Brazil · MUSEUMS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend flying out next month: 15 museum visits that earn their slot, each with a price, a traveller verdict and the one detail to check before you pay.
Visit the Museu de Arte Indígena in Curitiba for $6.40. Expect a sensory, object-focused look at Indigenous Brazilian culture.
“The experience of being in this museum is wonderful, surprising, beautiful, intense and immersive. All Brazilians should run to know our true origin described so strongly in that museum. Awesome! I recommend it to everyone who comes to Curitiba.”
Skyglass Canela combo in Canela, Brazil: glass platform, Abusado ride over Vale da Ferradura, and the Ferro de Passar Memorial.
“Incrivel, experiência que vale a pena ser vivida , uma vista linda , enfim muiito bonito , o custa e alto, mas vale a experiência”
Walk the glass-and-steel Skyglass Canela platform above a Brazilian valley, then visit the Memorial do Ferro de Passar iron museum.
“The view is very beautiful. We take pictures, we take a chopp and we eat a snack that we really like. There is room for children. We took beautiful pictures.Auto-translated”
Full-day guided trip from Rio to Petrópolis, with the Imperial Museum, St Peter of Alcantara Cathedral, Crystal Palace, and optional Bohemia brewery.
“enjoyed the trip, very outgoing tour leader. Packed day, quite long.”
Full-day guided trip from Rio to Petrópolis, with the Imperial Museum, St Peter of Alcantara Cathedral, Crystal Palace, and optional Bohemia brewery.
“the tour was fine, it was the tour diretor Tonya I did not like.. Even though I had requested the tour in English, she spoke mostly in Portuguese as most of the other people spoke both languages. She would talk 5-10 minutes in Portuguese and then just a few words in English. As a result I missed seeing one of the tour highlights because she did not tell me when we were to see it. Also she caused undue stress on me when on our way back the bus stopped and people started to get off I did not know why as she spoke in Portuguese. When I asked what…”
Rio in one morning with a guided Museum of Tomorrow and AquaRio, plus Olympic Boulevard sights like Maua Square and Eduardo Kobra mural.
“Loved seeing all of Rio - even as someone who has lived in Brazil before. Sandra was an amazing guide!”
A 7-hour Santos highlights day with the beach garden, Porchat Island views, Orquidario, Monte Serrat funicular, Pelé and Coffee museums, and Valongo church.
“Very complete and appropriate prior information. They made us a chauffeured upgrade and guide for us alone. We were very lucky with Mary Carmen, an excellent guide, we saw very interesting places, it was organized great and we managed to get without people to the attractions. The place where we ate, we loved it, like a local. If you come by cruise, it is the best excursion of Santos. Thank you Mary Carmen, thank you Gregtour, the memory of Santos cannot be better.Auto-translated”
Half-day downtown Rio walk with hotel pickup, Cais do Valongo, Porto Maravilha, Museu do Amanhã, and Praça XV plus a sweet stop.
“Despite the downpour, Sandra was an amazing guide! Loved walking the city with her. Would definitely recommend .”
Rio Olympic Boulevard port walk plus Museum of Tomorrow and AquaRio, with hotel pickup, expert guide, and big photo stops.
“El guía fue excelente. El tour en general es bueno, pero la peor parte es la larga caminata por el bulevar para llegar al museo del mañana. Esta parte del tour se debería obviar y hacer el traslado en el mismo minibús.”
Half-day Downtown Rio tour with hotel pickup, Valongo Wharf, Eduardo Kobra mural, Museum of Tomorrow, Monastery of Saint Benedict, and Colombo.
“La guía, Marilia, se perdió al llevarnos de un punto a otro. No explicaba los lugares de visita, siempre nos estaba apurando a pesar del tiempo que perdió al perderse entre las calles. El transporte casi nos deja al final del recorrido ya que como eran dos tours en el mismo transporte parecía que estábamos ligados al segundo tour. No fue una experiencia agradable. Por lo que no lo recomiendo.”
Visit the Univali Oceanographic Museum in Piçarras, SC, with 7 themed wings, aquariums, and a hands-on animal lab for about 1 to 1.5 hours.
“Meu filho ficou maravilhado com todo o Museo não tinha visto nada igual....Ele ama a vida marinha e sabia o nome de cada espécie foi o nosso guia nessa aventura.”
Full-day Petrópolis tour from Rio with Quitandinha, Imperial Museum, Crystal Palace, cathedral, Santos Dumont, and brewery or Wax Museum.
“Educational trip, our tour guide Julio was funny and attentive. He's also multilingual - speaks Spanish, English and Portuguese.”
Guided Museum of Tomorrow tour in Rio with transport, Calatrava architecture, and Porto Maravilha stops at Maua Square and Olympic Boulevard
“This is an excellent museum to visit. Our guide picked us up and took us to see the museum from a distance as it is an architectural marvel. Then we went to the museum and walked around the entire t experience. He took pictures of us and explained much of the Amazon history that was written in Portuguese. The visit was very special, insightful, and not to be missed.”
Full-day Petropolis tour from Rio with Imperial Museum, key landmarks, and optional Bohemia Brewery beer sampling and lunch.
“Was a great tour with Julio. I was with a group of Spanish & Portuguese speaking guests but he explained everything personally as if I was on a private tour. Petrópolis is a must when you are in Rio.”
Manaus day trip to MUSA and INPA with a bilingual guide, hotel pickup, and a 42-meter tower view over the Amazon canopy.
“não compensa! não foi conforme o descrito no anúncio. no geral muito desorganizado! não recebi informações sobre horário de busca no hotel, e eu que tive que contatar a agência e ninguém atendia telefone ou respondia email. Após buscar no Google achei outro telefone da agência e consegui contato, responderam com o contato do motorista e horário e no dia do passeio mudaram para outro motorista e anteciparam a saída pro passeio. No Inpa não há nenhum guia e nosso motorista nos acompanhou na caminhada. Depois fomos ao MUSA, chegando lá para nossa surpresa não tinha reserva alguma e nem passeio guiado, que só ocorre duas vezes ao dia (9.30…”
Pick a coast, a city or a river, and start there.
