Rio Carnival 2027 Experience: Behind the Scenes Tour
Duration
2 hrs
Free cancellation
Cancel for free up to 24 hours before the experience
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Guided tour
Based on your selection in the next step
Transfers
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Pickup
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Step inside City of Samba and Grande Rio Factory for an insider look at parade preparations, samba life and how the carnival magic begins.
Begin with round-trip transfers in an air-conditioned van from South Zone hotels, meeting your English and Portuguese-speaking guide en route.
Tour City of Samba and Grande Rio's Samba Factory, moving through spaces where you learn how samba schools prepare and what powers carnival parades.
Wear costumes for photos, enjoy a welcome caipirinha, juice or water, then take a basic samba class and practice the rhythm and footwork yourself.
Upgrade to a private backstage tour for your group, ideal if you prefer exploring with only your party and your guide instead of a shared group.
Entry to the City of Samba and Grande Rio Factory
Guided tour with air-conditioned van
Expert English and Portuguese-speaking guide
Round-trip hotel transfers
Costumes to wear and photograph
Basic samba class
Welcome drink, caipirinha, juice or water
Private tour for your group (as per option selected)
Food
Gratuities
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Explore Rio Carnival 2027 behind the scenes on a guided tour of the City of Samba and Grande Rio Factory with round-trip transfers.
Getting started
Begin your Rio Carnival 2027 Experience with pickup from your hotel in Rio's South Zone, covering Copacabana, Leme, Ipanema, or Leblon. Board a guided tour with an air-conditioned van for the ride to the City of Samba. During the drive, your English- and Portuguese-speaking guide outlines the plan for visiting Grande Rio Factory and the backstage areas.
What to expect
City of Samba
The City of Samba is your gateway into the backstage world of Rio's Carnival, where samba schools prepare their parades months in advance. This is where you first see how floats, costumes, and themes come together for the Sambadrome.
Features:
Entry to City of Samba is included, so you go straight into the complex to see where samba schools work on their Carnival projects and learn how the parades are organized.
Your guided tour with an air-conditioned van continues to serve as your base between stops, keeping travel comfortable between City of Samba and Grande Rio Factory with round-trip transfers built into the route.
An expert English and Portuguese-speaking guide shares live commentary about the history of samba and Carnival parades, giving context to the workshops, rehearsal spaces, and creative process you encounter.
Grande Rio Factory
Grande Rio Factory is the working hub of one of Rio's major samba schools inside the City of Samba. Here you see how costumes and parade elements for Grande Rio are designed and produced.
Features:
Entrance to Grande Rio Factory is included, so you can walk through the production areas and observe how costume pieces and parade elements are assembled for Rio Carnival 2027.
Costumes to wear and photograph are provided at the factory, giving you a chance to try on samba looks created for the parades and capture photos in full Carnival attire.
A basic samba class is part of your visit, where you are guided through simple samba steps and rhythms to better understand the dance that drives the Carnival parades.
A welcome drink, with a choice of caipirinha, juice, or water, is included during your time at Grande Rio Factory, giving you a short break as you take in the atmosphere of the samba school.
If you select the Private Backstage Guided Tour option, the experience operates as a private tour for your group, using the same guided tour with an air-conditioned van, round-trip transfers, and live commentary in English and Portuguese throughout.
Wrapping up
At the end of your backstage visit to City of Samba and Grande Rio Factory, you return to your hotel in the South Zone using the included round-trip transfers, with drop-off in the same area where you were picked up.
What to bring
Voucher & ID: Carry a digital or printed copy of your voucher and a government-issued ID on the day of the tour.
Additional information
Tour days: Tours are available from Monday to Saturday.
Hotel pickup area: Hotel pickup and drop-off are only from South Zone hotels in Copacabana, Leme, Ipanema, and Leblon.
Pickup exclusions: There is no pickup from hostels or B&Bs.
Meeting point notice: If your hotel is not on the pickup list, you will be given the nearest meeting point and time.
Minimum participants: A minimum of 2 adult passengers is required for this tour.
Language: Your live guide provides tour commentary in English and Portuguese.
Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.
Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.
Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.