Rio for a first timer...

[Senior Citizen]

Did you do all of this in one day?? And for $250 total???

 

Another option would be to ask your private guide to quote on all your Rio excursions on both days, including the airport transfer. I bet you’d come out ahead when you compare the totals including your planned Shorex at the end of the cruise. And you’d have the advantage of being able to mix/match your itinerary with a single provider over the course of both days, as well as being in better control of your airport arrival time.

 

We used a private guide for full-day Rio sightseeing as well as airport pick-up and cruise port drop-off. We got quotes from several guides & all were in the same ballpark. Our cost for all Rio sightseeing & transfers was much less $$$ than any comparable Shorex. And of course, we got to travel as/how we wished.

 

Seeing the sights of Rio depends much on the weather, particularly the biggies of Christ Redeemer & Sugarloaf. We had a general game plan of what we wanted to see but then we did some same-day changes. This was where our guide proved her value – knowing what to do when, how to avoid crowds, how to squeeze in another site. We were fortunate to have good weather to see both Christ Redeemer & Sugarloaf. We also went to Tijuca Forest, Copa/Ipanema Beaches (a must!) Flamenco Park & Sao Bento Monastery. Our guide suggested a stop at Colombo Tea House which we enjoyed immensely. Then we did a walking tour of historic downtown, visited Metropolitan Cathedral & Selaron Stairway. Since we still had available time, we also went to Sambodromo, which was pretty low on our must-see list. It was unremarkable to us but we enjoyed popping into a nearby studio that had displays of Carnival costumes. We got some crazy pics of us wearing those outrageous feathers & hats! Again, we would have passed this up had our guide not suggested it.

 

So I’d recommend that you contact you Rio guide & ask them what they can do for you. I think your price point will go down if you include all your Rio sightseeing & transfers together. Enjoy Rio!

[MightyQuinn]

Did you do all of this in one day?? And for $250 total???

Yes we did all that (and more) in an exhausting but fulfilling day. And we paid less than $250 total - but that was last year pricing. ;);)

 

We were blessed with great weather & few crowds so our sightseeing was maximized. And since our visit to Rio was pre-cruise, we stayed overnite & we weren't limited by the deadlines of a port day. We had over 10 hours (8:30a - 6:30p) with our guide. She was simply the best & was determined to show us everything that Rio had to offer.

 

We also used her for airport pick-up, hotel transfers & drop-off at the cruise ship terminal. We paid separately for these services, at rates well below what the cruise line quoted.

[fendbass]

As someone mentioned here before, I also used Neyla as both a tour guide, and to be picked up at the ariport neyla@tourguideneyla.com

 

$250 is pretty standard for a full day tour. Neyla picked us up at our hotel (Praia Ipanema) at 8:30, and took us to Christ the Redeemer statue first, we beat the tour buses up there. She also included the Cathedral downtown, St Therese, Sugarloaf, tile steps. At the end, we were exhausted, but we feel we got our money's worth

 

She also picked us up at the airport, took us to a supermarket where we could buy snacks and drinks, which are obscenely expensive at the hotel, and made a dinner reservation for us. Definately, a full-service tour guide, very talkative and friendly, although whe sometimes fractures the English language

 

One other thing, if you can possibly swing it, make a trip to Iguazu Falls, it is not to be missed. And this is despite the extra expense, time and yellow fever shots. We are so glad we were able to see the falls. I spoke to many people on our cruise who had cut it close, and regretted missing the falls

 

You can view our pictures at

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/pmdgancnj

[MightyQuinn]

.... I also used Neyla as both a tour guide, and to be picked up at the ariport.

Thought I would clarify that we used RioPlus for our tour & transfers. Valeria & Leticia are both outstanding guides who we would recommend without hesitation.

[stella53]

One intersting and fun place most cruising tourists overlook is the feria de Sao Cristavo aka the Paraiba or Nordestino fair, aka the Centro Cultural de Luis Gonzaga. It is sort of a country fair specializing in crafts and food from the Northesat part of Brasil. There is live music and lots to see and do (and eat). It is cheap and fun. You can take a taxi there from the pier (R$ 20) and be there in 15 minutes. Admission is a couple of R$. Easy to get a cab back. Its open day and night on the weekends and at night during several other days. Try googling it for exact hours.