Itineraries
Where to stay
Copacabana for first-timers near the Sugarloaf cable car; Ipanema and Leblon for a quieter beach base; Santa Teresa for hilltop charm near Lapa.
The areas: Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, Santa Teresa.
Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro: areas and adviceHotels in Rio de JaneiroPlaces to see
All things to do in BrazilViewpointArpoadorRocky point between Copacabana and Ipanema where crowds gather to watch the sunset over the sea.Entry: Free to visit
FoodBar LagoaArt deco bar and restaurant opened in 1934 on the lagoon, facing Christ the Redeemer.Entry: Pay as you go
ViewpointChrist the RedeemerThe 30 m statue inaugurated in 1931 on Corcovado, with views over the whole city.Entry: Book a train time
FoodConfeitaria ColomboTearoom opened in 1894, with art nouveau rooms, Antwerp mirrors and more than 60 confections.Entry: Pay as you go
BeachCopacabana BeachWith Leme, about 4 km of sand along Avenida Atlântica and its wave-patterned stone boardwalk.Entry: Free to visit
TransportCorcovado Train stationCosme Velho station of the Corcovado Train, the rack railway up to Christ the Redeemer.Entry: Book a train time
BeachIpanema BeachThe 2 km beach between Arpoador and Jardim de Alá made famous by The Girl from Ipanema.Entry: Free to visit
FoodJobi, LeblonOne of the South Zone's most traditional bars, serving draft beer in Baixo Leblon since 1956.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodLapa and the Lapa ArchesBohemian district of bars and samba halls around the 42 arches of the old Carioca Aqueduct.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodMureta da UrcaBayside wall in Urca where people eat bar snacks, including from Bar Urca (since 1939), at sunset.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodPavão AzulCopacabana bar two blocks from the beach, with home-style lunch plates and evening snacks.Entry: Pay as you go
NeighborhoodPraça MauáPort-district square flanked by the Rio Art Museum, the Museum of Tomorrow and the A Noite building.Entry: Free to visit
NatureRio de Janeiro Botanical GardenGarden founded in 1808 with orchid and bromeliad houses and a Japanese garden from 1935.Entry: Buy at the gate or online
TransportRio de Janeiro Galeão AirportRio de Janeiro's Galeão (Tom Jobim) International Airport, now operated by Aena.Entry: Free to visit
NatureRodrigo de Freitas LagoonA lagoon ringed by an 8 km walking and cycling path, with kiosks selling coconut water.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumRoyal Portuguese Reading RoomLibrary founded in 1837 whose reading hall holds 350,000 titles by Portuguese authors.Entry: R$[fee]; open on weekdays
NeighborhoodSanta TeresaHilltop neighborhood of 19th-century mansions, stairways and artists above downtown Rio.Entry: Free to visit
ViewpointSelarón StepsA stairway between Lapa and Santa Teresa covered in tiles by the artist Jorge Selarón from 1990.Entry: Free to visit
ViewpointSugarloaf Mountain cable carBrazil's first cable car, opened in 1912, rising from Praia Vermelha to the top of Sugarloaf.Entry: R$[fee]; buy at the station or online
MuseumTheatro MunicipalRio's grand 1909 opera house, modeled on the Paris Opera and topped by a gilded eagle.Entry: Guided tours, R$[fee]
ViewpointUrca Hill (Morro da Urca)The first cable car stop, a lower summit with views over Botafogo and Guanabara Bay.Entry: Included in the cable car ticket