ADV 001/Copacabana
A private speedboat charter on the water off Rio
Chapter IV · The Concierge

Rio, arranged.

Boat days, flights over the city, hikes, tours and transfers, booked for you by Art de Vivre.

How it works

Ask in your language.

Art de Vivre books every experience on this page itself, with boat owners, pilots and guides it works with regularly. Send us the day, the number of people and what you have in mind, on WhatsApp or by email, in Portuguese, English or French. We confirm the operator, the timing and the price, and you get a same-day reply.

You can book before you arrive or during your stay. The beach is across the avenue and breakfast is made at home each morning, so the concierge is for the days you want to go further.

What we arrange
I

On the Water

Private charters from the marinas at Glória and Urca around Guanabara Bay, and full days down the coast to Angra dos Reis, Arraial do Cabo and Búzios.

A private speedboat charter on the water off Rio
 II

Above the City

A private helicopter flight over the South Zone beaches, Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf.

Christ the Redeemer above Rio de Janeiro
 III

Trails and Forest

Guided hikes to Pedra do Telégrafo, half days in the Tijuca Forest, and a horseback ride to waterfalls in the Atlantic rainforest.

An open-top jeep on a forest road through Tijuca National Park
 IV

City Tours

Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, the Selarón Steps and the Maracanã with a guide, plus a family day and a tour for football fans.

The Selaron Steps in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro
 V

Petrópolis

The imperial city in the mountains above Rio, with the Imperial Museum, and add-ons for the wax museum and the Bohemia brewery.

The Lapa Arches in central Rio de Janeiro
 VI

Transfers and a Chef

A private car from either airport to the penthouse door, a transfer to Petrópolis, and a chef in the kitchen for a dinner at home.

The penthouse kitchen with white cabinets and black stone counters
On the water

Boats and the coast.

The bay charters leave from Marina da Glória and the Urca marina, a short drive from Copacabana. The long coastal days include round-trip transport from Rio, a guide and lunch.

Mary Sky

A 43-foot Velasco motor yacht out of Marina da Glória. Take it for a full day of about eight hours past Sugarloaf, Urca and the islands of Guanabara Bay, or for a private five-hour charter for up to 18 people, with routes that reach the Cagarras islands off Ipanema.

Lady Ida VIII

A private five-hour charter for up to 15 people, leaving from the Urca marina.

Ventura 30

A 30-foot speedboat for half-day outings of about four hours, up to six people, to the beaches of Niterói and the quieter coves of the bay.

Angra dos Reis

A full day, around 14 hours door to door, among the islands and beaches of Angra, about three hours south of Rio. Groups of up to 20.

Arraial do Cabo

A full-day boat trip to the clear water of Arraial do Cabo, east of Rio, with lunch, a guide and transport.

Búzios

A full day on a schooner along the beaches of Búzios, about two and a half hours east of Rio. Read more in our Búzios day trip.

Helicopter

A private flight for up to four over the South Zone beaches, Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf. You are in the air for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, and the outing takes about three hours in all.

The cabin of a private charter boat
A hang-glider soaring over Sao Conrado beach in Rio
A butterfly on a tropical flower in Rio's rainforest
The Lapa Arches in central Rio de Janeiro
The deck of a charter boat looking out over the bay
On land

Trails, tours and the mountains.

Every land tour below includes transport from Copacabana and a specialised guide. The city tours and the Petrópolis days include lunch.

Pedra do Telégrafo

A morning hike, about six hours with the drive, to the famous Pedra do Telégrafo overhang at the western end of Rio. Up to 12 people.

Tijuca Forest

Four hours in the Tijuca Forest, the rainforest inside the city, with a guide. Up to 12 people.

Horseback and waterfalls

A seven-hour day in the Atlantic rainforest outside Rio: a ride on horseback, a hike, the waterfalls and lunch. Up to 10 people.

City highlights

A full day, eight to ten hours, at Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, the Maracanã from outside, the Selarón Steps and the Sambódromo. A shorter four-to-five-hour version covers Christ the Redeemer and the same city stops.

Panoramic drive

An afternoon drive of about four hours past twenty-one of Rio's viewpoints and neighbourhoods, with no long stops.

Families

A seven-hour day with the Sugarloaf cable car, the BioParque do Rio and the AquaRio aquarium, lunch and transport included.

Football

A five-hour visit inside the Flamengo training ground and the Maracanã stadium, for fans of Brazilian football.

Rocinha

A four-hour walking tour of Rocinha with a local guide. Up to 10 people.

Petrópolis

A 12-hour day in the imperial summer capital in the mountains above Rio, with the Imperial Museum. It can be combined with the Museu de Cera wax museum, the Bohemia brewery, or both.

Transfers

A private car with a driver who meets you at either airport and brings you to the building, up to six passengers, about an hour. A one-way transfer to Petrópolis with an English-speaking guide is also available. Our airport guide compares the other ways in.

A chef at home

For the big dinner of the trip, we can bring a chef into the penthouse kitchen. The housekeeper can also cook a Brazilian-style meal, paid to her directly.

VII
Where We Eat
From Charlie's
own guidebook

Charlie's tables.

Art de Vivre keeps a guidebook for its guests, written in Charlie's own words. These are his picks and his tips. We are glad to book any of them.

Rio's Michelin restaurants

Assador Rio's

An all-you-can-eat steakhouse on Guanabara Bay with Sugarloaf in front of you. Charlie's advice: eat little all day, go to the beach, arrive around 4 PM, skip the salads and fried starters, and ask for the tomahawk, chorizo, ancho, baby beef and filet. You can bring your own wine for a corkage fee. Take an Uber.

SULT

In Charlie's words, the best Italian in Rio, with probably the best wine list in the city. Order the lasagna as a starter and share it between two or three, then the sorrentino or the filet; the pirarucu or the fish of the day for something lighter. Book ahead.

Sabor Peruano

A small Peruvian place near the Selarón Steps that Charlie rates as his favourite in Rio. Order the ceviche, the chaufa and above all the tacu tacu de lomo, with a pisco sour.

S Bistrô, Leme

A friendly French-run bistro by the beach in Leme, at the northern end of Copacabana. The Thursday and Friday set lunch is good value.

Le Pulê

A bistro on Praça General Osório in Ipanema, with a menu that changes with the seasons, fair prices and kind service.

La Carioca

The Ipanema cevicheria sits under the trees on the corner of Rua Redentor and Rua Garcia d'Ávila. Its beach branch in Leblon, La Carioca en La Playa, serves lunch with your feet in the sand and a view of the Two Brothers.

Aussie Coffee

Charlie's pick for the best coffee in Rio, at the end of a long corridor, with brunch served all day.

Getting around

Charlie's tips.

Practical advice from the same guidebook, for the days you head out on your own.

Metro

Rio's metro runs along the beaches. It is clean, quick and air-conditioned, the easy way to get around the coast.

Bikes

Download the Bike Itaú app to rent a bike for the beachfront paths or the ride around the lagoon.

Christ the Redeemer

Buy your tickets for the little train online in advance so you skip the queue at the station.

Sugarloaf

Go up for sunset.

Two Brothers

Start as early as you can, sunrise if you are keen. Go to Vidigal and take a moto-taxi or a minivan up to the trailhead, pay the small entry fee, then climb for about 45 minutes. The whole outing takes about two hours. Bring water.

Frescobol

The beach paddle game with no winner, where the point is keeping the ball in the air. Charlie plays in the morning at Praia do Diabo, by Arpoador, and in the afternoon at Posto 9 in Ipanema.

Dress code

T-shirt, flip-flops and swimwear, all year. Leave the expensive watch at home; Cariocas do not show off.

At your service

Ask us anything.

A private samba-school visit, a helicopter to Angra, a birthday dinner on the terrace: send us the brief and we come back with a quote and a date.

WhatsApp the Concierge Write to us