Rio Carnival Behind-the-Scenes Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Samba City's vibrant workshops
- Witness float construction up close
- Learn samba dance moves from experts
- Discover carnival history and traditions
- Capture photos in authentic costumes
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Guided tour of Samba City
- Access to exclusive costume workshops
- Insights into carnival float construction
- Meals and beverages
Itinerary
Visit the City of Samba, the headquarters of the most important Samba Schools in Rio de Janeiro.
Enter the Grande Rio Samba Factory and discover the behind the scenes of Rio's Carnival scene. See the production of floats and costumes, the exhibition room, wear and photograph authentic costumes from previous editions and try some basic samba steps.
Meeting point
Start Location
Leme, Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Important information
Know before you book
- This tour is conducted in Portuguese; English-speaking guides may not be available.
- Availability may vary; check the latest schedule before booking.
- Tour duration is approximately 3 hours; plan accordingly.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes suitable for walking.
- Bring a camera to capture the vibrant scenes and costumes.
- Be prepared for a lively and interactive experience with local artisans.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Stroller Accessible
- Infants Required On Laps
Good to know
- Please inform the name of your hotel or a nearby location when you call to confirm your reservation.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Children 4 and younger are complimentary, provided they do not occupy a seat
- This tour operates rain or shine
- Roundtrip transportation available from South Zone (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Leme) hotels via air-conditioned van.
- The tour requires a minimum of two passengers. If there are fewer than two passengers, it may be canceled or rescheduled.
Traveler reviews
Interesting tour!
Lots of fun and our guide was amazing! He had so much energy and was very informative. We learned a lot about how the Carnaval comes together over a year of very hard work!
Ok tour to do if you have an hour and want to learn about Carnaval.
Our taxi driver picked us up way too early at the hotel, which resulted in us having to wait almost an hour for the tour to start. The location of the tour is a big area with several buildings/warehouses, we thought our tour would take us to several of those buildings, but the tour was only of one building (the ground floor to see it briefly and the majority of the tour was on the second floor of the same building). The concept of the tour includes seeing a nice timeline and costumes and the tour guide did a great job explaining everything. We got to try on some costumes, we also saw a movie that explained everything. The concept of the tour was ok, I just wished they had walked us around other areas to see floats. I think if the tour had included seeing several floats I could give the tour a 4 or 5 stars. It was still a fun experience.
Good tour.
Alexia was very attentive, friendly and knows a lot about the samba and the history of Brazil. The carnival experience was great.
Backstage of the carnival
I had an amazing experience at Carnaval Experience! It was wonderful to be able to see from close how one of the greatest shows in the world is prepared, directly in the barracks of the school of samba Grande Rio. I found it very nice to know that the activity supports a social cause, which makes everything even more meaningful. It was also fun to experience the fantasy, to feel the weight and understand the complexity of the clothes. Learning about the rules and rating criteria of the show was fascinating — you can see all the dedication, discipline and care behind every detail of the show. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to know Carnival in an authentic, educational and fun way!
Great experience
Great experience. Very welcoming staff. We enjoyed several activities in a two hour tour. Was great fun. Highly recommended 👌