Outdoors · Rio de Janeiro · Brazil
6 best outdoor things to do in Rio de Janeiro
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
Start with Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach and Tijuca National Park. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 13–18 hours across 5 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 13–18 hours
- Areas
- Copacabana, Ipanema and Tijuca Forest
Outdoors in Rio de Janeiro
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Beach · Copacabana
1.Copacabana Beach
Walk the promenade early in the morning when locals jog and play footvolley, and leave valuables at your hotel.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Beach · Ipanema
2.Ipanema Beach
Use a lifeguard post (posto) as your meeting point and rent chairs and an umbrella from a beach stall (barraca) rather than carrying your own.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Nature · Tijuca Forest
3.Tijuca National Park
Hire a local guide for longer hikes such as Pedra da Gávea, carry plenty of water and stick to well-used trails.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Views
- Free
![tsc_traveler [2]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JdBotanico3-CCBY.jpg){kind=link}
Garden · Jardim Botânico
4.Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
Combine it with lunch in the Jardim Botânico neighbourhood and a walk or bike ride around the Lagoa.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Lagoa
5.Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
Rent a bike from a bike-share dock and ride the full loop in the late afternoon, then stay for dinner at a lakeside kiosk.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
- Views
Park · Jardim Botânico
6.Parque Lage
Have breakfast at the courtyard café, and only tackle the Corcovado trail early in the day, with water and preferably a guide.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Copacabana | Copacabana Beach | Half a day |
| Ipanema | Ipanema Beach | Half a day |
| Tijuca Forest | Tijuca National Park | Half a day to a full day |
| Jardim Botânico | Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and Parque Lage | 2–3 hours + 1 hour |
| Lagoa | Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 5 free, 1 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Copacabana Beach; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Copacabana): Copacabana Beach, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Ipanema): Ipanema Beach, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Tijuca Forest): Tijuca National Park, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Jardim Botânico): Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden → Parque Lage, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Lagoa): Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, at least 1 hour.
The best months to be outside
- July: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds. Winter school holidays bring Brazilian families; days are warm, evenings cool and the sea is at its coolest.
- August: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Dry and sunny, with occasional cold fronts that bring a few grey, cooler days; good hiking weather in Tijuca.
- June: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild winter weather with some of the clearest skies of the year; June festivals bring bonfires, corn dishes and quentão (spiced hot cachaça).
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Copacabana — Long beachfront avenue, big hotels and round-the-clock street life
- Ipanema — Rio's best-known beach, design boutiques and sunsets at Arpoador
- Leblon — Upscale and residential, with calm streets and polished restaurants
More of Rio de Janeiro
All things to do in Rio de Janeiro · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Rio de Janeiro?
Copacabana Beach. Four kilometres of sand curve from Leme to the Copacabana Fort, backed by Avenida Atlântica and Roberto Burle Marx's wave-pattern mosaic promenade.
+Which of these are free in Rio de Janeiro?
Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, Tijuca National Park, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and Parque Lage.