Rio’s city walking tour: a glimpse of history and olympic legacy

Dive into Rio de Janeiro's past. Travel through time from the discovery of Brazil, through the arriving of the royal family, the country’s independence and the proclamation of the republic.



Get to know the historical past of the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was once the capital of Brazil for almost 2 centuries, taking a walk through the city center that holds memories of different times. Also notice the contrast with the new Mauá Square a gift from the Olympic legacy that has changed the life

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Dive into Rio de Janeiro's past. Travel through time from the discovery of Brazil, through the arriving of the royal family, the country’s independence and the proclamation of the republic.

Get to know the historical past of the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was once the capital of Brazil for almost 2 centuries, taking a walk through the city center that holds memories of different times. Also notice the contrast with the new Mauá Square a gift from the Olympic legacy that has changed the life of the Cariocas forever, creating a new pole of entertainment and culture, hosting two new Museums, the Rio Art Museum and the Museum of Tomorrow, and the famous Cobra murals.

You can identify the different periods just by taking a look at the Downtown’s architecture: Colonial, Imperial and Republican.
This tour to the past begins at the doors of the museum of Tomorrow and the Rio Art Museum, where you have a wide view of the Olympic Boulevard. From there we will visit the Monastery of São Bento, founded in 1590 by 2 monks from Bahia and considered one of the most important patrimony of Brazilian architecture.
Afterwards, we will continue to the Candelaria Church constructed in neoclassical style, which began being built in 1630 and finished in 1775.

Then we will continue along Primeiro de Março Street, as we admire the France-Brazil House, the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center and the post office building until we reach the Praça XV where the Imperial Palace, which was built to be the residence of the governors of the captaincy and it was the residency of the Portuguese Royal Family, when it arrived in Brazil and lastly passing by the Tiradentes Palace.

From Praça XV we will continue to Cinelândia, the tour's final point, where you can enjoy the beauty of the buildings of the Municipal Theater, the Legislative Assembly, the National Library and the Museum of Fine Arts. From there we return to the hotels.

The itinerary can vary according to the will and difficulty level of the travelers. See less