Rio de Janeiro Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h00 and 24 reviews

You arrive in front of the famous Arcos de Lapa. An emblem of the neighbourhood that has become another symbol of Rio, just like the Corcovado, Copacabana or the Selaron staircase.

The pink and white palace you see in front of you is the Masonic Palace of Lavradio. It was classified and protected in 1972 by Inepac, the State Institute of Cultural Heritage, for the historical importance of Freemasonry during the imperial period in Brazil.

So you certainly didn’t expect to find a pyramid-shaped cathedral when you visited the historic Rio. And yet, the Cathedral of San Sebastian is indeed an avant-garde representation reminiscent of the pre-Columbian pyramids.

This beautiful façade, richly carved, is that of the Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet. This library is listed by the State Institute of Cultural Heritage and was voted the fourth most beautiful library in the world by the Times magazine.

See this beautiful vintage café on your right. This is the confectionery Colombo, a real institution in Rio. It's like the Paris of the Belle Époque! This café was founded in 1894 by Portuguese immigrants.

This large building, opposite you on the left, is the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center. With such a name, you understand, this neoclassical building was, at its core, dedicated to the world of finance!

You are facing the beautiful baroque church of Our Lady of Candelaria. His story begins with a legend. In the 17th century, a boat named Candelaria swelters a storm over the sea and narrowly avoids a shipwreck.

You now go up Rio Branco Avenue, the Avenue de la rivière blanche in French. Formerly known as Central Avenue, it is the main urban reform led by Mayor Pereira Passos at the beginning of the 20th century.

Here you have the entrance to the monastery of São Bento, or St. Benedict in French. Do not hesitate to pause the Audio Guide and go upstairs to visit it.

You arrive at the Mauá practice, completely remodeled for the Olympic Games. At the birth of the city, the place was called “Largo da prainha”, that is, the patio of the small beach, in reference to the beautiful cove that opened below.

But what catches the eye in this square is obviously this incredible museum that you see by the bay. This is the Museu do Amanhã, the Museum of Tomorrow, THE centerpiece of the great project to revitalize the Porto Maravilha district.

It is by walking away from the museum, and admiring it in this way, standing out all white on the turquoise waters of the bay, that we become aware of all the singularity of the building.

The whole walk, which allows you to reach the Place du XV novembre along the bay of Guanabara, is also part of the process of transformation of the urban port area.

This strange sculpture, reminiscent of children’s games blowing on windmills, is none other than the Olympic flame of Rio 2016. After the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium, the flame was carried to the square.

This small cobblestone street you are now taking is called Travessa do Comércio and retains all the charm of colonial Rio with its ancient stone houses and narrow sidewalks.

Here you are in the heart of Rio de Janeiro’s historic district, in the square of November 15. Know that November 15 is an important date in Brazil since it is the proclamation of the Republic.

The large white building that takes the whole side of the square, sober and modest, was nevertheless the residence of Emperors Dom Pedro I and II. It was built in the 18th century, originally intended as a residence for the governors of the captaincy of Rio de Janeiro.

Right next to the Imperial Palace you have the Tiradentes Palace. It is the seat of the Legislative Assembly. Brazil is a federal country, like the United States, Australia or Germany, Switzerland or India.

You arrive at Carioca Square, one of the most popular in the city for its important metro station serving several lines. Although it is modern and has hundreds of costumed executives, employees and street vendors, it is also home to elements of the colonial Brazilian era.

You arrive in front of the beautiful Municipal Theatre of Rio. If it tells you anything vaguely, it is simply because it was built on the model of the Opéra Garnier in Paris.

Here you have, on your left, the Rio National Library. Its eclectic architecture, combining neoclassical and art nouveau elements, is deliberately impressive.

This whole area, in which you are located, is now called Cinelandia. Everyone will tell you that you are in Cinelândia Square, when its real name is Floriano Peixoto Square, in honor of the second President of the Republic of Brazil, whose statue you saw in front of the library.

It denotes this Riachuelo theater, with its Arabic style amid modern constructions in the center. This neo-Moorish architectural style is rather rare in the city.

There it is, the famous colorful staircase that you all expected! You had certainly seen images of it before coming and for once it’s as beautiful in real life as in pictures!