Rio de Janeiro Destination Guide

Rio de Janeiro is definitely the Wonderful City, the Real Tropical Paradise. Experience the carioca's carnival, the most famous popular party on earth, spend a New Year's Eve in Copacabana Beach, and visit the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Ride up Sugar Loaf Mountain with its incredible cable car and get to know Tijuca National Park, the largest urban natural preservation area. Watch one of the most famous sunsets in Arpoador beach, which have inspired musicians from all over the planet and learn how to dance samba with the ‘Girl from Ipanema'. Rio is all that and much more. Check our Rio de Janeiro videos for a little taste!

Rio is a place that has a little bit of everything. Its unique characteristics ensure international fame, attracting thousands of tourists from every part of the world, all year long!

This Rio de Janeiro destination guide gives you ideas about what there is to see and do during your travel to Rio while our Rio de Janeiro tour page provides some great tour options. More general information about what there is to do in the rest of Brazil can be found in our Brazil country guide.

We recommend you check out the Rio de Janeiro travel information from fellow travellers on the RealTravel web site.

Things to see & do in Rio de Janeiro

The diversity of the culture and the scenery are the city's strong points. It's a unique mixture of happiness, beauty, colors, hospitality and great pleasure. This perfect combination between city and nature has no comparison anywhere else in the whole planet. Beaches, forest, lagoons, mountains, coastline, waterfalls and parks are mixed with the urban area, making it easy to visit with less time spent and also a great place for Ecotourism and Outdoor activities.

Being the former capital of Brazil and home of the Portuguese Imperial Family, Rio de Janeiro is full of history to tell its visitors. Rio is the capital of culture: around the city that has been the setting for many national and international films, you will find lots of museums, theaters, concert halls and night clubs with local live music as Samba and Bossa Nova, both born in Rio.

The lifestyle of the Cariocas (as the citizens of Rio are known) revolves around the beach. Throughout the day, and into the night, the stunning beaches affect a seemingly gravitational pull on people, and are a place for leisure, socialising and even business. Bronzed, beautiful bodies and minimal clothing make the beaches a great place for just watching the passing parade of people. The most popular beaches are the world famous Copacabana and Ipanema.

Get to know how life in a ‘favela' is. The mix of races makes the cariocas a happy and fun-loving people with a spirit unequalled anywhere else in the world. And don't forget to visit Maracanã, "the Temple of Soccer Gods".

All of these qualities bound together make Rio de Janeiro the ideal destination for those who wish to be well-received and treated as if at home.

• Christ the Redeemer and Corcovado Train
• Sugar Loaf Mountain and its Cable Car
• Maracanã Stadium
• Ipanema and Arpoador
• Copacabana
• Tijuca National Park
• Santa Teresa and Lapa
• Botanical Garden
• Extreme Sports in Rio de Janeiro
• Downtown (City Centre)
• Golfing in Rio de Janeiro
• Diving in Rio de Janeiro

Christ the Redeemer and Corcovado Train

A unique view enchants tourists and even Cariocas upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro. Still on the plane, or even from the ground, it is possible to admire the marvelous statue on top of the Corcovado Hill, in the middle of Tijuca National Park. More than a postal card, the Christ the Redeemer statue was deservedly elected one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and is the main symbol of the City of Rio de Janeiro. The statue is 38 meters tall and weighs 1,145 tons rises from the 710 meter peak of Corcovado Hill. It was inaugurated in 1931 and is an image of sympathy and faith, characteristic of Rio's people. Book now a Christ the Redeemer Tour !

Going up by the centenary Corcovado Train takes around 20 minutes along the Corcovado Railway, inaugurated in 1884 by the Brazilian Emperor D. Pedro II. Every year the train takes more than 600 thousand people to the top of Corcovado Mountain, crossing the biggest urban forest in the world, Tijuca National Park, a stretch of preserved Atlantic Rainforest replanted with native species in the 19th century. Panoramic elevators and escalators take visitors to the base of the statue. From this vantage point the scenery is quite stunning and the view over Ipanema, Leblon and Lagoa on sunny days is unbelievable. This visit itself makes the trip to Brazil worthwhile. Book now a Corcovado Tour !

Watch Christ the Reedeemer videos!

Sugar Loaf Mountain and its Cable Car

Rising 396 meters above sea-level, the most famous hill in the world earned its name from its resemblance to the seventeenth century Brazilian ‘Sweet Bread', made from sugar cane. Its natural beauty provides an indescribable view, as it rises out of Guanabara Bay. Equally appetizing is the trip by the famous overhead cable car to the summit. Inaugurated in 1912, the Sugar Loaf Mountain cable car is almost a centenary attraction that was even visited by James Bond. Reaching the top of Sugar Loaf is actually done in two stages. The first stop is on the top of Urca Hill, which is 700 feet above sea level. From there you have beautiful breathtaking views of Corcovado Mountain, over Guanabara Bay and the Niteroi Bridge. As you go onto the second cable car, it takes you over 1300 feet to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain where spectacular views of Copacabana and other beaches can be delightfully admired. The Sugar Loaf cable car system was the first one installed in Brazil and the third on Earth. It is considered one of the most important icons of tourism in Rio, and has become one of the city's trademarks. Since its inauguration, the cable car has already transported over 31 million tourists. Book now a Sugar Loaf Mountain tour!

Watch Sugar Loaf Mountain videos!