Stand at the top of the Santa Teresa hill and you can watch a yellow streetcar rattle across the Arcos da Lapa, the old aqueduct that still carries the line into the neighbourhood. Below it, the city spreads out toward the bay, and somewhere past the rooftops the Cristo Redentor statue looks back at you from Corcovado.
Rio suits travellers who want their sightseeing mixed with beaches, mountains and music. The city's landmarks sit inside a landscape of granite peaks and Atlantic forest, so a morning of hiking can end with an afternoon on the sand. This guide covers the main sights and experiences, plus a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Rio de Janeiro
1. Corcovado and Cristo Redentor
Corcovado is the granite peak in the Tijuca Forest that carries the Cristo Redentor statue, and the funicular train up to it is worth the trip for the view alone. The queue for the train, in Cosme Velho, can get rather long, so plan around it.
If you would rather walk, a hiking trail begins at Parque Lage and climbs through sub-tropical rain forest to the top. Combining the two — trail up, train or road down — makes a full half-day.
2. Pão de Açúcar
Pão de Açúcar, the Sugarloaf Mountain, is reached by a two-stage aerial tramway to the top. Do not make the mistake of thinking you have seen enough once you have seen the view from Cristo Redentor; the two lookouts face each other across the bay.
Try Sugarloaf at sunset for the strongest experience. There is also an unsigned trail leading to the second station if you prefer to earn the view.
3. Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
The lagoon sits in the middle of the South Zone, with views toward Corcovado and the Ipanema and Leblon beaches. You can jog or cycle all the way around it.
There are skating areas along the shore and little pedal-operated boats for hire. It is an easy, low-effort way to spend a late afternoon between beach time and dinner.
4. Jardim Botânico
The Botanical Garden was planted in the 1800s and works as both a park and a scientific laboratory, holding a huge collection of plants from all over the world, not only tropical ones.
It sits close to Parque Lage, so the two fit naturally into the same outing.
5. Parque Lage
Parque Lage is a small park with interesting plants and wildlife, plus strange concrete structures that will entertain children. It is also the start of the hiking trail up Corcovado through sub-tropical rain forest.
Come here if you want the forest without committing to the full climb, or use it as the trailhead for the ascent.
6. Streetcar of Santa Teresa
The streetcar of Santa Teresa is Brazil's only remaining metropolitan heritage streetcar, and it runs through one of the city's most characterful neighbourhoods.
Pair the ride with the Arcos da Lapa, the colonial aqueduct that brought water from springs to downtown and now carries the line.
7. Maracanã
Maracanã is the largest football stadium in South America. Daily tours have been suspended, and the stadium is in a state of disrepair following the Summer 2016 Olympics, so check the current situation before you go.
There is also a Soccer Museum inside it, which is the more reliable reason to make the trip while tours are suspended.
8. Museu Histórico Nacional
This downtown museum covers Brazilian history from colonial to imperial times with a big collection of paintings and artifacts.
It sits among a cluster of downtown sights, so you can build a museum morning around it. Pick up the free Mapa das Artes Rio de Janeiro, available at most museums, for current listings.
9. Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
On Cinelândia square, the Museum of Fine Arts holds large paintings from Academicist and Neoclassical Brazilian artists, as well as many copies of European sculptures.
Cinelândia is also where you find the Teatro Municipal, the Biblioteca Nacional and the Câmara Municipal, so the square rewards a slow walk.
10. Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB)
The CCBB is a cultural centre with a gallery, movie theater, video room, library and stages, and it usually hosts the main exhibitions in town. The building itself is interesting, with old-fashioned elevators.
It is in downtown next to Casa França Brasil, and the Candelária Church stands beside it.
11. Paço Imperial
The Paço Imperial is the former imperial palace, impressively modest, built in colonial architecture in downtown next to Praça XV.
Combine it with the nearby Mosteiro de São Bento, a colonial monastery from 1663, for a compact look at the old city.
12. Museu da República and Palácio do Catete
Housed in the former presidential palace in Catete, the Museu da República holds permanent exhibitions about recent Brazilian history from 1889 onward, with nice gardens attached. One of the main features is the room where president Getúlio Vargas shot himself in 1954.
Also in Catete, Oi Futuro hosts a fine gallery with temporary exhibitions of digital or interactive art.
13. Parque do Flamengo
Also known as Aterro do Flamengo, this park runs along the bay between Flamengo and Glória, with broad walkways, Flamengo Beach, various monuments and a large stock of trees.
It is a good place for an early walk or a late cycle, and it sits between the downtown sights and the South Zone.
14. Carnaval and the Sambódromo
Carnaval lasts for almost two weeks and is centred on the escolas de samba parading in Centro on the Sambódromo, a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue. During Carnaval there are also blocos de rua, street samba blocks that parade in almost every neighbourhood, especially in Centro and the South Zone.
Outside Carnaval, the night practice sessions held by the samba schools in the months leading up to it are more genuine than the staged tourist shows. Salgueiro and Mangueira are good choices, being larger schools located relatively close to the tourist areas in a fairly safe area. These sessions run into the early hours, with the fun really only starting around 01:00 to 02:00.
15. Ilha Fiscal Palace
The Ilha Fiscal Palace dates from 1889 and sits in Guanabara Bay next to the Navy Museum.
Pair the two for a bay-side half day, and note that the Navy Museum is one of the downtown museum options.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Corcovado. Take the funicular train from Cosme Velho up to Cristo Redentor, or hike the trail that begins at Parque Lage if you want the forest route. Go early, since the queue for the train can get rather long.
Afternoon. Head down to the South Zone and spend the middle of the day at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, walking or cycling the shore, then continue to Jardim Botânico and Parque Lage, which sit close together. If time allows, finish the afternoon at Parque do Flamengo on the way back toward the centre.
Evening. Take the streetcar of Santa Teresa through the neighbourhood and past the Arcos da Lapa, then make your way to Pão de Açúcar for the two-stage tramway to the top. Sunset is the time to be there.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Pão de Açúcar?
Go at sunset. The view from Sugarloaf is a different experience from the one at Cristo Redentor, so do not treat the two as interchangeable.
Can I visit Maracanã?
Daily tours have been suspended and the stadium is in a state of disrepair following the Summer 2016 Olympics. The Soccer Museum inside it is the part to check on before you go.
What should I do on a rainy day in Rio?
Rio has a wide range of museums and cultural centres, which are run by banks and other organizations and usually host free exhibitions. The "Segundo Caderno" section of the daily O Globo newspaper carries details, with more in a weekly Friday supplement, and the free Mapa das Artes Rio de Janeiro offers bi-monthly listings and maps, available at most museums.
Are the samba shows for tourists worth it?
The staged shows held at venues such as Plataforma and Scala are expensive and not really representative of Brazilian culture. The night practice sessions held by the samba schools in the months leading up to Carnaval are more interesting and genuine, with few tourists and, by the account of the source, the best caipirinhas of your trip.
Pick your dates around Carnaval or around the samba school rehearsals, book the Corcovado train early, and start building the rest of the trip from the list above.