Brazil · January 2026
Overview
Rio de Janeiro might have the most beautiful setting of any city in the world: green granite mountains rising straight out of the sea, long beaches, and Christ the Redeemer watching over everything. Life happens outside, on the sand, at the juice bars and at the samba parties of Lapa. Keep in mind that Rio also has real safety issues, so follow local advice and do not show valuables.
Portuguese sailors arrived in the bay in January 1502 and thought it was a river, so they called it "January River" (Rio de Janeiro). Estácio de Sá founded the city on 1 March 1565. In 1808 the Portuguese royal family escaped Napoleon and moved here, making Rio the capital of the Portuguese Empire. It was Brazil's capital until 1960, when Brasília replaced it. The "Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea" became a UNESCO site in 2012, and Rio hosted the 2016 Olympic Games.
How long to stay: 4 to 5 days.
Last updated: October 2026
Quick Facts
Location
On Guanabara Bay, in southeastern Brazil. São Paulo is about 6 hours by bus (1 hour by plane).
Budget
Per person, per day.
| Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | BRL 100–180 ($19–35) | BRL 450–800 ($87–154) | BRL 1,500+ ($288+) |
| Food | BRL 80–130 ($15–25) | BRL 200–350 ($38–67) | BRL 500+ ($96+) |
| Sights | BRL 50–150 | BRL 250–450 | BRL 600+ |
| Daily total | BRL 230–460 ($44–88) | BRL 900–1,600 ($173–308) | BRL 2,600+ ($500+) |
A por-quilo (pay-by-weight) lunch costs about BRL 40–70; a fresh coconut on the beach BRL 8–12.
Things to Do
Rio has the most dramatic city setting on earth. Take the Sugarloaf cable car ninety minutes before sunset so you land at the top just as the city lights come on, then plan a separate morning for Christ the Redeemer via the train from Cosme Velho.
Copacabana and Ipanema are the two beaches that made Rio famous, but the raw carnival culture lives in Santa Teresa and Lapa. Ride the yellow tram, walk the Selaron steps, and catch a Saturday night samba rehearsal at Salgueiro from September to February.
The Art Deco statue on top of Corcovado mountain (710 m), finished in 1931, is 30 m tall plus an 8 m pedestal, with arms spanning 28 m. It was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa with French sculptor Paul Landowski, and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
Price: the cog train (Trem do Corcovado) or official vans from Paineiras about BRL 100–140 including entry · Time needed: half a day · Tip: take the first train of the day to avoid crowds and clouds.
Two cable cars take you up, first to Morro da Urca and then to the top of Sugarloaf (396 m). The first cable car opened in 1912, the first in Brazil. The views of Copacabana, Christ the Redeemer and the bay are incredible at sunset.
Price: about BRL 205 for international visitors (VIP fast-track BRL 325) · Hours: 8:30–21:00 · Tip: buy online; go up 1 hour before sunset.
The two most famous beaches. Copacabana's 4 km promenade has the wave mosaic by Roberto Burle Marx. Ipanema, made famous by the 1962 song "The Girl from Ipanema", is more upscale; at Arpoador rock at its end, people clap for the sunset.
Price: free; chairs and umbrellas about BRL 10–20 each · Tip: take only what you need to the beach.
215 steps covered in more than 2,000 colourful tiles from over 60 countries, created by the Chilean artist Jorge Selarón from 1990 until his death in 2013.
Price: free · Tip: go early in the morning for photos without crowds.
Santa Teresa is a hilly artists' neighbourhood with old mansions and the yellow bonde (tram). Lapa, below, has the white 18th-century Arcos da Lapa aqueduct (1750) and Rio's best samba nights.
Price: free; tram a few reais · Tip: go to Lapa on Friday night, by Uber.
The legendary football stadium built for the 1950 World Cup, where Brazil also played the 2014 final hosts' matches. Watching a Flamengo or Fluminense game is an unforgettable experience.
Price: stadium tours about BRL 80–100; match tickets vary.
The Museum of Tomorrow, a futuristic building by Santiago Calatrava (2015) in the renewed port area, about the future of the planet.
Price: about BRL 30 · Hours: closed Monday.
A stunning Neo-Manueline reading room from 1887, with wooden shelves of 350,000 books.
Price: free.
Botanical gardens founded in 1808 by Prince Regent João, with an avenue of imperial palms and toucans in the trees.
Price: about BRL 70 for foreigners.
Dois Irmãos starts in the Vidigal community and gives the best view of Ipanema and Leblon (about 1 hour up). Pedra da Gávea is longer and harder, with a short climbing section.
Tip: go with a local guide.
The parades of the samba schools at the Sambódromo (designed by Oscar Niemeyer) plus free street parties (blocos) all over the city.
Price: Sambódromo tickets from about BRL 200 to several thousand.
Transit Tips
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Galeão (GIG): Uber to Copacabana about BRL 70–120 (40 to 60 minutes).
Santos Dumont (SDU): close to downtown and the VLT tram.
By bus: from São Paulo about 6 hours to Rodoviária Novo Rio.
Metro: clean and safe, about BRL 7–8 per ride; tap your contactless card.
Uber and 99: cheap and recommended at night.
VLT tram: downtown and the port.
Keep in mind that you should not walk on empty beaches or streets at night, and avoid using your phone on the street in busy areas. Cariocas are friendly; ask locals about which areas to avoid.
Helpful Words
A few basics in Portuguese can make everyday conversations much easier.
Where to Stay
Plan & Book
Explore accommodation options and open hotel details directly from the map.
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