There are several reasons why I settled in Rio de Janeiro after traveling for more than a decade. The Brazilian coastal metropolis has world-famous beaches worth singing serenades about—and many musicians have. Its mountains are home to the world’s largest urban rainforest, with waterfalls, fuzzy capuchin monkeys, and plenty of hiking trails. Its culture invites anyone to sing along at its many free samba shows and to celebrate Afro-Brazilian history and art at its museums.
While many come to Rio for Carnival in February or March, there’s no bad time to visit, with year-round warm temperatures that rarely drop below 60°F. This year, Lady Gaga will perform a free show in front of millions on Copacabana Beach in May, and there are several conferences planned for 2025, including April’s Rio Web Summit for digital entrepreneurs and November’s Black Travel Summit.
So what are you waiting for? Here’s how to spend four days in the cidade maravilhosa (marvelous city).
Day 1: Locals’ beach, spectacular viewpoint, and hip neighborhood
Rio’s beaches Copacabana and Ipanema need little introduction. Instead, go to the locals’ beach Praia Vermelha in the peaceful Urca neighborhood. Sandwiched between two peaks, Praia Vermelha on Guanabara Bay has calm water for swimming laps and a more low-key atmosphere than the beaches further south.
After you’ve sipped a coconut, skip the costly Bondinho cable car and hike to Morro de Urca (Urca Hill) for free. It’s about 30 minutes through native jungle—you’ll surely see wild monkeys, but don’t feed them. After snapping photos of Botafogo from the peak of the hill, head down and visit the trendy neighborhood. There are dozens of terrific restaurant options, but Brota, a Michelin Bib Gourmand choice from chef Roberta Ciasca, is a stand-out for its vegetarian plates. Try its brotinhas, fried rice balls stuffed with roasted tomato, pesto, black olives, wasabi cream, and mango chutney.
Wander through Cemitério de São João Batista after lunch to see elaborate funeral monuments dedicated to some of Brazil’s most famous figures, including composer Tom Jobim, samba star Carmen Miranda, and airplane inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont.
And stick around Botafogo when night falls for one of the neighborhood’s many cocktail bars; Quartinho Bar is local film producer Fernanda Malta’s favorite: “On Thursday nights they have the best DJ ever from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.,” she says. She suggests trying its Lilith cocktail, made with jambu cachaça (sugarcane spirit flavored with an herb that makes your mouth numb), red berry liqueur, ginger, and sour mix.
Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura has been open to the public since 1900.
Photo by Ricardo Bhering
Day 2: Downtown for Afro-Brazilian history and art
Learn about Rio’s complex history by going downtown to its Centro neighborhood. Start with a coffee and bomba de chocolate (éclair) from Confeiteria Colombo, which has been in business since 1894. Nearby, see the walls of books at the Hogwarts-like library Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, then visit Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, an art gallery in a former bank. The museum also doubles as an appeling place for lunch, where travelers can dine at a branch of French concept Lilia.
If you’re traveling with kids (or the young at heart), see the 35,000 fish at AquaRio in Praça Mauá. The recently renovated port area also has plenty of historic sites, including Cais do Valongo, the UNESCO-recognized archeological site of a wharf where more than 1 million enslaved Africans were brought to Brazil. Learn more at Museu da História e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira, a center that shares the impact of Afro-Brazilian culture through art, artifacts, and events.
If you’re around on a Monday, check out Samba do Trabalhador at Renascença Clube for its authentic live samba music circle.
Day 3: Local neighborhoods
Head to the Flamengo neighborhood to try açaí bowls at Tacacá do Norte, then go for a walk in Aterro do Flamengo, a nearly 300-acre park with thousands of tree species and a beach where you can watch planes land at Santos Dumont airport. Walk about 25 minutes or rent an Itaú bike (rideshare apps like Uber are also an option) until you reach the Glória Marina, a stylish parking spot for yachts renovated during Rio’s 2016 Summer Olympics. Less than a mile from there, go for a lunch plate at Refeittorio Gastromotiva; the social business supports the community with free meals for unhoused people and training for local chefs.
The hilltop, bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa is a great place for a panoramic view of the city. Parque Glória Maria, also known as the Parque das Ruína, is arguably the best place to get it. The ruined building used to be a Rio socialite’s mansion, but after being abandoned for 40 years, it was renovated in the 1990s by architect Ernani Freire to become a performance theater and cafe. Santa Teresa’s main drag has many art studios and clothing shops, including Favela Hype, Baobá Brasil and La Vereda.
To end the night, have dinner and drinks at the Afro-Brazilian-themed bar Agô. (Try the África Mule with ginger foam and red peppercorns.)
Every day, people gather to watch the sunset from Arpoador Rock.
lazyllama/Shutterstock
Day 4: Hike, botanical gardens, and sunset
According to local hiking guide Rodrigo Indio, the most beautiful vista of Rio is not from Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) or Pão d’Açucár (Sugarloaf Mountain): “My favorite view is from Morro Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers Mountain), where you have a panoramic view of the entire south zone.”
Find the trail to Dois Irmãos at the top of the Vidigal favela—you’ll need to hire a motorcycle taxi to take you up from the bottom. The view is best for sunrise when the city lights up in a pastel of colors, but sunset has fewer crowds.
After the morning hike, see Jardim Botânico, Rio’s botanical gardens with more than 6,500 plant species and several greenhouses. Around the corner in the Gávea neighborhood, feast on a traditional Brazilian lunch of picanha (local steak cut) at Braseiro da Gávea, then walk it off by circling the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
Walk down to Arpoador Rock, where hundreds gather to see the sunset over Dois Irmãos and Ipanema Beach. Finally, end your visit to Rio with a meal at Copacabana favorites Galeto Sats for grilled spring chicken or Cervantes for its gigantic sandwich with pork shoulder or filet mignon, cheese, and pineapple.
Boutique hotel Chez Georges includes seven suites named for musicians, such as George Benson and George Harrison.
Courtesy of Chez Georges
Where to stay
There is no shortage of hotels in Rio de Janeiro, but only one is directly on the beach boardwalk: Hotel Arpoador. The hotel hosts morning yoga, has the popular beachside Arp Bar, and deploys several sustainability measures including being plastic-free (i.e., there are no disposable items for individual use).
Or stay on in the heart of Santa Teresa at Chez Georges. The boutique hotel designed by modernist architect Wladimir Alves de Souza is a work of art—details include a modern leather sofa that looks like a hotdog and attractive wooden finishes, along with panoramic poolside views over the city.
