Big place!!! Very easy to get lost cause a lot of it looks the same. Monkeys are seen throughout…read more Look at all the colorful birds as well. Its 80 reais (about $16 USD). Worth every dollar as i would be okay with getting charged more. If you get lost just open your phones map and you can find your way to the exit.

I loved this huge botanical garden, which was like a beautiful tropical paradise. It was my first…read morestop after checking my luggage at the hotel. The cost was around $15 for US residents (less for locals) and only cash is accepted. Upon entering, I noticed black monkeys walking around the rainforest-esque environment, as well as climbing trees. There were palm trees, bright and colorful flowers, bodies of water, lovely little bridges, gorgeous fountain, yellow and green state house, greenhouses with rare and award winning orchids, a wonderful cafe serving fancy coffee & beverages, playground, and more. There were plenty of breathtaking views of the many natural wonders. I really enjoyed my time exploring the vast expanse of the garden. The place was sprawling and easy to get lost in. It tops the list as one of my favorite botanical gardens that I have visited.

Departures was another efficient process here in GIG. From check-in at the United counter, it took…read more21 minutes to clear the initial boarding pass scan to gain entry to security, immigration and plop down in the *A lounge. The security staff was nice and I eventually figured out everything she wanted me to do. Custom's and immigration staff actually smiled and without any questions my passport was stamped and away I went. There was another winding path through the departure's duty free store before entering the main terminal. More individual shops and restaurants were located all along the terminal walkway towards the *A lounge. Signage was in both Portuguese and English and easy to follow to my destinations. From the *A lounge on the 3rd floor, it took less than 10 minutes to walk all the way to the end of the terminal, Gate 68, for United's flight to IAH. Moving walkways facilitated the walk. One interesting note was that anyone 60+ years of age was allowed to join the first priority boarding group.

The terminal and gate that we were at were aged looking, but the seats did have a/c plugs and USBs…read morecharging ports. The restrooms were clean and food is priced much more reasonable than IAH Houston.

This is one of the best food tours I have ever done and I do one in every city I travel to that has…read morethat option. You will not be hungry. The wide range if food and the Rio history go together well. Save your appetite. You start in a food market and end the day with a full course meal. All I can say is: awesome.

We did this tour the day we arrived in Rio for the Olympics in August! It was a true highlight of…read moreour trip and the organizers could not have been more helpful! They even offered to store our bags for us while we went on the tour since we were coming straight from the airport. It's a great way to get an introduction to Brazil, its food, the city of Rio, and the culture! If you are lucky you will also have some other great folks on your tour with you that you will meet up with again later on in your trip! Cannot recommend this enough! Worth every penny!!

I had a great time. It was my first time hang gliding and it went very smoothly with the staff. I…read morewould do it again!

I made the mistake of reading the following snippet from a life insurance company website before…read morehang gliding: 1. Hang Gliding Deaths: 7 (2011) Causes of Deaths: Pilot error, equipment malfunction Hang gliding is actually one of the most dangerous in-air sports possible. According to HSE, a U.K.-based watchdog group, the risk of death in a hang-gliding accident is 1 out of every 116,000 flights. In 2010, according to the National Transportation Safety Bureau, there were 32 accidents, resulting in seven fatalities. There have already been seven deaths this year, with another three months to go. Regular hang gliders seeking life insurance can see their premiums rise substantially, or be declined for coverage altogether. But out of all the stupid insane stuff I do on a regular basis, this was the safest things I have actually done. Most of it was due to the fact that Rio Hang Gliding runs a efficient, safe program with excellent pilots. Let me explain how the process works: 1-Sign up on line for your party in advance for a lesson, and include people's height and weight. If you sign up on line ahead of time, you can pay by credit card. If you make last minute arrangements (within 48 hours) please be aware you have to book by phone and pay in cash. Also be aware prices are increased during Carnival, World Cup and New Years, and all operators do this so it's hard to shop around for a bargain. 2-I am not gonna start a controversy by posting the weight limit, but be aware there is one, and this is not the time to lie about your weight. Paragliding is open to those who are over the weight limit. 3-After you book your appointment, you can either have a driver pick you up or meet the owner, Konrad Heilmann (a great guy) at a location by the beach in Sao Conrado. 4-You will be directed to sign up for insurance at this small building on the beach. You pay 30 R$ and get this awesome hang gliding license.This is a separate charge from the fee you pay for the lesson, so have cash on you. 5-You drive up with your pilot to the Pedra Bonita launch. This is actually the scariest part of the day. Basically in Brasil drivers go at two speeds: traffic slow crawl and warp speed. Warp speed up a one lane road mountain road with no seatbelt is kinda terrifying. 6-You get harnessed up and you practice running about 8 or 10 steps with your left hand on their shoulders and your right hand at their waist. They keep emphasizing not to stop running, I don't know who would actually stop running, and I would run as far as you tell me to if my life depends on it. 7-In all actuality you run about three easy steps, and then you're just floating. 8-Enjoy the ride for about 15 minutes with a great view. The landing is a breeze too. Being in the safe hands of Rio Hang Gliding, I feel like the only dangers now are: 1) Sunburn 2) Potentially Empty Wallet

Clara was our guide she was amazing knowledgeable funny and helpful. My husband and I both really…read moreenjoyed this we had done other tours in the area that were not nearly as good. I would highly recommend this tour!

This is my first free walking tour and it was awesome!! Ive heard wonderful thing about the free…read morewalking tours all over the world. RIO had a free Olympic Blvd & African Heritage walking tour at 3pm meet up at the Historical Clock. I learned so much in 2.5hrs of time walking Brazil. The tour guide was on time, knowledgeable and gave us info about each stop listed below from there website. I will indeed use them again thru out the world. Make sure you tip whatever you want at the end of the tour! It was indeed worth my time to learn more about some the heritage of AAM in RIO. XV Square: The most important square of Rio de Janeiro is the first attraction of the tour. In the XV Square is located the Imperial Palace, where the Royal Portuguese family habited 1808 after moving from Portugal to Rio de Janeiro. Candelária Church: One of the most important and beautiful churches of the city. Construction of Candelária church started already in the beginning of the 1600's and continued for over 200 year before the official inauguration. Olympic Boulevard: Total length of the Olympic Boulevard is 3,5km, and we will be covering approximately a half of it. This area of the city was completely renovated for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and offers beautiful views of the Guanabara Bay. Mauá Square: This square is a mixture of history and modernity. Here we'll find the Museum of Tomorrow and the Museum of Art. Mauá Square used to be an amphitheater for several historical moments in Rio de Janeiro. Today it's a popular spot for locals to have a stroll, but it also hosts different cultural events especially during weekends. Pedra do Sal: A small street square in the heart of "Little Africa". This place is said to be the birthplace of samba! Part of the historical patrimony of the city, Pedra de Sal also hosts a traditional "roda de samba" every Monday night! Valongo Wharf: Official UNESCO World Heritage site since 2017. Valongo Wharf is the largest port receiving African slave ships in the world. The wharf was covered with land in the beginning of the 20th century, and re-discovered in 2011 during the renovation project of Rio's Docks zone. Graffitis on the Olympic Boulevard: Largest graffiti of the world made by one artist is located in the Olympic Boulevard! A mural made by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra was a project for Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It covers a wall of 3000 square meters! I gots some really cool pics while on the journey of exploring!

I took two great tours with Be A Local when I was visiting Rio. I found the agency through Green…read moreToad Tours, which works with Be A Local to provide Rio sightseeing. Both of my tours were in January 2019. First I joined the Complete Rio City Tour, which lasted about 7 hours and included visits to: - Christ the Redeemer - Santa Teresa - Steps - Municipal Cathedral - Sugarloaf Mountain and Cable car Everything was included except water and snacks. Fernando was our guide, and he did a great job with an informative and humorous commentary. Aside from as few sexist remarks, it was very well done. Just please stop talking about women's "purity" Fernando, that's a sexist social construction. Two days later, I took the Favela Tour, which lasted about 5 hours. The tour visits the Rocinha Favela and includes: - Art gallery - Short "samba" drumming and kids dancing - Bakery - Artisan jewellery stand - Community Centre Tipping and purchases are not included. While it felt oddly voyeuristic to visit a favela, and was the closes to dark tourism I've ever been, I am glad I went. It was raining a bit but this wasn't a problem. If anything, it made the weather more bearable. I happened to have Fernando again and he was on the spot with a lot of his insightful political commentary. Only problem was that he only talked about men in the favelas. We had to ask about women's quality of life to get Fernando to include info about women. That's something the company should work into its script. Altogether these tours helped me get to know Rio. I'm glad I took them, and would recommend them. They were a fair value for the price and Fernando was quite a pleasant guide. Happy travels!

While in brasil, I found this great company for day trips…read more I did the citytour (5hrs) and favela trip. The citytour involved seeing the major highlights of rio in one day and the favela tour was a walk down the hill in one of the favela. What I liked: - small group (we were with 3 on citytrip and 5 on favela trip) - even though rio is not a safe city, I felt save at all time with our guide - the company does tours but also supports the local community - good price quality - focus on the young at heart (as tours involve some exercise in walking) - knowledgeable guides - pick up and drop off at hostel reception

Great hotel with friendly staff and good facilities!…read more The location is great - right across from a gorgeous beach. They have dedicated chairs and staff to assist on the beach. Two restaurants - Canto and Shiso. Both were very good. We ate at the hotel several times for the convenience. The Grand Lounge is well appointed with evening cocktails / snacks and a good breakfast spread. Front desk staff was very friendly and accommodating - especially Maria Alicia who helped me several times during my stay Highly recommended!!.

It was ok. The meals took forever to make. My colleagues had faster service. Even for the same…read moreitems at the same time as me. Can't point my finger at why tbh. But staff seemed friendly enough. Loved the housekeeping service and attention to details. The main reason I took off another star was that it took 35 minutes to get my folio. They found my reservation but could not/ would not send to me. They kept transferring me to the hotel in Rio. Mind you I am in the USA. While I appreciate the English speaking capabilities of the Rio billing department, I never got the folio. I had to call again. I had to ask for the Us team to speak to the Rio team so my folio could be sent. After their intra Hyatt interaction, I still did not get it. It was a mess tbh. And yes I tried to use the bill retrieval tool in Hyatt.com. It did not work. Still waiting on my folio for my expense report. ‍

My daughter and I took the Tijuca forest small group tour, it was one of the best tours we have…read moredone over the last 10 years of traveling. Our tour was 3 participants, the tour guide Luiza, and our driver (I believe his name was Rafael). Luiza was full of knowledge about the rainforest and Rio. Both were looking for wildlife for us to see. luckily we saw a sloth, toucans, bees, spider. I was the slow poke, and slowed our group down but they were all very patient. The views in the rainforest are amazing. Well worth the money, and you won't be disappointed with this tour, especially if you get Luiza and Rafael.

Is it possible to give this company more than 5 stars because they deserve it! We first read about…read morethem online on a Google search. We reached out to them and had the pleasure of exchanging emails with Anna who was more than helpful in answering our 1000 questions. They provided all the information we needed to be ready for our hike. We decided to go with the Tijuca Forest Adventure Full-Day Hike. When the day came, we met Tito who was our guide for the day. We couldn't have been any luckier! I would have not chosen another person to lead us on this hike. Tito did an amazing job through out the hike with encouraging us and being super supportive. We never felt unsafe because he made us feel completely comfortable and you could tell he loved doing this. The hike itself was not the easiest, but we did not give up and all the spots we stopped at were worth it. He took us on different trails so that we could see the most we could. Tito was also very knowledge and did a great job giving us a little history lesson on Brazil. The sites we stopped at were beautiful and you really get to experience the beauty of nature in the Tijuca rainforest. Tito also recommend some spots to check out while in Rio and they were spot on. I cannot wait to return and book another adventure with them! If you want a great guide who will take you on the best hike of your life, Jungle Me is the place for it.