Things to do · Rio de Janeiro · Brazil
20 best things to do in Rio de Janeiro
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
The essential sights in Rio de Janeiro are Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana Beach. Of the 20 picks below, 10 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 5 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Christ the Redeemer
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Museum of Tomorrow
- Time to see the highlights
- 5 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christ the Redeemer | Corcovado | 2–3 hours including the train | Mid-priced |
| Sugarloaf Mountain | Urca | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Copacabana Beach | Copacabana | Half a day | Free |
| Ipanema Beach | Ipanema | Half a day | Free |
| Maracanã Stadium | Maracanã | 1.5 hours for a tour | Mid-priced |
| Arpoador Rock | Ipanema | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Selarón Steps | Lapa | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Santa Teresa and the bonde tram | Santa Teresa | Half a day | Low cost |
| Tijuca National Park | Tijuca Forest | Half a day to a full day | Free |
| Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden | Jardim Botânico | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Museum of Tomorrow | Praça Mauá | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) | Praça Mauá | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| AquaRio | Gamboa | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Lapa Arches | Lapa | 30 minutes by day, an evening for samba | Free |
| Real Gabinete Português de Leitura | Centro | 30 minutes | Free |
| Confeitaria Colombo | Centro | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Theatro Municipal | Centro | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian | Centro | 30 minutes | Free |
| Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas | Lagoa | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Parque Lage | Jardim Botânico | 1 hour | Free |
The 20 best things to do
Landmark · Corcovado
1.Christ the Redeemer
The 30-metre Art Deco statue, completed in 1931, stands on the 700-metre summit of Corcovado with its arms spread over the city. The cog train from Cosme Velho climbs through the Tijuca forest in about 20 minutes, and official vans run from Copacabana and Largo do Machado. From the platform you see Sugarloaf, the Lagoa, the beaches and the Maracanã.
Take one of the first trains on a clear morning; cloud often settles over the summit later in the day, so look at the sky before you set off.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours including the train
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Buy timed train or van tickets online in advance for weekends, holidays and the December–March high season.
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
Landmark · Urca
2.Sugarloaf Mountain
Two cable cars lift you from Praia Vermelha in Urca first to Morro da Urca and then to the 396-metre summit of Sugarloaf, which rises straight out of the entrance to Guanabara Bay. The views take in Copacabana, Christ the Redeemer and Niterói across the water, and both peaks have paths, cafés and space to wait for sunset.
Arrive about an hour before sunset to see the city in daylight, at dusk and lit up; fit walkers can climb Morro da Urca by trail from the Pista Cláudio Coutinho path at Praia Vermelha.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
- After dark
![[www.flickr.com/photos/26912057@N02/ bisonlux]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Praia_de_Copacabana_-_Rio_de_Janeiro,_Brasil.jpg){kind=link}
Beach · Copacabana
3.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. Kiosks, volleyball and footvolley courts and rented chairs fill the beach, and the fort at the southern end has a small army museum and a café looking back along the bay.
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
4.Ipanema Beach
Ipanema's beach is divided by numbered lifeguard posts, each with its own crowd: surfers near Arpoador, a young scene around Posto 9 and the rainbow flags of the LGBTQ+ stretch facing Rua Farme de Amoedo. Vendors walk the sand selling Biscoito Globo, iced mate and grilled cheese, and the Dois Irmãos peaks frame the western end.
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
Landmark · Maracanã
5.Maracanã Stadium
Built for the 1950 World Cup and rebuilt for 2014, when it hosted the final, the Maracanã is the home ground of Flamengo and Fluminense. Stadium tours visit the dressing rooms and pitchside, but the real experience is a match, with flags, drums and non-stop chanting from the stands.
Buy match tickets through the clubs' official sales or a reputable tour operator, and take the Metrô to Maracanã station rather than driving.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours for a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- After dark
- Kids
Viewpoint · Ipanema
6.Arpoador Rock
The rocky headland between Copacabana and Ipanema is Rio's favourite sunset spot: on clear evenings crowds sit on the granite and applaud as the sun drops behind the Dois Irmãos mountains. The small beach below is popular with surfers, and the Parque Garota de Ipanema behind it has shade and a playground.
Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunset in summer to find a spot on the rock, and watch your footing on the way down after dark.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Landmark · Lapa
7.Selarón Steps
Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón covered these 215 steps between Lapa and Santa Teresa with more than 2,000 tiles collected from over 60 countries, working on them from 1990 until his death in 2013. The red, green, yellow and blue staircase is one of the most photographed spots in the city.
Come early in the morning for photos without crowds, then continue uphill to Santa Teresa by daylight.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Santa Teresa
8.Santa Teresa and the bonde tram
The yellow bonde tram climbs from its station near Carioca in Centro across the top of the Lapa Arches and up into Santa Teresa's cobbled streets. Get off near Largo dos Guimarães to explore studios, small museums and bars, and walk to the free Parque das Ruínas, a ruined mansion with a terrace over Guanabara Bay.
Ride the tram up and walk back down towards Lapa via the Selarón Steps while it is still light.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Couples
- Art
Nature · Tijuca Forest
1.Tijuca National Park
Replanted from the 1860s after coffee plantations stripped the hills, the Tijuca forest is one of the largest urban forests in the world and covers the mountains behind the city. Trails lead to the 1,021-metre Pico da Tijuca, the Cascatinha Taunay waterfall and the Vista Chinesa pavilion, and Corcovado itself lies inside the 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
2.Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
Founded in 1808 by the Portuguese prince regent Dom João, the garden is known for its avenue of imperial palms, its orchid and bromeliad collections and the view of Christ the Redeemer above the trees. Marmosets and toucans are often seen, and the shaded paths make it a cooler choice on a hot day.
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
Museum · Praça Mauá
3.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. Outside, the Boulevard Olímpico waterfront passes Eduardo Kobra's huge Etnias mural, painted for the 2016 Olympics.
Pair it with the Museu de Arte do Rio across Praça Mauá and ride the VLT tram back to Centro.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Photo spot
Gallery · Praça Mauá
4.Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
MAR links an early 20th-century palace and a modernist building under a wave-shaped canopy, with rotating exhibitions on Rio's history, art and visual culture. A walkway on the top floor leads to a terrace looking over the port, Praça Mauá and the Museum of Tomorrow.
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
5.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. It is a short walk or VLT ride from Praça Mauá, so it combines easily with the Museum of Tomorrow.
Visit on a weekday morning; weekend afternoons and school holidays are crowded.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Lapa
6.Lapa Arches
The 42 white arches of the Carioca Aqueduct, built in the 18th century to carry water into the colonial city, now carry the Santa Teresa tram. Beneath them the square fills with street parties at weekends, and the samba halls of Rua do Lavradio and Rua Mem de Sá are a short walk away.
See the arches by day and come back for live samba at night, arriving and leaving by taxi or ride-hailing.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes by day, an evening for samba
- Cost
- Free
- History
- After dark
- Free
- Architecture
Architecture · Centro
7.Real Gabinete Português de Leitura
Behind a Neo-Manueline façade on Rua Luís de Camões, this 1880s reading room rises through three tiers of carved wooden bookcases under a stained-glass skylight. Founded by Portuguese immigrants, it is a working library with one of the largest collections of Portuguese literature outside Portugal.
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
8.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. Cariocas have met here for coffee and pastries for well over a century.
Come mid-morning on a weekday to avoid the lunchtime queue, and order a coffee and a pastry at the counter.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Architecture · Centro
9.Theatro Municipal
Rio's opera house, opened in 1909 on Praça Floriano and inspired by the Paris Opéra, has a gilded foyer, marble staircases and an auditorium decorated by the painter Eliseu Visconti. Guided tours show the building, and the season includes opera, ballet and orchestral concerts.
Check the programme for a performance; a show is the best way to see the auditorium full and lit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Religious site · Centro
10.Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian
Completed in 1979, Rio's cathedral is a 75-metre concrete cone with room for about 20,000 standing worshippers. Inside, four bands of stained glass run 64 metres from floor to the cross-shaped skylight, filling the space with coloured light on sunny afternoons.
Visit around midday or early afternoon when the light through the windows is strongest, then walk on to the Lapa Arches nearby.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- Photo spot
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Lagoa
11.Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
The lagoon behind Ipanema and Leblon is ringed by a 7.5 km path used for running, cycling and evening strolls, with Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer rising above. Kiosks along the shore serve drinks and food, and swan-shaped pedal boats and playgrounds keep children busy.
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
12.Parque Lage
A 1920s mansion built around a courtyard pool sits in tropical gardens at the foot of Corcovado; it now houses a visual arts school and a café. The grounds are free to enter, and a steep forest trail starts here and climbs to Christ the Redeemer.
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
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Selarón Steps, Santa Teresa and the bonde tram, Museum of Tomorrow and Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) |
| History | Santa Teresa and the bonde tram, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), Maracanã Stadium and Lapa Arches |
| Views | Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Arpoador Rock and Santa Teresa and the bonde tram |
| Outdoors and nature | Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, Tijuca National Park and Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden |
| Food and markets | Confeitaria Colombo |
| After dark | Sugarloaf Mountain, Maracanã Stadium, Lapa Arches and Theatro Municipal |
| With children | Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana Beach and Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden |
| On a rainy day | Museum of Tomorrow, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), AquaRio and Real Gabinete Português de Leitura |
What to book ahead
- Christ the Redeemer: Buy timed train or van tickets online in advance for weekends, holidays and the December–March high season.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Rio de Janeiro?
Christ the Redeemer. The 30-metre Art Deco statue, completed in 1931, stands on the 700-metre summit of Corcovado with its arms spread over the city.
+What can you do for free in Rio de Janeiro?
Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, Arpoador Rock, Selarón Steps and Tijuca National Park. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Rio de Janeiro when it rains?
Head indoors to Museum of Tomorrow, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), AquaRio and Real Gabinete Português de Leitura.
+What is there to do in Rio de Janeiro at night?
Sugarloaf Mountain, Maracanã Stadium, Lapa Arches and Theatro Municipal are best after dark.