Rio de Janeiro Trip Overview
In this tour you will get to know Petrópolis. A charming city that tells the history of Brazil in the Imperial era in an exuberant way.
During the tour it will be possible to visit the Imperial Museum, visit the Crystal Palace and even the Quintandinha Palace.
When you are in shape, everyone will have lunch at one of the best located restaurants in the city, next to the Imperial Museum.
Additional Info
Duration: 12 hours
Starts: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Rio de Janeiro Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In this tour you will get to know Petrópolis. A charming city that tells the history of Brazil in the Imperial era in an exuberant way.
During the tour it will be possible to visit the Imperial Museum, visit the Crystal Palace and even the Quintandinha Palace.
When you are in shape, everyone will have lunch at one of the best located restaurants in the city, next to the Imperial Museum.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Centro Historico de Petropolis, Rua do Imperador, Petropolis, State of Rio de Janeiro 25620-900 Brazil
PETRÓPOLIS CITY TOUR WITH LUNCH
FREQUENCY: Tuesday to Sunday
APPROXIMATE DURATION (including travel): 12h
BOARDING TIMES From 07h45 to 09h30
BOARDING PLACES: South and Center Zone (to consult)
WHAT INCLUDES:
Executive Transportation
Accredited Tourism Guide
Lunch
Imperial Museum ticket
WHAT DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Drinks and desserts
Tickets and items from Casa do Alemão and Chocolateria Katz
SCRIPT:
German House
Quitandinha Palace
Imperial Palace
São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral
Crystal Palace
Katz Chocolate House
Santos Dumont House
Duration: 12 hours
Stop At: Quitandinha Palace Congress and Convention Center, Avenida Estados Unidos 2, Petropolis, State of Rio de Janeiro 25651-050 Brazil
The Quitandinha Palace is one of the most beautiful and imposing sights in the city of Petrópolis:
It began to be built in 1941 and was completed in 1944 by the entrepreneur Joaquim Rolla to be one of the largest hotel casinos in South America. The palace has 440 apartments, 13 lounges up to 10 meters high and a dome of Salão Mauá measuring 30 meters in height and 50 meters in diameter. In addition to the huge construction, the Quitandinha Palace has a large lake in front of its façade in the shape of the map of Brazil. In the construction of the lake, much of the sand was brought from Copacabana beach.
During its period of operation, the hotel received many distinguished people such as: Henry Fonda, Carmen Miranda, Walt Disney, as well as politicians such as Getúlio Vargas and Evita Perón.
After the ban on casinos in Brazil, in 1946, the palace ended its activities as a casino and remained operating only as a hotel. From 1960 onwards, he started to have difficulties in maintaining himself only as a hotel and in 1962 he completely stopped his activities.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Imperial Museum, Rua da Imperatriz 220 Centro, Petropolis, State of Rio de Janeiro 25610-320 Brazil
The Imperial Museum, in Petrópolis, was the refuge of the imperial family in the summer. Walking through the palace halls is like moving into a history book. Everything seems intact, as if Dom Pedro II and his family still frequented the place.
Walking through the halls of the Imperial Museum’s palace is like traveling inside a history book. One of the thrones used by Dom Pedro II is in the State Room, the feeling is that the emperor can enter there at any time.
It gathers relics such as furniture, jewelry and documents from the Second Reign (1840/1889). In the attached hall, there are carriages and the locomotive that made the route Rio de Janeiro-Juiz de Fora by the Estrada de Ferro Mauá. The garden values construction even more.
In the jewelry room. It is impossible not to be impressed with the scepter made for the consecration of D. Pedro I, with the crown of diamonds and pearls of D. Pedro II or with the gold and ruby feather used by Princess Izabel to sign the abolition of slavery.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Catedral de Sao Pedro de Alcantara, Rua Sao Pedro Alcantara 60, Petropolis, State of Rio de Janeiro 25685-300 Brazil
The pointed side towers and ogival windows of the Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara are typical of French and German Gothic. Inside, beautiful stained glass windows depict images of saints, Christ and the Holy Family.
Via Crucis, of patinated plaster, is French, as is the image of São Pedro de Alcântara, carved in Carrara marble.
But the main attraction of the sanctuary is the Imperial Mausoleum: on the tombstones of Dom Pedro II, Dona Teresa Cristina, Conde d’Eu and Princesa Isabel, life-size sculptures represent them. Notice that, due to an optical illusion, the emperor’s chest seems to move, as if he is still breathing.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Crystal Palace, Rua Alfredo Pacha S/N 0, Petropolis, State of Rio de Janeiro 25685-210 Brazil
It was opened in 1884 to house exhibitions of flowers, birds and agricultural products. Its precast structure, in cast iron, was commissioned from a foundry in France by Count D`Eu, being assembled in Petrópolis by engineer Eduardo Bonjean. Today it hosts cultural events and exhibitions.
Its most beautiful party was held on Easter Sunday, 1888, in which Princess Isabel, along with her children, delivered letters of freedom to slaves, most of whom compensated their masters with a remarkable campaign developed in the city.
Listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute, it is part of the architectural and landscape complex of the former Praça da Confluência.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Museu Casa de Santos Dumont, Rua do Encanto, 22 _ Centro Próximo ao Relógio das Flores, Petropolis, State of Rio de Janeiro 25685-081 Brazil
It was the summer residence of Alberto Santos Dumont, Father of Aviation, being known as “A Encantada”. The museum has a collection of objects, books, letters and furniture, as well as the shower and the entrance staircase, with steps in the shape of a racket, which can only be accessed starting on the right foot. At the 14 bis Cultural Center, attached to the Casa, you can watch a short film about Santos Dumont. The space has accessibility and tactile models for visitors with special needs.
Alberto Santos Dumont was a great Brazilian inventor, born at Fazenda Cabangú, Palmira, current Santos Dumont, in Minas Gerais, on July 20, 1873, and died in Guarujá, São Paulo, on July 23, 1932, after seeing São Paulo being bombed by airplanes in the 1932 revolution.
Built on the old Encanto hill in 1918. It was on April 18 that the land was purchased. It was designed and planned by Alberto Santos Dumont with the help of engineer Eduardo Pederneiras to serve as a summer residence; and due to its location it was affectionately nicknamed “The Enchanted”.
Encantada reveals much of Santos Dumont’s personality. A large room served as both a library and an office; on the lower floor, his workshop and laboratory, on the top, bathroom and bedroom. On the terrace, embedded in the tinplate roof, the observatory where he spent hours admiring the stars. The building is a French alpine chalet.
A curiosity of the house is that it had no kitchen and all meals came from the Palace Hotel, current building of the Catholic University of Petrópolis, next to the Flower Clock.
The staircase cut out in the shape of a racket draws the visitor’s attention, which forces anyone who wishes to climb it, to always start with the right foot.
It was there that he wrote his second book, the autobiographical “What I saw. What we will see.”
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Soberano Grill, R. Nilo Peçanha, 23 – Centro, Petrópolis – RJ, 25620-020, Brazil
Pause to have lunch and enjoy a free buffet.
Duration: 1 hour
