Introduction to Rio de Janeiro Tour

Get acquainted with the history of downtown Rio, from pre-colonialism to Portuguese occupation to today

$204

Private

N/A

Semi-private

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Tour Details

About the Tour

Private Tour: $ 204
Category: History, Orientation
Duration: 3 hours
Location: Rio de Janeiro

Photos & Highlights

Learn more about Rio and its historical importance
Led by a historian, architect or social historian
Largo de Carioca, Praça XV, Confeiteria Colombo, Cinelândia, and Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro

Tour Description

This three-hour history of Rio city tour takes place in the city's downtown and is led by a local historian. Together we'll traverse the city's 450 years of history from colonial outpost to imperial capital and from birthplace of the Republic to a hub of modern South American culture. We'll also discover why Rio de Janeiro, dubbed the “Marvelous City,” proves true to this title with its breathtaking natural setting, regal plazas, gilded churches, and thriving cultural scene.

Rio City Tour - Gilded Jungle

The starting point of our tour is Rio’s first convent and church of Santo Antonio, its sober exterior hiding a precious golden chapel on the inside. It is an excellent place to begin Rio’s story, first a quiet outpost of the Portuguese Empire, then a busy port for the Empire’s gold exportation. Next we’ll see Praça XV, which houses the Imperial Palace, the former Cathedral and other notable colonial era buildings, thus marking another milestone for the city: the arrival of the Portuguese royal family fleeing the invasion of Napoleon in 1808, and the ensuing transformation of Rio into the Empire’s capital.

Grandeur of a New Republic

We'll then work our way through the narrow streets, lined with late-19th century buildings, towards Confeitaria Colombo, Rio’s cafe for the elite, to discuss the social side of this growth and the country’s transformation into a Republic. Further exploring these themes, we'll shortly thereafter find ourselves in Cinelândia, or “Movie Land,” where we'll see the new Republic’s grandeur displayed in the National Library, the Municipal Theater, City Hall, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

This ushers in modern Rio, the introduction of Haussmannian boulevards (for both urban and political reasons), taking us to our last stop, the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of Rio. Designed by Edgar Fonseca and completed in 1979, its massive brutalist structure resembles a Mayan temple, integrating elements of Brazil's history into a deeply modern structure.

Take Aways

By the end of the walk your docent will have drawn a vivid portrait of Rio’s founding and connected it to the larger context of Brazil’s history as a whole. We will witness history unfolding as we view architecture from each important political, social and economic moment in Rio de Janeiro. This tour is a perfect compliment to our Porto Maravilha Tour, which discusses the successes and struggles of development in Rio, perhaps most easily seen in their historic Port Zone. For those interested in contemporary Rio culture we also recommend our Rio Bossa Nova Tour.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Frank

A native of Langen, Germany, Frank has lived in Berlin, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro where he has studied, researched, and taught philosophy and political science. Currently he is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of geography at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Among his political and academic interests are housing struggles, the “Right to the City” movements, politics of memory in postcolonial urban spaces, and (involuntary) resettlements.

Carlos

Carlos is an urban planning and policy researcher at the Federal University, and an assistant professor at the Rural Federal University, both in Rio de Janeiro. He has an MA in juridical science with an emphasis on South American politics and fundamental rights. His main fields of interest are urban/regional planning and policies, architecture, and Brazilian history. He is a native of the northeastern city of Fortaleza, the region of the first modern-age settlements in Brazil. This area has a diverse culture and is the birthplace of many influential Brazilians who have shaped the city, thus giving Carlos the perfect background with which to introduce travelers to Rio's rich history.

Luiza

Luiza is a journalist who has worked extensively with alternative media. She is also part of a photography collective that works with Rio's waterfront renewal and studies its impact on the African culture of the area. This project's goal is to produce another view of this particular urban space using alternative photography techniques.

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11 Reviews

Once again Context did not disappoint us Andrea's was not only knowledgeable regarding the history of Rio its architecture and culture he was also great company and had an interesting personal history

Antonia

Jan. 30, 2019

Andreas was a fantastic docent! I really enjoyed walking through Centro hearing his stories about the history of Rio!

Sophie

Oct. 1, 2018

My husband and I had a fantastic walk through the center of Rio with Carlos, who was super knowledgeable about the history of the city. His background in urban planning was extra cool as we were basically able to point out a building and hear about it! I particularly like art deco architecture and at certain points, we took small detours to check out buildings in this style. In addition to the history and architecture, Carlos was really interesting to talk with about Rio and Brazil today. We finished up our walk with a coffee at the beautiful Confeitaria Colombo, which was fun way to end our morning. Rio looks different to me now, thanks to Carlos and Contexts! We will definitely be going on more Contexts tours in the future and recommending them to family and friends.

Isabel

Jul. 23, 2018

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Tour Experts

All Context Experts are scholars or specialists in their field.

Frank

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Carlos

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Luiza

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