Booked here
The lagoon day
Lagoon, settlement and lunch
- Length14 hours
- RoadCoach of 2.5 hours
- Lunch2:30 to 3:30 PM
Price for your party
An Ilha Grande day trip from Rio, hour by hour
Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande day from Rio
★ 4.5 · 2,187 user reviews
3 options compared
Price the day for your group
Pick a day and a group size to see the opening price.
- Lagoon dayPickup in Rio · starting at, per person $75
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View - 12-hour day5 pickup areas · starting at, per person $75
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View - Cruise and lunch dayLunch in Angra · starting at, per person $62
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View
Starting prices on GetYourGuide, exchanged at the ECB reference rate. The booking page gives the exact price.
A single day gets you from a Rio hotel to green lagoons and back. Here is how the hours divide between road, boat and lunch, and what you miss without a night on the island.
Editorial team, angradosreisboattrip.click · Updated November 12, 2026 · 7 mins to read
Essentials
- How longThe site tour lasts 14 hours from pickup in Rio to drop-off.
- The roadThe coach leg takes 2.5 hours, along 150 km of the Rio-Santos road.1
- On the waterGuided stops include the Blue Lagoon and Freguesia de Santana.
- LunchThe meal comes after the boat ride, in the mid-afternoon.
- PriceThe day starts from $75, with pickup included.
Can you do the island in a single day?
Yes. People type can you do a day trip to Ilha Grande from Rio, and the booking record gives a clear answer: a day of 14 hours, with pickup in Rio and a coach leg of 2.5 hours toward the coast. The municipal tourism portal agrees that the island has boats leaving from Angra dos Reis all day, so a morning departure is the normal pattern.2
What a day trip gives you is the water, not the island interior. Its guided stops are the Blue Lagoon of Ilha Grande, Freguesia de Santana and a stop named Velinn Angra Sunset, and the highlights add a seaside lunch at Japariz. You swim, snorkel and eat, and then you ride home. It is a good sampler for a short stay in Rio and a poor stand-in for a night in the village.
Several listings run the same idea with small differences. A day of 12 hours has 5 pickup areas, a day of 14 hours picks up in Leblon, Copacabana and Ipanema, and a boat-and-lunch day swaps the stops for a longer cruise and a lunch in Angra dos Reis. Compare them on our page about trip prices; this page follows the day booked here from the first pickup to the last drop-off.
How the day divides
Day shapes side by side
| Part of the day | Site tour | Boat-and-lunch day |
|---|---|---|
| Road | Coach of 2.5 hours | Transfer of 3 hours each way |
| On the water | Guided stops: lagoon and settlement | Boat cruise of 4 hours |
| Lunch | 2:30 to 3:30 PM at Japariz | 1 hour in Angra dos Reis |
| Pickup | Default point in Lapa | 9 hotels, 6:45 to 8:30 AM |
| Total length | 14 hours | 14 hours |
Both shapes run 14 hours; they split the clock differently between road, boat and lunch.
The early start and the pickup in Rio
The day begins with a pickup in Rio, and the listing keeps its time loose. The time shown at booking is only indicative, and the boarding details arrive by WhatsApp the day before. If you leave no pickup address, the default meeting point is the Socialtel Lapa at Rua Visconde de Maranguape 9. Treat that message as the real schedule and keep your phone charged the evening before.
For a sense of timing, the boat-and-lunch listing gives a pickup window of 6:45 AM to 8:30 AM depending on the hotel, which suggests how early the Rio hotels are visited. The site tour does not publish a window, so plan on an early morning start and an easy breakfast. A cold coffee at the hotel and a light bite will serve better than a heavy meal before a boat ride.
The pickup areas differ by listing, so check yours. The day of 12 hours collects guests from Socialtel Lapa, Botafogo Praia Shopping, Leblon, Copacabana and Ipanema. The small-group fast-boat listing offers no pickup in Sao Conrado, Barra da Tijuca or the Olympic Park and sends guests from those areas to Praia Ipanema Hotel. If you stay far from the south zone, write to the operator before you book.
Hours on the road
Road or transfer time by option
- Site tour coach2.5
- Lunch-day transfer3
- Shared to Angra3
- Private to Abraao3
- Airport van3.5
- Shared to Abraao4
Each bar shows the length stated for that leg or transfer, and the shared transfers to Abraão take in the boat.
The coast road and the first views
On an Angra dos Reis day trip from Rio, the coach crosses the Costa Verde, the green coast between Rio and the Paraty border. The Angra dos Reis tourism portal measures the road at 150 km from Rio along Avenida Brasil and the Rio-Santos highway, a drive of 2 hours 30 minutes.1 That matches the coach leg of 2.5 hours on the listing, so the first stretch of the day is mostly motion and scenery.
Mangaratiba, a coastal town on the same highway, lies about 85 km from the capital.8 You pass it on the way, and its pier is one of three points from which the park ferries run to Ilha Grande, though the day tour uses its own boat.9 The 365 islands that give the area its name appear as green shapes on the horizon as the road bends along the bay.10
Take water and something to eat for the ride down the coast. The listing says plainly that lunch is not served before the boat tour, and it recommends carrying snacks and water for the coach. A light layer also helps on a long coach ride, and a motion-sickness remedy is worth packing if winding roads upset you.
Is a day enough
A single day, or a night on Ilha Grande
Tell us what you are after and we show the option that fits.
If I want a swim and a snorkel in clear water
A day trip
The Blue Lagoon is a guided stop on the site tour, from $75.
If I want to walk to Lopes Mendes
Stay a night
The state park rates the walk at 7.8 km and 4 hours one way.5
If I want the Pico do Papagaio view
Stay a night
The state park rates the climb at about 6 hours and advises a guide.6,7
If I get tired on long coach rides
A boat from Angra
A shared speedboat tour from Angra lasts 5 hours.
If I have a single free day in Rio
A day trip
The booked day runs 14 hours with pickup included.
Day shapes
Ways to spend a day from Rio
12 hours
The shorter day
5 pickup areas in the south zone
- Length12 hours
- Pickups5 areas
- CancelFree up to 24 hours
Lower price
The cruise day
A long cruise, lunch in Angra
- Length14 hours
- Cruise4 hours
- WeatherRain or shine
On the water: the Blue Lagoon and Freguesia de Santana
The Blue Lagoon is the stop most people picture first. The Angra dos Reis portal places it by Ilha dos Macacos, on the side of the island that faces the coast, and says it takes its name from the Blue Lagoon film of the 1980s.3 Boat companies include it in their routes, and visitors can swim, float on noodles, snorkel and watch shoals of small fish.11
Freguesia de Santana is the stop with history. The portal says it is where the settlement of Ilha Grande began, and that today it has only 50 residents.4 In the 18th century it was the economic center of the island, with coffee, vegetables, cereals and sugar mills.12 The church is the landmark of the stop, and the visit gives the day a short cultural break between swims.
The last guided stop on the record, Velinn Angra Sunset, comes without a description, so we leave it undescribed. Beach stops in the bay such as Cataguases island are a standard part of other tours from the Santa Luzia pier, where the portal says almost every tour stops.13 Your guide sets the exact order, and other Angra listings warn that the order of stops can change with the weather.
The day in order
From a Rio pickup to the drive home
Early morning
Pickup in Rio
Meeting details come by WhatsApp the day before; the default point is the Socialtel Lapa.
Coach, 2.5 hours
Down the Costa Verde
The road covers 150 km to Angra dos Reis along the Rio-Santos highway.1
Boat day
The Blue Lagoon
A guided stop for swimming and snorkeling at the lagoon on Ilha dos Macacos.3
Boat day
Freguesia de Santana
A guided stop at the settlement where Ilha Grande began.4
2:30 to 3:30 PM
Lunch at Japariz
A lunch with a sea view on Ilha Grande, served after the boat ride.
Late afternoon
The way home
A last guided stop at Velinn Angra Sunset, then the coach back to the pickup address.
Lunch, and the hour when it comes
Lunch is a fixed point in the afternoon. Lunch lands late, once the swimming is done, with a sea-view buffet at Japariz on Ilha Grande named in the highlights. Another Rio listing keeps lunch in Angra dos Reis, a stop of 1 hour in its 14-hour day. Either way, expect the meal to be one fixed stop rather than a choice of restaurants.
The late lunch has a reason in the record: the listing explains that some people may feel discomfort from the movement of the vessel, so the meal waits until the boat ride is over. That is why the advice about snacks and water for the coach is worth following, and why a bottle of water in your daypack matters on a hot day. Cash for a drink at the beach is the other small thing to carry.
Dietary needs deserve a message to the operator. The listing says nothing about vegetarian or allergen options, so write the day before when the WhatsApp message arrives. A fixed lunch on a lagoon day is easy to plan around, but a late meal for a child or for someone on medication needs a plan of its own.
Video
A one-day tour from Rio to Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande on YouTube · Tap play to load the video; not before.
The island offers 192 square kilometers of beauty, including 106 beaches, waterfalls and mountains, with boats leaving Angra dos Reis all day.
Day checklist
What to do before and on the day
The night before3
- Read the WhatsApp message with the boarding details
- Confirm your pickup area or the default meeting point
- Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before
In the daypack3
- Sunscreen and a hat for the open deck
- Water and snacks for the coach leg
- A little cash for a drink on the island
On the day3
- Ask your guide for the order of the stops
- Recreational life jacket use carries a fee
- Skip food at the hotel that sits heavy on a boat
The way back, and what a day trip leaves out
After lunch the day winds down with a last guided stop and a return coach to the pickup address. On the road, expect to be tired and a little sunburned, and expect the drive to run through the evening. The coach covers the same 150 km the other way, so a late arrival in Rio is part of the design of a 14-hour day.1
What the day leaves out is the island on foot. The state park rates the walk from Abraão to Lopes Mendes beach at 7.8 km and 4 hours, and the climb to Pico do Papagaio at 5.5 km and about 6 hours.5,6 Even the easy Abraão circuit takes 1.8 km and 1h30.14 None of those fits inside a boat day, which is why the island rewards a night.
If the walks tempt you, take the day trip first and come back for the island. The speedboat from Angra to Abraão takes 35 minutes, and the state park lists daily ferries from Mangaratiba, Conceição de Jacareí or Angra dos Reis.9 Our page on getting to Ilha Grande lays out every route, with starting prices.
A fair verdict: when a day is enough
One day is enough if your goal is a swim in clear water, a look at the coast and a story to tell. It is not enough if you want a beach to yourself, a hike with a view, or a slow evening in the village. The tour sold here is built for the first goal, and it does that well, and its rating of 4.5 from 2,187 reviews suggests it delivers.
Think about energy as well. Of the 14 hours, a coach ride of 2.5 hours takes you to the coast and the road leads back again, leaving plenty of time for swimming and lunch but little slack if something runs late. If you tire easily, choose a day with fewer hours, or accept that the afternoon will be slow. If you travel with young children or older relatives, a shorter boat trip from Angra may suit better, if you can reach it by road.
Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure takes most of the risk out of trying the idea. Book a date with a forecast you like, read the WhatsApp message the day before, and bring sun protection and a dry set of clothes. If the island gets under your skin, you will know where to return, and you will arrive with a plan.
FAQ
Common questions, answered fast.
Can you do Ilha Grande in a day from Rio?
Yes, as a 14-hour day.
The site tour is a 14-hour day with pickup in Rio, a coach of 2.5 hours and guided stops on the water.
How long is the drive from Rio to Angra?
About 2 hours 30 minutes.
The city tourism portal gives 150 km and 2 hours 30 minutes by the Rio-Santos road.1
When is lunch served on the day trip?
Between 2:30 and 3:30 PM.
Lunch at Japariz on Ilha Grande follows the boat ride, an hour into the mid-afternoon.
What time does the pickup happen?
The booking time is a guide.
Boarding details arrive by WhatsApp the day before; the time at booking is only indicative.
Is there a pickup from my hotel?
In listed areas.
Pickups on the 12-hour day cover Socialtel Lapa, Botafogo Praia Shopping, Leblon, Copacabana and Ipanema.
Does the tour run in bad weather?
Usually yes.
Rain does not stop it; a call-off happens only if the Navy refuses the vessel clearance to leave.
Is a day trip from Angra shorter?
Yes, as little as 5 hours.
A shared speedboat tour from Santa Luzia lasts 5 hours, and the transfer from Rio is booked separately.
Sources
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Angra dos Reis (a cidade) ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Corredor Turistico da Ilha Grande ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Lagoa Azul ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Igreja de Freguesia de Santana ↩
- Inea, the Rio de Janeiro state environment institute (archive copy) · Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande: Trilhas ↩
- Inea, the Rio de Janeiro state environment institute (archive copy) · Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande: Trilhas ↩
- Inea, the Rio de Janeiro state environment institute (archive copy) · Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande: Trilhas ↩
- Rio de Janeiro State Tourism portal (turismo.rj.gov.br) · Mangaratiba ↩
- Inea, the Rio de Janeiro state environment institute (archive copy) · Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Pontos Turisticos ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Lagoa Azul ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Igreja de Freguesia de Santana ↩
- Angra dos Reis municipal tourism portal (Visite Angra, archive copy of 19 January 2026) · Ilha de Cataguases ↩
- Inea, the Rio de Janeiro state environment institute (archive copy) · Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande: Trilhas ↩
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