Lowest price
Short hop
Catamaran from Urca
- Length1.5 hours
- DrinksSoft drinks
- GuideAudio guide
Group price calculator
Rio de Janeiro boat tour prices, and what each one buys you
Sunset sail on Guanabara Bay
★ 4.8 · 1,051 opinions
Answer in brief
Rio de Janeiro boat tour prices run from a short catamaran hop to private yachts, and a 3-hour shared sunset sail with drinks starts in the same band as most shared bay trips.
Price essentials
Review 4 options
Starting cost for your group
Choose a bay trip and the head count to see what the evening starts at.
- Our sunset sail3 hours, drinks included · for one person from $57
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View - Open-bar sailboat3 hours from Urca · for one person from $56
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View - Cruising-yacht sail3 hours, marina start · for one person from $70
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View - Catamaran circuit1.5 hours, budget · for one person from $23
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View
All amounts are from-prices on GetYourGuide, converted at the ECB reference rate. Exact prices are shown at booking.
Rio de Janeiro boat tour prices on Guanabara Bay run from a short catamaran hop to a private yacht. Here is what the starting prices cover, where the extra costs sit, and how to read a listing before you pay.
Editorial team, riosunsetsail.com · Updated November 11, 2026 · Read in 7 min
The essentials
- Our sunset sail3 hours on the bay with drinks and snacks, from $57.
- Cheapest hopA catamaran circuit of 1.5 hours starts from $23.
- Morning optionA brunch sail with caipirinhas starts from $49.
- Whole boatA private speedboat starts from $500 for the group.
- Free to changeThe leading sails refund every cent if you cancel a day out.
What Rio de Janeiro boat tour prices really cover
Rio de Janeiro boat tour prices look alike at first glance, because so many of the shared sunset trips sit in a narrow band. The difference is in what the price carries. The sunset sail we sell here lasts 3 hours, priced from $57; its listing names caipirinha, beer and sparkling white wine among the drinks, served with snacks. That makes the starting price an all-in figure for the time on the water, rather than a seat with a bar tab to follow.
Others build the price differently. A boat party aboard a wooden schooner starts from $41 for 4 hours, but its bar sells drinks rather than pouring them freely, so what you spend on board comes on top. A catamaran circuit of 1.5 hours starts from $23, and its listing names water, soft drinks and a glass of sparkling wine at the end. Neither is wrong; they simply answer different questions.
So read the price together with the key lines in the listing: how long you are out, what is poured and whether the trip is shared or private. With those in front of you, the cheapest listing is often not the cheapest evening, and a slightly higher starting price can turn out to be the better value once the drinks, the swim stop and the route are counted in.
Price check
Bay trips by length, start price and drinks
| Trip | Length | From | Drinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our sunset sail | 3 hours | $57 | Included |
| Open-bar sailboat | 3 hours | $56 | Open bar |
| Cruising-yacht sail | 3 hours | $70 | Included |
| Brunch and sunset sail | 3 hours | $49 | Caipirinhas |
| Catamaran circuit | 1.5 hours | $23 | Soft drinks |
| Schooner party | 4 hours | $41 | Bar sells drinks |
| Shared catamaran | 3 hours | $113 | See listing |
Starting prices per person from GetYourGuide as scraped; the live booking page has the final figure.
The shared sunset sails, side by side
The busiest shared sails on the bay keep to a similar format: about 3 hours, a small crew, drinks and a stop to swim when the sea allows. A sunset sailboat tour with an open bar starts from $56 and gathers its guests in Urca, where a small boat ferries them out to the sailboat. A Guanabara Bay sail on a blue-water cruising yacht starts from $70 and leaves from Marina da Gloria.
A smaller sailboat from the Flutuante Rio pier in Urca caps its group at 8 guests and starts from $57. Our own pick sails from pier A2 at Marina da Gloria with a group of at most 12 people and adds named stops: Sugarloaf, the Santa Cruz fortress with an optional swim, Boa Viagem Island and the runway of Santos Dumont Airport. A rio sunset boat tour at this level is more about the crew and the route than about the boat itself.
Ratings help when prices are this close. The sail sold here has 1,051 reviews averaging 4.8, with 4.8 for value for money in its breakdown. The open-bar sailboat has 957 reviews averaging 4.9, and the cruising-yacht sail 389 reviews averaging 4.9. Any of them is a safe choice; pick by departure point and by what you want poured.
Guest numbers
Reviews collected by Rio bay trips
- Our sunset sail1,051
- Open-bar sailboat957
- Cruising-yacht sail389
- Brunch and sunset158
- Morning sail70
- Small sailboat30
Review totals per trip on GetYourGuide, taken from our scraped listing data.
Cheaper hops, morning sails and the party boats
If the budget is tight, the bay still has options. The catamaran circuit from in front of Bar Urca lasts 1.5 hours from $23, offers an audio guide in English and Spanish and runs both morning and sunset departures. It is the shortest way onto the water, though its rating of 3.6 from 17 reviews is lower than the sailing trips.
Morning sails cost about the same as the sunset ones. A brunch sail with caipirinhas starts from $49 and runs from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in its morning version, with fruit and light bites on board. A morning sailing tour of 3 hours from Marina da Gloria starts from $56 and follows the line of the old forts towards Niteroi. The light is harsher at midday, and the deck is in full sun.
The boat parties are a different product altogether. The schooner party carries about 150 people with a DJ, and its sunset sailing includes a swim stop. Expect music rather than a guide, and budget for the bar. If what you picture is a quiet deck with the city turning orange, a rio sunset boat trip on a small sailboat is the better spend.
Your budget
Match the spend to the evening
Choose the evening you want and see which trip stretches the budget.
If I want the sunset with drinks included
The 3-hour sunset sail
From $57 with caipirinha, beer and sparkling wine poured on board.
If Short on time, light on cash
The catamaran circuit
It lasts 1.5 hours from $23 and leaves from Urca.
If I prefer mornings on the water
The brunch sail
It sails from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in its morning version.
If We want to dance, not sightsee
The schooner party
From $41 for 4 hours with a DJ; drinks are bought at the bar.
If We are a group of friends
A private speedboat
From $500 for the whole boat, split among you.
Three budgets
Three ways onto the bay
Sold here
Sunset sail
From Marina da Gloria
- Length3 hours
- DrinksCaipirinha, beer
- GroupAt most 12
Whole boat
Private speedboat
Your own route
- LengthUp to 5 hours
- FoodBring your own
- PricedPer group
Speedboats and catamarans: where the price climbs
Motorboats cover more ground in the same time. A speedboat beach tour with beer starts from $56, boards at the Urca pier and runs past Copacabana, Arpoador and the Cagarras Islands as well as the forts inside the bay. A sunset speedboat cruise from Marina da Gloria starts from $63 and spends 50 minutes swimming at Adao Beach in Niteroi.
The shared catamaran at the top of the shared range starts from $113 for 3 hours, with nets to lie on, a bathroom and fresh-water showers on board. You pay for space and comfort rather than for a longer route, which makes it a good choice for families who want room to move around and for anyone who dislikes a crowded deck.
Above that sit the private boats, priced per group rather than per seat. A private speedboat starts from $500 for the group and lets you pick a route to Urca, Praia Vermelha or Adao e Eva beach. Divided among friends, private hire can come close to the shared prices; our guide to private boats and yachts works through those numbers in detail.
Booking to boarding
Where the money goes, step by step
Days before
Reserve your seat
Hold the date without paying yet; cancel free until 24 hours before.
Day before
Sort your ride
Hotel pickup is an option on the sail; otherwise plan a taxi or ride app.
At the marina
Arrive early
Be at the Marina da Gloria gate 15 minutes before the start.
On board
Drinks are covered
Caipirinha, beer and sparkling wine with snacks, no bar bill.
After dark
Ride home
Yellow taxis switch to tariff 2 from 9pm.1
The costs around the ticket
Getting to the boat is the first extra. The sail sold here offers hotel pickup and drop-off as options, so check whether your booking includes them before you plan a taxi. Marina da Gloria sits on the Aterro do Flamengo, next to Santos Dumont Airport, so it is a short ride from the city centre and the southern beaches.3,4 A private speedboat listing states plainly that getting to the marina is up to you.
Coming back after dark can cost a little more. City yellow taxis charge tariff 1 from 6am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday, and the higher tariff 2 from 9pm to 6am and all day on Sundays and holidays.1 A ride app avoids the question, but either way it is worth deciding how you will get home before the sail, rather than standing at the marina gate with a flat phone.
Then there is food. Most shared sails serve snacks rather than a meal, so plan dinner for afterwards. The marina itself has restaurants and bars looking over the water, a natural place to eat once you step off the boat.2 In Urca, the low sea wall known as the Mureta da Urca is where locals gather with a cold beer as the light fades.5
Video
A sailboat tour of Rio de Janeiro
Sesmo Travels on YouTube · The video only starts loading on your tap.
Restaurants and bars with a view of the sea offer an excellent chance to relax and take in the scenery after a boat trip.
Before you pay
Read these lines in any listing
In the listing3
- How long you are actually on the water
- What is poured: open bar, set drinks or a paying bar
- Shared seat or the whole boat for your group
Around the trip3
- Whether hotel pickup is part of your booking
- A card kept in sight at every payment terminal
- How you will get home after dark
Booking terms2
- Free cancellation window before the start
- Reserve now, pay later if you are unsure of the date
Children, tips and paying on the day
None of the sunset sails we compared publishes a separate child rate in our data, so check the price shown for each traveler type when you choose a date. If children are coming, the drinks question matters on an all-inclusive sail: under Brazilian law, serving alcohol to anyone under 18 is a crime even when it is free.6,7 Several sails list soft drinks among what they pour, which covers younger guests.
Tipping the crew is not part of any listed price. If the crew made the evening, a tip in local cash at the end is a kind gesture, handed to the captain or the host to share. Nobody will expect you to tip on top of a booking that already covers the drinks, so treat it as a thank-you rather than a fee you owe.
If you pay by card in Rio, stay careful with it. Britain's travel advice for Brazil asks visitors never to let a card out of view and to read the figure on the machine before tapping.8 Paying for the trip in advance online, with free cancellation until 24 hours before, keeps the day itself simple. If you book through this site, you reserve now and pay later.
Getting real value from a bay trip
Value on the bay comes down to time on the water, what is included and the route. A 3-hour sail with drinks, a swim stop and the forts at the mouth of the bay gives you more than a short hop, even at a higher starting price. If you will drink a couple of caipirinhas anyway, an inclusive sail is the cheaper evening.
Book a few days ahead when you can. Sunset slots are the ones to secure early, and with group sizes as small as 8 or 12 guests the good dates fill. Since cancelling is free until a day before departure, booking early carries no risk should the forecast turn, and the crews themselves may move the route when wind or rain demand it.
Finally, judge the deal by the evening you want. A couple who want the colours over Sugarloaf will be happiest on a small sailboat. A group of friends may get better value from a private boat split several ways. And if you only have an hour and a small budget, the catamaran circuit still puts you on the water with the city in front of you.
FAQ
Fast answers to common questions.
How much does a sunset sail in Rio cost?
From $57 for 3 hours.
The sail sold on this site includes drinks and snacks; similar shared sails start between $49 and $70.
What is the cheapest boat trip on Guanabara Bay?
A short catamaran circuit.
It lasts 1.5 hours from $23, with soft drinks and a sparkling wine at the end.
Are drinks included in the price?
On most sails, yes.
Our pick pours caipirinha, beer and sparkling wine; the schooner party sells drinks at its bar instead.
Is hotel pickup included?
It is offered as an option.
The listing names hotel pickup and drop-off options; check your booking before planning a taxi.
How much is a private boat in Rio?
From $312 for the group.
The cheapest is a 3-hour private speedboat; a private sunset sailboat starts from $480, and catamarans and yachts cost more, priced for the whole boat.
Can I cancel if the weather turns?
Yes, up to 24 hours before.
The sail refunds in full with 24 hours of notice, and the captain can change the route for weather.
Do children pay less?
Check when you choose a date.
No separate child rate appears in our data; the price for each traveler type shows at booking.
Sources
- Riotur, Rio de Janeiro city tourism company (riotur.rio) · Informacoes uteis (Useful information) ↩
- Riotur, Rio de Janeiro city tourism company (riotur.rio) · Marina da Gloria ↩
- Axia Marina da Gloria (the marina operator, marinadagloria.com.br) · Axia Marina da Gloria ↩
- Axia Marina da Gloria (the marina operator, marinadagloria.com.br) · Axia Marina da Gloria ↩
- Riotur, Rio de Janeiro city tourism company (riotur.rio) · Mureta da Urca ↩
- Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, federal legislation (camara.leg.br) · Lei 8.069/1990, Estatuto da Crianca e do Adolescente (updated text) ↩
- Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, federal legislation (camara.leg.br) · Lei 8.069/1990, Estatuto da Crianca e do Adolescente (updated text) ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (gov.uk) · Brazil travel advice: safety and security ↩