Visit Petrópolis – RioLIVE! Weekends

Meeting: 08h00 at Rio & Learn
Costs: 400 reais
Includes: Transportation + Tour + Imperial Museum + Brewery Bohemia

Do you want to visit Petrópolis for a day? A popular destination for cariocas, Petrópolis is an amazing city. Known as the Imperial City, it received its nickname because it was Dom Pedro’s favorite place to relax. Petrópolis comes from the word in Latin for Pedro (Petrus) plus the Greek for city (Pólis), meaning City of Pedro (“Cidade de Pedro”). 

During Pedro II’s reign (which lasted for 49 years), he visited Petrópolis at least 40 times, staying as long as five months. During the summer, the city became the capital of the Empire of Brazil, with the entire court moving to it. It was even the capital of the state from 1894 – 1902!

Petrópolis is located in the mountain region of Rio, and is considered the safest city in the state. In Petrópolis, past and present exist side by side. Its mild weather, historical buildings and abundant vegetation also explain why tourists love this city so much.

Things to Do While You Visit Petrópolis

Who told you that you couldn’t enjoy a bit of “cold” weather in Rio de Janeiro?  In this city it is possible, since it reaches temperatures such as 10 degrees Celsius. Besides that, in this Petrópolis day trip, you will visit some of the most amazing and important places for Rio’s history:

First up: a visit to the Imperial Museum. Constructed to become a Summer Palace to Dom Pedro II, the Imperial Museum was later renovated to harbor all artifacts related to the Empire of Brazil. Since it was constructed in 1845, to enter this museum you must wear some special sandals to avoid damange to the floors!

Second, we board into a brew tour adventure! Did you know Petrópolis is known for its many incredible breweries? We’ll make a tour at the Bohemia Brewery, a brand responsible for one of the most traditional beers in Brazil.

We will also visit Quitandinha Palace, which was built to be the largest hotel/casino in South America. Many international personalities have stayed at this hotel, such as Walt Disney, Carmen Miranda, Henry Fonda and Greta Garbo. Currently, due to the ban on casinos in Brazil, the Palace serves to admire its architecture, cultural attractions, and tours!

Don’t forget the Crystal Palace! Even though it is named as a palace, the Crystal Palace is actually a greenhouse! It houses some of the most beautiful and rare flowers Rio has to offer. The Crystal Palace is also surronded by an incredible park!

Finally, the Historical Center of Petrópolis is a charming tourist spot. There, you will be able to check out incredible places like São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral, where is buried Dom Pedro II; Santos Dumond House, which is considered the inventor of the plane; and many other interesting places.

Enjoy the weekend with Rio & Learn and practice your Portuguese while having fun! In addition, it is very interesting and all those who visit Rio de Janeiro must see this beautiful city. Come to Rio & Learn and study Portuguese while having fun discovering Rio and its history.

See our last activities at Petrópolis:

		March 2026	September 2025
July 2025	September 2023	January 2023	December 2022
April 2019	October 2018	July 2018	February 2018
July 2017	April 2017	January 2017	August 2016