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Travel guide
Rio de Janeiro
3 days · 5 things to do
Best time to go: April to May, and September to December
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Welcome
Rio de Janeiro, in a few days
Rio is Christ the Redeemer with arms open over the bay, the view from Sugarloaf Mountain at sunset, and the sand of Copacabana and Ipanema. A city set between sea and mountains that keeps going late into the night.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Christ the Redeemer · about 1 h 30The 30-metre statue on the summit of Corcovado, completed in 1931, reached by rack railway through the Tijuca forest for a view over the city.
- Afternoon · Sugarloaf Mountain · about 1 h 30Two cable car stages via Morro da Urca to the granite summit, where the view takes in Guanabara Bay, Copacabana and Christ the Redeemer.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Arena Copacabana Hotel€100 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Copacabana Beach free · half a dayFour kilometres of sand along Avenida Atlântica, with its wave-patterned promenade, beach kiosks and games of footvolley.
- Afternoon · Ipanema free · half a dayNext to Copacabana, a beach known for its sunsets behind the Dois Irmãos peaks, backed by a fashionable district of cafés, shops and bars.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Windsor Excelsior Copacabana€95 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Santa Teresa free · about 2 hA hillside neighbourhood of old mansions, artists' studios and bars, reached by its restored yellow tram, close to the tiled Selarón Steps.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Arpoador€120 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Feijoada: black beans slow-cooked with pork, eaten on a Saturday.
- Pao de queijo: small cheese breads, chewy and served warm.
- Acai: the Amazon berry, frozen into a bowl with banana and granola.
- Moqueca: fish stewed in coconut milk and dende palm oil.
- Caipirinha: cachaca, lime and sugar, and nothing else.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Go out light: no jewellery, no phone in hand, only the cash you need that evening.
- Use Uber rather than a street taxi, above all after dark.
- Do not walk into a favela without a guide from the community.
- On the beach, take turns watching the bags. Nothing left on a towel stays there.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Portuguese
| English | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Hello | Olá |
| Thank you | Obrigado |
| Please | Por favor |
| Yes | Sim |
| No | Não |
| Excuse me | Com licença |
| Goodbye | Adeus |
| Do you speak English? | Fala inglês? |
| I don't understand | Não compreendo |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Onde fica a casa de banho? (BR: banheiro) |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favor |
| Help! | Socorro! |
| Cheers! | Saúde! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyBrazilian real (BRL, R$)
BudgetAbout €130 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to May, and September to December
PlugN/C · 127/220V
Tap waterBottled is safer
TippingAround 10%, often already on the bill
Emergency190 / 192
EntryVisa-free for 90 days for EU and UK passports. US, Canadian and Australian passports need an e-visa, applied for online before departure.
HealthHepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. A yellow fever vaccination is needed for the Amazon, and malaria is limited to the lowlands. Repellent, morning and night.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/rio-de-janeiro
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.