Big place!!! Very easy to get lost cause a lot of it looks the same. Monkeys are seen throughout…read more Look at all the colorful birds as well. Its 80 reais (about $16 USD). Worth every dollar as i would be okay with getting charged more. If you get lost just open your phones map and you can find your way to the exit.

I loved this huge botanical garden, which was like a beautiful tropical paradise. It was my first…read morestop after checking my luggage at the hotel. The cost was around $15 for US residents (less for locals) and only cash is accepted. Upon entering, I noticed black monkeys walking around the rainforest-esque environment, as well as climbing trees. There were palm trees, bright and colorful flowers, bodies of water, lovely little bridges, gorgeous fountain, yellow and green state house, greenhouses with rare and award winning orchids, a wonderful cafe serving fancy coffee & beverages, playground, and more. There were plenty of breathtaking views of the many natural wonders. I really enjoyed my time exploring the vast expanse of the garden. The place was sprawling and easy to get lost in. It tops the list as one of my favorite botanical gardens that I have visited.

I had a great time. It was my first time hang gliding and it went very smoothly with the staff. I…read morewould do it again!

I made the mistake of reading the following snippet from a life insurance company website before…read morehang gliding: 1. Hang Gliding Deaths: 7 (2011) Causes of Deaths: Pilot error, equipment malfunction Hang gliding is actually one of the most dangerous in-air sports possible. According to HSE, a U.K.-based watchdog group, the risk of death in a hang-gliding accident is 1 out of every 116,000 flights. In 2010, according to the National Transportation Safety Bureau, there were 32 accidents, resulting in seven fatalities. There have already been seven deaths this year, with another three months to go. Regular hang gliders seeking life insurance can see their premiums rise substantially, or be declined for coverage altogether. But out of all the stupid insane stuff I do on a regular basis, this was the safest things I have actually done. Most of it was due to the fact that Rio Hang Gliding runs a efficient, safe program with excellent pilots. Let me explain how the process works: 1-Sign up on line for your party in advance for a lesson, and include people's height and weight. If you sign up on line ahead of time, you can pay by credit card. If you make last minute arrangements (within 48 hours) please be aware you have to book by phone and pay in cash. Also be aware prices are increased during Carnival, World Cup and New Years, and all operators do this so it's hard to shop around for a bargain. 2-I am not gonna start a controversy by posting the weight limit, but be aware there is one, and this is not the time to lie about your weight. Paragliding is open to those who are over the weight limit. 3-After you book your appointment, you can either have a driver pick you up or meet the owner, Konrad Heilmann (a great guy) at a location by the beach in Sao Conrado. 4-You will be directed to sign up for insurance at this small building on the beach. You pay 30 R$ and get this awesome hang gliding license.This is a separate charge from the fee you pay for the lesson, so have cash on you. 5-You drive up with your pilot to the Pedra Bonita launch. This is actually the scariest part of the day. Basically in Brasil drivers go at two speeds: traffic slow crawl and warp speed. Warp speed up a one lane road mountain road with no seatbelt is kinda terrifying. 6-You get harnessed up and you practice running about 8 or 10 steps with your left hand on their shoulders and your right hand at their waist. They keep emphasizing not to stop running, I don't know who would actually stop running, and I would run as far as you tell me to if my life depends on it. 7-In all actuality you run about three easy steps, and then you're just floating. 8-Enjoy the ride for about 15 minutes with a great view. The landing is a breeze too. Being in the safe hands of Rio Hang Gliding, I feel like the only dangers now are: 1) Sunburn 2) Potentially Empty Wallet

I booked a Jeep tour leaving from Rio to this park in the morning. A lot of locals come here to…read morepicnic, hike, and swim in the lagoons with waterfalls. The tour was really fun with great sights and you really feel like you're in the rainforest even though you're pretty close to Rio. Some highlights: -Mirante das Canoas - Great view at the top of the park above São Conrado beach -Cascatinha Taunay - large waterfall where you can swim in the lagoon below -Mayrink Chapel - a small, pink chapel that is in the middle of the rainforest I would definitely recommend the tour, it was really fun to ride in the Jeep and only requires half a day.

We booked a tour for this rainforest it was a private tour by error but worked out well for us…read more Our guide gave us a nice tour, lots of walking & if u are lucky u get to see some animals, we saw Coati's , a whole family of them very cute. The waterfall was not what I initially thought from looking at pics the waterfall looked like it's something u could enjoy by getting in the water it was not the only area where u could get in the water was like a small looking pond annoying simply because would have been nice to cool off during all the walking. We got to see plenty of nature, trees, caves not terrible overall.

Probably the best hike I've done in my life so far. Also one of the most difficult…read more You can technically do it without a guide but I highly recommend getting one. The trail is pretty well marked so I don't think you'd get lost but getting a guide also gives you access to the rope and harness to get up the rock scramble (or 'Carrasqueira' as the locals call it). Allegedly you can go on your own and just pay one of the guys to rent the harness but I think a guide is worth it. Place they'll take some epic photos for you! I hiked Pedra da Gavea in late February so it was in the peak of summer in Rio. Temperatures hovered around 90F and it was HUMID. The heat and humidity had me hitting my inhaler on the way up. It takes about 3 hours to go up and 2-2.5 hours to go down. The views at the top are breathtaking so you'll probably want to hang out at the top for an hour or so. Plan for it to be an all-day affair. Bring a lot of water. Bring a light lunch. Put on some sunscreen.

An epic adventure hike that is not for the faint of heart. It's a pretty long trip to the top,…read morewhich includes some dangerous sections. The risk can be mitigated by an experienced guide with some ropes/harnesses for safety (mostly for the brief rock climb) . Local hikers tend to throw caution to the wind, but you don't want to go tumbling down a cliff do you? Getting to the top is about a 3 hour endeavor almost entirely uphill, you hike out the same way though downhill is obviously faster (maybe 2 hrs). You'll definitely want a good amount of water, so either a camelback or 3-4 12 oz waters per person. The views are totally breathtaking, I don't think I've ever been up so high without being in an airplane. If you're feeling fit and want a real hiking challenge in Rio, this is the one for you!

I used Rio Adventures to go paragliding from Pedra Bonita out over Sao Conrado and Rio de Janeiro…read more The guides were wonderful and both bilingual in Portuguese and English. Can definitely say that it was the most fun and beautiful way to see Rio, and I say that having been up to the top of Dois Irmaos and Cristo. My girlfriend and I went in July, and though it was the winter, the tickets were still pretty expensive, R$450. But the trip was worth every penny. My guide was right in saying that people who are afraid of heights (like I am) have the most fun on the trip. Highly recommend doing this and working with Rio Adventures. They also include a video and about 120 photos from your trip on a memory card immediately after the trip. We had a great experience! Though be careful that you get connected with the right people once you arrive at the beach in Sao Conrado. There are TONS of people working for different companies who will assume that you're going up with them once you arrive. Also, there is a bus stop nearby, so you don't necessarily have to pay for a cab to get to/from the beach.

Taking a helicopter Tour of Christ the redeemer is the best experience I had in Rio. It avoids the…read morecrowd and line. Get up close to the statue from up above and overlooking the whole city and the coast. I only booked the helicopter two hour prior because it was a nice day so it would be the best to do that. No need to book in advance, I recommend just wait for the good day and call/WhatsApp then on the same day. I was able to pick a short route that loop he Christ of the redeemer twice and flew over Ipanema beach and Copacabana beach, also get to see the sugarloaf from above. The best would be three person that's the minimum they can fly; or just two person you can pay the third seat to have the tour for your own.

Awesome. Great Company Very professional. I recommend if you…read morewant see the beautiful city of Rio in a different angles. It's not a waste money.