Private trips
Private driver in Rio de Janeiro
A private driver in Rio de Janeiro can be booked by the hour, for a half day, a full day or several days in a row, with the same driver and car waiting for you between stops. We pick the driver and the car for your group and luggage, plan the route with you and stay your contact the whole time. Price on request, proposal within 24 hours.
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At a glance
| Format | Private car with driver, only your party on board |
| Duration | By the hour, half day, full day or several days |
| Who it suits | Couples, families, friends, travelers with a busy plan |
| Pickup | Your hotel, apartment, airport or cruise port |
| Language | Driver who speaks your language where available, otherwise driver plus guide |
| Car | Sedan, SUV or van, chosen for people and luggage |
| Cancellation | No charge up to 48 hours before; multi-day trips up to 14 days before |
| Price | On request, proposal within 24 hours |
How booking a private driver in Rio de Janeiro works
You tell us what the day looks like. We pick a driver from our vetted local providers, choose the car and send a proposal with the timing, what is included and the price. Once you confirm, you get the driver’s name and contact. During the trip you keep writing to us if plans change.
Common formats:
- By the hour: A few hours for an evening out, a shopping run or meetings across town.
- Half day: A morning at viewpoints and beaches, or an afternoon that ends at dinner.
- Full day: The city at your own pace, or a day trip out of Rio and back.
- Several days: The same driver for your whole stay or for a road trip along the coast.
What the driver does
- Drives you around the city between beaches, viewpoints, museums and neighborhoods, and waits while you visit.
- Meets you at the airport or the cruise port. For a single ride, an airport transfer is usually the simpler booking.
- Takes you on day trips from Rio and brings you back the same evening.
- Drops you at restaurants or a show at night and picks you up when you are ready.
- Handles shopping stops, so bags stay in the car instead of in your hands.
The driver drives and helps with the logistics. If you want someone to explain the city, its history and what you are looking at, add a guide or book a private tour of Rio.
Language: driver or driver plus guide
Our team answers in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Where it is possible for your dates, we book a driver who speaks your language. When there is no such driver available, we pair a local driver with a guide who speaks your language. We say which option it is in the proposal.
Cars
We match the car to the number of people and the luggage: a sedan for two or three people, an SUV for more room or more bags, a van for families and friends traveling together. We do not promise a specific brand or model; the proposal states the car category.
If you need extra protection on the road, for example on a business trip or with family, ask about an armored car with driver.
Traveling with children
Tell us the age, height and weight of each child and we arrange the right child seats in the car. Under CONTRAN Resolution 819/2021, children under 10 who have not reached 1.45 m ride in the back seat with a restraint for their age: an infant carrier, a child seat or a booster seat. More ideas for a trip with kids are on our Rio family trip page.
Private driver or app rides?
Ride apps work well for single trips around town. A private driver fits a different kind of day: the same person all day, a car that waits while you visit, room for luggage and child seats arranged in advance, and a route we plan with you before you arrive. Many travelers combine both.
What to tell us in your request
- Dates and start time, and how many hours or days
- Number of people and pieces of luggage
- Ages, height and weight of children who need seats
- Rough route: city stops, airport, day trip, dinner
- Preferred language for the driver or guide
- Car category if you have a preference
- Whether you want an armored car
Write to us and you get a proposal within 24 hours. Our fee is already included in the price.
Cancellation and changes
You can cancel at no charge up to 48 hours before the service; for multi-day trips, up to 14 days before. You can move the date once at no charge with 48 hours’ notice if the provider has another date. If the provider cannot come, we find a replacement or refund your deposit in full; the same applies if weather or force majeure rules out the day. Terms and payment are set out in the proposal; you pay nothing before you confirm. See how we work.
Frequently asked questions
How do I hire a private driver in Rio de Janeiro?
Write to us with your dates, times, number of people and a rough route. We pick the driver and the car and send a proposal within 24 hours; you pay nothing before you confirm.
Does the driver speak English or Spanish?
Where we can, we book a driver who speaks your language. If none is available for your dates, we add a guide who speaks your language to ride with you.
Can you provide child seats?
Yes, tell us the age, height and weight of each child. Brazilian rules (CONTRAN Resolution 819/2021) require children under 10 who are shorter than 1.45 m to ride in the back with a restraint suited to their age.
Can the driver take us outside Rio?
Yes. Day trips such as Petrópolis, Búzios or Paraty and multi-day routes are booked as one trip with the driver staying with you.
Can I cancel?
Yes. You can cancel at no charge up to 48 hours before the service; after that the deposit is not refunded. Multi-day trips can be cancelled at no charge up to 14 days before.
See also
- Rio de Janeiro airport transfer: GIG and Santos DumontWe book private airport transfers in Rio de Janeiro for 1 to 6 people: a driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Galeão (GIG) or Santos Dumont (SDU) and takes you to Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra or any other address. Send us your flight number and we plan the pickup around it; price on request, proposal within 24 hours.
- Private day trips from Rio de JaneiroThe most common day trips from Rio de Janeiro go to Petrópolis in the mountains, to Búzios, Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio on the coast east of the city, and to Angra dos Reis, Ilha Grande and Paraty to the west. We arrange each one as a private trip: your own car and driver, a guide who speaks your language, and a schedule set around you. Price on request, proposal within 24 hours.
- Private tour of Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer and SugarloafA private tour of Rio de Janeiro covers Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf in a half day or a full day, with a guide who speaks your language, a private car and pickup at your hotel. We book the train or van to Corcovado and the cable car for your date and time. Price on request, proposal within 24 hours.
- Executive cars and armored cars with a driver in Rio de JaneiroWe arrange executive cars and armored cars with a driver in Rio de Janeiro for executives, VIP guests, incentive and corporate groups, delegations and travel agencies: meet and greet at Galeão and Santos Dumont airports, a car by the day or for the whole stay, and several cars for a delegation. The proposal confirms each vehicle and, for armored cars, the protection level. You get it within 24 hours.
- Rio de Janeiro with kids: a private family tripRio de Janeiro works well with kids if you keep days short and start early: the Sugarloaf cable car, the Corcovado train, AquaRio, the Museum of Tomorrow, the Botanical Garden, calm Praia Vermelha and the playgrounds of Tijuca Forest. We plan the days around your children's ages, book a private driver with the right child seats and a guide who speaks your language, and send a priced proposal within 24 hours.