Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Travel Guide
Known for its festive vibes, beautiful beaches and incredible city highlights, Rio de Janeiro is one of the most epic places you can visit in all of South America.
As such it’s a staple in any Brazil itinerary, and your main task will be trying to fit in all of the bucket list things to see and do in the city.
Things to do in Rio de Janeiro
In this guide we’ll explore Rio de Janeiro, what to see and do, the best places to stay as well as our own top tips for a backpacking trip here.
Why Travel to Rio de Janeiro?
This ever-popular Brazilian city is full of awesome and unique highlights that are worth seeing, and is one of the best places to experience when in Brazil.
Christ the Redeemer is by far the most popular given it is one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World, with Sugarloaf Mountain another that makes it onto most Rio itineraries.
Other gems that are worth exploring include the Marcaña Stadium as well as heading on a Rocinha Favela Tour.
Another reason to visit Rio is for the atmosphere. The two main beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana have festive vibes both during the day and night, and are also great places to go for a swim and take in the hot Brazilian Sun.
Also within these areas we’ll find lots of beachside bars and swanky Samba clubs that are perfect for a fun night out. Those after the most wild night will want to head to the nearby district of Lapa.
Rio de Janeiro is also a great first place to visit in Brazil due to its well-connected airport (which welcomes flights from around the globe daily), as well as its central location.
From here we can then head to the colonial town of Paraty and the incredible tropical island of Ilha Grande. There are also daily buses to the big cities of São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, which are both good destinations to visit next on your Brazil itinerary.
How to Get to Rio de Janeiro
As we just mentioned, Rio de Janeiro is a very well-connected city by air. There are direct flights arriving here from all over South America, and for example you can get here from Lima, Bogotá and Buenos Aires for between $100-250 (for a one-way flight).
From the USA we’ll also find direct flights from many major city airports such as those of Miami, Atlanta, New York and Dallas.
If you are already in Brazil, then it’s also easy to get to Rio from other popular destinations. It makes sense to fly if you are much further away, and we’ll find well-priced flights from places like Recife, Salvador, Florianopolis, Fortaleza and Manaus.
Buses are ideal if nearby (remember that Brazil is huge), such as from São Paulo which takes around 6 hours to get to.
Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro
Rio is quite a big city, and as such there are many popular districts which are more ideal for different vibes and budgets. However, in our experience the very best are Copacabana and Ipanema, which offer a bit of everything.
If you’re looking to keep costs down, then the Solar Hostel in Copacabana is a great pick. Here you’ll be able to stay in comfortable dorm rooms or private rooms for a good rate, where you’ll also be just a couple of blocks from the beach and many eating options.
There are also many great private room stays for those who want more privacy or an upgrade in their experience. We suggest staying at the Copacabana Blue Hotel, which has spacious comfortable rooms and air-conditioning, and also has an on-site daily buffet breakfast.
Best Time to visit Rio de Janeiro
The shoulder season months will be the best times to visit Rio, which include April and May (Autumn), as well as September and October.
This is because there won’t be as many crowds and as such prices will be lower. It’s of course important to mention that early April may coincide with Carnival, so be sure to check dates for the year you want to visit.
Average temperatures during these months hover between 72-78°F, with daytime highs of up to 83°F and evening lows of 67°F. Rainfall is quite low during these months of the year, where we can expect between 1.5-3.5 inches falling throughout each month.
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Best Things to do and see in Rio de Janeiro
Visit Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain
No trip to Rio can really be complete without getting those iconic highlight photos next to the city’s two biggest highlights.
Christ the Redeemer of course is one of the covered New Seven Wonders of the World, which measures a giant 98ft. Sugarloaf Mountain is perfect for getting those unforgettable views of Rio, and with this city highlights day tour you can explore both as well as others including the infamous Maracaná Stadium.
Enjoy the Beaches of Rio
All around the city we can find many spectacular beaches, which are great for both relaxing in the sun as well as soaking up the festive atmosphere.
Copacabana remains arguably the best of the bunch, where we can easily find a spot to enjoy the golden sands and beachside bars along the 4km beach. Ipanema beach connects onto Copacabana to the west, and also has its stunning coastline (although it’s definitely more relaxed here).
Explore the Infamous Rocinha Favela
There’s nothing quite like a visit to the legendary Rocinha Favela, which is one of the most famous of all favelas throughout Brazil. Here we can see how the community has created their own internal ecosystem, which includes supporting each other and fully governing their own area.
Whilst you might be worried about safety, heading on an organized favela tour is by far the safest way to get to know the Favela – given local tour operators are both known and protected by the community (as it also helps drive income for them).
Head on a Day Trip to Ilha Grande
If you’re looking to change things up whilst in Rio, then there’s no better way than by heading on a day trip to Ilha Grande. Here we can swap the bustling city for gorgeous remote beaches, with this island also being the perfect place to go snorkelling with its crystal-clear waters.
With this day trip from Rio we can enjoy these incredible beaches and surrounding jungle, which also includes lunch and all transportation.
Rio de Janeiro Backpacking Tips
Now we’ll share some of our best tips for exploring Rio de Janeiro, based on our own experience here.
- We recommend spending around 7 days in Rio de Janeiro. This will be plenty to see all of the best highlights, and also to enjoy everything that this glamorous city has to offer. This includes seeing Rio’s highlights, heading to beaches within the region as well as enjoying the atmosphere. Two weeks is more ideal if heading on a longer trip through Brazil to really enjoy the city.
- If you are still wondering which month is best to head to Rio, then we suggest going in February. Within the dry season, we’ll find the weather perfect here whilst also avoiding the massive crowds in both early January as well as Carnival during March (where prices often triple – unless of course you’re looking for wild atmosphere and unbeatable city vibes).
- As with most other Brazilian cities, it’s important to set a realistic budget given they are usually more expensive than other destinations in South America. A daily budget of $25-30 will be plenty here for a great hostel, meals and spare for activities and drinks at night (and during the day at the beach).
Things to do in Rio de Janeiro
And that’s all for our backpacking guide to Rio de Janeiro.
By far one of the most popular destinations you can visit within the South American continent, there’s really no place like Rio. Here we can tick-off legendary highlights such as Christ the Redeemer and heading deep into a Favela, whilst also chilling out and enjoying the festive beach scenes of both Copacabana and nearby Ipanema.
In this guide we’ve covered everything you’ll need to know about Rio de Janeiro. This includes the best things to see and do, the best time to visit, where to stay and more.
We hope you enjoyed reading this guide! If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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