Things to do in Brazil

The 18 best things to do in Brazil

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1. 1Rio de JaneiroBook ahead

   Ride the Corcovado Train up to Christ the Redeemer

   Christ the Redeemer stands 30 m tall, 38 m with its pedestal, on the summit of Corcovado with its arms open over Rio. Engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed it, Brazilians paid for it through donations, and it was inaugurated in 1931. It is also a working sanctuary, with daily masses at 11 AM and 3 PM in the chapel at its foot. The classic way up is the century-old Corcovado Train, the oldest tourist ride in Brazil, which leaves Rua Cosme Velho 513 every 20 minutes from 8 AM to 6 PM. Buses 583 and 422 run to the station from Largo do Machado metro, and 583 also loops from Copacabana and Leblon.

   Tip: Book a timed train ticket and check in at the ticket office at least 40 minutes before departure, and leave big bags at your hotel, since the station has no luggage storage.

   Train and monument: R$139 (about $25) · Book a train timeFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Trem do Corcovado; Trem do Corcovado
2. 2Rio de Janeiro

   Take the two cable cars up Sugarloaf Mountain

   Sugarloaf's cable car opened in 1912, the first in Brazil and the third in the world, and more than 40 million people have ridden it since. The trip runs in two stages from the station at Praia Vermelha in Urca: a first car to Urca Hill, then a second to the top of Sugarloaf, 396 m above the sea. From both summits you look over Botafogo cove, the curve of Copacabana and the entrance to Guanabara Bay. In summer, the amphitheater on Urca Hill hosts evening shows with the city lights below. The lower station is at Avenida Pasteur 520.

   Tip: Stay for sunset, then walk down to the Mureta da Urca seawall, where locals gather with snacks from the nearby bars, busiest on Thursday and Friday evenings from 7 PM and at weekends.

   R$[fee]; buy at the station or onlineKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar; Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio)
3. 3Foz do IguaçuBook ahead

   Walk the Falls Trail to the Devil's Throat

   Iguaçu National Park, created in 1939 and a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site since 1986, protects 185,000 hectares of Atlantic Forest along the border with Argentina. Its falls, the largest set of waterfalls in the world, were voted one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011. Panoramic park buses carry you about 12 km from the Visitor Center to the start of the Falls Trail, which passes viewpoints over individual falls and ends on a walkway facing the Devil's Throat, the main fall on the Brazilian side. The classic visit takes about two hours. From central Foz do Iguaçu, city bus 120 runs to the park.

   Tip: Tickets are limited and sold only online for a set day and entry time, so book ahead and bring photo ID; once inside you can stay until 5:30 PM.

   R$[fee]; timed tickets sold online onlyKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Urbia Cataratas, concessionaire of Iguaçu National Park (cataratasdoiguacu.com.br); Urbia Cataratas, concessionaire of Iguaçu National Park (cataratasdoiguacu.com.br); Urbia Cataratas, concessionaire of Iguaçu National Park (cataratasdoiguacu.com.br); Urbia Cataratas, concessionaire of Iguaçu National Park (cataratasdoiguacu.com.br)
4. 4Rio de Janeiro

   Stroll the wave-patterned boardwalk of Copacabana

   Copacabana and Leme together run 4.15 km along Avenida Atlântica, from Leme to Copacabana Fort. The beachfront promenade is paved in black and white Portuguese stone laid in a wave pattern, inspired by Lisbon and made famous by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. Locals call the beach the Princess of the Sea, after a popular song. Along the sand you'll find kiosks, a bike path, hotels and restaurants busy day and night, and there is a military fort at each end with sea views, both open to visitors. On New Year's Eve, the beach hosts the city's huge fireworks party, drawing more than three million people.

   Tip: Take only what you need onto the sand, keep your things close, and leave the beach before dark, as Britain's travel advice warns that thefts are common on city beaches.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (gov.uk)
5. 5Rio de Janeiro

   Applaud the sunset from the Arpoador rocks

   Arpoador is an 800 m stretch of sand between Copacabana Fort and Ipanema, and its waves draw surfers in summer and winter alike. The Arpoador rocks are Rio's favorite place to watch the sea and the sun go down over Ipanema. Ipanema itself runs 2 km from Arpoador to Jardim de Alá, the beach of The Girl from Ipanema by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, with volleyball, footvolley and surfing all day. In the evening, locals sit on the sand and clap as the sun sets, a small Rio ritual worth joining.

   Tip: Come on a Sunday if you can, when the beachfront road is closed to cars until 6 PM and fills with cyclists, skaters and walkers.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio)
6. 6Rio de Janeiro

   Climb the tiled Selarón Steps from Lapa

   Chilean artist Jorge Selarón began work on this stairway in 1990, and it became one of Rio's best-known landmarks. The steps climb from Rua Joaquim Silva in Lapa to Rua Pinto Martins in Santa Teresa, covered in colorful tiles gathered from around Brazil and the world. The stairway has appeared in music videos by U2 and Snoop Dogg, and both visitors and locals come for photos. It is a five-minute walk from the Lapa Arches, so it fits easily into an afternoon in the old center, with the hill neighborhood of Santa Teresa waiting at the top.

   Tip: It is a residential stairway, so leave room for people climbing past and keep your phone in hand rather than set down on the steps.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio)
7. 7Rio de Janeiro

   Ride the Santa Teresa tram over the Lapa Arches

   Santa Teresa sits on a hill just above downtown, a neighborhood often called Rio's Montmartre, with 19th-century European-style houses, churches, alleys and stairways still in place. Its tram was installed in 1872 and remains both local transport and a ride for visitors: it leaves from Carioca station downtown, crosses the old Carioca Aqueduct and climbs to Dois Irmãos. Get off to explore on foot. The Parque das Ruínas cultural center, in the former mansion of Belle Époque patron Laurinda Santos Lobo, has a rooftop view over downtown and Guanabara Bay, and the Chácara do Céu Museum shows art collections in the former home of Castro Maya.

   Tip: Trams run about every 30 minutes and the times are estimates, so leave some slack in your plans.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio)
8. 8Rio de Janeiro

   Hear samba and choro under the Lapa Arches

   Lapa, in the city center, is known as the cradle of bohemian Rio. Its landmark is the Carioca Aqueduct, now called the Lapa Arches: 42 large double arches from the colonial period, which have carried the tram to Santa Teresa since 1896. By day it is an architecture stop; at night the bars, restaurants and music halls fill with samba, forró, choro, rock and electronic music. Two of Rio's best-known venues, Circo Voador and Fundição Progresso, stand beside the arches and draw crowds from across Brazil. Come for dinner, then follow the music.

   Tip: Go out in a group, buy and keep hold of your own drinks, and book a ride in an app rather than hailing a taxi on the street when you head home.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (gov.uk)
9. 9Rio de Janeiro

   Read the shelves of the Royal Portuguese Reading Room

   The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura was founded on 14 May 1837 so that Portuguese people living in Rio could read books from home. Today it holds about 350,000 titles by Portuguese authors, consulted in its library hall, and it opens to visitors Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Pair it with a break at Confeitaria Colombo, also in Centro at Rua Gonçalves Dias 32. Founded in 1894, the café keeps its art nouveau rooms, Antwerp crystal mirrors and French stained glass, and was a meeting place for artists, politicians and intellectuals such as Olavo Bilac, Villa-Lobos and Chiquinha Gonzaga. It serves lunch and afternoon tea.

   Tip: Plan this for a weekday, since the reading room closes at weekends and Confeitaria Colombo is closed on Sundays.

   R$[fee]; open on weekdaysKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Real Gabinete Português de Leitura; Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio)
10. 10Rio de Janeiro

    Wander the alleys and greenhouses of the Botanical Garden

    Dom João VI of Portugal created Rio's Botanical Garden in 1808, and it is still a scientific institution as well as a park. Walk the shaded alleys or rent an electric cart to see plants from around the world, the greenhouses of orchids, bromeliads, ferns and insectivorous plants, and the Japanese Garden, planted in 1935. Look out for Mestre Valentim's statues of Echo and Narcissus, and bring binoculars: the garden is a fine place for bird watching. The garden is at Rua Jardim Botânico 1008, and it opens from 8 AM to 5 PM except on Wednesdays, when it opens at 11 AM.

    Tip: Buy tickets online and arrive by taxi, app or bus, since the garden has no visitor parking.

    Foreign visitors: R$80 (about $15) · Residents of Brazil: R$40 (about $7) · Buy at the gate or onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Riotur, City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority (riotur.rio); Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute (JBRJ)
11. 11Foz do Iguaçu

    Walk among macaws and toucans at Parque das Aves

    Parque das Aves sits right next to Iguaçu National Park, so it pairs naturally with the falls. It is a private conservation center for Atlantic Forest species that takes in rescued animals, and it is the most visited attraction in Paraná after the falls themselves. A self-guided, accessible route of about 2 km leads through the forest and into walk-in aviaries, with about 1,400 animals, more than half of them with rescue stories. Highlights include a huge macaw aviary and one of the largest bird enclosures in Brazil, home to more than 300 parakeets. It opens every day from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, rain or shine.

    Tip: The park suggests coming here first, eating lunch at its restaurant and then heading to the falls, and timing your walk for a macaw feeding at 10:30 AM, 2 PM or 3:30 PM.

    R$[fee]; open dailyKnow the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Parque das Aves; Parque das Aves (official); Parque das Aves (official); Parque das Aves (official)
12. 12Foz do Iguaçu

    Tour the vast Itaipu Dam on the Paraná River

    Itaipu, on the Paraná River at the border between Brazil and Paraguay, is one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world, run jointly by both countries. It was built from 1975 to 1984 and has 20 generating units with 14,000 MW of installed capacity. The Itaipu Panorâmica tour takes about 1 hour 10 minutes by bus along the outside of the dam, with an audio guide and staff to answer questions, and runs every day from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. The Itaipu Especial takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, covering the same route plus stops inside the plant, including the Central Control Room.

    Tip: Book the Itaipu Especial ahead, since its places and times are limited, or come on a Friday or Saturday at 7 PM for the evening Itaipu Iluminada visit.

    Panoramic tour: R$63 (about $11) · Buy a tour at the visitor centerFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Itaipu Binacional (Turismo Itaipu)
13. 13São PauloBook ahead

    See European art on Avenida Paulista at MASP

    MASP, founded in 1947, is one of Brazil's main cultural centers and holds what it calls the most important collection of European art in the southern hemisphere, more than 11,000 works. The museum, at Avenida Paulista 1578, is made up of two buildings and an open span at street level. The original 1968 building, an icon of modern architecture, is named for its architect Lina Bo Bardi, and the second, opened in 2024, honors Pietro Maria Bardi, the museum's first artistic director. Your ticket covers every exhibition on show that day. The museum is closed on Mondays.

    Tip: Book online before you go, even for the free hours on Tuesdays and on Fridays from 6 PM, because MASP requires an online booking for every visit.

    Entry: R$85 (about $15) · Book a time onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: MASP (official); MASP, Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
14. 14São Paulo

    Graze the stalls of the Mercadão under stained glass

    São Paulo's Municipal Market, the Mercadão, was begun in 1928 and opened in 1933 to replace the old open-air market on Rua 25 de Março. Ramos de Azevedo's architecture office designed it with skylights and a ceiling up to 16 m high, and its Gothic-style stained-glass windows are by Conrado Sorgenicht Filho. About 300 stalls sell grains, chocolate, fruit, cured meats, cheese, sweets, spices and cachaça, and about 50,000 people come each week. It opens Monday to Saturday from 6 AM to 6 PM, and on Sundays and holidays from 6 AM to 4 PM.

    Tip: Come early, since the doors open at 6 AM, and remember that the market closes at 4 PM on Sundays and holidays.

    Pay as you go
    Sources: City of São Paulo (prefeitura.sp.gov.br); Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com)
15. 15São Paulo

    Spend a day in Ibirapuera Park and Afro Brasil

    Ibirapuera Park opened on 21 August 1954 for São Paulo's fourth centenary, designed by Oscar Niemeyer with a team of architects and landscaper Augusto Teixeira Mendes. Its 158 hectares hold lawns, a running track, bike paths and some of the city's main museums and Niemeyer buildings, and entry is free, from 5 AM to midnight every day. Inside the park, the Museu Afro Brasil keeps more than 8,000 works from the 18th century to today on African and Afro-Brazilian cultures, religion, work, art and slavery. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM, and you may stay until 6 PM.

    Tip: Visit on a Wednesday for free entry to the Museu Afro Brasil, and avoid Mondays, when it is closed.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Urbia Parques, concessionaire of Ibirapuera Park; Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com); Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com); Museu Afro Brasil Emanoel Araujo
16. 16São Paulo

    Wander the graffiti lanes of Beco do Batman

    Beco do Batman is an open-air graffiti gallery in the lanes of Vila Madalena, near Clínicas metro station. It began in the 1980s, when a drawing of the comic-book Batman appeared on a wall here, and today the lanes are covered in graffiti. Around it, Vila Madalena is São Paulo's most bohemian neighborhood: students and teachers moved in during the 1970s for its closeness to the University of São Paulo, and bars began opening in the 1980s. Its first residents gave the streets poetic names such as Rua Purpurina, Rua Harmonia and Rua Girassol. Walk the alley, then stay on for dinner nearby.

    Tip: Come in the late afternoon, then move on to Vila Madalena's bars and restaurants as the evening starts.

    Free to visit
    Sources: Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com); Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com)
17. 17São Paulo

    Eat your way through Liberdade under red lanterns

    Liberdade is São Paulo's Asian neighborhood, though it was first home to formerly enslaved people and then to Portuguese and Italian immigrants. Japanese immigrants arrived in the early 20th century, and the area took on its Asian character after the Japanese-film cinema Cine Niterói opened in 1953, later joined by Chinese and Korean communities. The Japanese-style street decoration, with its red suzuranto lanterns, was inaugurated in 1974. Enter through the torii gate on Rua Galvão Bueno, see the koi pond in the Japanese Garden between Praça da Liberdade and Viaduto Osaka, and stay for a meal in one of the Asian restaurants or at the Liberdade street fair.

    Tip: Go hungry around lunchtime, then walk off your meal in the Japanese Garden by the Viaduto Osaka.

    Pay as you go
    Sources: Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com)
18. 18São Paulo

    Look over the old center from Farol Santander

    Farol Santander occupies the Altino Arantes building, a 35-floor, 161 m tower built from 1940 to 1947 and listed as heritage in 1990. Since January 2018 it has been a cultural center with exhibitions on several floors, a café and even a skate ramp. The highlight is the 26th-floor viewpoint, where landmarks are marked on the glass and binoculars on the balconies bring the city's icons closer. It stands in the historic center near São Bento metro station. In the same old center, São Paulo Cathedral on Praça da Sé, the city's point zero, is one of the five largest neo-Gothic churches in the world, with guided visits on weekdays.

    Tip: Farol Santander is closed on Mondays and the last entry is at 7 PM, so it works well as a late-afternoon stop.

    R$[fee]; closed MondaysKnow the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Farol Santander (official); Farol Santander (official); Farol Santander; Visite São Paulo, São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com)

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