Experiences in and around Rio de Janeiro

How it works

The proposal sets out the format, what is included and the language of the teacher or guide, and you get the provider’s details after you confirm. Most of these also work as team building on an incentive trip. Paragliding, hang gliding, skydiving and jet ski are on our adventure activities page, and private boats on our yacht charter page.

Classes

Samba

A class in samba no pé, the footwork you see at Carnival, with a dance teacher at a studio or at your hotel. IPHAN, Brazil’s national heritage institute, registered the roots of Rio samba (partido-alto, samba de terreiro and samba-enredo) in 2007. Groups can add a samba school rehearsal the same night: see samba experiences for groups.

What we check: the teacher’s experience with beginners and a room big enough for your group.

Capoeira

UNESCO added the capoeira circle to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2014, and IPHAN registered the roda de capoeira in 2008. In class the group learns basic moves, the songs and the rhythm of the instruments, and finishes in a roda: two people play in the middle while the others sing and clap.

What we check: the teacher’s experience with people who have never trained, and a class pitched to the group’s fitness.

Portuguese for the trip

A short course with a teacher: greetings, numbers, ordering food, taking a taxi, asking for help. One to one or in a small group, at the hotel or online before you fly.

What we check: experience with foreign beginners and the language the class is taught in.

Brazilian cooking

A class with a local cook, with a market visit if you like: dishes such as feijoada or moqueca, a caipirinha, and the meal together at the end. For team building, the group cooks in teams.

What we check: the kitchen’s capacity, hygiene, and each guest’s allergies and diet, collected in advance.

At sea

At sea, as with every flight on our adventure page, the weather decides. The captain or instructor makes the call on the day, and if the activity cannot go ahead, we move it or refund the deposit in full.

Diving at Arraial do Cabo

A day trip from Rio. The sea at Arraial do Cabo is a federal marine reserve, the Resex Marinha do Arraial do Cabo, created in 1997 and now run by ICMBio. Only dive operators authorized by ICMBio may take divers there, at set sites and hours, and boats tie up to moorings instead of anchoring on coral. ICMBio also accredits the boat operators who take visitors out in the reserve and reopened that call in March 2026. Certified divers dive at their level; others go down with an instructor.

What we check: the operator’s ICMBio authorization, the instructors’ certifications and the boat’s papers.

Sport fishing

A day on a chartered boat with a captain. Under the rules of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA), Brazilians and foreigners may fish for sport once they hold an amateur fishing licence, issued on the gov.br portal. Inside the Arraial do Cabo reserve, amateur fishing also needs an ICMBio authorization, and the reserve’s rules encourage catch and release.

What we check: the boat’s papers, the ICMBio authorization where needed and each angler’s licence.

Whale watching off Rio

Humpback whales pass Rio on their way north to breed off Bahia, and Brasilturis puts the season here at about June to August, with sightings around the Cagarras Islands, Praia Vermelha and São Conrado. Trips last five to six hours on the open sea, and mornings usually bring calmer water. Visit Rio’s guide to responsible whale watching, based on IBAMA rules, asks boats to stay at least 100 metres from the whales and never to cut across their path. Whales are wild animals, so a sighting is never guaranteed.

What we check: the boat’s papers and a captain who keeps to the 100-metre rule.

Surf lessons

A lesson with a surf instructor on a beach whose waves suit your level, chosen on the day by the swell. The proposal lists the gear and the number of students per instructor.

What we check: the instructor’s experience with beginners and the gear.

Nature

Tijuca National Park and Sugarloaf are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea, inscribed in 2012.

Guided hikes in Tijuca National Park

From forest trails to Pedra Bonita and Pedra da Gávea, which Visit Rio calls the hardest trail in Rio, up a rock more than 800 metres high. Under the park’s visitor protocol, in force since March 2, 2026:

• Pedra da Gávea: entry from the gatehouse 08:00-14:00, everyone out by 17:00 (18:00 in summer);
• Pedra Bonita: trail entry until 16:00;
• a guide is not mandatory, but we always book one.

What we check: the guide’s Cadastur registration, which Brazilian law requires of tourist guides, experience on the trail, and a start time that fits the park’s hours.

Climbing Sugarloaf with an instructor

A climb with a climbing instructor on a route chosen for each person’s experience, with Guanabara Bay below.

What we check: the instructor’s qualifications and experience on Sugarloaf, the gear and the forecast.

Horse riding in the mountains

A guided ride on trails in the hills and mountains around Rio, for beginners or experienced riders. We pick the place by level and by travel time.

What we check: the stable, the horses’ condition, helmets and a route that fits the riders.

Football at Maracanã

A match day with a transfer, a host for the group and tickets, priced on request. We buy tickets only through official channels at face value. Under Brazil’s General Sports Law (Lei 14.597/2023), selling a ticket above its printed price is a crime.

Tickets are often in the holder’s name. For Flamengo v Fluminense at Maracanã on October 11, 2026, Fluminense asked for each holder’s name, CPF (Brazilian tax number) and date of birth, facial biometrics in every sector and an original photo ID at the gate. We check the club’s rules for your match and collect each guest’s details in advance.

Prices and terms

We do not publish prices. The price depends on the experience, the number of people, the date and transport, and our fee is already included. Classes and outings can be cancelled free of charge up to 48 hours before; after that, the deposit is not refunded. Terms for match tickets are in the proposal. If the provider or we cannot deliver, we find a replacement or refund the deposit in full.

Group bookings start from about 10 people. Groups of 50 and more are handled together with a large local receptive partner, and you keep one contact on our team. Terms and payment are set out in the proposal; you pay nothing before you confirm.

Write to us with your dates, the number of people and the experiences you have in mind. More on group trips and how we work.