10-Day Rio de Janeiro Itinerary

Land at Galeão and check in

Arrive at Galeão International Airport, transfer into the city, and check into a hotel near Copacabana.

Açaí bowl and pastel by the beach

Cool off with an açaí bowl from a beach kiosk and a crispy pastel, Rio's classic fried snack.

First walk on Copacabana Beach

Stretch your legs along the wave-patterned Copacabana promenade and dip your toes in the Atlantic.

Feijoada welcome dinner

Try feijoada, Brazil's hearty black bean and pork stew, at a traditional botequim near your hotel.

Cog train up Corcovado

Board the historic cog train climbing through Tijuca Forest toward the summit of Corcovado mountain.

Christ the Redeemer summit

Stand beneath the towering Christ the Redeemer statue with panoramic views over Guanabara Bay.

Santa Teresa tram and cobblestones

Ride the yellow bonde tram into Santa Teresa's cobblestone streets, lined with artist studios and colonial mansions.

Dinner in a Santa Teresa bistro

Settle into a converted mansion restaurant in Santa Teresa for a relaxed dinner with city views.

Morning in Botafogo

Walk Botafogo's waterfront park with Sugarloaf Mountain framed across the bay.

Coffee and pão de queijo break

Grab warm pão de queijo cheese bread and a cafezinho at a local padaria before the climb.

Cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain

Take the two-stage cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain via Urca hill for sweeping bay views.

Sunset from the summit

Stay up top as the sun sets over Guanabara Bay, lighting up the Rio-Niterói bridge and city below.

Morning at Ipanema Beach

Join locals doing footvolley and sipping coconut water along the sands of Ipanema Beach.

Browse Ipanema's boutique streets

Window shop Havaianas flip-flops and Brazilian swimwear along Rua Visconde de Pirajá.

Selarón Steps in Lapa

Photograph the vibrant mosaic tiles covering the 215 steps of Escadaria Selarón, a labour of love by artist Jorge Selarón.

Live samba under the Lapa Arches

Catch a live samba band near the historic Arcos da Lapa aqueduct, Rio's nightlife heart.

Drive into Tijuca National Park

Head into Tijuca National Park, the largest urban rainforest on earth, right in the middle of Rio.

Hike to Cascatinha Taunay waterfall

Follow a shaded forest trail to the Cascatinha Taunay waterfall, cool and quiet beneath the canopy.

Vista Chinesa pagoda overlook

Stop at the Vista Chinesa pagoda viewpoint for a rainforest-framed panorama over the city and coastline.

Grilled meats in Jardim Botânico

Wind down with grilled picanha at a churrascaria near the Jardim Botânico neighbourhood.

Ferry across Guanabara Bay

Board the barcas ferry from downtown Rio across Guanabara Bay to Niterói, with Sugarloaf receding behind you.

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum

Visit Oscar Niemeyer's saucer-shaped MAC museum perched on a cliff overlooking the bay.

Icaraí Beach and coastal views

Walk Icaraí Beach's promenade for a different angle on Rio's skyline across the water.

Ferry back at golden hour

Catch the return ferry as the sun sets behind Sugarloaf and Corcovado for a postcard-perfect ride.

Rio's cone-shaped Catedral Metropolitana

Step inside the towering, cone-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral with its stained-glass columns of light.

Museum of Tomorrow

Explore sustainability and science exhibits inside the futuristic Museu do Amanhã on the revitalized port.

Colonial streets of Centro

Wander the narrow colonial lanes around Travessa do Comércio, lined with 18th-century facades and bars.

Petit-gâteau and dinner in Centro

Finish dinner with a warm petit-gâteau chocolate cake, a Brazilian restaurant staple, before heading back.

Barra da Tijuca's long beach

Head to Barra da Tijuca's wide, less-crowded beach favoured by local surfers and kitesurfers.

Fresh fish lunch in Barra

Order grilled robalo fish at a beachfront kiosk in Barra da Tijuca.

Paddle on Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

Rent a stand-up paddleboard on Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas with Christ the Redeemer visible above the treeline.

Live forró in Lagoa's lakeside kiosks

Sway to live forró music at one of the lakeside kiosks ringing Lagoa as the lights come on.

Lazy morning on Copacabana sands

Sleep in, then stake out a spot on Copacabana with a beach chair and fresh coconut water.

Feira Hippie de Ipanema market

Browse handmade jewelry and leather sandals at the Sunday hippie fair in Ipanema's General Osório square.

Souvenir shopping for cachaça and coffee

Pick up bottles of cachaça and bags of Brazilian coffee to bring home from a Copacabana shop.

Farewell churrasco dinner

Close the trip with an all-you-can-eat churrasco rodízio, working through skewers of picanha and sausage.

Final walk along the promenade

Take one last barefoot walk along Copacabana's black-and-white wave-tiled sidewalk.

Brigadeiro tasting before checkout

Pick up a box of brigadeiro chocolate truffles from a local doceria for the flight home.

Checkout and airport transfer

Check out of your hotel and arrange a transfer across town to Galeão International Airport.

Depart from Galeão

Head through security at Galeão International Airport for your evening flight out of Rio.