Rio de Janeiro

15 Best Rio Samba & Nightlife

Rio after dark, organized: beginner samba lessons in Ipanema, Lapa’s bar crawls with cachaça tastings and live samba under the arches. The dance floor does not care that you just learned the steps.

3.Rio: Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail

Experience Rio's Carnival backstage with a guided tour, costume try-ons, samba dance, and a Caipirinha, all for just $24. Authentic and fun.

★ 4.6

“This would be a fascinating look behind the scenes any time of year, but it was especially interesting just one week before the start of Carnival. Seeing the costumes and props up close gives you a new appreciation for the work that goes into making…”

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5.Rio: Lapa Pub Crawl with Live Samba and Shots

Experience Rio’s vibrant nightlife with a lively pub crawl through Lapa, including live samba, local bars, and free shots for an authentic night out.

★ 4.5

“I loved it all. the vibes and the energy of the environment was great. it felt sort of magical. Nothing prepared me for the Escadaria Selaron as the artwork is found in the details. Although 4 hours, the tour felt short as I was having…”

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

Discover Rio’s vibrant neighborhoods Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia on this engaging 4-hour tour featuring a tram ride, iconic steps, and cultural highlights.

★ 4.5

“Amazing tour, a side of Rio that you definitely need to see. I’m not really sure if the tour was great, or our amazing tour guide Emma made it be amazing. She is the best tour guide that we have for a very long time,…”

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7.Carnaval Experience: Backstage Tour at Samba City with Cocktail

Discover Rio's Carnival behind the scenes with this backstage tour at Samba City, including costume try-ons, samba class, and cocktails for a genuine cultural experience.

★ 4.5

“A unique behind the scenes experience of the Carnival floats and costumes. Learned about Carnival and the competition among Samba schools. Getting to try on the costumes was so much fun.”

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8.Rio de Janeiro: Samba Class in Copacabana

Join a lively, 1-hour samba class in Rio’s Copacabana to learn authentic Brazilian dance, make new friends, and enjoy Rio’s vibrant culture for just $25.

★ 4.6

“The instructor was through in our improvement so we felt we were learning something new! And at the end of the lesson we took some photos with our national flags and with some classic carnival costumes! It's a must activity for a tourist!”

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9.Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district)

Discover Rio’s lively Lapa district on a guided pub crawl, with VIP access, live music, and free cachaça shots for an authentic Brazilian nightlife experience.

★ 4.5

“You’ll throughly enjoy this tour if you come with an open mind, good energy, and think of this as a networking event. Our tour guide Marx Castro was the absolute best! He engaged with everyone, kept us safe, and gave us a history lesson about…”

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10.More than a Pub Crawl: An Authentic Night Experience in Rio

Experience Rio’s nightlife with an authentic guided pub crawl through Lapa, featuring vibrant music, local drinks, and cultural highlights for $40.

★ 4.5

“Cadu was awesome!! This was a fun experience. We got to hear different types of Brazilian music. Drinks were not provided but Cachaca. They gave us many, many, many shots of this delicious liquor.”

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12.Ginga Tropical – Brazilian Samba and Folklore Show

Experience the vibrant spirit of Brazil with Ginga Tropical's 1.5-hour samba and folklore show in Rio, combining lively dance, music, and audience participation.

★ 4.5

“The show was actually quite good. The entertainers were excellent. We enjoyed the cultural experience of seeing the different dance costumes throughout history, and the choreography was awesome. I even got to dance on stage as a bonus….”

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

Experience Rio’s vibrant samba scene at Pedra do Sal with a guided tour, live music, cultural insights, and a welcoming atmosphere for authentic nightlife.

★ 4.4

“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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14.samba class in Ipanema

Experience authentic Brazilian culture with a fun, beginner-friendly samba class in Ipanema, Rio. Learn basic moves, take photos in carnival costumes, and enjoy a lively one-hour session for just $21.82.

★ 5.0

“Gabby was a great instructor. She made the steps easy to learn and gave a little extra help to those that needed more attention. I like how we got to try on a Carnival costume at the end and take pictures. An added bonus is…”

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15.Samba Class and Samba Night Tour in Rio

Experience the vibrant rhythms of Rio with a 4-hour samba class and night out, perfect for beginners eager to dance like a local.

★ 5.0

“The instructor was pretty amazing. He was a great teacher and a lot of fun. He then took us to a really cool Samba club that just made the night! Some of the group did not come to the club (they missed out!), so we…”

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More Rio Samba & Nightlife

5.0Samba Class and Samba Night Club Tour in Rio4 hours (approx.)$70.00 5.0Helicopter Tour – Samba – (Private Flight – 4 people)30 minutes (approx.)$1,921.00 5.0Samba Helicopter Tour: Private Flight – 4 people30 minutes (approx.)$1,921.00 4.5Christ the Redeemer, Selaron, Cathedral, Maracana, Sambadrome Half-Day Tour5 hours (approx.)$74.00 4.5Half Day in Rio Christ by Train, Maracanã, Sambadrome, Cathedral & Selarón Steps5 hours (approx.)$97.00 4.6Rio de Janeiro: Samba Class and Samba Night Tour4 hours$63 4.8Rio: Caipirinha Workshop and Samba Class2 hours$12 3.8Rio Samba Bus: hop-on hop-off city tour in Rio de Janeiro2 hours$31 4.0Tropical Carnival Show – Brazilian Rhythms and Roots2 to 3 hours (approx.)$97.82 5.0Walking tour of the bohemian neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)$72.09 4.5Samba Crash Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil1 hour (approx.)$35.00 4.5Samba Class in Copacabana$35.00 5.0Live Samba Night at Pedra do Sal2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)$40.97 5.0Centro Historico and Lapa – Santa Teresa Walking, Historical and Bohemian Tour7 to 8 hours (approx.)$137.80 5.0Historical Downtown and Lapa – Walking Tour3 hours (approx.)$40.00 4.5Carnaval Experience – Behind the Scenes of Rios Carnival in the City of Samba2 hours (approx.)$96.00 4.4Rio de Janeiro: Historical Downtown and Lapa Walking Tour3 hours$60 5.0Rio Carnival Parade from a Prime Box With Shuttle, Tour Guide, Food & Drink12 hours (approx.)$1,450.00 3.7Rio de Janeiro: Samba Show Admission & Transfer4 - 5 hours$117 4.514 – Guided Tour to Quadra Do Salgueiro with Samba Show5 hours (approx.)$95.00 4.5Guided Tour to Salgueiro Square with SAMBA Exhibition$95.00 3.5Samba Show Admission & Transfer with Dinner Option4 hours (approx.)$130.00 4.0Rio de Janeiro Carnival Parade Ticket with Optional Transport 5.0Tour 1 ( 8 hours ) : Sugar Loaf , Corcovado , Old Downtown Lapa and Santa Teresa8 hours (approx.)$320.00