Editorial guides / Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro guides for the right place and the right time.
32 guides in English for deciding where to go, how to combine neighbourhoods and when each part of Rio is at its best. Search by beach, trail, metro, neighbourhood or season.
This is the free riodejaneiro.app travel library. Start with a travel question and use each article’s sources to check details before you go.
32 guides
- ItinerariesItineraries
What to do in Rio
What to do in Rio de Janeiro, organised by neighbourhood, beach, forest and culture — built to cut travel time instead of adding sights.6 min readRead guide → - ItinerariesItineraries
5-day itinerary
A five-day Rio de Janeiro itinerary organised by area: viewpoints, beaches, the historic centre, rainforest and one flexible day for the weather.6 min readRead guide → - ItinerariesItineraries
Rio with kids
How to visit Rio de Janeiro with children: calm-water beaches, attractions that survive short attention spans and a daily rhythm that avoids meltdowns.6 min readRead guide → - ItinerariesItineraries
Rio for free
Beaches, viewpoints, trails, free-entry museums and street culture: a guide to the free things to do in Rio de Janeiro, and where paying is worth it.6 min readRead guide → - ItinerariesItineraries
3-day itinerary
A 3-day Rio de Janeiro itinerary grouped by area: Christ and Santa Teresa, Sugarloaf and Copacabana, Ipanema and the Lagoa, plus weather swaps and bookings.9 min readRead guide → - ItinerariesItineraries
Day trips from Rio
The best day trips from Rio de Janeiro by travel time: Niterói by ferry, Petrópolis, Arraial do Cabo, Búzios, and why Ilha Grande needs a night.8 min readRead guide → - ItinerariesItineraries
Rio on a rainy day
What to do in Rio when it rains: the Centro museum circuit, AquaRio, cafés, malls and cinemas, when to cancel hikes and viewpoints, and how to read alerts.8 min readRead guide → - NeighbourhoodsNeighbourhoods
Rio neighbourhoods
A guide to Rio de Janeiro's neighbourhoods, comparing Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo, Urca, Santa Teresa, Lapa and Barra da Tijuca.6 min readRead guide → - NeighbourhoodsNeighbourhoods
Copacabana
A guide to Copacabana: what to do in the neighbourhood, how the lifeguard postos differ, Forte de Copacabana, Leme and where to stay on the seafront.6 min readRead guide → - NeighbourhoodsNeighbourhoods
Ipanema and Leblon
What to do in Ipanema and Leblon: beaches by posto, the Arpoador sunset, the Sunday craft market, the Lagoa and how to choose between the two.6 min readRead guide → - NeighbourhoodsNeighbourhoods
Santa Teresa and Lapa
How to visit Santa Teresa and Lapa: the historic tram, the Escadaria Selarón, the Arches, artists' studios and a route that avoids climbing the hill twice.6 min readRead guide → - NeighbourhoodsNeighbourhoods
Botafogo and Urca
Botafogo and Urca guide: bars on Voluntários da Pátria, Cobal do Humaitá, the cove view, Mureta da Urca at sunset, Praia Vermelha and staying near the metro.7 min readRead guide → - NeighbourhoodsNeighbourhoods
Barra & Recreio
Barra da Tijuca and Recreio guide: long beaches, surf and kitesurf, Prainha and Grumari, Olympic Park, Metro Line 4 and whether staying there suits your trip.7 min readRead guide → - Beaches & natureBeaches & nature
Best beaches in Rio
The best beaches in Rio de Janeiro — Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Barra, Grumari, Prainha and Urca — sorted by how you actually want to use them.6 min readRead guide → - Beaches & natureBeaches & nature
Hiking in Rio
A guide to hiking in Rio de Janeiro by difficulty: Cláudio Coutinho path, Morro da Urca, Pedra Bonita, Dois Irmãos, Pedra da Gávea and Tijuca Forest.6 min readRead guide → - Beaches & natureBeaches & nature
Surfing in Rio
Where to surf in Rio de Janeiro: Arpoador, Barra, Recreio, Macumba, Prainha and Grumari, with conditions, skill levels and the basic rules of the line-up.5 min readRead guide → - Beaches & natureBeaches & nature
Rio viewpoints
The best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro: Vista Chinesa, Mirante Dona Marta, Parque das Ruínas, Arpoador, Mesa do Imperador and Mirante do Leblon.6 min readRead guide → - Beaches & natureBeaches & nature
Tijuca Forest & Botanical
How to visit Tijuca Forest and Rio's Botanical Garden: getting there without a metro, Cascatinha, Vista Chinesa, easy walks, Pico da Tijuca and a one-day plan.9 min readRead guide → - LandmarksLandmarks
Christ the Redeemer
How to visit Christ the Redeemer: the Corcovado cog train, official vans, the Parque Lage trail, timed tickets and the best time of day to go up.6 min readRead guide → - LandmarksLandmarks
Sugarloaf Mountain
How to visit Sugarloaf Mountain: the two cable-car stages, Morro da Urca, the free trail up, the best time of day and what to do in Urca afterwards.6 min readRead guide → - LandmarksLandmarks
Rio museums
The main museums in Rio de Janeiro — Museum of Tomorrow, MAR, Museu Histórico Nacional, MAM, CCBB and the Real Gabinete — grouped by area.6 min readRead guide → - LandmarksLandmarks
Maracanã and football
How to visit Maracanã: the stadium tour, which clubs play there, buying match tickets through official channels, choosing a sector and getting there by metro.9 min readRead guide → - Getting aroundGetting around
Getting around
A transport guide to Rio de Janeiro: metro, VLT tram, BRT, buses, trains and apps — which to use for each leg and how to pay the fare.6 min readRead guide → - Getting aroundGetting around
Galeão to the south zone
How to get from Galeão airport (GIG) to Copacabana, Ipanema, the centre and Barra: apps, taxis, the BRT, and how Santos Dumont differs.6 min readRead guide → - Getting aroundGetting around
Rio metro map
See MetrôRio lines 1, 2 and 4, find the stations visitors actually use and work out where to change trains.Interactive mapRead guide → - Culture & foodCulture & food
Rio at night
Rio de Janeiro nightlife by area: Lapa, Pedra do Sal, Botafogo, Urca, Copacabana, Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca, with the practical side covered.7 min readRead guide → - Culture & foodCulture & food
Rio Carnival
A guide to Rio Carnival: how the Sambadrome parades work, sectors and tickets, free street blocos, and what to book far in advance.6 min readRead guide → - Culture & foodCulture & food
Where to eat in Rio
A guide to eating in Rio de Janeiro: botequim culture, Saturday feijoada, beach food, the best neighbourhoods for dinner and what to avoid on the seafront.6 min readRead guide → - Culture & foodCulture & food
New Year’s Eve in Rio
How to spend New Year’s Eve in Rio: Copacabana fireworks and stages, white clothes and Iemanjá, closures, the metro pass, where to stay and how to get home.8 min readRead guide → - PlanningPlanning
Best time to visit
When to visit Rio de Janeiro: weather by season, high and low season, the rainy months and the best time for beach, hiking and price.6 min readRead guide → - PlanningPlanning
Safety in Rio
Practical safety advice for Rio de Janeiro: what to take to the beach, how to use your phone in the street, transport at night and how to read an area.6 min readRead guide → - PlanningPlanning
Trip cost
How to work out the cost of a trip to Rio de Janeiro: accommodation, food, transport and attractions, and what changes between high and low season.6 min readRead guide →
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