Santa Teresa Tram Tour, Selarón Steps & Lapa

Highlights

• Ride the most traditional tram in Rio de Janeiro
• Explore Santa Teresa and experience its special flair
• Enjoy Rio's mesmerizing landscape from the Ruins Park
• Walk down the colorful stairway of the Selarón Steps
• Visit Confeitaria Colombo and try Brazilian snacks (closed on Sundays)

Description

Begin your tour at Downtown (“Centro”), where you will get the tram (“bondinho”) to the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa. You will drive over the Arcos da Lapa, the aqueduct used to connect water from Santa Teresa to Downtown and one of Rio’s most traditional postcards. At Santa Teresa, you will experience an interesting local atmosphere.

Walk through the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, a bucolic area in Rio de Janeiro. Located on a hillside, Santa Teresa has become a district of cultural interest because of its architectural value and prime location, famous for its winding, narrow cobblestone streets and a favourite spot for artists and tourists. It has a flair similar to Montmartre in Paris.

You will visit the Ruins Park, a public park with an art gallery built around the ruins of a mansion. Take a minute to enjoy the city’s landscape, in particular the Downtown area and the Sugarloaf Mountain. Up next, you will walk down the colorful Selarón Steps, one of Rio’s landmarks, and arrive at the district of Lapa, the zone with the most traditional nightlife.

Take a stroll in the Passeio Público, the oldest public park in South America, to reach Cinelândia, a lively spot in Rio thanks to its bars, restaurants, and cultural attractions. Among many remarkable constructions in the area, you will notice the Theatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro’s most traditional theatre and opera house, as well as the Biblioteca Nacional, Brazil’s most important library.

Your last stop will be at Confeitaria Colombo, a permanent member of all must-see cafés rankings around the world. Enjoy the opulent art nouveau decoration with huge stained glass, tiles, and mirrors imported from France, Portugal, and Belgium. You can finish your tour tasting one of the Brazilian traditional snacks – such as the coxinha de frango (‘little chicken thigh’) – or desserts – such as the brigadeiro (‘brigadier’) in what was one of Rio de Janeiro’s most prestigious places at the beginning of the 20th century.

Includes

• Guided half-day walking tour
• Santa Teresa tram ride included
• Professional guide with live tour commentary in English, Spanish, and Portuguese
• Hotel pickup and drop-off from hotels in South Zone (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Leme)
• Comfortable air-conditioned van with maximum capacity of 19 passengers
• All taxes, fees, and handling charges

Excludes

• Food and drinks (available for purchase at Confeitaria Colombo)
• Gratuities (optional)

Important Information

• Roundtrip transportation available from South Zone (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Leme) hotels via air-conditioned van
• Tips are not included and are left to individual discretion
• This tour operates rain or shine
• Maximum group size is 19 people
• Confeitaria Colombo is closed on Sundays, so there won't be a visit to the site on that day
• The Ruins Park is closed on Tuesday
• This experience requires a minimum number of participants. If the experience is canceled due to a lack of participants, the activity provider will offer a different date or a full refund
• Please be aware that the Santa Teresa tram service operates at 20-minute intervals and is subject to capacity. If the tram is full and it is not possible to accommodate the whole group, we will have to wait for the next tram

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund