Well paced, thorough tour with a lifelong Rio native and expert on both the Parque Lage and Botanic Gardens - OVERVIEW Definitely book this if you like seeing sites that are then expanded upon by an expert. It’s well paced where we didn’t feel rushed but also didn’t feel like we missed anything. I took this tour with my girflfriend who found it through TripAdvisor. It was our first full day in Rio and we did the afternoon tour with Meilin. TRAVEL She came to our hotel on Copa Cabana and picked us up in her car (she is an excellent driver) and we went first to the Parque Lage. On the way she described the history of Parque Lage which she knows well having gone there from a young age when her mom taught there. She also made sure to point out notable things we passed on the journey as well as generally describing different areas of the city we went through. PARQUE LAGE At the Parque Lage she took us to the building which itself is stunning. Meilin asked whether we would want to stand in line for the photo that most people take in front of the pool (we declined) but still took great photos off to the side. We then walked the grounds which are so peaceful and she provided more history. We spent an appropriate amount of time there before getting in the car to go to the Botanical Gardens. BOTANICAL GARDENS A short car ride later we arrived and took a short (~5-10 minute) walk to the entrance. We paid for our tickets in cash but they apparently have just recently set up credit card payments on site. It was R$75 (~$13.50 USD) per person for the tickets. Once through, we first went into the welcome building where Meilin showed us the remaining parts of the first palm tree in Brazil and then took us to an aerial 3D map where she explained what we would see in the gardens. Just as with Parque Lage, it’s clear she really knows her stuff, both about history and botany. The walk was deliberately planned in a way that highlights things big and small which we wouldn’t otherwise get without the guided experience. RETURN As the tour came to an end we returned to the car and she drove us back to the hotel. She could tell we have interest history and culture and continued to answer our questions and offer more interesting facts.

BEST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE!! - I always had the dream of visiting Rio de Janeiro, I was always fascinated by the landscapes I saw on television. Arriving in town, I came across one of the greatest beauties possible. I made the tour of the Botanical Garden and Lage Park with my girlfriend Malu, we were very anxious and with the expectation very high, we were more than positively surprised, the Guide answered ALL our questions accurately and with her good mood. The company has done an impeccable service from start to finish. I left there with an absolute desire to live in this wonderful city. Besides everything, I still asked Malu for marriage and she accepted! Guess where the honeymoon will be... I will be back soon, and without a doubt, Rio Carioca Tours will be the first place I will look for. Thank you!!!

Monica the best - We stayed 2 weeks in Brazil, every day with a different Guide and Monica was certainly one of the best guides we had. Punctual, kind, professional, passionate, funny, sunny, native Italian, she is very knowledgeable about the things she brings to visit and transmits passion for places. Absolutely recommended!

Beautiful tour - Our guide was informative. We enjoyed Parc Lage and the Botanical Garden. We were able to see two different types of monkeys, and many beautiful plants.

Great afternoon - We were picked up on time near to our hotel and driven out to the Park. On the way we were given a good understanding of how the park was developed. Monica was very informative, had a great sense of humour and was a pleasure to be with. She and her driver, I’m sorry I missed his name, went out of their way to show us not only the botanical park but the sights of Rio on the way. The park was lovely and peaceful on the outskirts of the city and full of interesting flora and fauna. Well worth a visit. A very pleasant afternoon and we learnt a lot. We even saw a great sunset! Thanks to both of you.

Would definitely recommend - Very relaxing and informative tour with excellent guide. Great presentation of a real beuty of Brazilian flora and founa.

Beautiful natural afternoon in the heart of Rio - We had a very pleasant walk with Monica, our French guide for this excursion. She explained to us the history of Rio then the park (exceptional photo) and her villa (we have monkeys there for my greatest pleasure). Then we went to see the botanical garden, a former sugar plantation which became a powder factory and then the botanical garden. The orchids are magnificent, you can see parrots, hummingbirds and other birds and even little monkeys. A little corner of paradise in the middle of the city. Thanks to Monica for all her explanations.

Good tour - the guide was hard to understand - The sights on the tour were great and I enjoyed the tour and the transfer between- and it was great that the tour was done even though we were just 2 participants. But the guide was quite hard to understand when he spoke in English when he picked me up for the tour, but when we arrived to Botanical Garden he took some medicine and after that I was unable to understand him for the most of the tour - he talked like he was drunk, and fell asleep on the way back from the tour. It was a shame as I actually had the impression that he knew a lot about the city and the sights. But as it was I might as well just have visited the sights on my own.

Terrible experience - The guide was awful. He delayed us waiting for another couple for over 45 mins which cut into the tour time. Then we got to Botanical Garden which is huge and he was rushing us through it and we were missing so much. It got so bad we told him to leave without us and we would take an Uber so that we had time to explore the garden. Absolutely terrible experience

Not worth the price - Not worth the price. This trip can be done on your own without a guide. The guide was on his phone every now and then. The explanations during the tour were not very detailed. The air conditioning wasn't turned on, the windows were down for the transport. Had to pay for own admission to the Botanical Gardens (R$73) on top of $USD $140 for this tour.