Skip to content
MASA
Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below
south america

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil22.9068° S · 43.1729° W4 stories

Rio de Janeiro is the world's most theatrically sited city: granite peaks rise straight from the Atlantic, forest spills between neighbourhoods, and life happens on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Between the cable car up Sugarloaf, the cog train to Christ the Redeemer and the samba of Lapa, Rio delivers spectacle at every altitude.

When to go

December–March (summer); April–May for clearer air and fewer crowds

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

At a glance
  • 0 highlighted sights
  • 0 recommended stays
  • 0 places to eat
On the map

Finding Rio de Janeiro

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Rio de Janeiro

Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below01
The List

The Best Viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro, Ranked

From Christ the Redeemer's summit to a fort at the quiet end of Copacabana, seven lookouts that explain why Rio is the world's most photogenic city — and when to climb each one.

Brazil · 6 min
Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below02
Itineraries

A Weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Hour by Hour

Two and a half days in the Cidade Maravilhosa, planned around the light: beaches in the morning, mountains in the afternoon, samba after dark.

Brazil · 7 min
Slices of flame-grilled picanha beef with a golden fat cap, arranged on a wooden carving board03
Food

What to Eat in Rio de Janeiro: The Essential Dishes and Where to Find Them

From weekend feijoada to beach-kiosk snacks and flame-grilled picanha, Rio's food culture is generous, informal and joyfully specific. Here's the eating list.

Brazil · 6 min
Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below04
Hidden Gems

Rio de Janeiro Beyond the Crowds

Skip the Copacabana crush for an afternoon and find the other Rio: a bohemian hilltop, a jungle-backed mansion, wild western beaches and samba in the old port.

Brazil · 5 min
In pictures

Rio de Janeiro, framed

Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below
Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below
Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below
Slices of flame-grilled picanha beef with a golden fat cap, arranged on a wooden carving board
Aerial view of the Christ the Redeemer statue on the forested summit of Corcovado, with the Lagoa, Ipanema and the Atlantic haze beyond
The Sugarloaf cable car suspended above Rio de Janeiro at sunset, with Corcovado on the skyline and boats scattered across the bay below
Aerial view of the Christ the Redeemer statue on the forested summit of Corcovado, with the Lagoa, Ipanema and the Atlantic haze beyond
The Sugarloaf cable car suspended above Rio de Janeiro at sunset, with Corcovado on the skyline and boats scattered across the bay below
Aerial view of the Christ the Redeemer statue on the forested summit of Corcovado, with the Lagoa, Ipanema and the Atlantic haze beyond