No. 01 · Landmark
Christ the Redeemer
98 feet of art-deco soapstone on Corcovado
The 1931 statue on the 2,300-foot Corcovado peak, reached by cog train through Tijuca Forest or by van from Cosme Velho.
Read more →Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
Beaches between the mountains and the Atlantic
A city of dramatic geography — granite peaks, rainforest, and 50 miles of coastline — wrapped around a famously easy-going beach culture.
When to go
May–October are drier and cooler; February for Carnival, December–January for the height of summer.
Getting around
Metro Line 1 connects Copacabana and Ipanema to the centre. Use 99 or Uber for the rest; avoid empty buses at night.
Rio de Janeiro highlights
Don't miss
The top places to start with if you only have a day or two — the essentials before you go deeper.
No. 02 · Landmark
Sugarloaf Mountain
Two cable cars to a 1,300-foot granite peak
Pão de Açúcar rises from the entrance to Guanabara Bay, reached by a two-stage cable car that's been running since 1912.
Read more →No. 03 · Where to stay
Copacabana
Two-and-a-half miles of beach, mosaic boardwalk, and old-Rio glamour
The crescent of beach made famous by Bossa Nova, with Burle Marx's wave-pattern boardwalk and a string of kiosks for cold beer and coconuts.
Read more →Things to do in Rio de Janeiro
4 hand-picked
A curated mix of landmarks, neighborhoods, and museums worth your time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — grouped by type below.
Landmarks
2 places
Where to stays
2 places
Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro
4 neighborhoods
Rio is best stayed beachside — pick your stretch of sand and the rest of the city is a quick ride away.
Ipanema
Stylish beach, restaurants, sunsets
Best for: A safe, atmospheric base for your first Rio trip
Leblon
Quieter, upscale, great dining
Best for: Calmer beach stays
Copacabana
Iconic beach, mid-range hotels
Best for: Classic Rio on a budget
Santa Teresa
Hilltop, bohemian, colonial
Best for: Repeat visitors after character
A 3-day itinerary, your way
If you only have a long weekend in Rio de Janeiro.
Day 1
Beach & Sugarloaf
Morning on Ipanema, lunch at a beachfront kiosk, cable car up Sugarloaf for sunset.
Day 2
Christ the Redeemer & Lapa
Cog train up Corcovado early, lunch in Santa Teresa, Selarón Steps, evening samba in Lapa.
Day 3
Local Rio
Hike Pedra Bonita or Dois Irmãos at dawn, brunch in Leblon, sunset beers at Arpoador.