Carnaval Experience · Cidade do Samba, Gamboa
Samba City (Cidade do Samba) in Gamboa is where Rio's top samba schools build their floats and costumes, and this tour takes you inside Grande Rio's workshop. Pick it for Carnival on any day of the year: the giant sculptures, a costume to try on, a short samba workshop and a caipirinha.
Carnival lasts a few days, and the work behind it lasts all year. Samba City, a warehouse complex in Gamboa near the port, has been the home of the top schools' workshops since 2005. This tour, which the operator calls the only backstage tour of the Rio Carnival, visits the factory of Grande Rio, the 2022 champion. You see floats being built and some of the more than 3,000 costumes a school makes for one parade. Grande Rio parades on Tuesday 9 February 2027. The tour runs year-round and has 4.7 stars from 677 reviews.
A bilingual guide walks you through the workshop and an exhibition on the history of samba and Carnival. Then you dress up in real parade costumes, try a few samba steps with dancers and drink a caipirinha welcome drink. Water is included too. Guests say they left knowing how Rio's Carnival works behind the scenes, and they rate the guides 4.8 out of 5. Names come up often: Ton, Lydia, Victoria.
The ticket is non-refundable, so book once your date is fixed. Transport is not included. You meet at the Carnaval Experience entrance of Samba City, on Avenida Binário do Porto in Gamboa. Drones and smoking are not allowed, and the listing does not allow photography inside the workshop, while guests describe photos in the costumes and with the props.
Find the Carnaval Experience entrance on Avenida Binário do Porto, Gamboa.
Walk the factory of Grande Rio and see the sculptures and floats being built.
Learn how the parade works as a competition between the schools.
Try on a real parade costume and pose with the props.
Dance a few steps with the dancers and drink your welcome caipirinha.
★★★★★The experience exceeded our expectations. We didn’t know much about how Rio’s Carnival works, so we left with a lot of new knowledge and a better understanding of its history and behind-the-scenes preparations. Our guide, Ton, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the tour. [...]
★★★★★A must if you're going to Rio! History of the Carnival, anecdotes, costumes, atmosphere, backstage... everything was perfect. I could have stayed another two hours. [...] Lydia was the best of the best. Passionate, she captivated us throughout the tour.
★★★★★It was an incredibly informative and engaging tour! The guide kept us captivated, and the dancers were absolutely fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. [...]
★★★★★The highlight of my Rio trip. Educational, fun and engaging.
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No. The ticket is non-refundable, so book once your date is fixed.
Grande Rio, the 2022 champion. You see its float and costume workshop, then an exhibition on samba and Carnival history.
Yes. The backstage tour runs year-round, which makes it the way to see Carnival up close in any month.
The Carnival experience ticket, a backstage pass, a bilingual guide, a costume try-on, a short samba workshop, water and a caipirinha. Transport is not included.
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See Carnival floats and costumes being built at Samba City, try a costume on and finish with a caipirinha.
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