5 Things to do in Rio de Janeiro

Rio is such a huge city and offers countless things to do that it’s hard to only pick out a few. I usually don’t like the typical tourist attractions, so I did my best to come up with a good mix.

1 Sugar Loaf

Ok, let’s start with the view! I prefer the Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) to the Cristo Redentor (Corcovado). The Sugar Loaf is located in the Urca Neighborhood. If you want an easy way up, take the cable car from Praia Vermelha to Urca Hill and then from Urca Hill to the Sugar Loaf. Alternatively, you may also hike from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca. If you are lucky, you might even see monkey on the way up.

Check out their official homepage for tickets, prices and information on the current COVID-19 situation.

2 Pedra Bonita Hike

If you like a beautiful view and feel a little more advanterous, check out the pedra bonita hike.

3 Sunset at Ipanema Beach

Rio has so many beautiful beaches and it’s hard to decide which one is the most beautiful. Tourists usually choose Copacabana, while carioca (local) prefer less crowded beaches. To watch the sunset, Ipanema Beach is undeniably the most recommended beach. In fact, it’s so beautiful that even I mingled among the crowd and took millions of sunset pictures.

4 Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

The „Lagoa“ is a lagoon in the south of Rio. Its horizon is outlined by the Dois Irmãos mountains, which makes it very stunning. There are plenty of things you can do there. If you like canoeing, you may rent one or go for a Swan Boat instead. If you’d rather stay on land, rent a bike an ride aound the whole lagoon. There are also nice restaurants to enjoy lunch, dinner or a caipirinha. I can also recommend watching the sunset there.

5 Flamengo Soccer Game

Visiting a more or less empty stadium might be interesting but just imagine attending a real game there! In Brasil, the game to go is of course soccer. The most famous team in Rio is called Flamengo. So if you are even a little bit interested in sports, check out the Flamengo Soccer Team schedule! We were lucky to be in town for a game at Maracana Stadium. It was a truly unique atmosphere.