Rio de Janeiro

Best things to do in Rio de Janeiro

1. 

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   1. Christ the Redeemer

   • Half a day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Families
   • Couples
   • Active

   A statue 30 m tall (38 m with its pedestal) on top of Corcovado, about 700 m up in Tijuca National Park. Built from 1922 to 1931, it was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Escalators, walkways and lifts were added in 2003 to reach the platform at its foot.

   Our sources do not say how to book or how tickets work, so check the official site for the way up and opening times before you go.

   64,402 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Christ the Redeemer (statue)

2. 

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   2. Copacabana beach

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Families
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A beach about 4 km long, running from Posto 2 to Posto 6 (the lifeguard towers), with Leme at Posto 1. Fort Copacabana (1914) sits at one end and Fort Duque de Caxias (1779) at the other. The promenade has a black-and-white wave pavement designed by Roberto Burle Marx.

   7,879 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

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   3. Sugarloaf Mountain and its cable car

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Tickets needed
   • Couples
   • Families
   • No car needed

   A peak 396 m high on a peninsula at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, known for its cable car and wide views over the city. The cable car runs between Vermelha Beach, Urca Hill and the summit.

   The operator lists opening hours of 8:30 to 21:00 Monday to Friday and 7:30 to 21:00 at weekends, with last boarding at 19:30. Check the site for current times.

   6,681 readers a month

   Sources

   • Bondinho Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf cable car), official site
   • Wikipedia, Sugarloaf Mountain

4. 

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   4. Ipanema and Leblon beaches

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • Families
   • No car needed

   Two neighbouring beach districts in the South Zone. Ipanema became famous through the bossa nova song The Girl from Ipanema. Arpoador rock marks one end, the Dois Irmaos hills rise at the other, and Leblon is next door. Visitors often gather to watch the summer sunset.

   6,356 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Ipanema
   • Wikipedia, Leblon

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   5. Petropolis, the Imperial City

   • A full day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Families
   • Rainy day

   A mountain city about 40 km north of Rio, nicknamed the Imperial City because the court spent summers here in the 19th century. The Imperial Museum, a former summer palace built from 1845 to 1862, was Brazil's most visited museum in 2016. The cathedral holds the tomb of Emperor Pedro II.

   Our sources do not give opening times or ticket rules for the museum or cathedral, so check before you go.

   4,611 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Petropolis

6. 

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   6. Paraty historic centre

   • A full day or an overnight stay
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Active
   • No car needed

   A colonial town on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, 258 km from Rio city. Cars are banned in the cobbled historic centre, so you walk or cycle. The town and Ilha Grande were listed together by UNESCO in 2019, and many of the bay's roughly 50 beaches can be reached only by boat.

   Our sources give no travel times or boat details, so check how you will get there and around the bay before planning a day trip.

   2,320 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Paraty

7. 

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   7. Rio de Janeiro Cathedral

   • About an hour
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Rainy day
   • No car needed
   • Couples

   The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, the seat of the city's archbishop. It is a cone-shaped modern building, designed in a style based on Mayan pyramids and finished in 1979. Four tall stained glass windows rise 64 m. It seats about 5,000 people.

   Our sources do not give opening hours, so check before you go.

   1,987 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral

8. 

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   8. Selaron Steps

   • 30 to 60 minutes
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • Families
   • No car needed

   A flight of 215 steps in Lapa covered in tiles from more than 60 countries. Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron began the work in 1990 and called it his tribute to the Brazilian people. He died in January 2013.

   1,943 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Escadaria Selaron

9. 

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   9. Museum of Tomorrow

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Families
   • Rainy day
   • No car needed

   A science museum on Pier Maua designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, opened on 17 December 2015. It stands on the waterfront in the city centre.

   The museum lists opening Thursday to Tuesday, 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00, and open on public holidays. Check its site for booking and tickets.

   1,780 readers a month

   Sources

   • Museu do Amanha, official site
   • Wikipedia, Museum of Tomorrow

10. 

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    10. Ilha Grande

    • A full day or longer
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Active
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    A forested island of 193 sq km, about 12 km off the coast at Angra dos Reis, with no roads and no motor vehicles. Vila do Abraao is the main village. A state park covers 62.5% of the island, and Lopes Mendes beach is about a two-hour hike from the village.

    Local ferries serve Vila do Abraao from the mainland, but our sources do not name the departure point or times. Check before you travel.

    1,704 readers a month

    Sources

    • Wikipedia, Ilha Grande

Just missed the list: Paqueta Island (11th by readers; a car-free island in Guanabara Bay); Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum (12th by readers; a museum in Niteroi, completed 1996)