Rio de Janeiro Private Tour:
Tours with a Private Tour Guide

Madson Rio de Janeiro Private Tour Guide
Madson, tour guide in Rio

You can’t go wrong booking any of the Rio de Janeiro private tours proposed by a tour guide who has guided more than 9,000 visitors since 2004!

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Book a private tour of Rio de Janeiro: it is the best way to see this large city.

Visiting a 6.5 million people city in a hassle-free way is no easy task. But if you reserve a top-rated private tour guide and embark on a private tour of Rio de Janeiro, you might have the most memorable experiences of your stay in Brazil.

Corcovado

Christ the Redeemer statue is the most famous tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro. Don’t leave this important visit to chance. Make sure to visit it in the hands of an experienced local professional.

Sugar Loaf

Sugar Loaf is Rio’s second most visited attraction. On a guided private tour of Rio de Janeiro you can see both famous sites: Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugar Loaf in half-day.

Downtown Rio

Downtown Rio has interesting sites worth-visiting. However, instead of getting lost in this area, you’d better see its highlights accompanied by a local. You will safely hit the important sites in half day.

This is one of my favorite tours because we can cover a lot of ground in a few hours.

My Rio: off the beaten track sites

There is more to see than the popular tourists attractions such as Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugar Loaf, and Downtown in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, there are many non-touristy sites and neighborhoods that the first time visitor don’t get to see when visiting Rio. But you can explore them with me.

Rio de Janeiro private tours

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One of 600+ reviews rated “excellent”

“All four of us immensely enjoyed the tours that you arranged for us.”

“We came back home from our trip a week ago, and only now we are back to our regular routine. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful time that we spent with you in Rio. All four of us immensely enjoyed the tours that you arranged for us, and consider our visit to Rio one of the highlights of our trip.

We still remember some of the jokes and the laughs that we shared. Your command of the English language and your knowledge of Brazil in general and Rio de Janeiro in particular made our relatively short visit rich, informative and fun.” 

More reviews…

What can you expect from a local expert who has received more than 600 reviews rated “Excellent”?

You enthusiasm and comments on everything were a delight to me. I intend to “spread the word” to anyone I know who might be considering a trip to Rio. 
bonnie M.
USA
The tour was very enjoyable and we did not feel rushed going to the different attractions. Madson provided a wealth of information about Rio and the daily life of its people. We had a great time.
andre h.
Canada

Private tour: an efficient way to visit Rio de Janeiro

When visiting a major city such as Rio de Janeiro it is not so easy for a tourist to be at the right place at the right time. But by booking any of the Rio de Janeiro private tour proposed on this website, you will come to the conclusion that an efficient personal tour guide can make that happen.

Timing is everything…
also in Rio de Janeiro

Major attractions in Rio de Janeiro are often busy. Public holidays, crowd-attracting festivities, summer and winter vacations, to name a few, can impact considerably on the number of visitors at tourist attractions. A great site can become a nightmare due to the excess of visitors.

Fortunately, your experienced Rio de Janeiro guide can plan accordingly, organize the tour to be as smooth as possible, and even find a hidden spot for a tourist-free photo.


Well-organized Rio de Janeiro tours



“The devil is in the details”, as the saying goes. In other words, the attention to detail can be even more important than the major points. That’s why I carefully plan all the details concerning your Rio de Janeiro private guided tour. Some details may even go unnoticed, but in the end, the combination of them all is what makes an unforgettable tour.

The tour duration, the starting time, the day of the week, the number and age of participants, the weather, the opening and closing time of the tourist attractions, the location of your hotel, whether or not you are a first time visitor, and literally dozens of other details are taken into consideration in order to provide an excellent experience during our time together in Rio de Janeiro.

Why book a private tour with Madson?

Because booking a top-notch local expert can make the whole difference during your stay in Rio de Janeiro.

Fluent in English

Friendly

Efficient

A private guide can make all the difference during your stay in Rio de Janeiro

There is a number of ingredients, which combined, makes an excellent Rio de Janeiro private tour. See below some of those that make my guided tours stand out:

  • Do you hate standing in line? Me too. As a result, the itinerary is organized in a way that we stand in line as minimum as possible.
  • If safety is a concern for you, then you are at the right place. Your safety is my absolute top priority in this large city.
  • I am a full-time private guide. Guiding visitors around Rio de Janeiro is not a side job or a hobby. On the contrary, that’s my profession and I take it very seriously.
  • Excellence is what I aim at on my tours in Rio. I set very high standards for myself, which in turn, reflect on the quality of the tours.
  • I almost always have a big smile on my face. It is just the way I am. In fact, I already wake up in a good mood, which goes on the whole day. Besides, sense of humor is one of main traits.
  • Here is something people say I am good at: time management. All modesty aside, that’s one of the most important qualities a private guide in a city such as Rio de Janeiro must have.

A comfortable 
Rio de Janeiro private tour

Rio de Janeiro is quite a large city. Besides, many points of interest are far from each other, which makes a vehicle extremely useful when sightseeing. But you won’t want to drive in Rio. That’s why a private guide who is also a careful driver comes in handy.

A private vehicle and a guide:

ALL FOR YOURSELF!

Madson in the media

I still feature or have featured in a number of media outlets: travel guidebooks, TV and radio shows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a private tour and a regular one?

Private
There will be only you and your guide in the car. In other words, you will have a private vehicle and a guide only for you and for the people you are travelling with (i.e. your very own small group: family members, friends, co-workers.). That’s the way to visit Rio de Janeiro!

Regular
On the other hand, on a regular tour you share the guide and the vehicle with other people you have never seen before. On such a sightseeing experience, you have to follow the pace of the group, which can be faster and slower than your own pace. It moves as fast as the slowest person.

What are the advantages of taking a private tour in Rio de Janeiro?

• One of the advantages of taking a private tour in Rio de Janeiro is that since there are no other unknown tourists sharing the guide and the vehicle with you, your tour can follow your own pace. That means that if you want to stay longer at a specific attraction, you can. Or, if you want to move on to visit the next one, you also can. 

• You can choose in advance the attractions you would like to see while in Rio. The day tour is customizable according to your interests. You don’t need to visit a site you are not interested in.

• If handled by an experienced and professional guide specialized in personalized and private tours, visiting the attractions in Rio de Janeiro will be hassle-free.

Are personalized and private tours expensive?

It depends on what you call “expensive”. One thing is to to see Rio de Janeiro a bus tour with 30+ tourists. That is a cheap service but there is no personalization. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. 

Another thing is to a reserve a guide with a car where you alone (or together with your travelling companions) pay for the personalized service and customized itinerary.

In general, such tours are more expensive. But, if you value a custom designed experience and flexibility, then the additional cost of a private tour is relative, specially when we are talking about a dream destination: Rio de Janeiro.

What is the price of a private tour guide in Rio de Janeiro?

The price of private tour guide in Rio de Janeiro like myself depends on the number of people, the neighborhood for pick up and drop off, the time of the year (high season vs. low season), current schedule, etc.

Please click on the button GET A QUOTE to get a quote and a suggested private city tour program tailored to the days your will be in Rio de Janeiro.

If I reserve your private city tour, who will be my tour guide?

Myself, Madson, a local from Rio de Janeiro.

I am the one who will pick you up at your hotel in Rio. I do not send someone else. However, if I am already booked when you contact me, I can recommend a local colleague for you to explore Rio de Janeiro in the hands of a professional private tour guide.

How far ahead can I get a quote for a private tour?

You can get a quote a far ahead as your want. Just click on the button GET A QUOTE and I will send you all the relevant Rio de Janeiro private tour information in no time.

Which experiences are best for private tours in Rio de Janeiro?

Honestly, private tours (in Rio de Janeiro) are good for most experiences, i.e. visiting the iconic and famous attractions as well as the lesser known off the beaten path sites.

Do you provide private walking tour?

I don’t provide walking-only tours. Instead, I provide private guided tours that have a combination of walking and navigating Rio de Janeiro by car.

Why should I choose your private tour service?

There is a plethora of reasons to reserve my Rio de Janeiro tour service:
• 20 years of experience
• Committed to excellence
• More than 600 5-star reviews
• Excellent command of the English language
• Pick up and drop off at your hotel, AirBnB, or Rio’s cruise terminal (Pier Mauá).

What is the cancellation policy of your private sightseeing tours?

You can cancel at any time at no cost. Please let me know at least 48 hours prior to our appointment in Rio de Janeiro.

Does your tour include tickets?

It depends on the tour, the day, the number of participants joining the tour, and other variables.

Bear in mind that Sugar Loaf and Corcovado are the most popular tourists’ sites in Rio de Janeiro. As a result, its tickets are NOT dirty cheap, as some first time visitors may think prior to their arrival in the city.

These two are worldwide famous and its tickets are priced according to its fame and demand. On any given sunny weekday, at least 3.000 people visit each attraction. However, this number can not only double but also triple or even quadruple on an extremely busy day. Besides entrance tickets, Rio de Janeiro is not a cheap city either. In fact, not only Rio but also Brazil is not a cheap vacation destination (neither to live in).

However, if you live in a city, region or country with high purchase power or with a strong currency (euro, US dollar, pounding sterling, Swiss franc, etc.), you might find some (or many) products or services cheaper in Rio (some much cheaper than back home). But that rule does not apply to everything you are going to come during your stay in Rio de Janeiro.

Do you also offer trips to other towns?

I am afraid I no longer offer any kind of day trip to outside the city of Rio de Janeiro. However, I have plenty of connections and I can recommend a local driver or a colleague to take you on a full day trip to somewhere reasonably nearby.

Besides Rio, what other city do you cover?

None! I specialize in Rio de Janeiro, and with all modesty aside, I know it very well.

What are the good reasons to visit the dream destination?

Rio de Janeiro is fascinating, there is no doubt about that. Almost everyone who visits it, loves it.

Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with Rio during your stay. Why? Read below some of the reasons why Rio de Janeiro is such a wonderful destination.

Food
There are great restaurants in Rio de Janeiro. You can try different cuisines a few minutes-drive from any hotel in Copacabana or Ipanema. In fact, depending on the location of your hotel, you may even just walk to the restaurant.  

Another good thing about the eateries in Rio is that they open from 12 noon (many even open earlier) until 11 p.m. (at least). In other words, in Rio de Janeiro you have the right to be hungry off the typical eating time.

What about the menu? You can eat steak, salad, veggie, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, Arabic food and more. Locals love to go out to dinner, for a beer and wine, so there are a lot of options for eating out in Rio de Janeiro.

If you stayed 30 days in Rio de Janeiro, you could go out to eat at a great different place every day!

Beaches
I could write a whole article about each beach in Rio. But instead, I invite you explore them once you get here. By the way, among the tours I offer, there are some secluded beaches in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Some we can reach by car, some on a boat tour.

Hotels
There are dozens of good hotels in Rio. But the good news is that you just need one, or maybe two if you want to spend a couple of weeks and explore different neighborhoods. There are lesser known hotel names as well as major hotel chain represented in Rio de Janeiro.   

Good weather
The weather in Rio is good pretty much all year round. July, August and September are the coolest months, but the temperature is in the range of 19-23° Celsius (approximately 65-73° Fahrenheit). Honest, Rio de Janeiro is good all year around.

This is perfect weather to go out for a tour (with me?!) or just lounge on the beach, or swim in the hotel’s pool.

Friendly locals
Rio de Janeiro people are, by nature, friendly. In general, locals are willing to help tourists and some even strike up a conversation to practice their English skills.

Besides, Rio is not yet as touristy as some cities are. In other words, tourists are by far a minority in Rio de Janeiro, including in famous neighborhoods such as Copacabana or Ipanema.

If you have already booked your flight and your hotel, now all that is missing is to book an unforgettable sightseeing experience in Rio de Janeiro.

GET A QUOTE

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• I reply to ALL messages insanely fast! 😉
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