Rio de Jianero is a bustling coastal city in southwestern Brazil. Known for a wide array of attractions, from the towering Christ Redeemer statue to hosting the 2016 Olympics to its illustrious annual Carnaval festival, Rio is a mecca for adventurous travelers. To ensure you hit all the highlights, we’ve compiled a list of all the best places to visit in Rio!
This city really is much more than what may initially meet the eye. Home to a national park, one of the seven wonders of the world, and endless sandy coastline, you will have no problem finding Rio adventures to fill your days. The beautiful weather year-round is just the cherry on top!
How does a gal find herself in Rio time and time again? In high school, I was part of a Brazilian church and made so many amazing life-long friends, and I have been fortunate enough to explore various pockets of Brazil when I have gone to visit. Over the years, I’ve gone down to visit on numerous occasions, and I have become increasingly familiar with my more favorite areas to visit. Rio is one of them! I love the big-city-meets-beachy-keen-relaxation ambiance of the city, while also maintaining such strong cultural roots.
Below I have detailed my favorite spots to grab a bite, awesome hotels, and the best must-do activities in Rio— as well as a handful of tips and trick to ensure your trip goes smoothly. Cheers to a fabulous adventure!
Airport Arrival
First and foremost, how to get there! Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, commonly referred to by its original name, Galeão International Airport (GIG), is the larger of the two airports that serve Rio. Approximately 20 minutes south is the smaller Santos Dumont Airport (SDU). Barra is 25-45 minutes from the airport, depending on where you arrive.
When traveling to and throughout Brazil, we found Latam Airlines to be our preferential choice for international travel. When booking your ticket, we highly recommend taking advantage of their seat selection and checked bag. The price varies upon the flight, but it is a 7+ hour flight, so you’ll want a good seat!
Due to the shear size of Brazil, it’s possible you may do some intra-country flying. If so, we found for these shorter duration flights, Latam, Azul, and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (GOL) are all equally good options.
Sleep Tight, Sleep Right
Barra de Tijuca, colloquially referred to as Barra, is an affluent neighborhood in the western region of the city. This is where we recommend staying to base your Rio-travels out of.
When we visit, we usually stay at the Wyndham or the Windsor Marapendi. You cannot go wrong with either hotel! At the Wyndam, no matter which room you’re in, they all room have a view. Your stay also includes complimentary use of a set of beach chairs as well as an umbrella. While it does cost a small fee, we were grateful to be able to do laundry.
While both hotels are beautiful, the Windsor Marapendi is a bit more posh with its rooftop pool and marble floors throughout the lobby. You can take in the view from the 17th floor or in style on the beach, with the provided loungers and umbrellas.
A note: There are so many beautiful Airbnb stays that are certainly worth exploring, but as we were two young women traveling together, we felt more comfortable staying in a hotel. As a bonus, hotels are very reasonably priced here— even for 4 and 5 star hotels!
Transportation Station
Do you need to rent a car? Nope! Uber is a safe and reliable method of transportation. We used Uber both for day-to-day travel as well as transportation to and from the airport. As a female traveler (sometimes solo and sometimes with a friend), I always double check I’m in the right car (just like we do back home)— to be extra safety conscientious!
That Cash Money
The exchange rate fluctuates, but currency converters can help estimate costs when you’re building your travel budget. The USD to Brazilian Real exchange rate tends to be pretty favorable, when visiting from the United States. You do not need to bring cash or pull reais out upon arrival.
Good Eats
There is so much amazing food to sample when you’re in Brazil, so eat to your heart’s content! From refreshing acai to authentic Brazilian steakhouses to amazingly fresh seafood, you won’t be hungry for long in Rio. These are a few of my favorite spots!
Balada Mix
If you are looking for some acai, look no further than Balada Mix. We went back for seconds of the acai, but they had loads of options that looked like a delicious snack or a light lunch. While we were there, their sign outside said Baladinha, so don’t let confusing signage lead you astray!
La Copa Carne e Vino
A short drive away in Copacabana, La Copa Carne e Vino is a small restaurant delivering big. The eatery is owned by a family friend, and after hearing about the family restaurant, it was such a pleasure to go and experience the Brazilian steakhouse in all its charming glory.
Coco Bamboo
In the Casa & Gourmet Mall the options for outstanding food are plentiful, but Coco Bamboo stands out. Not only is the food delicious, but the live Brazilian music made it both a culinary and cultural experience. A must try!
Pobre Vino
The dining at Village Mall draws almost as many visitors as the shopping. Our favorite steakhouse here was Pobre Juan. We love a good steak, but ended up trying the salmon here and it did NOT disappoint!
Classico Beach Club
Along the beach in Barra, there are restaurants referred to as ‘kiosks’ for beach-goers to grab a delicious meal, while they watch the waves crash. If your beach day takes you near post/station 2, Classico Beach Club is ~in our opinion~ the best kiosk on the beach!
Adventures to be Had
Surf’s Up
I’ve loved surfing ever since I was in middle school, so I always try to get my hands on a surfboard when I find myself in a new beach town! Right across the street from the Wyndham Hotel, you’ll find Escuela de Surf. If you’ve never tried surfing before, a 1 hour private lesson only costs R$120, or ~$25 USD (depending on the conversion). They provide everything you need to shred the gnar! The board, the rash-guard shirt, and most importantly the expert advice to get you up and cruising.
Rio Adventures
If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, Rio Adventures has you covered. From hiking and climbing to hang-gliding and parachuting, they have something for everyone looking to make the most of the city. Different tours are based out of various niches throughout the city, but you won’t have to wander far if you’re looking to go parachuting as this thriller is run out of Barra.
Joatinga Beach
This harder-to-get-to beach is worth the extra effort! Nestled in the coastline, it affords one of the most lush, stunning views in Rio. To access you must to pass through a gated condominium community, so some people mistaken assume it’s a private beach. It’s not! It’s a public beach with free access, so go take it in (always being respectful to the locals that live there)! While you might be able to buy a coconut water, there’s not going to be the same availability of food kiosks on the beach here, so be sure to pack your snacks!
Jardim Botanico
Jardim Botanico is a collection of beautiful botanical gardens. Hours fly by wandering through the lush landscape. It’s not necessary to buy tickets in advance; however, they only accept cash at the park admissions gate, so if you want to pay by card, you will need to do so here.
Cable Car
The Cable Car Adventure on Sugarloaf Mountain provides the most breath-taking view in all of Rio. The cable car, holding up to 65 people, provides a panoramic view of the city, taking in the forests, the Bay, Christ the Redeemer, and everything in between. The cable car climbs throughout the ride, reaching a peak height of 1,300 feet. BEST. VIEW. IN. RIO.
Parque Nacional da Tijuca
How often is it that a big city has an amazing national park right in its midst?! Tijuca National Park offers a rather diverse, chose-your-own adventure experience for visitors. For some the vistas and viewpoints will thrill, while others will be glad they packed their hiking boots, so they can hit the trails to take in the vibrant landscape and plentiful waterfalls. Thrill seekers will make their way to the park as it serves as the perfect perch for hang gliding! This impressive park holds the hotly contest title for largest urban forest in the world, with over 225 species of birds, 63 species of mammals, and 70 different amphibians & retiles calling this lush biome their home.
Christ the Redeemer
Perhaps Rio’s most renowned attraction, Christ the Redeemer sits at the top of the city, actually nestled in the Tijuca Forest National Park. At the base of Christ the Redeemer, you can both look up in awe at the magnitude of this inspired statue as well as out across the city and bay. Acknowledged as one of the Modern Seven Wonders of the World, the magnitude of this monument and the expansive overlook are a humbling reminder of how small we are in this huge world.
The cog train is the preferred and most scenic option to get up to Christ the Redeemer. During the 20 minute ride, it traverses through the Atlantic Forest, up Corcovado Mountain, depositing at your destination.
Tip: Go early! As this is a hallmark attraction of Rio, it will become more and more crowded throughout the day. Generally speaking it will also be less busy on a week-day.
As an aside, if you’re looking for an airplane-read, you can’t go wrong with the first book in the Seven Sisters Series by Lucinda Riley. Rio and Christ the Redeemer are interwoven in this story of love and loss.
Just So You Know
Crime is something to be aware of when traveling. While we are huge proponents of not allowing social misconceptions to dictate, safety precautions and common sense when traveling to new or unfamiliar regions. An example of this would be that, travelers should avoid venturing into favelas (Brazilian slums). In the midst of Rio, exists the country’s largest favela: Rocinha.
Depending on what route you take from the airport to Barra, you may be able to see it from afar. If you take the more southern route, as you come through the long tunnel to get to Barra, look to the right and a little behind you, and you will see this massive community stacked up the hillside. In the same way it’s unwise to treat the slums of any city as a tourist attraction, we do not recommend venturing too close to Rocinha for your sight-seeing purposes.
written by McKenna
If you look up diva in the dictionary, you will find a picture of McKenna Lee. Loud-mouthed and overly opinionated she may have the biggest personality (read: attitude) of us all. McKenna is in college at FGCU studying digital media design, but her passion lies in her small business Mack Swimwear. She lives for days spent in a bathing suit, and tries to go surfing in every new beach town she visits.
