Samba City (Cidade do Samba) Tours and Activities
20 Reviews
Every February and early March, the world’s largest party takes place on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sure—Carnaval is celebrated in ports and cities all around the globe, but none have the flare, color, or passion of the massive festival in Rio. At the Cidade do Samba in the city’s port district, visitors will find that the Carnaval sprit isn’t just for a week—but actually lasts the entire year inside enormous, float-filled warehouses. Sometimes known as “Samba City,” this colorful complex is where 14 of the city’s top samba schools all plan, prepare, and prep their floats for the festive February event.
When taking a tour of Samba City, watch as costumes and next year’s floats are all sewn and patched together. No photos or videos are allowed—lest you leak their surprise—but samba lessons are often included as part of the upbeat tour. On Thursday evenings, the entire complex erupts in a type of mini celebration, where costumes are donned, music is played, and a micro-version of Carnaval takes place right there on site.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tours and tickets to Experience Samba City (Cidade do Samba)
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Afro Walking Tour - Samba and resistance
Rio de Janeiro is much-loved by travelers for its sun, sand, and samba, but this tour takes you deeper into the city’s history and culture. Your guide will take you to the most important places in the city’s history of civil rights and immerse you in Afro-Brazilian culture and traditions while teaching you about the struggle for the abolition of slavery in Brazil. The tour concludes at a samba school where you will learn about the engaging dance form’s history of resistance.
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From
$33.00
From
$33.00
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Guides required to regularly wash hands
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Cidade do Samba Behind-the-Scenes Carnival Tour in Rio de Janeiro
4
Get a glimpse behind the scenes of Carnival during this tour of Cidade do Samba. On this outing, follow your guide on a tour of the Acadêmicos do Grande Rio's warehouse, one of Rio's top samba schools, where they store their outrageous costumes and grandiose parade floats. Toast to your insider's experience with a traditional caipirinha while you learn about the history and culture of the Carnival in Brazil. Brave visitors can even try on a few feathered costumes. Round-trip transportation from central Rio hotels is included.
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From
$63.99
Price varies by group size
From
$63.99
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Excursion in Rio de Janeiro with visit to the Samba School
In a jeep without a roof, you will head towards Guanabara Bay, where you will be dazzled by the panoramic view of Pão de Açúcar, the beaches of Urca, Botafogo and all the beauty of Aterro do Flamengo and its gardens, in addition to the view of Niterói , across the bay. Running in a Jeep without a roof, you will pass through the Historic Center, observe the details of the historic buildings, transformed into cultural centers. We will also pass by centuries-old monasteries, churches and squares. Walk along Boulevard Olímpico, up to mural by artist Kobra, passing by Paço Imperial and visit the São Bento Monastery. In the city of samba, you will get to know the backstage of the carnival, understand how the floats are made, you can dress up the costumes and samba with the dancers. The tour continues with a visit to the Metropolitan Cathedral and ends on the colorful steps of the Selarón Staircase, where you can experience the beauties of various places gathered in tiles.
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From
$54.68
From
$54.68
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Little Africa And The City Of Samba: Where Dreams Come True
6
Nothing says Brazil like Samba, whose roots go back to the colonial days when millions of Africans arrived via the slave trade. It's hard to imagine how something so terrible could produce something so beautiful and joyous, but that’s the story of Samba told in intimate detail during this tour of Little Africa and the City of Samba. Go behind the scenes of Rio’s Carnival celebration and visit several culturally significant sites including Volongo Warf, a potential UNESCO World Heritage site.
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From
$96.86
From
$96.86
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
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Brazilian Passion: Carnival, Samba and Soccer
2
Immerse yourself in the culture of Brazil on a guided tour to some of the city’s cultural landmarks. Learn about Carnival and classic samba at the famous Sambadrome, where the parade takes place, and the “City of Samba,” where top samba schools practice. Then visit the iconic Maracana Stadium and Museum for the Brazilian Soccer Team to learn about soccer in Brazil, which is like a religion in the country.
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From
$99.50
From
$99.50
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Carnaval Experience - Behind the Scenes of Rios Carnival in the City of Samba
8
Get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s biggest parties during this tour in Rio de Janeiro. See all the work that goes into this week-long party as you tour the City of Samba, a warehouse where floats and costumes are kept, and the Grande Rio’s Samba Factory, to learn about the history of samba and how to samba while wearing a traditional costume.
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From
$46.94
From
$46.94
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Carnival & Maracanã Stadium: live this experience
Do you want to feel like a
football player? Do you want to live the emotion felt during the
Carnival parade? So do not miss this opportunity and come on this
special tour to the most famous stadium in the world,
MARACANÃ and
SAMBA TOWN, carnival preparation stage.
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From
$65.88
From
$65.88
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Promo Rio de Janeiro: Christ Redeemer and Sugar Loaf + Carnival Tour+ Ginga Show
In this promotion you get to know the best sights of Rio de Janeiro and still immerse yourself in the local culture.
On the first day, an afternoon tour, you will visit Corcovado Hill. We will pass through the magnificent Tijuca forest until we reach the peak of the hill where we will find the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. We will do a small city tour in downtown Rio with stops at the Cathedral and the colorful Selaron Staircase. At the end of the day, we will climb the cable car to the peak of Sugar Loaf Mountain to watch the sunset.
On the second day, we will immerse ourselves in the culture of the biggest Carnival party in the world. A tour of the city of samba will show us not only the party part but the backstage of your show. We'll get to know the Grande Rio shack, one of the main carnival samba schools, where we'll take a close look at the costumes and floats. At the end of the day, the Ginga Tropical dance show will feature all the music and dance rhythms of Brazil.
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From
$286.00
From
$286.00
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Learn More
Candelaria Church, Olympic Boulevard and Samba City
This is an exclusive tour that allows you to have the experience of shared transport, accompanied by a guide and get to know a mix of beautiful places in a totally exclusive tour in Rio de Janeiro.
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From
$29.28
From
$29.28
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