Tours - Historical City Tour

Highlights: Cinelandia (including many famous cultural buildings), the Carioca Aquaduct, Santa Teresa and the Selaron Steps.

What to Bring: Comfortable shoes, suntan lotion, camera, a few R$ for beverages.

Duration: 6 hours.

Note: Includes tram tickets and all entry fees.

Carioca Aquaduct

Selaron Steps
 (and Selaron himself - click image for his site)
 

For those interested in Brazilian history, walking through its former capital is a true lesson. Strolling the downtown area, we will visit the main attractions. They include historical buildings, museums, churches and monasteries. Nowadays, the city centre is Rio’s main business district. 

Visiting Cinelandia, you will find three of the city’s most beautiful buildings; Municipal Theatre, National Library and the Fine Arts Museum. In Lapa you can visit the Carioca Aqueduct which was started in 1744 and completed six years later. Its purpose was to carry water from the Carioca River to the city’s population. Today, tramlines run along this Roman Styled aqueduct and connect the area with Santa Teresa. Hopping on the tram you will make your way up the hillside and into this friendly neighborhood home to many of Rio’s artists. Getting off at the Santa Teresa Convent stop, you can climb down the Selaron Steps. These 215 ceramic mosaic tiled steps have been featured in music videos of Snoop Dogg and also U2.