By air
Rio de Janeiro–Galeão (GIG), ~20 km; Santos Dumont (SDU) for domestic flights
South America · Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Beaches, samba and a mountain-top Christ
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to March for summer and Carnival; May to October is drier and milder
Don't miss
Christ the Redeemer
Sugarloaf Mountain
Copacabana
The Selarón Steps
Things to do
Sugarloaf by cable car
Christ the Redeemer
Copacabana and Ipanema
Samba nights in Lapa
Where to eat
What to pack
Swimwear, light clothes; carry little of value on the beach
A quieter corner
Santa Teresa's hillside lanes and old tram
Questions travellers ask
When should I go to Rio de Janeiro?
December to March for summer and Carnival; May to October is drier and milder.
What are the must-sees in Rio?
Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf by cable car, Copacabana and Ipanema, and the Selarón Steps. Save an evening for samba in Lapa, and for a quieter side of the city, head to Santa Teresa for its hillside lanes and old tram.
What should I pack for Rio de Janeiro?
Swimwear and light clothes — and carry little of value on the beach.
Which dishes should I try in Rio?
Feijoada on a Saturday, açaí bowls, and grilled cheese on the beach (queijo coalho).
About Rio de Janeiro
- Coastal
- Mountains
Where it is
Rio de Janeiro, capital of the state of the same name on the south-eastern coast of Brazil, spreads between Guanabara Bay, the Atlantic beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema and granite peaks such as Sugarloaf and Corcovado, with the Tijuca Forest in its midst.
History
Portuguese sailors reached Guanabara Bay on 1 January 1502, hence the name, January River. The city was founded in 1565, grew as the port for the gold of Minas Gerais, became the seat of the Portuguese royal court in 1808 and was Brazil's capital until 1960, when the government moved to Brasília.
People
Cariocas, as Rio's people are called, speak Portuguese, and the city's culture draws on African, Portuguese and Indigenous roots. Samba schools rehearse all year for Carnival, bossa nova grew up in its beachside neighbourhoods, and football, beach volleyball and feijoada are part of local life.
Known for
- Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado
- Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car
- Copacabana and Ipanema beaches
- Carnival and its samba schools
- The Maracanã stadium
Did you know?
The Tijuca Forest, one of the largest urban forests in the world, was largely replanted by hand from 1861, when more than 100,000 trees were set on hills that had been cleared for coffee farms.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.