Best Things To Do in Rio de Janeiro Brazil 

Rio de Janeiro is up there as one of my favorite cities, along with Sydney, Cape Town and Vancouver. It’s no coincidence that those cities have a few important things in common. They’re all big cities perched on the water with beautiful natural surroundings and vibrant cultures and city life! 

There’s oh so much to do in Rio and I do love a good list. I’ve therefore decided to dedicate the inaugural ‘The AF’s Travel Top Ten’ to all the best things to do in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil!

(OK, I may have cheated. I couldn’t limit myself to just ten activities in Rio, and included a ‘bonus activities’ section.)

This list includes the best things to do in Rio for free for budget travelers, activities for solo female travelers, outdoor activities and cultural activities.

If you have time, Rio is absolutely worth a 5+ days stay. However, believe it or not I conquered this top ten list over one beautiful May weekend!

I forked out for a guide for one day to hit up some of the key sites without having to worry about transportation and to stay safe as a solo female traveller. Definitely money well spent.

I used Tiago Rio & Brazil who was great. In fact, I managed to squeeze everything except numbers 4 and 9 into Day 1 (without rushing believe it or not). This left Day 2 free for a lazy day at the park, beaches and lagoon.

1.  Christ the Redeemer

OK, everyone knows that the Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the best things to do in Rio. I was worried that Christ might be one of those iconic-but-underwhelming sites … but I absolutely loved it! I love that you can see the statue from all over the city, and found myself constantly peeking up to see what the big man himself was doing. (Funnily enough, same thing as always, just facing another direction).

Plus Christ is just as impressive up close where you can see the art deco details. From the summit, check out the incredible 360 views of the national park, city, ocean and lagoon below.

Christ the Redeemer is located at the top of the 700 meter (2,300 ft) Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park. A few crazy brave souls were hiking or biking their way up the mountain, but you can also get there by cog train, van or private car. Check out this helpful blog with some of the finer details.

All the photos I’ve seen are jam-packed with tourists. Imagine my surprise when I arrived smack bang on opening time (8am) on a beautiful Saturday morning, only to find a grand total of 5 people at the top!

I definitely recommend dragging yourself out of bed and getting to up there early (my guide drove me) if it’s a clear day. You just might be lucky enough to experience Christ the Redeemer without the crowds. I really don’t know who decided that May is the low season. To me,  it seemed like a perfect month to explore Rio – warm sunny days and fewer crowds!

2.  Morro de Urca Trail (Free!)

I love a good hike, but was concerned about the safety of hiking in the Tijuca Forest National Park. However, I was very comfortable hiking the Morro de Urca trail by myself on a lovely Saturday afternoon. There were plenty of people around and the trail starts in the charming suburb of Urca which has a police and military presence. Check out this blog for details on the hike and how to get there.

The hike was pretty easy. It took me less than an hour to meander around the waterfront and up to the first Sugarloaf cable car viewpoint. There’s also some nice beaches nearby like the smaller Praia Vermelha (or Red Beach) the bays of Urca and Botafogo. You can easily combine the Morro de Urca trail with both the Sugarloaf cable car and a chillax and bite at a nearby beach.

3.  Sugarloaf Mountain and Cable Car

Sugarloaf Mountain is another Rio iconic must-do, and again with good reason. Cable cars freak me out a little, but I was so distracted by the incredible views that I barely noticed I was hanging in a box from a wire.

To get to the first viewpoint, you can either take the cable car or do the Morro da Urca Walk (see 2 above). You then need to take the second cable car to get to the main view point. I went late afternoon to enjoy the sunset views over the beaches below. Perfect!

4.  Walk or Bike Along the Beaches (Free!)

A visit to Rio wouldn’t be complete without some time relaxing and people watching at Rio’s famous city beaches.

Everyone knows Copacabana and Ipanema, but you should also check out the upscale Leblon at the start of Ipanema and the smaller Praia Vermelha past the end of Copacabana. These are bustling beaches where you’ll be competing for space. If you have more time you may want to venture along the coast to some of the quieter beaches.

The main road along Leblon and Ipanema is closed on a Sunday. This is a great day to join the locals with a walk, bike or roller-blade along the beach front followed by a drink and snack at one of the local vendors. You can then continue on to Copacabana or perhaps bike around the lagoon for some lovely sunset views.

Be warned though, Copacabana and Ipanema are not quite what I expected – rather than being dotted with beach side restaurants and bars and perhaps a nice stretch of greenery, there’s instead an ugly busy road separating the beach from equally unattractive high rises. I was pretty pumped with my decision to stay at an Airbnb in lovely Urca (check it out here) rather than one of the beach hotels.

5.  Urca at Sunset (Free!)

Another local favorite is to find a spot along the Urca promenade and watch the sunset over the harbor with Christ the Redeemer as the backdrop. Fancy a drink or snack? The lovely staff at the low-key Bar Urca across the road will even deliver these to your perch on the seaside wall opposite the bar. Exactly as I like my evenings to be – completely chilled out with good views and a drink or two.

6.  Explore the Neighborhoods (Free!)

I love getting lost exploring local neighborhoods and small alleyways on foot by myself. But alas, that was not to be in Rio. Instead, I abided by my ‘safety first’ slogan and checked out a couple of the neighborhoods with my guide.

I loved the bohemian vibe, colorful buildings and narrow streets of Lapa and Saint Teresa. I hope that Rio is safe enough to explore these in more depth on my next visit. Lapa and Saint Teresa also have a vibrant nightlife full of lively bars and street parties … that is, if you’re less of a nana than I am.

7.  Tiled Steps of Lapa (Free!)

While you’re in Lapa and Saint Teresa, you must check out the colorful tiled steps that link the two neighborhoods. These are known as ‘Escadaria Selraon’ or the Selaron Steps. The steps are a mosaic of tiles and ceramics in Brazil’s national colors of blue, green and yellow.

The steps have a pretty interesting back story. A Chilean artist started tiling the dilapidated steps with discarded tiles he found on the street. This later evolved into a pet project which was never quite finished (ha ha, we all have one of those!).

As the steps became more famous, people from different countries all around the world donated local tiles. I even spotted a few Maori and New Zealand tiles! The mishmash of random tiles somehow turns into a unique masterpiece.

Here I am making like my homies Snoop and Pharrell on the tiled steps, but failing to look anywhere near as cool.

8.  Architecture and Buildings (Free!)

Rio has some interesting and varied architecture. I managed to see quite a few unique buildings while out and about with my tour guide. There’s some modern architecture like the Museum of Tomorrow, but being from such a new country (New Zealand) I’m intrigued by anything older than a century.

Not all of these are quite that old, but it’s worth checking out the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, Sao Francisco church (that pretty much maxed out my church viewing capacity), the Carioca Aqueduct, Parque Lage (see 9 below) and the beautiful Parque das Ruinas.

Parque das Ruinas is a public park with an art gallery. The park is built around the ruins of a mansion in the Saint Teresa neighborhood. Art galleries aren’t my jam, but I enjoyed exploring the ruins (see photo below) and the city views.

9.  Park Chill Out Time – Parque Lage (Free!)

Many people visit Rio’s manicured botanical gardens. I was lucky enough to be introduced to a very hospitable local who took me to the wilder Parque Lage. We visited on a Sunday morning when it was bustling with local families having picnics. You can explore the gardens, check out Christ the Redeemer in the background, and even have brunch at the old mansion in the park.

10.  Visit a Favela

I’m not really down with poverty tourism, and thought long and hard about whether to visit a favela. In the end, I’m glad I did. It’s an eye-opening insight into local lives and you can contribute to the local economy by using local transport and purchasing a drink or snack. Plus, the views from Vidigal favela near Leblon and Ipanema beach have to be some of the best in Rio!

Keeping with my safety mantra, I visited the Vidigal favela with my guide. My guide negotiated a motorbike ride up with the local transport guys at the bottom of the hill. We paid them well more than the going rate in exchange for less crazy hooning. However, I fear that message was somewhat lost in translation. We were soon careening up the hill at breakneck speed and dodging this way and that to avoid people and traffic. At least I had a helmet! (Nothing to see here mum!)

We then wandered down the small alleyways past the makeshift houses. We stopped occasionally to check out the views and have a drink, before reaching the bottom near Leblon beach.

If you’re planning to visit a favela, make sure you check out the local safety situation first as this can change quickly in Rio. Always exercise caution.

Bonus Things To Do in Rio de Janeiro!

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to pack a lot into a Rio de Janeiro trip. Here’s my two favorite bonus things to do in Rio de Janeiro for ya.

First, I loved the tranquil lagoon (Rodrigo de Freitas Lake) where you can walk, hire a bike, or simply relax with a drink and watch the people go by.

Second, I really enjoyed the colorful Olympic Boulevard graffiti below.

Comment below on what things to do in Rio de Janeiro I’ve missed and I’ll add it to the list for next time!

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