The 15 Best Samba & Nightlife Tours in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro: Beginner Samba Lesson in Ipanema - The first steps: samba made manageable

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,071 reviews · 1 hour · from $25Our pick

Learn samba with an experienced Carnival performer in Ipanema during this lively one-hour beginner class with costumes, photos, and videos.

“We had a great experience: the class was very dynamic, interactive and fun. It’s a fantastic way to practice English while meeting people and feeling truly engaged. I would definitely recommend Carla’s class to travelers who want to learn in a lively and friendly atmosphere. We will absolutely do it again on our next trip to Rio!”

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Cachaca & Caipirinha Tastings, Drinking Tours, Drinking Tours in Rio de Janeiro, Food & Drink, Food & Drink Tours in Rio de Janeiro, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Samba & Nightlife Tours, Tour Reviews

Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba

2.Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 881 reviews · 4 hours · from $33

Explore Lapa after dark with cachaça tastings, a free caipirinha, live samba, and Brazilian club music on a four-hour Rio pub crawl.

“Excellent tour by lovely people. Would highly recommend, made it fun, interesting and safe!”

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Rio: Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail

3.Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 520 reviews · 90 - 150 minutes · from $27

Go behind Rio Carnival at Samba City with costume try-ons, float production, samba lessons, history, and a caipirinha for $27.

“our guides were helpful and very knowledgeable. the tour was great, will book again”

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Rio de Janeiro Tours, Samba & Nightlife Tours, Tour Reviews

Hop-ON Hop-OFF Sightseeing Bus in Rio de Janeiro – Rio Samba Bus

4.Hop-ON Hop-OFF Sightseeing Bus in Rio de Janeiro – Rio Samba Bus

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 457 reviews · 1 day · from $30

Review of Rio Samba Bus, a one-day hop-on hop-off tour with samba music, major sights, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.

“It is a bus with only one level- up top with no shade at all. It was hot! Since there weren’t ear plugs, it was just a recording over speaker- you couldn’t really hear what they were saying. I thought we’d get closer to Christ the Redeemer but it was just in the distance. At least they sold cold beer on board….”

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Rio de Janeiro Tours, Samba & Nightlife Tours, Santa Teresa & Selaron Steps Tours, Tour Reviews

Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia with Tram Ride and Selarón Steps

5.Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia with Tram Ride and Selarón Steps

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 274 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $60

Explore Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia by historic tram and on foot, with Selarón Steps, hotel pickup, and multilingual guiding.

“It’s potentially a nice tour but not in 24 December because all the attractions were clised. The guide was not aware of it , so we walked from one place to another to hear from the guide :”oh, it’s closed’. The touur operator should have checked it and offer an alternative,”

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Rio de Janeiro: Samba Class in Copacabana

6.Samba Class in Copacabana

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 262 reviews · 1 hour · from $25

Learn samba in Copacabana with a friendly bilingual instructor, beginner-friendly steps, Brazilian culture, and nightlife tips for $25.

“It was fun. very beginners friendly. The only thing I did not like was that there were too any people in the studio so it was difficult to fully engage with the activity.”

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Rio: Ginga Tropical Samba and Folklore Show Ticket

7.Ginga Tropical Samba and Folklore Show Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 231 reviews · from $61

Rio’s Ginga Tropical brings Carnival energy, samba lessons, live music, and Brazilian folk dances to an entertaining 80-minute show.

“Well worth the money. I would've paid double. Performances were amazing. Singing, Dancing and Capoeira were all top-notch. Highly recommend.”

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Ginga Tropical – Brazilian Samba and Folklore Show

8.Ginga Tropical – Brazilian Samba and Folklore Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 216 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $65

Ginga Tropical in Rio blends samba, folklore, capoeira, live music, costumes, and audience participation in a lively 90-minute show.

“I expected a good dance performance instead it was nothing but acrobat theatrics that was so boring that we left after the first 15 min of this show. Was a waste of my money”

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Evening Experiences, Guided, Pedra Bonita & Rock Hikes, Rio de Janeiro Tours, Samba & Nightlife Tours, Tour Reviews

Pedra do Sal: Live Samba Night with Local Guide & Drink

9.Pedra do Sal: Live Samba Night with Local Guide & Drink

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 183 reviews · 2h 30m · from $41

Experience Rio’s samba culture at Pedra do Sal with local guides, live music, history, one drink, and a welcoming group atmosphere.

“Really it was wonderful night , we knew the history of the pedra do sol and the great people that living there . Also we got fun with Samba Night .”

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Rio de Janeiro: Samba Class and Samba Night Tour

10.Samba Class and Samba Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 115 reviews · 4 hours · from $63

Learn samba in Rio with a bilingual instructor, then join a live music night at Pedra do Sal or Rio Scenarium.

“Bruno was a fantastic teacher and guide. The street party was a fabulous experience and something we would never have attempted (or even known about) on our own.”

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Rio: Caipirinha Workshop and Samba Class

11.Caipirinha Workshop and Samba Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 113 reviews · 2 hours · from $12Best value

Learn to make two caipirinhas, take a samba class, and meet people at Pura Vida Hostel in Copacabana for $12.

“We enjoyed the Samba class with Bruno. It was very relaxed and way more fun than we imagined. Sadly, we did not stay for the Caipirpirinha workshop. This was because in the information given, the start time of the event was stated as 7.15pm. However, the Samba didn't start until 8pm. We had to leave just as the Caipirpirinha workshop was starting. This was very disappointing especially as we had enjoyed the Samba class and the venue so much.”

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Rio Samba Bus: hop-on hop-off city tour in Rio de Janeiro

12.Rio Samba Bus: hop-on hop-off city tour in Rio de Janeiro

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 94 reviews · 2 hours · from $31

Rio Samba Bus review: see Rio’s top sights, hear Brazilian music, and plan around slow stops, attraction fees, and route limits.

“Pouvoir prendre le bus à n’importe quel arrêt à l’heure que l’on veut ou peu .😔perdu notre activité parce que on pouvait pas ce rendre à l’arrêt de départ”

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Walking tour of the bohemian neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa

13.Walking tour of the bohemian neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $72Top rated

Explore Rio’s Santa Teresa and Lapa by tram and foot, with art, historic sights, city views, and a local guide in a small group.

“We had the absolute best walking tour through Santa Teresa with Lorena and it proved to be one of the highlights of our Rio trip. The neighborhood is beautiful and has a fascinating story and history, and Lorena walked and talked us through it all with a wonderful sense of candor and humor. And even when there was a bump in terms of getting the streetcar up at the beginning of the tour due to a situation up in the neighborhood, she was quick to respond and adjust. And when we mentioned we’d already seen one of the attractions on another tour the day before, she was great about coming…”

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Samba Class in Copacabana

14.Samba Class in Copacabana

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 52 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $35

Learn what to expect from Rio’s one-hour Copacabana samba class, including price, instructors, group size, costumes, access, and practical tips.

“The dance lesson with Carla was amazing! She is a great teacher and you will learn the "real" Samba (not the one you get teached at home in dancing schools). She makes videos and photos during dancing and afterwards with flags and a Samba costume and will share it right after the lessons. Highly recommended!”

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Salvador: Cultural Treasure – Samba de Roda.

15.Cultural Treasure – Samba de Roda.

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 51 reviews · 1 hour · from $43

Learn Salvador’s samba basics in an English-led class at Mestre Bimba’s historic capoeira school, with music, culture, and a taste of Bahia.

“Amazing activity! Learning about the history of samba and how it coincides with capoeira was incredible informative and fun. If you combine the capoeira class with the samba class be ready for a great workout.”

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