Are you planning a visit to Rio, and are wondering what are the best places to visit in Rio de Janeiro?

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Once you’ve been to Rio, you’ll understand why. Rio is popular for its unique landscape of spectacular hills, virgin jungles and peninsulas that jut out into the Atlantic Ocean, and, of course, its beaches. Rio boasts some of the world’s most popular beaches and is home to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Christ the Redeemer. 

If you love nature and relaxing on a beach, Rio is a place to visit.

Read on to find out what are the best things to do in Rio de Janeiro!

7 best places to visit in BRAZIL

6 Best Places to Visit in Rio de Janeiro

Its Many Viewpoints

Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful hiking destination!

Rio is popular for its unique landscape of spectacular hills, virgin jungles and peninsulas that jut out into the Atlantic Ocean. Many of these dramatic hills offer great hiking options and wonderful lookout points.

Here are some of the best hikes and viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro:

• Urca Hill — the first hill on the way to Sugarloaf Mountain. It is a very popular and heavily trafficked hiking trail, especially on weekends.
• Sugarloaf Mountain — is the most iconic hill in Rio and one of the best places to visit in Rio de Janeiro. You can get there by cable car from Praia Vermelha. Alternatively, you can hike to Urca Hill and from there you can take the cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain. Unfortunately, Sugarloaf Mountain is not hikeable, it’s only accessible with climbing gear (and skills!).
• Parque Nacional da Tijuca — the world’s largest urban forest which boasts wonderful trails and viewpoints, including the trail to the iconic Christ the Redeemer and the popular Vista Chinesa lookout point.
• Morro Dois Irmãos — one of the best hikes in Rio de Janeiro. The trail overlooks the largest favela in Brazil, Rocinha. At the top, you get sweeping views of Leblon and Ipanema, as well as Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon which appears to be heart-shaped when you look at it from above. To get to Morro Dois Irmãos trailhead, you need to walk through the Vidigal favela which is one of the safest favelas in Rio. If you are not comfortable walking there, you can take a motorbike taxi to the entrance of the favela. 
• Pedra de Gavea — is one of the best and most challenging hikes in Rio de Janeiro. Be careful at the top though. Do not walk close to the edge of the cliff, as there are several hundred-metre vertical drops and there are no railings.
• Pedra do Telegrafo (Telegraph Rock) — is a famous jutting rock overlooking a beach. In recent years, it has become a popular Instagram spot where people take spine-chilling photos which are actually an optical illusion, as there is actually no dangerous drop under the rock.

Its Wonderful Beaches

Rio is known for its wonderful beaches.

Rio’s coast is dotted with beaches, with the most famous being Copacabana and Ipanema. But there’s much more to that. The further you go, the wilder and quieter beaches get.

Rio’s outskirts have great beaches, too.

• Copacabana — Rio’s iconic beach and one of the most famous beaches on the planet.
• Ipanema — one of the most popular and best beaches in Rio de Janeiro, located near Copacabana. Ipanema is good for surfing, as quite often there are strong waves.
• Arpoador — a beach known for its strong waves which are perfect for surfing. The beach is also a popular sunset watching spot. Climb the Arpoador rock for an even better view.
• Leblon — Beach in an upmarket area, popular with families. Located right next to Ipanema.
• Barra da Tijuca Beach — stretching for 18 km, it is the largest beach in Rio. It is also one of the best beaches in the city.
• Praia da Gávea — a beautiful beach with a backdrop of a massive stone mountain, Pedra da Gávea
• Joatinga Beach — a quiet and lovely secluded beach. However, it may be dangerous to swim there due to strong waves and currents. Only accessible at low tide.
• Prainha — a small picturesque beach set in a cove. Unfortunately, you can’t get there by public transport.
• Praia Vermelha — a small beach with calm water, located at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain. 

Keep in mind that the beaches get crowded during the evenings and weekends. So, the best time to visit a beach in Rio would be early in the morning on a weekday. In the mornings, you’ll see people running and walking along the beach.

Botanical Garden (Jardim botânico)

Rio Botanical Garden is a must when travelling to Rio.

It’s an extremely beautiful park that is home to more than 6000 species of plants and trees, as well as several historic monuments and old colonial-style buildings. The park is 750 metres long avenue of 134 palms (Avenue of Royal Palms) which leads from the park’s entrance into the gardens.

Many species of birds (including toucans) can be seen there, as well as monkeys. If you are lucky, you can even spot a sloth. 

Centro

Centro is Rio’s active downtown and business district. 

It is a wonderful mix of old and new — where shiny tall office buildings contrast with colonial buildings. Apart from gleaming modern office buildings and nice cafes, Centro has its historical landmarks.

Here are some of the best places to visit in Rio’s Centro:

• The Royal Portuguese Reading Room — a breathtaking library, considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the whole world!
• Travessa do Comercio — a little side street filled with colonial buildings.
• The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel — also known as the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, it’s an impressive church inside and out.
• Nossa Senhora do Monserrate do Rio de Janeiro — is a pretty church and a good example of Portuguese colonial architecture in Rio.
• Museo do Amanhã (The Museum of Tomorrow) — is a futuristic science museum, one of the best places to visit in Rio de Janeiro. Make sure you book your tickets in advance. As they might be sold out if you try to buy them on the spot.

The best time to visit Rio’s downtown is during the weekdays. Avoid going there late in the evening and at night, as well as during the weekend when it is completely empty and potentially dangerous.

Selarón Steps (Escadaria Selarón)

Selarón Steps (Escadaria Selarón) is a work by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón.

These steps are famous all around the world for their colourful tiles and the story behind them. They are designed and made by Jorge Selarón, a travelling artist. After travelling to more than 50 countries, the artist settled down in Rio where he started to renovate dilapidated steps that ran along with his house. Originally, tiles came from various construction sites and dumps. But later the tiles were gifted by visitors from all around the world.

Now Escadaria Selarón boasts 215 steps, each measuring 125 metres long. The steps are covered by over 2000 tiles collected from some 60 countries.

Christ the Redeemer Statue & Lage Park (Parque Lage)

Christ the Redeemer Statue is a 30 m-tall statue of Jesus on top of Corcovado mountain.

Being one of the New Wonders of the World, it is one of the best places to visit in Rio de Janeiro.

There are 3 ways you can get to the top of Corcovado mountain where the statue is located. You can take a train (Trem do Corcovado) from the base station in Cosme Velho, or take a minivan that departs from a number of places in the city.

Alternatively, you can hike to Christ the Redeemer. The trail starts at Lage Park, a park at the foot of Mount Corcovado. There have been reported cases of muggings on the trail, but now the Rio government has improved the situation along the trail. There is a guard at the entrance; you’ll need to leave your name and phone number before ascending the trail.

When you get to the top, don’t be surprised that it is crowded up there. Christ the Redeemer perhaps is the most iconic landmark in Rio and all of Brazil. The best time to visit the Christ statue is on weekdays.

If you are visiting Christ the Redeemer, make sure you do not miss Lage Park. It’s a pretty public park located at the foot of Corcovado. The park was formerly a residence of Henrique Lage (Brazilian industrialist) and his wife Gabriella Besanzoni (opera singer). Now the former mansion is turned into a wonderful cafe!

Rio de Janeiro travel tips

1. You don’t need a visa to travel to Brazil. Citizens of the EU (and many other countries) may enter Brazil for a maximum stay of 90 days. 
2. Unfortunately, Rio has a bad reputation, and because of that many people are afraid of travelling to Rio. But it shouldn’t put you off, as the real situation is much better! If you would love to travel to Rio, you must not worry. Yes, Rio is a high crime rate, but if you are careful, you will be fine. Rio is a wonderful place to visit and you shouldn’t miss it because of these concerns. 
3. However, you need to do your research before coming to Rio. Because not all neighbourhoods are safe. We would recommend you to stay in Zona Sul (the South Zone). It’s the safest area in Rio de Janeiro. Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon are the safest and liveliest neighbourhoods in Rio. They are also the most famous among tourists. Barra da Tijuca and Urca are great neighbourhoods, too.
4. Uber and the metro are the best ways to get around Rio de Janeiro. During the day, you may also take a public bus. It may not be too safe during the evening and night.
5. Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful city with a relaxed vibe. You don’t need to think long and hard about what to wear in Rio. Just put on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops, and you are ready to go. Ladies — wear your bikini under your clothes, so you can always be ready for a swim. There are no changing rooms on the beaches in Rio. However, you can get changed at a “Posto” (a numbered lifeguard station) which has public toilets.
6. The best souvenir to bring from Rio de Janeiro is a pair of the iconic Havaianas, a Brazilian brand of flip-flops popular around the world.
7. You can pay with a credit card for almost anything. Yep, even at a chair and umbrella rental on the beach.
8. Don’t forget to carry insect repellent if you are hiking or visiting a jungle in Rio de Janeiro. There are mosquitoes and other bugs that can bite you. Ouch!