City Tours

English-speaking guides at Gray Line are superb. In addition to a variety of city tours, the company also offers trips outside town, whether you'd like to go white-water rafting on the Rio Paraíbuna, tour a coffee plantation, or spend time in Petrópolis. Helicopter tours are also an option.

Private Tours take you around old Rio, the favelas, Corcovado, Floresta da Tijuca, Prainha, and Grumari in a jeep. Guides are available who speak English, Hungarian, French, and German. Hang-glide or paraglide over Pedra da Gávea and Pedra Bonita under the supervision of São Conrado Eco-Aventura.

Carlos Roquette is a history teacher who runs Cultural Rio, an agency that hosts trips to 8,000 destinations. Most are historic sites. A guided visit costs around US$110 for four hours, depending on the size of the group. Favela Tour offers a fascinating half-day tour of two favelas. For anyone with an interest in Brazil beyond the beaches, such tours are highly recommended. The company's English-speaking guides can also be contracted for other outings.

Rio Hiking takes small groups on nightlife tours to clubs and bars beyond the regular tourist circuit.

Contacts

Cultural Rio (021/9911-3829. www.culturalrio.com.br). Favela Tour (021/3322-2727. www.favelatour.com.br). Gray Line (021/2512-9919). Private Tours (021/2232-9710. www.privatetours.com.br). Rio Hiking (021/2552-9204 or 021/9721-0594. www.riohiking.com.br).

Ecology & the Outdoors

You can ride around the Floresta da Tijuca and Corcovado or take a tour to Angra dos Reis and Teresópolis in renovated World War II jeeps (1942 Dodge Commanders, Willys F-75s, and others) with the well-organized Ecology and Culture Jeep Tours. Guides speak English, French, German, and Spanish. The company also has a range of ecological tours, including some on horseback.

Trilhas do Rio organizes frequent outdoor trips so you can get to know the Floresta da Tijuca and other ecological treasures in and around Rio. Rio Hiking tours combine city sightseeing with nature hikes to the Floresta da Tijuca and other areas, plus overnight trips to Paraty and Ilha Grande.

Contacts

Ecology and Culture Jeep Tours (021/2108-5800. www.jeeptour.com.br). Rio Hiking (021/2552-9204 or 021/9721-0594. www.riohiking.com.br). Trilhas do Rio (021/2425-8441 or 021/2424-5455. www.trilhasdorio.com.br).

Helicopter Tours

Helisight gives a number of helicopter tours whose flights may pass over the Cristo Redentor, Copacabana, Ipanema, and/or Maracanã stadium. There are night flights as well; reserve ahead for these daily 9-6.

Contacts

Helisight (Conde de Bernadote 26, Leblon. 021/2511-2141, 021/2542-7895, or 021/2259-6995. www.helisight.com.br).