The 10 best things to do in Rio de Janeiro
If you want beaches and views, explore the south. If you need some intellectual and cultural stimulation, go north. That’s how easy it is to plan your sightseeing in Rio. It’s probably worth starting with a ride up Sugar Loaf just to get your bearings and see how the city is laid out between the sea and morros (hills). Following the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, downtown Rio is smarter and safer than ever and half a day there breaks up the beach sessions. The metro (here spelt Mêtro) was also expanded and is recommended for daytime exploring; after 9pm, it isn’t unsafe on the train but you might not feel comfortable coming out in an area you don’t know after dark.
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Centro/Norte
Discover the art of making a city
The Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) is two buildings in one: the Dom João VI Mansion, listed and eclectic, and a modernist style purpose-built neighbour. The city-themed exhibitions explore Rio’s evolution, people (the cariocas), topography, challenges and environmental issues.
Insider’s tip: Start off by taking the elevator to the top (6th) floor, enjoy the view over the regenerated bay and then work you way down.
Contact: museudeartedorio​.org​.br​
Nearest metro: Uruguaiana
Price: £
See the future
In a cutting-edge building designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) – which opened in 2015 ahead of the Rio Olympics - is a symbol of the renovation of the old port district. Interactive displays explore five main themes: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrow and Us, with some awesome photography, a brain-fizzing amount of information and an accent on climate and sustainability.
Insider’s tip: Go early as crowds can build around lunchtime and some rooms are best experienced alone or in small groups.
Price: £
Meet Christ in the wilderness
Rio’s most famous statue was completed in 1931 and stands 98 feet tall, its horizontally outstretched arms spanning 92 feet. It’s made from reinforced concrete clad in thousands of triangular soapstone tiles and is considered an art deco masterpiece. The statue stands on a 2,330-foot granite peak called Corcovado (“hunchback”), inside the Parque Nacional Tijuca.
Insider’s tip: The statue can be reached via a narrow road or by walking, but the best way up is on the 2.4 mile Corcovado Rack Railway – opened in 1884 and refurbished in 1980.
Price: £
Home of the beautiful game
The Maracanã stadium opened in 1950 to host Brazil’s first World Cup, in which Brazil was beaten 2-1 by Uruguay in the final. Some 173,850 spectators watched the match on 16 July 1950 and the venue claims an all-time club record attendance with 194,603 spectators for a Flamengo-Fluminense derby in 1963. The fabled stadium used to be a wondrously ugly home for the “beautiful game” but upgrades for the 2014 World Cup and Olympics removed the concrete roof, jutting upper tier and other adornments. Pele scored his 1,000 goal in all competitions here in 1969 – playing for his beloved Santos – and superstars to use the Maracaná for shows include Madonna, the Rolling Stones and Pope John Paul II. To see the inside, do the self-guided Maracanã tour of the museum, locker rooms, players' warm-up room, press area and the pitch. For an extra fee you can have a kick at the goal.
Insider’s tip: As well as the tour, consider going to a match. Tour firms can sort out all the tickets and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (top flight) matches take place from April to December. This is the home stadium for Flamengo and Fluminense.
Nearest metro: Maracaná
Price: £
Rio’s brutally beautiful cathedral
The wigwam-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Architect Edgar Fonseca wanted his Brutalist temple to echo the form of Mayan pyramids. Outside the concrete structure looks like space age (as imagined fifty years ago), dark and slightly alienating, but once inside light streams in through the stained glass windows that run the length of the tilting walls. At the top is a crucifix-shaped skylight set into the flat ceiling. The church can hold around 20,000 people. A museum in the basement focuses on sacred art, books and devotional paraphernalia.
Insider tip: There is a mass every day at noon and Sundays at 10am.
Nearest metro: Cinelandia, a 5-minute walk away, and Carioca, a 10-minute walk.
Price: Free
See one of Rio’s remaining colonial treasures
The Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, more commonly known as the Mosteiro de São Bento (Monastery of Saint Benedict), is a Benedictine abbey located on the Morro de São Bento hill. Founded in 1590 by two monks from Bahia, the abbey was built by the end of the 16th century and a church was added in 1641.
Insider’s tip: The Rococo-styled Chapel of the Holy Sacrament (1795 - 1800) is one one of sculptor Inácio Ferreira Pinto’s masterpieces.
Nearest metro: Uruguaiana/Centro
Price: Free
Zona Sur: Bay
Ride the cable-car up Sugar Loaf Mountain
The trip to the top of Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) takes place in two stages, starting at the Praia Vermelha beach. The first cable car ascends to Morro da Urca at 722 feet. From here, you can see Guanabara Bay and its squiggly shore. There are souvenir shops, snack bars, a concert venue and a helipad (helicopter tours provided by Helisight). The second stage is the ride up to Pão de Açúcar, at 1,299 feet, for views on all sides and over the city’s sprawl. There’s an open-sided bar, Classico Sunset, for snacks and cocktails. The cable cars run every half hour from 8.30/9am-8.30/9pm.
Insider’s tip: Go first thing to avoid crowds and postpone if there’s heavy cloud cover – it’s all about the views.
Nearest metro: Botafogo (then 30 mins walk or bus 513)
Price: ££
Jardim Botânico and Lagoa
Walk on the Wild Side: Rio’s Botanical Gardens
The 350-acre Jardim Botânico was designed by order of the Prince Regent Dom João (later to become King Dom João VI) in 1808. There are more than 7,000 plant species, including around 600 orchids (in an enclosed orquidário) and 900 palm trees. Lofty royal palms have been arrayed to create a spectacular avenue. The Amazonas section contains a lake full of huge Vitória Régia water lilies. There’s a snack bar and café and some nice souvenirs in the shop.
Insider’s tip: If you go by metro it’s a half hour walk. Ignore Google maps and go via the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon - this residential area, Lagoa, is one of the most expensive in Brazil.
Nearest metro: Jardim de Alah/Leblon
Price: £
Contact: gov.br/jbrj/pt-br/assuntos/visitacao/ingressos
Further afield
Rio’s seaside satellite: Barra da Tijuca
At 11 miles, Barra is Rio de Janeiro’s longest beach, and is easily reached on Metro line 4 or less than half an hour by cab. The exposed coast makes it popular for watersports, including surfing and kite surfing, and there are more sheltered areas at either end. Cariocas trip out to hang out at Barra’s bars, seafood restaurants, shopping malls and nightclubs.
Insider tip: go all the way to the western tip and you’ll escape the crowds and discover the Prainha Municipal Natural Park, where the beaches back on to rainforest.
Nearest metro: Jardim Oceânico
A spaceship to the retro-future
Designed by legendary Brasilia architect Oscar Niemeyer, the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) opened in 1996. Perched like an upside-down flying-saucer on a rock beside the sea, it’s a striking thing to behold after crossing the eight-mile Rio-Niterói bridge. It houses the João Sattamini Collection, one of Brazil’s most important contemporary art collections, which are complemented by temporary shows. There are dramatic views from inside and from the dramatic walkway and esplanade outside the museum.
Insider tip: Since you’ve come across the bay, pop into the centre of Niterói for lunch; there are some good grills (churrascarias). There are further Niemeyer buildings, a beach and a large fish market.
Price: £
How we choose
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.
