How Do I Find Authentic Experiences in Rio de Janeiro?
If you travel for the food, the music and the real culture of a place, Rio has plenty to offer. The hard part is finding the people who do it well. We have been guiding travelers around our city since 2012, and our guests often ask who we trust for the experiences we don’t run ourselves. This is our answer.
Below are the local operators we recommend most often. Two of the experiences are our own tours, and we think they are unmissable on any visit to Rio.
Eat Rio
Eat Rio Food Tours was founded in 2011 by Tom Le Mesurier, an Englishman who made Rio his home. They take you through street markets and neighborhood restaurants. Along the way you taste snacks, fresh tropical fruit and classic Brazilian dishes, each with the cultural story behind it. They also run an evening bar food tour with drinks and live samba. Since they started, more than 14,000 people have joined their tours. When our guests ask about a food tour in Rio, Eat Rio is the name we give them.
Rio Samba Class
You might want to dance forró, find your feet in samba, or get ready for the samba school parades in February. Either way, Rio Samba Dancer offers interactive dance classes in Copacabana. The classes are relaxed and fun, and they suit complete beginners. It’s one of the best ways to understand samba: in your body, not just from a seat in the audience.
Cook in Rio
For food lovers, Cook in Rio is one of the longest-running cooking schools in the city. In their hands-on classes you learn to make moqueca, feijoada and a proper caipirinha. Picture flying home, inviting your friends over and serving them a real Brazilian meal you cooked yourself. If you want a cooking class in Rio, this is where we send people.
Wildlife
Rio is a very green city. It has rainforest-covered mountains, parks and lagoons, and its wildlife is one of its best-kept secrets, as anyone who has seen the animated movie Rio will guess. Our private Wildlife Tour of Rio de Janeiro explores the wild side of the city. We visit the Pantanal Carioca and the Tijuca Forest, and the private boat is included. On the way, there’s a good chance of seeing capybaras, caimans, toucans, monkeys, marmosets and coatis. If you prefer nature to nightlife, this is the tour for you.
Nightlife
If you want to see Rio’s bohemian side the way Cariocas live it, join our private Rio by Night Tour. You have private transport and your own local guide all night. We take you to the bars and street parties that only locals know: the birthplaces of bossa nova, lively street bars and samba circles where the music goes on late. Because we know these places well, we build each night around what you enjoy. Get in touch with us and we’ll take you where the locals go.
Sunset Boat Tour
Couples, honeymooners and families who want something a little different love the Sunset Sailing Tour with DD Rio. The boat sails from Marina da Glória and follows Rio’s coastline as the sun goes down. Drinks and snacks are included, and you get great photo spots and some of the most beautiful sunsets anywhere. It’s an easy way to see the city from the water.
Bike in Rio Tour
If you like to see a city by bike, Rio by Bike is based in Copacabana. Their routes include the Aterro do Flamengo, a large waterfront park with views of Sugarloaf Mountain the whole way. When our guests ask for a cycling tour, Rio by Bike is the company we recommend.
Capoeira Lesson
Capoeira mixes martial art, dance, music and Afro-Brazilian history, and the best way to understand it is to try it. Mestre Ferradura is a master of Capoeira Angola, trained at the school of Mestre Marrom. He has decades of experience teaching in Brazil and abroad. His beginner classes in Rio teach you the basic movements, the rhythm of the berimbau and the traditions behind the roda. No experience needed, just comfortable clothes and some curiosity.
Living Rio Like a Carioca
The best memories of a trip rarely come from the busiest viewpoints. They come from dancing your first samba steps, cooking a dish you’ll make again at home, or ending the night at a street bar where everyone sings along. Every operator on this list is one we have trusted for years and recommend to our own guests. If you’re planning your visit and want help finding authentic experiences in Rio de Janeiro, get in touch with us at Rio Cultural Secrets. We’ll help you put together a trip that shows you the Rio we know and love.
