Rio de Janeiro🇧🇷

Curated by Michi Viaggi

Wecome to the guide to the best city of the world, where I left my heart after living there for a year! 💓💓 I am sure you will love it as much as I do!

32 places

Day 1

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro! 💓 Start by exploring the city's beaches, all the way from Leblon to Leme. My advice: rent a bike through the Bike Itaú app (the cheaper option) or grab an Uber, and ride along the coast, stopping wherever a stretch of sand catches your eye. You'll pass through Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana and Leme. Don't miss the Mirante do Leme, and if you're up for it, walk up to the Forte Duque de Caxias (also called Forte do Leme). It's just a quick 15-minute climb and 100% worth the view! Then head to Praia Vermelha and have lunch at Terra Brasilis, where you'll enjoy delicious Brazilian food with the best view of Sugarloaf in the city. Book well in advance, since they take reservations by email with a minimum of 15 days' notice! After lunch, take a stroll along the Mureta da Urca, then make your way to the bondinho (cable car) up Pão de Açúcar. Reserve online ahead of time here too! Enjoy the sunset from the top, but plan carefully: the lines are always long, so aim to be on the second-stage ride before the sun goes down. On certain days there's a DJ set or live samba at sunset, with an incredible view and a wonderful atmosphere, so check the schedule on their Instagram, @parquebondinho. End your day with a delicious rodízio at Fogo de Chão, the classic Brazilian steakhouse where waiters come around slicing freshly grilled meat straight from the skewer onto your plate until you can't eat another bite. A little pricey, but between the food quality and the view, I think it's a must!

Political

Leblon

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Start your bike ride from Leblon beach! If you feel like it you can also try the best açai in bibi sucos!

Natural Feature

Copacabana Beach

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

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Make a stop in Ipanema and Copacabana, the most famous beaches of Rio!

Attraction

Duque de Caxias Fort

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

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Finish your ride in Leme and visit the Forte for an amazing view!

Restaurant

Terra Brasilis

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Enjoy lunch with a view but make sure to reserve by email with at least 15 days notice!

Attraction

Mureta da Urca

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Enjoy a cold beer with the locals, admiring the view of the Christ the Redeemer reflecting on the water!

Natural Feature

Sugarloaf Mountain

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Buy your ticket online in advance to skip the long lines at the counter, and check the DJ set and samba sunset schedule on their Instagram @parquebondinho so you can plan your visit around one of those days!

Restaurant

Fogo de Chão

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

End your day with freshly grilled meat servedstraight from the skewer!

Day 2

Start early with Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer. Try to grab one of the first slots (around 8:00) before the clouds roll in and the crowds build up. By late morning, make your way to Santa Teresa, a cobbled, artsy hilltop neighborhood that’s perfect for lingering in cafés with a view, browsing vintage stores and hunting for souvenirs. For lunch, go to Bar do Mineiro in Santa Teresa, voted the best feijoada in Rio. Alternatively, head to Cantina do Gaúcho for an amazing view paired with equally amazing churrasco. In the afternoon, visit the Escadaria Selarón (the famous tiled steps), keep wandering through Santa Teresa, and hop on the bondinho (the yellow tram) for a ride. In the evening, head down to Lapa for the Arcos da Lapa, live samba and that buzzing street energy. For dinner, try Sabor Peruano, the best Peruvian food in town, and don’t leave without tasting their ceviche and chicha morada! You can then take a samba lesson to warm up, and later head to Pedra do Sal for the real thing. Mondays are the most crowded night (even a little too much for me!), so I actually recommend going on the weekend.

Attraction

Christ the Redeemer

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Book in advance and try to go as early as possible (even if crowds are always there!). I recommend to take the train from Corcovado instead of a van to enjoy the view of the Tijuca forest.

Restaurant

Bar do Mineiro

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Rated the best feijoada (soup with beans and meat) in Rio!

Restaurant

Restaurante Cantina do Gaúcho

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Amazing view and churrasco!

Political

Lapa

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Restaurant

Sabor Peruano en Rio

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Best peruvian food in town! You should try it while being in Sud America!

Attraction

Pedra do Sal

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Be ready to move your hips!!! Mondays are the most famous here but it gets reaaaally crowded, I prefer the weekend!

Day 3

Wake up before dawn for the Dois Irmãos trek at sunrise, heading up from Vidigal. It’s honestly the best sunrise you’ll ever see. The climb takes around 1 hour and the reward looking out over Ipanema and Leblon is unreal. Afterward, take a guided tour of the favela Rocinha. It’s an important experience to understand the other side of Rio, the one that doesn’t make the postcards but is just as much a part of the city’s soul. Ask your guide to stop at Novo Visual Restaurante for lunch! In the afternoon, escape to Praia da Joatinga, the best kept secret beach in Rio. Just make sure to go when the tide is low, otherwise the sand will be almost completely swallowed by the ocean! For dinner, treat yourself to Haru Sushi, then round off the night among the lively bars of Copacabana.

Place

Morro Dois Irmãos

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

The best sunrise ever!!! Plan your visit to be on top about 30/40 minutes before actual sunrise time. Bring cash for the mototaxi that brings you to the start of the trail! You will hike by night so use your phonelight or bring a torch!

Travel Agency

Rocinha Original Tour

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Restaurant

Novo Visual Restaurante - Rocinha

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Ask your guide to have lunch in this amazing restaurant on top of the mountain!

Natural Feature

Praia da Joatinga

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

The best kept secret beach to unwind after a long day! Make sure to go during low tyde!

Restaurant

Haru Sushi Bar

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

This is definitely the best sushi in town! You can’t reserve so expect to wait a little (it is worth it!)

Day 4

Start your Saturday morning at the Feira da Praça XV, an antiques and craft fair in Centro. Take your time wandering through the stalls, there are so many nice clothes, souvenirs and little treasures to dig up! Around midday, explore the Centro Histórico surrounding the square: the Paço Imperial, the charming Travessa do Comércio, and a must stop at the belle-époque Confeitaria Colombo for a coffee and a pastry. Trust me, the setting alone is worth it. Add a visit to the museum of tomorrow, truly inspiring both for its architecture and exhibition! For the afternoon, pick whatever speaks to you. You could take a helicopter flight over Christ, Sugarloaf and the beaches, throw yourself into a hang gliding flight (deltaplano) from Pedra Bonita, or simply decompress on Ipanema beach with your feet in the sand. As the day winds down, head to Arpoador for sunset. The whole rock falls silent and then bursts into applause as the sun drops behind Dois Irmãos. It gives me chills every time, absolutely unmissable. End the evening in Ipanema. Start with sunset drinks at Boteco Belmonte (go for the drinks more than the food), then sit down for dinner at Pura Brasa, home to what I honestly believe is the best picanha in all of Rio!

Place

Feira de Antiguidades da Praça XV

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Vintage market with cameras, clothes, souvenir and so on! Really a vibe!

Museum

Museu do Amanhã

Browse galleries and exhibits — budget an hour if you read the labels.

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Truly worth the visit!

Restaurant

Confeitaria Colombo

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Their lemon tart is delicious and the setting looks unreal, it feels like a movie!

Travel Agency

Helicopter Rio de Janeiro

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Rio from above is spectacular! If I had to choose any place in the world to go on a helicoper tour, it would be Rio de Janeiro!

Tour Agency

Voo de Asa Delta

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Natural Feature

Arpoador

Worth a stop — tap the card for map and practical details.

Note

Amazing vibe and sunset from the rocks with the view of the dois irmaos! Perfect place also to try a surfclass!

Restaurant

Boteco Belmonte

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Amazing view of the dois irmaos, perfect place for sunset drinks (not really recommend food!)

Restaurant

Pura Brasa Ipanema

Pull up a table for food and drinks — open the card for photos, hours, and map.

Note

Best Picanha in all Rio!

Day 5

Kick off your last morning with breakfast at Brewteco in Botafogo, easing into the day with a coffee and a nice view. From there, head to the Feira da Glória, a Sunday street market in the Glória neighborhood full of fresh produce, food stalls and plenty of local color. Take your time wandering the market and stay for lunch, there are options from every corner of Latin America, so come hungry and let yourself be tempted! In the afternoon, make your way to the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. You can stroll around it or circle the whole thing by bike, then duck into the Jardim Botânico for some shade and calm among the greenery. As the day fades, head up to the Mirante Dona Marta for sunset. It’s arguably the widest panorama in the whole city, with Christ, Sugarloaf and the bays all laid out in front of you at once. The perfect way to say goodbye to Rio! And maybe one last Picanha? Not only meat at the Braseiro da Gavea, one of Brazilian favourites!