beautiful city, and is home to some of the most iconic landscapes and monuments in the world – just think of the Christ statue atop Corcovado Mountain; the cable car making itsdizzying ascent to the peak of SugarLoaf mountain, the sweeping curve of Copacabana beach and the Maracana – arguably the world’s most famous stadium soccer.

But many of Rio’s most rewarding sights and experiences are a little more low key: the grand architecture of the historic center, for example, and the breezily bohemian hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa.

With so many sights and experiences to take in while visiting Rio, it can be hard to know how best to take it all in. A personal tour guide in Rio is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the city’s best experiences.

From private walking tours of the historic center to time-saving whistle stop city tours taking in the best of the city without the hassle, stress and time-consuming effort of navigating the public transport system.

Visiting Rio de Janeiro

Brazilians don’t call Rio the Cidade Maravilhosa for nothing. Often cited as the most dramatically beautiful city on the planet, Rio can’t fail to quicken the pulse and set the senses alive. But while Rio is famous for the beaches, the Christ statue and the carnival parades, there is much more to the city than its best-known attractions.

On a private tour in Rio with Rio Cultural Secrets, your expert guide Fabio will reveal the hidden historic treasures of downtown, the restaurants, botecos and bars loved by locals, the hiking trails leading to spectacular viewpoints, the best places to dance samba or sip an ice cold beer, and the beaches that other visitors don’t know about.

Fabio has the local knowledge, the passion and the enthusiasm for his job and his city that ensures your private tour of Rio will uncover layers of the city that the guidebooks don’t talk about.

Get the low-down on Rio’s Many Touristic Attractions

Rio is one one of the most exciting cities in the world, and there’s a whole lot to discover in terms of what to see, what to do, and where to eat, drink and party. A private tours with Rio Cultural Secrets is like having a local friend in the city, and you can whet your appetite for your visit to Rio by reading the Rio de Janeiro Blog, which gives readers the low-down on how to see the city in style, as well as tips on what to eat, and where to eat it.

What Makes Our Private Rio de Janeiro Tours So Good?

It only takes a glance at the glowing TripAdvisor reviews to see that private Rio tours with Rio Cultural Secrets are truly something special. Aside from the excellent personal service and attention to providing an exceptional level of customer care, another major plus is that Rio Cultural Secrets private tours can take visitors to the many beauty spots of Rio de Janeiro State as well as the city itself. The tours offer something for every type of traveler.

Active types will thrill at the dramatic mountain formations and opportunities for hiking and climbing in and around the refreshingly breezy high altitude towns of Teresopolis and Petropolis, sunseekers can find their perfect stretch of sand at the chic beach retreat of Buzios, while nearby Arraial do Cabo is a glorious spot for snorkeling and diving – indeed, there are many PADI schools in this relaxed beach town.

Unsure where to go? Before making a private tour in Rio de Janeiro State with Rio Cultural Secrets, Fabio can advise visitors on everything from where to visit to what to pack, and he’ll happily keep in touch after the trip if visitors have any questions or queries about the places they have been.

Rio Cultural Secrets tours of Rio and the surrounding area make every visitor feel like a VIP, and the tours are exclusive, totally private trips made in comfortable air conditioned vehicles.

Book your private tour of Rio de Janeiro in two easy steps

Booking your private tour of Rio de Janeiro is quick, easy and safe using Rio Cultural Secrets’ contact page. Just browse the website for the trips or tours that take your fancy, choose day, time and number of people . Credit card and PayPal is accepted, so you can book with confidence.

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What our costumers says about us

So wonderful to spend two half-days in Rio with Fabio! Such a professional, very easy to talk to, knowledgable, and hard working. Would absolutely recommend!

Fantastic day out with Fabio. He is friendly, knowledgeable and very obliging. We had a great day. Would give him 6 out of 5 if we could. Thank you. Michael and Jennifer

A great tour of Santa Teresa and the Selaron Steps. Fabio was very knowledgeable and took me to all the sights that I requested.