Santa Teresa Tour

What is Santa Teresa?

A city scene with a variety of colorful old and new buildings, a yellow streetcar on elevated tracks, and a cobblestone street below with pedestrians walking.

Discover Santa Teresa and experience a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro where art and culture pulsate around every corner. Perched on a hill above the historic center and the glimmering bay, Santa Teresa is a compact, bohemian enclave known for its winding cobblestone lanes, colonial mansions, and panoramic vistas of Rio’s skyline and Sugarloaf.

Santa Teresa is more than a picturesque neighborhood—it's a living cultural laboratory where history, visual arts, music, and community life intersect.

A yellow cable car traveling along elevated tracks over a white arched bridge with tall trees in the background and a partly cloudy blue sky.
A city scene with a railway track on top of a high white bridge running through a neighborhood of colorful and aged buildings with red tile roofs and narrow streets, some people walking and cars parked.
Yellow tram moving along tram tracks in an urban area with tall modern buildings in the background, surrounded by a fenced-off construction or maintenance site.
Houses stacked on a hillside with trees, parked cars, and a tiled roof in foreground, with cloudy sky above.

What to Expect

On this tour, you will explore the charming Santa Teresa neighborhood, arriving first aboard the iconic yellow trolley. Once you reach the area, an expert local guide will lead you on a relaxed, guided walking tour lasting up to three hours. During the stroll you’ll encounter abundant street art, have time to browse unique neighborhood shops, and even sample the famous pão de queijo—a true Brazilian culinary icon.

Tour Highlights

Parque das Ruínas
An old brick building with a modern glass extension on top, surrounded by green trees, under a cloudy sky. 
Trolly Car Ride
Yellow train on elevated tracks in an urban setting with modern skyscrapers in the background. 
Selarón Steps
Colorful mosaic staircase with vibrant tiles including yellow, blue, green, red, and decorative patterns, flanked by walls covered in similar colorful tiles, leading upward through a narrow street with buildings at the top.