Rio: Santa Teresa Tram, Selarón Steps & Lapa Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.55 (304 reviews) 79% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/22

Duration4h

GroupUp to 100

LanguagesEN · PT +1

PickupAt your hotel

The Tram Climbs Over a 18th-Century Aqueduct, Then the City Opens Up Below

You ride the historic tram over an 18th-century aqueduct into Santa Teresa, walk the cobblestone streets and descend the famous Selarón Steps, visit Ruins Park for city views, and end at a century-old café. Hotel pickup from beachside neighborhoods is included, as are entrance fees and a guide who speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese. The whole thing takes a half-day, so you're back by early afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Rio's historic neighborhoods and landmarks

Ride tram to Santa Teresa
Drive over Arcos da Lapa
Walking tour in Santa Teresa
Visit Ruins Park
Walk down Selarón Steps
Stroll in Passeio Público park
Walk through Cinelândia neighborhood
Visit Confeitaria Colombo café

The Experience

The bondinho—that's what locals call the tram—leaves the station with a metallic screech and starts climbing toward Santa Teresa. You're riding over the Arcos da Lapa, a double-tiered aqueduct built in 1750, and the drop below is real enough that you stop thinking about your phone. The guide points out the layers of Rio as you rise: the colonial rooftops, the modern skyline pressing in, the neighborhoods stacked like a child's blocks. It's a half-day tour, so there's no rushing, but there's also no wasted time. You get picked up from your hotel in Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon or Leme, and the whole thing—tram, walking, stops, coffee—fits between morning and lunch.

Once you're in Santa Teresa, the streets narrow and the pace slows. Cobblestones, street art on every wall, the smell of coffee from open doorways. The guide walks you through without a script, pointing out the history woven into the neighborhood—how it became Rio's bohemian quarter, why the old buildings still stand. Then you climb down the Selarón Steps, which is exactly what it sounds like: a staircase covered in thousands of hand-painted tiles in blues, yellows, reds, greens. A Brazilian artist named Jorge Selarón spent decades on it. You walk down slowly because you're looking at every step, and because the angle is steep enough that you need to pay attention.

Ruins Park sits on a hilltop and gives you a view of the city that makes sense of the geography—you can see where you came from, where you're going. The park closes on Tuesdays, so check that before you book. After that, you move through Passeio Público, which is South America's oldest public park and feels like a secret even though it's in the middle of the city. The final stop is Confeitaria Colombo, a café that's been there since 1894. It's closed on Sundays, so again, timing matters. You sit down, order something sweet, and the guide leaves you to it. That's the end of the tour. Your hotel pickup brings you back.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off from Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon or Leme hotels.
professional guide with live commentary in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Santa Teresa tram ride over the Arcos da Lapa.
entrance fees to Ruins Park and all attractions.
comfortable air-conditioned vehicle.
guided walking tour through Santa Teresa and Cinelândia.
visit to Selarón Steps, Passeio Público (South America's oldest park), and Confeitaria Colombo café.
all fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by C2Rio Tours & Travel

Is this one for you?A good choice if you want Rio's bohemian neighborhoods and colonial history in one morning without arranging transport or entry fees yourself—the tram ride and the walking pace let you absorb the neighborhoods instead of rushing between them.