Historic City Of Petrópolis, The Imperial City – Palaces, Architecture & Culture
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
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Atlantic Forest & Lush Landscape in the middle of a mountainous region
From R$
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Tour type: Private tour.
Live guide & available language: Français, Español, English, and Português.
Tour Operating Hours: Book this tour between 07:00 to 09:30.
Transport: Fully-equipped sedans, minivans, vans, buses according to you group size.
Instant confirmation: Yes, from Tuesday through Sunday.
Tour start location / Final tour location: Any pick-up & drop-off in Rio de Janeiro or elsewhere are included like hotel, airport or port.
Uncover the early stories that marked the monarchical and imperial past history of Brazil and shaped its future, visit the charming historic city of Petrópolis about 1:20 h from downtown Rio de Janeiro.
Petrópolis is known as the imperial city, where Brazilian heritage is proudly preserved in the historical palaces, architecture, culture, food and historical displays.
It was founded in 1843 by the Emperor Dom Pedro II, and was colonized mainly by German immigrants. The Emperor was attracted by the mild climate and exuberant nature of the place, and over the years started to move his court from Rio de Janeiro to Petrópolis during the warmer months. Over time, the city developed around the imperial palace and was also kept by Brazilian presidents as the summer capital throughout the history.
Petrópolis is surrounded by Atlantic forest and colorful landscape in the middle of a mountainous region. In order to reach Petrópolis, highways get through an astonishing mountain range leading to the city in the middle of it.
With its well-preserved historical past and the most modern touristic infrastructure, the city today receives visitors that crowd the quaint streets, museums, gardens, shops, restaurants, and exhibits.
Accompanied by a guide, learn about the curious history of the Brazilian royal family that ruled Brazil for 67 years, and why Brazil practically the entire 19th century was the only monarchy in a Latin America divided into several small republics.
Learn about life in imperial times visiting original 19th-century buildings. Visit the magnificent Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara and admire its sculptures, stained glass and paintings. Inside of it, pay tribute to Dom Peter ll visiting its mausoleum and of others who left an important mark on the history of Brazil.
With a rich ethnic mix assimilated to its culture, Petrópolis also stands out with a unique gastronomy that combines flavors and recipes for all tastes. From funky bars to fine restaurants, and yet many breweries. The Brazil's first brewery and the largest beer experience center in the country is located in Petrópolis. It’s certainly an unmissable attraction to take a complete brewing tour at it leading visitors to unique sensory experiences with exclusive tastings. You can also take a loving gift home from the brewery choosing from national and international beers, sweets, souvenirs, and others.
Stop at sights to explore in the company of the guide who will escort you in the tour expedition, providing an interpreting service along the way.
The proposed itinerary can last about 10 hours starting the count from the pick-up moment in Rio de Janeiro or its surroundings. To meet your needs, you can also decide on the number of people in your group, pick-up & "final drop-off locations", pick-up date & time, and language… and price will be shown according your demands.
No matter where you are in Rio de Janeiro or nearby, or your group size, the system will automatically provide you with "RATES" for the guide to pick you up with the suitable vehicle wherever you are. (Tickets are not included)
In order to book this tour, just fill out the beside “PRICE FORM” with the requested information to have a local licensed guide to craft a tour based on your personal interests and create the best experience.
GREGTUR is the number 1 company on the TRIP ADVISOR rank. Check our TRIP ADVISOR & FACEBOOK pages on the links below before booking:
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The full-day suggested itinerary is taken into consideration pick-up & drop-off locations in the city of Rio de Janeiro and a city tour in the city of Petrópolis with a few stops for pictures, contemplation, exploration, snacks or lunch, and a little shopping for souvenir, but it's just a suggestion.
Notice that meals and drinks are NOT included in the tour price.
Click on the " " sign for a little insight of the sight or place and picture.
Quitandinha Palace
Built in 1944 to be the largest hotel casino in South America. It's in Norman style, but presenting the “Hollywoodian” style in its interior.
The interior resembles scenes from American films. The rooms were decorated by Doroth Draper, a designer for the famous Hollywood films.
In an area of 50,000 m2, Quitandinha was built to be the “Gambling Capital of Brazil”. Marble bathrooms, chandeliers with crystal pendants and a lighting system that would be enough to light up a city of 60,000 inhabitants. Its halls can accommodate up to 10,000 people simultaneously.
The dome is the largest in the world of its kind, 30m high and 50m in diameter, being compared to the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The Mechanized theater with three revolving stages has a capacity for 2,000 people. The lake is shaped like a map of Brazil.
Petrópolis Imperial Museum
The Imperial Museum has the main collection of the country related to the Brazilian empire. The museum's collection consists of pieces linked to the Brazilian monarchy, including furniture, documents, works of art and personal objects by members of the imperial family. In addition, there are constant events, exhibitions and educational projects.
The museum is installed in the former summer palace of the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II.
Visit its beautiful garden and interior, where objects of the royal family and several other historical pieces are located.
Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara
One of the main sights of Petrópolis, the São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral enchants tourists from all over the world with its new-gothic French style, marble sculptures in Carrara, stained glass and the imperial mausoleum. Not to mention the interesting stories and some curiosities.
The Imperial Mausoleum is one of the cathedral's great historical attractions. In the center there is a double sarcophagus with the remains of the Emperor D. Pedro II and Empress Tereza Cristina.
Santos Dumont's House
Known as the father of aviation for being the first to fly on board a motor plane, without the need for launch ramps. Alberto Santos Dumont is one of the main names in Brazilian history and his achievements are considered national pride.
The house was designed by Santos Dumont for his summer residence in the city. The Santos Dumont's house preserves and disseminates the memory of the father of the Brazilian aviation, an engineering genius who revolutionized the world.
Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace is one of the most touristic spots in Petrópolis. The precast structure, in cast iron, was ordered in France by Conde D'Eu, Princess Isabel's husband, and took five years to be ready. It was set up in Petrópolis and opened in 1884 to house exhibitions of flowers, birds and agricultural products. Currently the space hosts cultural events and exhibitions.
Stroll through the shopping streets of Petrópolis
It's worthwhile paying a visit to one of the largest open-air malls in Latin America. On Tereza st., there are more than 1200 stores with a lot of variety of products for all tastes and styles.
Brewery Bohemia
Whoever enters Brewery Bohemia, immediately falls in love with the universe of beer. The visit offers the most complete brewing experience in Latin America. The tour presents the history of beer, its production process and ingredients that lead visitors to unique sensory experiences with exclusive tastings.
Founded by the German Henrique Kremer in 1853, the Brewery Bohemia had the first lager beer to be produced in Brazil.
It’s certainly an unmissable attraction to take a complete tour at it with tastings.
Step back in time to discover the earliest beginnings of Brazil & its imperial history.
Enjoy the vibrant gardens and museums
Explore at your own pace in a personalized way.
Contemplate beautiful landscapes.
Benefit from the undivided attention of a private guide escorting you all along.
Hassle-free private pick-up and drop-off at your Rio de Janeiro hotel.
Take fantastic photos of the beautifully kept attractions of Petrópolis.
Enjoy delicious local cuisine.
Patrone Chocolate Factory
Founded in 1913, in the old times the Patrone chocolate factory prepared its chocolates using raw cocoa mixed with sugar and milk, with all machinery imported from Germany and England.
In its manufacturing line are not only the traditional liqueur fruit chocolates or fine liqueur chocolates, but also those of cherry, marshmallown, walnuts, chestnuts, and brigadeiro.
All visitors receive bonbons to taste the traditional flavor of chocolate.
Yellow Palace - City Council
The Yellow Palace is the seat of the Petrópolis City Council. This attraction features beautiful works of art like paintings and sculptures, and yet, in the interior and exterior architecture that is striking. The marble staircase and fine wooden details make the building even more attractive.
You can take a guided tour inside of the building to get to know in details the beauty and sumptuousness of it.
Princess Isabel House
Princess Isabel house is located in the Historic Center of Petrópolis. The house was the place where the princess's family lived during their stays in the mountains. The last photo of the entire Imperial family in Brazil was taken at the house steps before the Proclamation of the Republic on November 15, 1889.
Rio Negro Palace Museum
The Rio Negro Palace was built in 1889 by the Baron of Rio Negro, a rich coffee producer in Rio de Janeiro. In the early years of the 20th century, the eclectic house became a summer residence for several Presidents of Brazil. Today the Rio Negro Palace is a museum and one of the stops in Petrópolis.
Square 14 Bis
Although, it's not one of the great attractions when you think of Petrópolis, Praça 14 Bis is worth the visit. There you can see a replica of the most famous invention by Santos Dumont, who lived in the city for many years.
Wax Museum
The Petrópolis Wax Museum has international artistic standards for the elaboration of hyper-realistic sculptures of historical characters from Brazil and the world. Life-size wax figures of personalities like Dom Pedro II, Santos Dumont, Gilberto Gil, Gisele Bündchen, etc. are part of the collection.
Throne of Fatima
One of the best viewpoints of Petrópolis, the Throne of Fátima was created by the same architect who designed the Christ the Redeemer statue. The work is 14 meters high and has an incredible view of the historic center of the city. The image of the Virgin weighs 4 tons and measures 3.5 meters. It was carved out of white marble, as was the sculpture of the angel Gabriel.
The grand dome and its seven columns complete the work, representing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Binot Orchidarium
The Binot Orchidarium is the oldest in Brazil. There you can not only admire the flowers, but also buy various types of orchids.
Settler's House
The Settler's House Museum has characteristics of the houses of the Simern region, in Germany. The house portrays the simple way of life of the first settlers who arrived in Petrópolis. In addition to the building itself, the museum also houses a collection of domestic and personal objects, photographs and paintings of the first German immigrants working in the fields.
Crémerie park
Crémerie park has over 40 thousand m², the place is surrounded by Atlantic Forest and has sports courts, swimming pool, playground, lake with paddle boats, barbecue and plenty of space for children to play.
It's highly recommended to read the "IMPORTANT INFO", "PICK-UP / DROP-OFF" and FAQ'S sections before booking.
Transport by fully-equipped vehicles.
Any address pick-up & drop-off are included like hotel, airport or port as long as the booking system accepts the address you enter.
Professional / licensed / bilingual private tour guide.
Private driver for groups bigger than five (5) people, otherwise the guide drives the vehicle themselves.
VAT, all taxes, tolls, handling charges, parking fees during stops, airport / port Greet & Meet service.
Entrance fees.
Meals & drinks.
Gratuities & tips. (optional).
Confirmation is sent just after the booking is made.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
Tour guide details is sent 1 day before the booking date.
This tour offers stops en route for pictures, contemplation, relaxation, exploration, snacks or lunch, and a little shopping for souvenir.
Adult pricing applies to all travelers.
Casual clothes.
Comfortable walking shoes or flip flops or sandals.
Accessibility: Most of the establishments are wheelchair friendly, but not all of them. As long as the tourist has some mobility then this tour would be suitable.
If you cancel at least 5 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 2 & 4 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 1 day of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
The charge is made in Brazilian currency.
Make a down payment online of either 50% or the total amount. If 50% of the payment is made online as a down payment, the remainder should be in cash directly to the guide on spot.
Wherever you specify at the time of the booking as long as the booking system accepts the address you enter. The booking system may automatically reject too long-distance pick-ups & drop-offs.
As it’s a private tour, you choose the best pick-up point that suits your needs.
Any day available on the timetable of the “PRICE FORM”, which is from Tuesday through Sunday.
Any time available on the timetable of the "PRICE FORM".
The key part of our system is the flexibility to book a tour according to number of people, pick-up and final drop-off locations, pick-up time, and language.
We don't actually sell a set tour program for a certain number of hours, but instead we sell the number of hours the “TOUR GUIDE & VEHICLE ” are going to be at your availability to do a certain activity with you. There is also private driver for groups bigger than five (5) people in addition to the guide.
Wherever you specify at the time of the booking as long as the booking system accepts the address you enter. The booking system may automatically reject too long-distance pick-ups & drop-offs.
As it’s a private tour, you choose the best drop-off point that suits your needs.
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Once you have arrived at the airport / port there will be a member of our staff (or guide) waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a clear sign with your name on it, they will then escort you to your waiting private vehicle.
Our team member will be waiting for you even if the flight is delayed.
In the very unlikely situation that the customer is not able to locate our guide, please call our emergency telephone number on the voucher.
As soon as the tour guide arrives at your hotel, they get the front desk to call you in the room in case you are not at the lobby.
In the very unlikely situation that you are not able to locate our guide, please call one of our emergency telephone numbers that are on the voucher.
For long-distance trips, we may have to ask the state or federal road department authorization for taking open highways with big vehicles like vans and buses. Thus, in order to do that, it's required the list of all passengers and their passport or ID numbers at the time of the booking (send it via e-mail after the booking). Therefore, it’s extremely important to book tours with long-distance pick-ups or drop-offs with at least 24 hours in advance. (valid for this tour)
If big vehicles like a van or a bus is traveling without the required documents and the police pulls it over, the trip cannot continue.
For local pick-ups or drop-offs like airport, port or nearby cities, there is NO need of such list and passport or ID numbers.
Such requirement is not necessary for small vehicles like sedans, minivans and SUVs.
The tour guide themselves drives the vehicle in case of groups with up to five (5) people besides guiding and giving all the tour explanations. Groups bigger than five (5) people have also a private driver along with the tour guide.
The assigned vehicle is according to the number of passengers for the tour. The vehicles are all fully-equipped and suitable to fit you and your group comfortably.
Hatchback vehicles
Midsize sedans
Minivans
15-seater vans
19-seater vans
29-seater minibus
44-seater buses
The count starts from the pickup moment, no matter where you are.
We don't actually sell a set tour program for a certain number of hours, but instead we sell the number of hours the “TOUR GUIDE & VEHICLE ” are going to be at your availability to do a certain activity with you. The offered 10-hour guide & vehicle availability is enough to cover the Rio de Janeiro vs Petrópolis round trip transfers and do the suggested tour itinerary and sightseeing.
In case tourists want to have more stops for any reason or spend more time at a sight, it should impact on the tour coverage reducing the number of seen sights or establishments.
The tour coverage depends on the tour rhythm as the guide goes at your pace, and also pretty much on the pick-up & drop-off locations.
Other adversities may also slow down the tour progress such as traffic jam, and the group size that determines the size of the vehicle. Bigger vehicles assigned for bigger groups tend to be slower, and thus cover less ground and sights.
Just fill out the “PICK-UP” and “FINAL DROP-OFF” location fields to have the price for the tour guide to pick you up wherever you are, take you on the tour, and return you back to your place afterwards. The booking system may automatically reject too long-distance pick-ups & drop-offs, as the tour may NOT be worth taking because of the trip time to the city of the tour. In this case, you can either select closer locations or get in touch with us for options.
Have in mind that the tour guide may depart from Rio de Janeiro to pick you up at your place. So in case you are out of or far from Rio de Janeiro, consider the trip time from Rio de Janeiro to your city NOT booking short notice.
This field is to specify the number of hours the licensed private “TOUR GUIDE & VEHICLE” will be at your availability. The count starts from the pickup moment the tour has been set to get started at your hotel, airport, port or any address you have chosen. However, this specific tour has a defined number of 10 hours established, so this field for this specific tour program can not be changed.
Any time available on the timetable of the "PRICE FORM". However, it’s recommended to set the pick-up time in Rio de Janeiro around 7:00 or 8:00 in order to reach Petrópolis about 8:00 or 9:00 to then effectively start the tour.
The guide is going to be at customer’s availability for 10 hours in a row doing the Petrópolis to-and-from transfers, sightseeings and visit to the tourist attractions.
No, this tour is designed to be taken in daytime.
Just fill out the beside “PRICE FORM” with the required information according to your demands.
The price is shown after all the fields are filled out. If you agree with the price, click on the “BOOK NOW” button.
The next page is for login, or sign-up in case you still don’t have an account with us.
After the login, land on a page with a form to collect more information to organize the tour.
Then go to the “CONFIRMATION PAGE”, and continue on to make the payment on the following page inserting the credit card details.
At the end of the booking process, you will receive an e-mail voucher containing the confirmation and pickup instructions.
Confirmed the booking, now start counting down the hours!
To form the price the system takes into consideration the number of people, the number of hours the tour guide and vehicle are going to be at your availability, the pick-up and drop-off locations, and the tour language. So just feed the price form with your demands, and it will automatically show the "RATES" for the tour guide to pick you up with a suitable vehicle.
Yes, always. Sometimes, other than the tour guide, there is also a driver depending on the number of people.
Yes, private tours are totally personalizable according to your interests and likes. Talk directly to the tour guide about your wishes or state / type them in the “BOOKING OBSERVATION BOX” further during the booking process.
The tour is totally private and exclusive for you and your group. No other person out of your group must join your tour, unless it's invited by you.
The guide’s basic expenses such as meals, drinks and parking lot are paid by themselves on spot. Museums, cultural and some entertaining activities are free of charge for tour guides.
The guide may decline to participate in high-priced activities that fall out of the scope of a regular tour such as going to fancy restaurants, dance clubs, nightclubs or anything out of a standard tour. In these cases, if customer wishes to have the guide as a permanent companion, the guide’s expenses should be covered by the customer. Otherwise, the guide must wait for the customer just nearby to continue on the tour afterwards.
All tour guides have complete knowledge about the city sights, culture, history, and social-economic aspects of Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis and Brazil. Some guides are experts on architecture, street art, music, local crafts and design, fashion, cycling, hiking, photograph, business, sports, LGBTQ culture, nature, religion, shopping, gastronomy, art, nightlife, and other topics. If you want a deeper understanding of a specific topic, please state / type your interests in the “BOOKING OBSERVATION BOX” further during the booking process.
Once you have arrived at the airport or port, there will be a member of our staff / guide waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a clear sign with your name on it, they will then escort you to your waiting private vehicle.
The "tour count" of hours starts to run from the time the tour guide meets the tourist.
Our staff / guide will be waiting for you even if your flight or ship is delayed, without extra charges.
The tour can be hired for 1 person up to 42 people. We will assign a suitable vehicle according to your group.
If you have groups with more than 42 people, the ideal is to make two (2) bookings splitting the group and using two vehicles plus two tour guides.
Yes, we have been delivering tours for about 8 years, and car services for more than 19 years. We have hundreds of customers who left reviews & comments on our TRIP ADVISOR & FACEBOOK pages.
GREGTUR is the number 1 company on the TRIP ADVISOR rank among hundreds of other tour companies.
Check our TRIP ADVISOR & FACEBOOK pages on the links below:
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