Petropolis from Rio

[Bruin Steve]

We're leaving in two weeks for Rio to start our Infinity Transatlantic cruise.

 

We arrive on April 10 and are staying at the Hilton Copacabana.  The original plan was to relax on the 10th, going on a full day Rio tour on the 11th...then to play it by ear on the 12th and board on the 13th... But, with all the talk of safety issues in Rio, we're re-thinking that day of the 12th.  Maybe better to take another organized tour that picks up and drops off at the Hilton.

 

I was looking through day tours and notice several to Petropolis...some with a visit to the brewery, others just Petropolis tours.  There seems to be a large number of companies doing these.  Almost too many to sort through.  We would want something that is definitely IN ENGLISH.  Fewer people the better, though we'd like a relatively low price so we'd want a tour with others rather than just an expensive day with the two of us and a tour guide.

 

First, worth visiting?

Second, and more important, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?   Thanks... 

[JohnCA]

I took a tour from Rio to Petropolis in June 2015 with Riomaximo.  They picked me up and dropped me at my hotel (the JW Marriott Copacabana), with the pick up at 9:30am.  There were 22 people: me, 4 Mexicans (speaking Spanish) and the rest Brazilian (speaking Portuguese).  The guide spoke fluent English and I had no trouble understanding what was going on.  We made a photo stop at the casino, then went to a chocolate "factory" (mainly for the toilets, I think), then to the Emperor's Palace.  There are 44 rooms and we examined each one.  I would have been happy with 4.  Then a late lunch by Santos Dumont's place (this was my main interest and there was time to explore it on yout own), then back to the bus and visits to the Cathedral and the Crystal Palace and back home by 6:30pm.  It cost 100 BRL plus 40 for lunch.

I thought it was well organized and enjoyable.