UltimateCity Guide Rio de Janeiro
Our favourites
Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado and Sugarloaf in silhouette at sunrise, above the bay and the city A Bondinho cable car crossing towards the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, with the sea beyond People gathered on the Pedra do Arpoador to watch the sun set behind the Dois Irmãos

The city guide to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Best of Rio

Between the mountain and the sea: Christ above the clouds, the cable car to Sugarloaf, Copacabana’s wave pavement, sunset at Arpoador and Lasai’s two stars. Rio de Janeiro, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyThe seafront of Leblon, the Lagoa, Barra and how the escritura works

Rio, from the sand to the summit

Rio de Janeiro lies between forested peaks and the Atlantic: Copacabana and Ipanema along the sea, Santa Teresa on its hill, Centro and the rebuilt port on the bay, and the Lagoa under the Corcovado. Here are its beach hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the tearooms and juice bars, the peaks, museums and samba schools, and day trips to Petrópolis, Búzios, Paraty, Ilha Grande and Niterói. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

Between the mountain and the sea: Rio’s great sights

In depth

Between the mountain and the sea

Rio de Janeiro·In depth

The Corcovado and Sugarloaf, the beaches, Centro and the rebuilt port: how to see Rio, and in what order.

Read the story

Arts + Culture

All of Arts & Culture

The MAM on the bay, the MAR at Praça Mauá, opera at the Theatro Municipal and the samba schools of the Carnival.

The gilded auditorium of the Theatro Municipal, with an orchestra on stageArts + CultureArts & Culture in RioMuseums, music and the Carnival

Rio, beach by beach and hill by hill

Seven neighbourhoods, each with its own guide: the great curve of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon under the Dois Irmãos, Santa Teresa on its hill above Lapa, the old Centro and the rebuilt port, Botafogo and Urca round the bay to Sugarloaf, the Lagoa under the Christ, and Barra to the west.

The long curve of Copacabana beach and its seafront blocks, seen from the hill at LemeNeighbourhood guideCopacabana & LemeThe Palace and the promenadeTurquoise water at Ipanema, with the Dois Irmãos and the beachfront beyondNeighbourhood guideIpanema & LeblonThe beach, the boutiques and the starsThe red, yellow, green and blue tiled steps of the Escadaria SelarónNeighbourhood guideSanta Teresa & LapaThe tram, the steps and the sambaThe façade of the Theatro Municipal, with its green and gold domes and eagleNeighbourhood guideCentro & Porto MaravilhaTheatres, tearooms and the portBotafogo bay with Sugarloaf beyond, the Flamengo park and the seafront road in the foregroundNeighbourhood guideBotafogo, Urca & FlamengoSugarloaf and the bay

On the beach

Rio’s beaches are measured in postos, the numbered lifeguard stations: tell a friend you’ll meet at Posto 9, and they’ll know exactly where to find you.

  1. Neighbourhood guideLagoa, Jardim Botânico & GáveaUnder the Corcovado
  2. Neighbourhood guideBarra da Tijuca & São ConradoThe west

Before you go

The e-visa for some passports, arriving at Galeão or Santos Dumont, the Carnival dates for 2027, and three days that work for a first visit.

Before you goRio essentialsEntry, money, safety and 192A MetrôRio train arriving at an open-air stationGetting aroundGetting aroundThe airports, the metro, the VLT and the ferryThe Corcovado peak and the statue of Christ under a mackerel skyItineraryRio in three daysThe Christ, Sugarloaf, the beaches and Santa TeresaCopacabana beach seen from the sea, with the white façade of the Copacabana Palace among the seafront buildings and the hills behindLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe Copacabana Palace’s pool with its blue mosaic and green parasols, the hotel’s white façade and the beach beyondItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Palace, Mee and Oro
  1. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Fasano, Lasai and Sugarloaf at sunset

Our advice

Go up the Corcovado early

Take one of the first trains from Cosme Velho, before the cloud and the crowds, and keep Sugarloaf for the late-afternoon light. On a cloudy day, swap the peaks for the museums of Centro. Rio’s great sights

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Beyond Rio

The mountains of Petrópolis are a morning’s drive north; Búzios lies east along the coast, Paraty and Ilha Grande west on the Costa Verde, and Niterói a ferry ride across the bay.

The pink façade of the Museu Imperial and its clipped hedges in PetrópolisBeyond RioPetrópolisThe imperial cityThe bay of Búzios and its boats seen from the garden of the Igreja de Sant’AnnaBeyond RioBúziosA peninsula of beachesA cobbled street of whitewashed colonial houses with blue and yellow doors in ParatyBeyond RioParatyA colonial town on the bayThe long white sand of Lopes Mendes beach on Ilha GrandeBeyond RioIlha GrandeAn island without carsThe Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói at sunset, framing Sugarloaf across the bayBeyond RioNiteróiAcross the bay to Niemeyer

Our advice

Give Paraty and Ilha Grande a night each

Both are a long way from Rio along the Costa Verde. Stay a night in Paraty for the schooners, and travel light to Ilha Grande, where there are no cars and everything is carried by foot or boat. Paraty

Rio in depth

The peaks and the beaches, the table, the arts and the Carnival, the hotels, the metro and the ferry, and where to buy: the stories behind Rio.

The back storyRio at the tableLasai, the Bibs and Saturday feijoadaA samba school parading down the Sambódromo between the packed standsThe back storyModernism, samba and the CarnivalRio’s arts

Onward with the ULTIMATE guides

Rio is the first South American guide in the network: out to sea from its cruise terminal, back across the Atlantic to Lisbon, and the great journeys beyond.

The white colonial façade and balconies of the Paço Imperial on the Praça XVULTIMATE LisbonLisbonAcross the Atlantic

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all South America

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The stage of the Teatro Colón, framed by red velvet curtains and gilded boxesArgentinaULTIMATE Buenos AiresThe Teatro Colón, the Alvear Palace, the Recoleta Cemetery, Aramburu’s two stars and Don Julio, tango in San Telmo, and day trips to Tigre and Colonia.Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.

See all 81 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

From our readers: Rio’s visitors and Cariocas on its beaches and botecos, starred tables, samba nights, the Carnival and the road to Paraty.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    This week's pick

    The Rio Carnival: the Sambódromo parades

    Sambódromo·Festival

    The Special Group samba schools parade at the Sambódromo on 7, 8 and 9 February 2027, in LIESA’s calendar: buy tickets only through LIESA’s official channels.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The Museu do Amanhã lit up at dusk on its pier at Praça MauáItineraryCentro and the port in a dayOne dayRooftops, a dome and mansions among the trees of Santa TeresaItinerarySanta Teresa and a night in LapaAfternoon and eveningThe seafront of Ipanema and Leblon from the sea, under a clear skyItineraryA property viewing day: Leblon, the Lagoa and Jardim BotânicoOne day
    1. ItineraryA half-day across the bay: NiteróiHalf a day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Rio at the table: the stars, the botecos and the beachRio de Janeiro · In depth
    2. 2LasaiHumaitá · Fine dining
    3. 3OroLeblon · Fine dining
    See all 26

    Cafés

    1. 1Confeitaria ColomboCentro · Historic tearoom
    2. 2Casa CavéCentro · Pastry shop
    3. 3Café LamasFlamengo · Historic café
    See all 6

    Bars

    1. 1Bar UrcaUrca · Bar
    2. 2Bar AstorIpanema · Bar
    3. 3Academia da CachaçaLeblon · Bar and restaurant
    See all 7

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Rio sleeps: from the Palace to the hillsCopacabana · In depth
    2. 2Copacabana Palace, A Belmond HotelCopacabana · Grand hotel
    3. 3Fairmont Rio de Janeiro CopacabanaCopacabana · Grand hotel
    See all 10

    Sights

    1. 1Between the mountain and the sea: Rio’s great sightsRio de Janeiro · In depth
    2. 2Christ the RedeemerCorcovado · Monument
    3. 3Sugarloaf Mountain cable car (Bondinho Pão de Açúcar)Urca · Cable car
    See all 16

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Modernism, samba and the Carnival: Rio’s artsRio de Janeiro · In depth
    2. 2MAR – Museu de Arte do RioPraça Mauá · Art museum
    3. 3MAM Rio – Museu de Arte ModernaFlamengo · Modern art museum
    See all 27

    Parks

    1. 1The Jardim BotânicoJardim Botânico · Botanic garden
    2. 2The Tijuca National ParkTijuca · National park
    3. 3Parque LageJardim Botânico · Park and art school
    See all 6

    Walks

    1. 1Leme to Leblon along the beachesCopacabana · Walk
    2. 2The Pista Cláudio Coutinho and the Morro da UrcaUrca · Walk
    3. 3Santa Teresa on footSanta Teresa · Walk
    See all 6

    Shopping

    1. 1Ipanema: Rua Garcia d’Ávila and Rua Visconde de PirajáIpanema · Shopping street
    2. 2Fashion MallSão Conrado · Shopping centre
    3. 3VillageMallBarra da Tijuca · Shopping centre
    See all 5

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: 192, 193 and 190Rio de Janeiro · Emergency numbers
    2. 2Hospital Copa StarCopacabana · Private hospital
    3. 3Hospital Copa D’OrCopacabana · Private hospital
    See all 8

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Rio: the seafront, the lagoon and the deedRio de Janeiro · In depth
    2. 2Bossa Nova Sotheby’s International RealtyIpanema · Estate agency
    3. 3Judice & AraujoRio de Janeiro · Estate agency
    See all 6

    Developments

    1. 1Porto Maravilha: the rebuilt portPraça Mauá · Regeneration district
    2. 2Metro Line 4: Gávea stationGávea · Metro station
    3. 3The Museu NacionalSão Cristóvão · Museum
    See all 5

    Motoring

    1. 1Rio’s yellow taxisRio de Janeiro · Taxi
    2. 2LocalizaRio de Janeiro · Car hire
    3. 3UnidasRio de Janeiro · Car hire
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Rio by metro, tram and ferryRio de Janeiro · In depth
    2. 2RIOgaleão – Tom Jobim International AirportIlha do Governador · Airport
    3. 3Santos Dumont AirportCentro · Airport
    See all 7