Santa Teresa Discovery

For this Rio de Janeiro city tour, meet at the magnificent and classic Copacabana Palace Hotel. Take the subway downtown and learn how to use this excellent means of transportation in Rio, a great way to orientate yourself with this large city. Hop off at Carioca Station and wander through the Financial District, home of huge companies such as Petrobras and BNDES. Visit Carioca Square, once the main source of drinking water in Rio, transported in by the Aqueducts of Lapa.
Climb on the a tram for the journey up to Santa Teresa, a 20 minutes ride over the aqueducts which are now used as the tram route. This is the last tram line in Brazil for transportation purpose. Next stop - Largo dos Guimaraes. Explore the cobblestone streets of Santa Teresa on foot and discover beautiful architecture, art galleries, restaurants and local costumes.  One of Rio's oldest neighbourhoods, Santa Teresa, situated high on a hill overlooking Rio, enchants locals and visitors alike with it's cobbled streets and eclectic architectural styles.  The views of the city centre and the bay are stunning.  Previously a neighbourhood dominated by the elite, with their departure to more modern suburbs of Rio it has been transformed into an artistic centre with many artists choosing the area as their preferred place of residence.
Among the attractions in Santa Teresa, the highlights are the Chacara do Ceu Museum, the Ruins Park and its gorgeous view over Rio de Janeiro Downtown and Guanabara Bay. Many visitors compare the neighboorhood to the bohemian district of Montmartre in Paris. During the Carnival, many street bands perform on the streets and the most famous one is “Bloco das Carmelitas”, which was named after the local Convent.
On the way back towards Lapa District drop by the Carmelitas’ Convent and clamber down the picturesque "Selaron’s Staircase" to see his masterpiece and meet its mentor.