The 15 Best One-Day Tours in Brazil

From Rio: Arraial do Cabo Day Trip with Boat Tour - The drive from Rio and what the guide adds

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 400 reviews · 14 hours · from $65Our pick

Review of Arraial do Cabo from Rio, including schooner stops, beaches, costs, lunch, weather risks, and practical booking advice.

“The coach was not as comfortable as others we had for different tours. The guide was brilliant sharing information in Portuguese, English and Spanish, this included on the boat itself. It is rather overwhelming how many boats ho out at any one time and how many people are at each of the stops, they are incredible beaches but be prepared for a lot of people. Food we had was good.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Beach Day Trips, Beach Day Trips in Rio de Janeiro, Cruises & Boat Tours, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Arraial do Cabo Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro: Boat Tour & Beach

2.Arraial do Cabo Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro: Boat Tour & Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 390 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $70

Review of the Arraial do Cabo day trip from Rio, with boat stops, bright beaches, lunch, costs, timing, transport, and booking advice.

“excellent trip all incredible bus tour guide boat driver music place one must see. it’s worth and thanks to tour operator such beautiful trip”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Foz do Iguaçu Tours, Iguazu Falls Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waterfall Tours

Iguassu Waterfalls: 1 Day Tour Brazil and Argentina’s sides

3.Iguassu Waterfalls: 1 Day Tour Brazil and Argentina’s sides

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 353 reviews · 9 hours · from $48

See Iguassu Falls from Brazil and Argentina in one day with bilingual guides, border help, forest trails, wildlife, and optional boat ride.

“We read reviews before praising Bruno and he did not disappoint. Amazing English/other languages, he clearly has a strong passion for the falls and it really rubbed off on us. Can’t understate the experience and how easy Bruno made it for us all.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Lunch Experiences, Petropolis Tours, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews

From Rio de Janeiro: Petrópolis Day Trip with Optional Lunch

4.Petrópolis Day Trip with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 203 reviews · 12 hours · from $48

Explore Petrópolis from Rio with imperial history, a cathedral, gardens, lunch, and optional brewery visit on this full-day mountain tour.

“It was okay! The only downfall of joining big group with multi language is that it will take time to explain to you what was being shown/ discussed.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews

From Rio de Janeiro: Arraial do Cabo Island Day Trip

5.Arraial do Cabo Island Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 192 reviews · 14 hours · from $67

Review of the Arraial do Cabo day trip from Rio, with boat stops, clear-water beaches, lunch, costs, transport, and practical booking advice.

“Great Logistics. Pick-up was arrange for us in Leme even though it was not in the area of the tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Foz do Iguaçu Tours, Iguazu Falls Tours, Tour Reviews

Day Trip to the Argentinian Side of Iguassu Falls from Foz do Iguaçu

6.Day Trip to the Argentinian Side of Iguassu Falls from Foz do Iguaçu

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 177 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $58

Review of the Argentinian side of Iguassu Falls from Foz do Iguaçu, covering trails, border crossings, guides, costs, crowds, and practical tips.

“They picked me up on the Brazilian side. The guide was very good and stayed with the group the whole time. The falls were beautiful and we got to see Devils Throat! No lunch included so bring food or there are places to purchase.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, São Paulo Tours, Tour Reviews

From São Paulo: Santos, São Vicente & Guarujá Day Trip

7.Santos, São Vicente & Guarujá Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 165 reviews · 12 hours · from $110

Explore Santos, São Vicente, and Guarujá from São Paulo with coffee, coastal views, beaches, a small group, and bilingual guidance.

“There is not so much to see in Santos as the old town is almost deserted. But Sao Vicente and Guaruja are nice with pleasant views and beaches. The day is not packed with activities but our guide kept us entertained and he was able to provide various information. Otherwise well organise, pick up on time”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Full-Day, Hiking & Trekking, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tijuca Rainforest Tours, Tour Reviews

Rio de Janeiro: Tijuca Forest Challenge Hike Full-Day Trip

8.Tijuca Forest Challenge Hike Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 163 reviews · 9 hours · from $86

Review of Rio’s 9-hour Tijuca Forest Challenge Hike, with steep trails, rare jungle paths, caves, waterfalls, views, and practical tips.

“We had an amazing time during this hike! The hike is not too difficult, and Pietro (the guide) gives a lot of fun facts about the flora/fauna you will encounter during the hike. He will tell you about Brazil's history as well, very interesting and nice to have this background information before entering the forest. We really enjoyed the hike and would definetely recommend to add this to you Rio de Janeiro list of things you should do!”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews

Exploring Angra Dos Reis and Ilha Grande in One Day

9.Exploring Angra Dos Reis and Ilha Grande in One Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $85

Review of the Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande day trip from Rio, with beaches, snorkeling, lunch, boat logistics, costs, and practical tips.

“They did not contact me the day before or day of the tour. I went to the pick up location at the specified time, waited 25 minutes, they never showed. Really disappointed since I was looking forward to this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Foz do Iguaçu Tours, Iguazu Falls Tours, Private, Tour Reviews

Private Day trip: Both sides of Iguazu Falls

10.Private Day trip: Both sides of Iguazu Falls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 102 reviews · 7 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $150Top rated

Review of a private Iguazu Falls day trip from Foz do Iguacu, covering Brazil and Argentina with border help, transport, and practical tips.

“Highly highly recommend! This is the best and most efficient way to see both sides of Iguazú Falls in one day. Marcos was AMAZING! He was so kind, knowledgeable, passionate and seemed to know everyone. The falls are incredible, even better in real life than any photo. Totally worth it! It’s important to purchase your tickets in advance and remember to bring your passport! There is WiFi on both sides (which surprised me!) and the bathrooms were very clean.”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Museums, Museums in Rio de Janeiro, Petropolis Tours, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews

Petrópolis Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro including Imperial Museum and Crystal Palace

11.Petrópolis Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro including Imperial Museum and Crystal Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 101 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $93

Review of the Petrópolis day trip from Rio, with the Imperial Museum, cathedral, Crystal Palace, transport, lunch tips, and Bohemia option.

“The guide we had was truly a delight and well versed in the history of Rio de Janeiro. It was though she made the vacation....Rio at its best!”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Private, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private tour – The best of Rio in 1 day

12.Private tour – The best of Rio in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $350

See Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Selarón Steps, and Rio’s cathedral on a flexible private day tour for up to four.

“Patricia picked us up at the Port from our cruise ship and took us on a customised tour for the whole day. We visited the Maracana Stadium, learnt all about Carnival, walked up the Seralon Steps then went to Christ the Redeemer. We had Patricia’s wonderful descriptions of all of the history. After driving along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, we parked at the Cathedral then walked downtown to the beautiful Library and visited Confeteria Columbus. We were returned to the port in time to get ready for dinner on the ship. Thank you for your wonderful and warm conversation- your English is excellent!”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Foz do Iguaçu Tours, Iguazu Falls Tours, Tour Reviews

Brazil & Argentina: Iguazu Falls Both Sides in One Day

13.Brazil & Argentina: Iguazu Falls Both Sides in One Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 8 - 10 hours · from $47

See Iguazu Falls from Argentina and Brazil in one day, with small groups, border help, park access, and an optional Macuco Safari boat ride.

“This trip was amazing! Our guide Charles had answers to all of our questions and was so friendly and fun. The tour was very well organised and we were able to see part of the Argentinian side of the falls almost as the only people there. We were able to skip the queues at the border, saving so much time and we would not have been able to do this ourselves. The tour was such great value for money and we had an amazing time. I would definitely recommend booking with Sigafoz!”

Check availability →Read our full review