Season guide · Rio de Janeiro · Brazil
Rio de Janeiro in summer
December–March: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
Hot and humid, often above 30°C, with afternoon storms, the busiest beaches and Carnival and New Year's Eve, when prices peak. Expect highs up to 30°C (86°F) and lows around 22°C (72°F), with about 43 rainy days across December–March.
Key facts
- Months
- December–March
- Temperatures
- 22°C (72°F) to 30°C (86°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 43
- Sea
- 24°C (75°F) to 26°C (79°F)
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Hotel prices
- Highest
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C (86°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 12 | 13.4 h | 5/5 |
| February | 30°C (86°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 10 | 12.9 h | 5/5 |
| March | 29°C (84°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 10 | 12.3 h | 3/5 |
| December | 29°C (84°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 11 | 13.5 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 30°C (86°F) against a yearly 27°C (81°F), and 43 of the year's roughly 101 rainy days fall in these 4 months. Crowds rate 5/5 and hotel prices 5/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Saint Sebastian's Day — holiday for the city's patron saint (20 January)
- January: Pre-Carnival street parties (blocos) start at weekends (usually from mid-January)
- February: Carnival — Sambadrome parades and street blocos (usually February, sometimes early March)
- December: Réveillon — New Year's Eve fireworks and concerts on Copacabana Beach (31 December)
Good choices for summer
Museum · Praça Mauá
Museum of Tomorrow
Santiago Calatrava's white, ribbed building juts into Guanabara Bay at the end of the redeveloped port, and inside an interactive science museum explores climate, population and the planet's future.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Photo spot
Gallery · Praça Mauá
Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
Take the lift to the rooftop terrace first, then work down through the galleries.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Aquarium · Gamboa
AquaRio
Billed as the largest marine aquarium in South America when it opened in 2016, AquaRio holds sharks, rays and Brazilian coastal species in tanks that include a walk-through tunnel.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Architecture · Centro
Real Gabinete Português de Leitura
Look around quietly, as people are reading, and combine it with Confeitaria Colombo and the Theatro Municipal on a Centro walk.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Experience · Centro
Confeitaria Colombo
Open since 1894 on Rua Gonçalo Dias, this Belle Époque tea room has huge Belgian mirrors framed in jacaranda wood, a stained-glass skylight and glass counters of pastéis de nata, coxinhas and cakes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Day trips in summer
- Petrópolis (About 1.5 hours by bus) — The emperors' summer retreat in the mountains holds the Imperial Museum in Dom Pedro II's palace, the Gothic-style cathedral with the imperial tombs and the iron-and-glass Crystal Palace.
- Niterói and the MAC (About 20 minutes by ferry, then a short ride) — Oscar Niemeyer's flying-saucer Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) perches on a cliff with views back across Guanabara Bay to Sugarloaf and Corcovado.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Rio de Janeiro?
It is a trade-off: Hot and humid, often above 30°C, with afternoon storms, the busiest beaches and Carnival and New Year's Eve, when prices peak. The best months overall are April–June and August–October.
+What is the weather like in Rio de Janeiro in summer?
Highs of up to 30°C (86°F) and lows around 22°C (72°F), with about 43 rainy days over the season.