Samba Soul Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Let's walk through the history of Samba, following the steps of this rhythm symbol of Rio cultural identity, icon of local african heritage and afro-brazilian resistance.
Visiting the main cultural spots in Cinelandia and the Mauá Square, we talk about how the Portuguese culture developed carnival as a political party and samba as a afro-brazilian identity.
Walk with us through the Portuary Zone to see the biggest open-air street art gallery and learn about cultural resistance at Pedra do Sal, icon of africanity in Rio.
Let yourself vibrate with Carnival magic doing some steps and taking pictures with the colorful costumes at City of Samba, headquarters of the Samba Schools.
The main idea is that you enjoy the stories that made Samba the soul of our lovely city. We want you to feel safe, confident and relaxed while we are going through the downtown area of the marvelous city.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
TRAM tickets
City of Samba tickets
Lunch
Private transportation
What To Expect
Museu de Arte do Rio - MAR
Meeting point for the group. We went up to the museum terrace to have a panoramic view of Praça Mauá and Guanabara Bay. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Maua Square
Plaza Mauá marks the beginning of Avenida Rio Branco avenue and also of the Port Region. From 1910 on, with the inauguration of Porto do Rio ("Rio's Port"), it began an important place to welcome ships and brought tourists to the city. Around the square there are important buildings, such as the Rio Art Museum (MAR) and the Museum of Tomorrow, as well as the Night building, the first skyscraper of the city, built in 1930.
Options
Samba Soul Tour 5h
Duration: 5 hours
Samba Soul Tour 4h
Duration: 4 hours
Basic Tour: Praça Mauá, Largo da Prainha, Pedra do Sal, Cidade do Samba
Reviews
10 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Full of Soul!
lisalisa6000,
Mar 31, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour definitely lives up to its name—it is full of soul! The guide, Celi, was very welcoming and knowledgeable. She provided loads of unique information about Brazilian music and culture that went beyond what is the norm on a typical tour. I would highly recommend the Samba Soul tour!
Discovery of Samba and Rio.
Martin A,
Feb 28, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00The entire tour was a discovery of things beyond samba itself, such as the social, economic and political aspects that started samba and continue to this day. It's a tour worth doing to give you a lot of context and history of samba, including the city of Rio.
Highly Recommend
LarryK,
Feb 21, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00This was one of the best tours I have done. Celine, my guide was a delight to be with. She thoroughly explained the not only the history of samba but also a brief history of Brasil. Once we reached the samba school we joined others on a behind the scene look at how the floats and costumes are made. Some special surprises were included but you will have to go on the tour yourself to find out. I highly recommend. Also a big thank-you to Celine for making the tour wonderful!
Samba Tour with Fabiana
corinnoverboard,
Dec 29, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fun and informative tour. Fabiana is awesome and clearly has a lot of passion for educating visitors about the history of the people and traditions.
Amazing.
Nacho A,
Nov 16, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A 10. Very good service. And excellent information the guides very good and clear with everything that was reported
Great!
fcalzada,
Nov 6, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour is super informative, gives you an overview of the history of samba and carnival in Rio de Janeiro and visits places outside the traditional tourist circuit. The guides are a love and explain with patience and dedication everything about the place and are open to being asked questions. Public transport is used and it is also good to know other places to go later on your own.
Great!
Florine V,
Nov 5, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time with Fabiana! Very rich whether on the history of Rio but also a lot of laughter at the city of Samba! Great way to discover this part of Rio
African Soul Tour
CTDT 89,
Oct 13, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did a variation on this tour, more focused on African Heritage: the African Soul Tour. Fabiana was a great guide who I would recommend to anyone. She is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Rio and connects the history to the culture and cityscape of Rio today. Fabiana customizes each tour a bit and she did an excellent job giving us the understanding of the city and its relationship with the rest of the African diaspora that we were looking for.
Informative Tour
O6585IJbryans,
Sep 18, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I absolutely loved this tour. Fabiana is extremely knowledgeable about Brazilian history and culture. This tour highlights how most of Brazilian culture developed and how things like slavery, decolonization, labour, Samba, and favelas are all interrelated. The visit to the Samba schools was also highly enjoyable and fun.
Amazing experience, I felt so inspired.
TatiDeo,
Jul 25, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I really recommend this tour as a culture experience. This was a beautiful journey and at the same time so awakening from the stories and historical facts of the samba as a way of resistance. It took us back on time with the party included. The guides were so lovely and knowledgeable. You can’t miss this tour before your leave the city. Thanks, Fabi and Celi.
From US$75.00
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Operated by Alma Carioca Turismo