Historic Rio and the Museum of Contemporary Art
Visiting the Fifteenth of November Square in the historic centre of Rio de Janeiro will take you three centuries into the past. As you wander around the square, you will find monuments built during the colonial period and learn about the art and history surrounding these buildings that make up Rio's vibrant architectural setting.
For a taste of royal history, visit the Imperial Palace, Brazil's former Viceroy Palace, which rises to meet the skyline, with your Rio de Janeiro guide.
From there, take a ferry boat across the bay to explore Brazil's modern perspectives at the Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The building itself is a sight to see, with three floors and an 817-square-meter reflecting pool surrounding the cylindrical base. The saucer-shaped modernist structure, which has been likened to a UFO, is set on a cliffside.
A wide access slope leads to a hall of expositions and the viewing gallery, where you can gaze out at Rio's bay and famed Sugarloaf Mountain.
