Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro (2026 Guide)

The best things to do in Rio de Janeiro begin with what makes the city unique: the relationship between its urban fabric and its extraordinary natural setting. Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) on the 710 m peak of Corcovado — a 38-metre soapstone and reinforced concrete statue completed in 1931, visible from most of the city — is reached by cog railway from Cosme Velho or by road via Tijuca National Park. The view from the statue’s platform encompasses the entire Guanabara Bay, both beaches, and the city’s mountain-and-sea geography in a single panorama. Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar) is reached by two sequential cable cars from the Urca neighbourhood — the sunset view from the summit, with the city lights coming on below, is one of the world’s great urban views. Tijuca National Park — the world’s largest urban forest (3,953 hectares), covering the mountains between the city’s northern and southern zones — has hiking trails to waterfalls and summit viewpoints entirely within city limits. The Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) by Santiago Calatrava on the Pier Maua waterfront is one of the 21st century’s finest science museums.

Best time to visit

Rio’s tropical climate makes it a year-round destination. Carnival (the five days before Ash Wednesday, usually February or early March) is the world’s most famous festival — extraordinary samba school parades in the Sambadrome, blocos (informal street parades) throughout the city, and an atmosphere of collective joy unmatched anywhere. Book Sambadrome tickets and accommodation 6+ months ahead. December-March is Rio’s hot summer season (30-38°C) and peak beach season; January floods and afternoon thunderstorms are normal. June-August is Rio’s cooler, drier winter (22-27°C) — excellent weather for hiking and sightseeing, and when the city’s residents claim Carnival is actually superior to the summer season for lifestyle.

Getting around

Rio’s Galeão International Airport (GIG) is on Ilha do Governador, 45-70 minutes from the Zona Sul (South Zone) by BRT express bus or taxi. Santos Dumont domestic airport in downtown is more convenient for Brazilian connections. The Metro do Rio has 3 lines covering the main tourist zones from Barra da Tijuca to downtown via Ipanema, Copacabana, and Botafogo — the safest and most reliable transport option. Uber is excellent and affordable throughout Rio. Avoid public buses alone at night. The Olympic BRT corridors connect Barra da Tijuca to the airport and downtown.

What to eat and drink

Rio’s food culture is more casual than São Paulo’s but has genuine highlights. Feijoada (black bean stew with various pork cuts, served with rice, farofa, couve, and orange slices) is traditionally eaten on Saturday at Brazeiro restaurant or Bar Luiz in Lapa. Churrasco (Brazilian barbecue) at a rodizio churrascaria — where waiters circulate with skewered meats until you flip the card from green to red — is best at Porcao Rio’s or Marius Degustare on the Flamengo waterfront. Pão de queijo (cheese bread) and a café com leite (coffee with hot milk) at any padaria (bakery). For caipirinhas: Bar do Mineiro in Santa Teresa uses proper Minas Gerais cachaça aged in native Brazilian wood barrels. Açaí (Amazon berry, blended to a thick purple ice cream consistency, topped with granola and banana) is the Ipanema beach staple. For fine dining: Olympe (Claude Troisgros’s Franco-Brazilian tasting menu) is Rio’s most acclaimed restaurant.

Neighborhoods to explore

Ipanema / Leblon — Rio’s most affluent beach neighbourhoods. Ipanema Beach (the Posto 9 area, immortalised in “The Girl from Ipanema”), the Feira Hippie de Ipanema (Sunday artisan market at Praca General Osorio), and Leblon’s restaurants and bars (the most expensive in Rio).

Santa Teresa — Rio’s bohemian hilltop neighbourhood, connected to downtown by the historic bondinho (tram). Art galleries, colourful colonial houses, and the Museu Chacara do Ceu (with a Monet, a Picasso, and a Matisse, plus a Salvador Dali in a small neoclassical mansion).

Lapa — The nightlife district below Santa Teresa. The Arcos da Lapa (18th-century aqueduct converted to a tram viaduct), samba clubs (Rio Scenarium, Carioca da Gema), and the most atmospheric nightlife in Rio on weekends.

Botafogo / Flamengo — The Forte de Copacabana at Botafogo’s tip, the Museu do Amanhã waterfront, the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM), and the best view of Sugarloaf from Flamengo Park.

Centro (Downtown) — The Biblioteca Nacional, the Teatro Municipal, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (one of the world’s most beautiful libraries, Portuguese neo-Manuelline architecture), and the Cinelandia square.