Rio de Janeiro

15 Best Day Trips from Rio

The escapes Rio day-trippers rate: Angra’s 365 islands and Ilha Grande’s car-free beaches, Petropolis with its imperial palace in the hills and Buzios, the fishing village Bardot made famous. The coast competes hard with the city.

1.Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Full-Day Tour

Discover the natural beauty of Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande with this full-day tour from Rio featuring lagoons, beaches, marine life, and local cuisine.

Most Popular★ 4.6

“This excursion is well worth the money! Just a great experience overall. Views are beyond beautiful, reminded me of Hawaii. The boat was fun, especially the slide! I was satisfied with the food buffet. I thought the whole excursion was organized very well, I would…”

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3.From Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis Boat Trip with Lunch

Discover stunning islands near Rio with a full-day boat trip to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande, including stops, snorkeling, and a buffet lunch. Perfect for water lovers.

★ 4.0

“We took a large van / bus from Rio to Ihla Grande and did a quick stop for snacks / bathroom break. Once we got on the boat, we did several stops on the boat to different beaches that were beautiful and were even able…”

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4.25 – Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande

Discover Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande on a full-day boat tour from Rio, featuring stunning beaches, snorkeling, and a delicious lunch — all at an accessible price.

★ 4.0

“The excursion itself was great, very nice views, and nice people working too. I would like to mention that the lunch option wasn’t great (but there’s food on the boat so it was manageable). Also, the pick up was a bit messy (it was right…”

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5.Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Grand Island

Discover Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande on a full-day tour offering scenic boat rides, beaches, and snorkeling. Great value but long travel times.

★ 4.0

“This budget-friendly tour is a solid deal if youre looking for a cheap escape, with lunch included and the opportunity to experience both a bus ride and a boat trip. However, most of the day was spent travelingfirst on the bus picking up passengers of…”

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6.From Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis & Ilha Grande Day Tour

Discover the stunning beaches, clear waters, and lush landscapes of Ilha Grande and Angra dos Reis on this full-day tour from Rio, with guides, lunch, and snorkeling.

★ 4.6

“Really great! Organized and very good for a day trip! Our tour guide, Marcello, was really great as-well! They have a slide on the boat, which made it more fun for us haha!”

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7.Transfers Rio X Buzios

Enjoy seamless, private transfers between Rio de Janeiro and Buzios with professional drivers, flexible timing, and top-rated service for a stress-free trip.

★ 5.0

“This was such a smooth experience. The company communicated with me clearly. A day before the scheduled ride, they send a text to confirm all the details (i.e. pickup / drop off location, date, time, number of people and luggage as well as type of…”

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10.Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande: Small-Group Fast-Boat Tour

Experience the beauty of Ilha Grande on a small-group speedboat tour from Rio, including beaches, snorkeling, and personalized guides for an unforgettable day.

★ 4.4

“It was an amazing opportunity to see different parts of the island, but it also feels a lot of time in each spot. The guide was amazing and knowledgeable and has shared great things with us. It was a beautiful day and the restaurant in…”

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11.Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis with Lunch

Discover Angra dos Reis on a full-day boat tour with island visits, beaches, and a buffet lunch. Enjoy scenic views, authentic experiences, and practical insights.

★ 4.0

“La guía no fue muy buena y el tour era desorganizado e innecesariamente largo, el almuerzo recién fue a las 18.00 y llegamos de vuelta casi a medianoche (partimos a las 8 de la mañana). A pesar de que no recomendaría tomar el tour con…”

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

Discover the highlights of Petrópolis on this full-day Rio tour, including the Imperial Museum, Crystal Palace, and optional brewery visit—great for history lovers and culture seekers.

★ 4.0

“Great tour outside of the city. Nice seeing the Museum and Crystal Palace. Long drives but worth it. Hey when stopping for lunch the guide wanted everyone to eat at a local restaurant. But my husband and I noticed a brewery with a beer garden…”

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14.Discover Petropolis and its Hidden Gems with our Private Tour

Explore Petrópolis, Brazil’s Imperial City, on this private tour featuring historic palaces, architecture, and local charm with personalized guides and flexible options.

★ 5.0

“Our tour was perfect. Our tour guide Romulo and our driver, coincidentally, Romulo made a great team. We are an older couple (73 & 75), and they took great care for our safety and comfort. Saw every thing we wanted to see and more. It…”

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15.Petrópolis: Imperial City Tour

Explore Petrópolis, the Imperial City of Brazil, on a full-day tour featuring palaces, historic buildings, imperial jewels, and stunning mountain views.

★ 3.7

“I would recommend. Tete a great guide. interesting trip. time was spent in a very nice atmosphere. great organization.”

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More Day Trips from Rio

4.5Petropolis The Imperial City with Beer tour and Lunch10 hours (approx.)$59.84 3.5Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Day Trip with Schooner Cruise and Lunch12 hours (approx.)$96.40 3.5Shared transport Rio de Janeiro Ilha Grande$27.55 3.5Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro12 hours (approx.)$98.57 3.5Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Tour from Rio with Boat Ride and Lunch14 hours (approx.)$64.00 4.5Angra dos Reis Boat Tour with Lunch12 hours (approx.)$71.90 4.0Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande14 hours (approx.)$101.85 3.5Shared Transfer Rio x Ilha Grande (Vila do Abaão)2 to 3 hours (approx.)$44.54 4.5Petropolis: The Imperial City with Lunch10 hours (approx.)$56.85 3.3From Rio de Janeiro: Búzios Full-Day Boat Tour13 hours$69 4.523 – Guided Excursion to Búzios with Boat Trip and Lunch14 hours (approx.)$105.00 4.5Guided Tour to Búzios with Boat Tour and Lunch$105.00 5.0Private VIP Paradise Ilha Grande Speed Boat and Transfer from Rio9 to 10 hours (approx.)$1,013.95 4.7Full-Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande14 hours$77 4.521 – Guided Tour to the Imperial City of Petrópolis with Lunch10 hours (approx.)$80.00 4.5Imperial Petrópolis – Historic Tour + Teresa Street and Lunch9 hours (approx.)$57.83 4.5Guided Tour to the Imperial Cida of Petrópolis with Lunch$80.00 3.0Búzios Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro12 hours$94 3.5Buzios Day Trip with Lunch, City Tour and Cruise from Rio de Janeiro13 hours (approx.)$95.74 4.2From Rio: Full Day in Búzios with Catamaran Tour and Lunch14 hours$76 4.5Tour Angra dos Reis + Ilha Grande | Departures from Rio de Janeiro13 hours (approx.)$61.75 4.5Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Tour in an Adventure Day14 hours (approx.)$86.27 4.0Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Boat Tour from Rio de Janeiro14 hours (approx.)$64.43 5.0Historic Petrópolis From Rio: The Imperial City Palaces, Architecture & Culture10 hours (approx.)$296.00