Your travel goal while in Rio de Janeiro: to see as much of your destination that you can, since you likely won’t be in Rio again. So you’re looking for an itinerary that includes the top tourist attractions and a few smaller sights to get a true local feel. Here, your essential seven stops in Rio de Janeiro.
Big And Small: The Ultimate Tourist's Guide To Rio de Janeiro
Cristo Redentor is perhaps the most iconic of Rio de Janeiro’s landmarks, and while it looks impressive in photos, in real life, you will likely be more taken with the views from the peak of Corcovado Mountain. The looming statue has been here since 1931 and is considered the world’s oldest art-deco statue. The simplest way to get to Christ the Redeemer is via cog train.
Although there are tours that can take you hiking up Pão de Açùcar (aka Sugarloaf Mountain), you’ll need to save your energy for your jam-packed travel itinerary, so take the cable car to the top, which happens in two stages. At the summit, which is 395 metres above Rio, you’ll have views of Cristo Redector, Corcovado Mountain and Cococabana Beach (Psst, there’s a café at the peak where you can enjoy a cold beverage as you take in the sights).
Plan for at least one night out dancing in Lapa. Even if you don’t feel up to samba yourself, just grab a beer or caipirinha from one of the street vendors and wander through the hustle and bustle of this neighbourhood where the people and music spill out into the streets at night.
When you need some greenery instead of sand, make that day’s a trip to Jardim Botânico where you can see enormous Vitoria Regia lilies, royal palms that are more than 150 years old, along with some 8,000 plant species and 5,500 trees. Keep your eyes peeled for monkeys and birds such as toucans, who call the park home.
Even if you’re not inclined to go to a football game at Maracanã, a visit to this stadium, the largest in the world, is a Rio de Janeiro travel must to take in its enormity. Built in 1950, it has a capacity of 96,000 and a tour will take you into the change rooms, plus there a football museum and shop where you can buy soccer jerseys for your grandkids.
Grab your sunscreen and swimsuit and hit Ipanema Beach, where you can rent a chair for the day and enjoy some excellent people watching (you’ll encounter Rio’s pretty young things here, along with surfers, volleyball players and Brazilian hippies). Come sunset, find a spot on the east end of the beach for the best views. There’s no need to pack a lunch; there are plenty of vendors on the beach selling everything from coconut water to açai.