Leah & DanLeah & Dan
Things To DoThings To Do
Google Map: Places to Eat, Drink, & Be MerryGoogle Map: Places to Eat, Drink, & Be Merry
Feel free to open and/or save this map on your phone for while you're walking around.
Popular BeachesPopular Beaches
Leme [Posto 1]: Small beach that's popular with fishers and surfers (Leah's favorite) Copacabana [Posto 2-6]: This beach is huge, famous, and full of life! On the weekends, there are often events and small fares. We suggest visiting the farmer's market on Thursday mornings by Copacabana Palace (Dan & Leah love beach kiosk-hopping for drinks and live music at dusk) Arpoador [Posto 7]: A very small beach/rock structure that connects Copacabana and Ipanema (Sunset from the Arpoador rocks is must!!) Ipanema [Posto 8-9]: You likely know this beach from the song "The Girl from Ipanema." On Sundays, there's a "hippie fair" at Praça General Osario which we recommend checking out Leblon [Posto 10-12]: Rio's version of Malibu or The Hamptons, but in our personal opinion, the beach is not as nice. It's worth visiting the neighborhood for restaurants/bars I've never been surfing in Rio, but supposedly some good spots (closer to the hotel) are Arpoador, Joatinga, and Barra de Tijuca
PÃO DE AÇÚCAR (SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN)PÃO DE AÇÚCAR (SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN)
For the best views, we suggest going in the mid-afternoon and staying until dusk/sunset. Grab a drink at the bar and watch the sunset over the water. There are a few ways to enter the park: 1) Take two cable cars to get to the top. We suggest going straight to the top (both cable cars) and then taking your time going back down 2) Hike to the top of the first cable car and then buy a ticket to go to the second cable car and back down the mountain. 3) Take a guided hike and climb (with harnesses/ropes) to the top of the mountain and take the cable car back down. It opens at 8am and the cable cars run every 20 minutes. If only taking the cable cars, buy tickets in advance. It's also possible to hike to the first cable car and then take the second cable car to the top. The hike takes 1-2 hours. Fun fact: Dan still can’t pronounce this correctly. We also have a photo from sunset here hanging in our home (‘cause it’s so GORG)
Free Walker ToursFree Walker Tours
We highly recommend these fantastic free walking tours. They offer an excellent opportunity to explore different parts of the city while learning about the history of Rio and of Brazil. We've always found the guides are knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to help with any questions or suggestions (about the tour or not). Specifically, check out the: --Downtown & Lapa tour: This tour is available from Monday through Saturday at 10:30am and on Monday through Friday at 3pm. The tour lasts around 3 hours. This may be an easy thing to do on Friday. --Olympic Boulevard & African Heritage tour: This tour is available on Tuesday and Saturday at 3pm. It lasts around 2.5-3 hours. --The pub crawls (Lapa and Ipanema); Between the two, we recommend Lapa
CorcovadoCorcovado
The famous Christ statue is located in Tijuca National Forest. Plan to take at least half a day to do this as it takes some time to get to. We recommend doing this first-thing in the morning and on a clear day. Van tours pickup near Praça do Lido at Posto 2. We don't recommend doing the hike/bike up to Corcovado. It's an option, but it's not as safe, especially it you don't know where you are/are going and if you don't speak Portuguese. If you would like to hike/bike up, please go with a guided tour only.
Escadaria SelarónEscadaria Selarón
Famous tiled Selarón steps are the work of Chilean artist Jorge Selarón as a tribute to the Brazilian people. It's a great place for some Instagram FIRE! (PS- this is the final stop of the Downtown & Lapa Free Walker Tour)
MaracanãMaracanã
For sports fans, the name "Maracanã" may ring a bell. This a GIANT stadium held both the first and final game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and was used for the 2016 Olympics. Rio has four soccer teams in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (the top league in Brazil): Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminese, and Vasco. You can tour the stadium or go to a local Flamengo or Fluminese (or sometimes Botofogo) game at Maracanã. The stadium museum is open most days and is easy to get tickets. If you want to go to a game, we recommend booking an AirBnb experience. You need a Brazilian CEP code to book tickets, so it's easier (and more fun) to go through a group experience.
Tijuca National Park Visitor CenterTijuca National Park Visitor Center
Please go with a tour guide!! It's very easy to get lost and can be unsafe without a guide, especially in certain parts of the park. That said, I highly recommend doing a hike or forest tour here! There are options for Jeep tours, walking tours, and there are a ton of hiking options! Definitely worth checking out!!
Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro)Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro)
Very beautiful and peaceful. Recommending spending a morning or afternoon walking around and then getting breakfast or lunch nearby.
Museu da República (Palácio do Catete)Museu da República (Palácio do Catete)
For those interested in history and/or politics, this museum is worth checking out. This was the home and place of death of the Brazilian president & dictator, Getúlio Vargas. He's considered one of the most important figures in Brazilian political history. The museum doesn't take long to go through, but it's very interesting. (One note, last time we were there the signs were mostly in Portuguese but you can get a headset in English).
More Nature & Outdoors ...More Nature & Outdoors ...
Water sports (e.g., ocean or lake paddle boarding, surfing) Beach sports (e.g., volley, foot volley, etc) Scenic overlooks (accessible by car): Vista Chinesa, Dona Marta Lookout Sailboat tour through Guanabara Bay (including sunset sail tours) Scenic hikes: -Fortaleza Duque de Caxias (Forte do Leme), -Pão De Açúcar (Morro de Urca - hike only) (and/or optional harness climbing portion), -Pedra Bonita, -Dois Irmãos, -Pedra de Gavea (+ a harness climbing portion) -And many more! Walk, bike, canoe or row around the beach or Lagoa Paragliding or hang gliding (we haven't done this because Leah would pass-out from fear before jumping) There are good snorkel/diving options shortly outside of Rio in and around Angra dos Reis and Buzios.
More Art, Music & Culture ...More Art, Music & Culture ...
Kobra’s “Faces of the Americas” murals Teatro Municipal: an eclectically designed opera house Ginga Theater: samba & folklore dinner show Samba classes (there are many Airbnb Experience options) Cooking class (e.g., moqueca, picanha, feijoada, caipirinha) Capoeira class (Airbnb Experience options)
More Museums....More Museums....
Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil: A cultural center with 2 free exhibits: one is a history of money from the world dating back several centuries (it's fascinating), and the other is typically art from major artists. The center is closed on Tuesdays. Museo de Amanhā (Museum of Tomorrow) Niteroi Art Museum
More Shopping...More Shopping...
Copacabana: -Craft fair on weekends (Feria de Copacabana) -Farmer's market, Thursday morning (Rua Duvvier) -Alternativo Carioca: stalls from different vendors Ipanema: -Hippie Fair (Feria Hippie de Ipanema) -Boutiques SAARA/ Mercado Uruguaina (careful of pickpocketing here): HUGE outdoor market in the city center Havaianas: Popular flip-flop brand from Brazil, many store locations "Canga": A thin beach wrap/towel sold many places, commonly used at the beach Gemstones/Jewelry: H. Stern / Antonio Bernardo / Amsterdam Sauer -theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/a-guide-to-discovering-brazils-gemstones -theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/where-to-buy-unique-jewelry-in-rio-de-janeiro Beauty: -L'Occitane Au Bresil: Branch of L'Occitane only with products made from Brazilian plants -Natura Brasil -Botik / O Boticário -theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/10-brazilian-cosmetic-brands-you-should-know Malls: -Shopping Leblon -Shopping de Gavea
More Foodie lists...More Foodie lists...
-Food and drink tour -Cooking class -Michelin recommended: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/rio-de-janeiro-region/rio-de-janeiro/restaurants?sort=distance -World's 50 Best recommended: https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/sitemap/brazil/rio%20de%20janeiro -Eater recommended (2022): https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-rio-de-janeiro-brazil
Excellent Multi-Day ExcursionsExcellent Multi-Day Excursions
Paraty: Portuguese colonial port town from the 17th century. Beautiful, historic town. Highly recommended. Ilha Grande: It has many hikes and beautiful nature and water. No cars are allowed on the island. You can snorkel, dive, hike, or relax here. Búzios: known as the 'St. Tropez of Brazil'; gorgeous beaches for sailing, golfing, and scuba diving. Arraial do Cabo: known as the Brazilian 'Caribbean' for beaches, snorkeling, diving, water caves (via boat), and humpback whales. Angra dos Reis: the town is not much, but it's a popular point to get to other beautiful islands. There are over 300 islands in the Angra Dos Reis archipelago. Use to go to other islands. Petrópolis: surrounded by mountains with some waterfalls, escape to the “imperial city” (where the Emperor of Brazil lived in the summer) for hiking and history.
Other places to visit in Brazil....Other places to visit in Brazil....
Some of you have mentioned that you'd like to explore a few other places in Brazil, in addition to Rio and there there are SO many options to choose from! Below are a few ideas if you'd like to visit some other places in Brazil as well. We also strongly recommend checking out some of the day-trips from Rio (e.g., Paraty)! -São Paulo -Foz de Iguaçu (Iguaçu Waterfalls) -Brazil's Amazon Rainforest (fly to Manaus) -> do with a tour operator -Pantanal (world's largest wetland, good animal viewing) -> do with a tour operator -Salvador, Bahia -Florianopolis, Santa Catarina -Natal/Fortaleza
Google Maps: Things to do in RioGoogle Maps: Things to do in Rio
Feel free to open and/or save this map on your phone for while you're walking around. This includes some stores, etc.