There are many things to do in Rio de Janeiro. Actually, you can spend weeks, day after day, doing completely different things. In Rio one thing is for sure — you don’t get bored!
Here is a list of the many things you can do when visiting Rio de Janeiro during your vacation, business trip, or temporary residence. The things you can do include sports and activities, eating, drinking, chilling out, and more, for kids, couples, families, group of friends, and solo travelers.
Things to do in Rio related to sports and physical activities
Stand-up Paddle
1 – Take stand-up paddle lessons on Copacabana Beach
Doing stand-up paddle surfing became one of the most popular things to do in Rio de Janeiro is the last years. And the best place to do it on Copacabana Beach, next to the Copacabana Fort. You don’t need to be a local to take lessons — just show up at the stand-up paddle tent and arrange a few lessons with the instructor.
2 – Rent a bike and cycle on the dedicated route along the coast
One of the most common things to do in Rio de Janeiro is bicycling along Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon beaches. Thousands of locals do it everyday, either for exercising, transportation, or just to have a good time. You, too, as a visitor to Rio can do the same thing. (A suggested route map as well as updated bike rental shops’ addresses can be found in My Rio Travel Guide)
3 – Go jogging or walking around the lagoon
This is a thing that locals do everyday at daytime, especially on weekends. The lagoon is located behind Ipanema district, and can be reached, for example, via Maria Quitéria street. The lagoon (“lagoa” in Brazilian Portuguese) has a walking/bicycling path that totals 8 kilometers (5.5 miles), from where you can see Christ the Redeemer statue most of the time. If you like jogging, this is definitely one of the things you should do in Rio de Janeiro.
4 – Hike up Urca Hill
Urca is the hill half way to Sugar Loaf. To get to Urca Hill, you either take the cable car for only 3 minutes, or hike up about 25 minutes. From Urca Hill you can take the 2nd cable car to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain. The hike is very popular on weekends, when Cariocas (natives of Rio de Janeiro) do it to save the 1st cable car ride ticket. Learn more about the Urca hiking and about Sugar Loaf in Sugar Loaf – The Definitive Guidebook: Visiting Rio de Janeiro’s Most Famous Hill. This is one of the things to do with kids in Rio de Janeiro (depending on their age).
5 – Rent a paddle boat at Lagoa (lagoon)
Renting a pedalinho (paddle boat) at the lagoon is among couples’ favorites things to do in Rio de Janeiro, especially those who live in the suburbs and drive to the south area to enjoy all the leisure the nearby districts offer. The paddle boat rent costs R$ 20 (US$10; €8) for every 30 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The ticket box office and embarking area is at Parque Cantagalo, the area in the lagoon which is closer to Copacabana. Take a taxi to get there and to get back to your hotel.
6 – Take beach volleyball lessons in Ipanema
One of the most popular sports on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro is beach volleyball. And Pele da Praia is the most reputable instructor, who has been training locals and foreigners for more than two decades. That’s a thing you should definitely do if you are a volleyball lover. Just take a stroll on the Ipanema promenade until you can spot a big sign “Pelé da Praia”.
Things to do in Rio related to eating, drinking, and chilling out
Tram in Santa Teresa
7 – Have lunch in Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa is one of the oldest and most charming districts in Rio de Janeiro, with more than 250 years. Cobblestones, old WV beetles, colonial houses, artsy shops, and authentic little restaurants lend the area an air of old Rio. One of the things that made this district even more unique was the century old tram, which operation was recently suspended until 2014 (maybe 2015), when a new and modern fleet of trams will replace the old system. Do as locals do — go on the weekend, but arrive before them (latest at 1 p.m.), otherwise you may wait long for a vacant table at one of the recommended restaurants of Santa Teresa.
8 – See the sunset at Pedra do Arpoador (Arpoador Rock)
Seeing the sunset at Arpoador Rock is one of the easiest things to do in Rio de Janeiro. Arpoador is a small neighborhood that connects Copacabana to Ipanema, so if your hotel is close to the border of either district, you can just walk up to Arpoador Rock, which is located at the very end of Ipanema Beach.
9 – Have a drink at Colombo Café at Copacabana Fort
Confeitaria Colombo (Colombo Café) is probably the nicest café in Copacabana, if not in Rio de Janeiro. It is located inside the Copacabana Fort, which is at the end of Copacabana (the end close to the Ipanema district). The highlight of Colombo is that from your table you overlook the whole Copacabana Beach. At Colombo you can have a drink, eat pastries, quiches, omelets, sandwiches, and other delicious things they make.
10 – Eat fresh oysters at the Copacabana fish market
Everyone knows that oysters should be eaten absolutely fresh. Fortunately for the oyster lovers, these “things” can be eaten alive and raw in Rio de Janeiro. The most authentic place to buy fresh oysters is in the fish market on Copacabana Beach in front of Sofitel Hotel (the hotel is located at the end of Copacabana, next to Ipanema). The ideal days to buy them are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each oyster costs R$3.5 (US$1.7; €1.4).
11 – Eat all you can at Marius
Marius Restaurant is one of the most traditional all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouses in Rio de Janeiro. If you only have time for one single meal while visiting Rio, that’s the place to go. The quality, the decor, and variety worth the rather expensive per person flat rate — count on R$ 115 (US$55; €42). Eating at a recommended steakhouse is the kind of thing you must experience when travelling in Brazil.
12 – Eat at Bar Garota de Ipanema
Garota de Ipanema (Girl from Ipanema) is the bar/restaurant where the song “Girl from Ipanema” was composed. In fact, the song writer Tom Jobim used to frequently go to this place. The walls are decorated with photos of him and the girl from Ipanema herself, who inspired the song lyrics. Avoid weekends, otherwise you may need to wait quite a while for a table. (One thing you can do after having dinner there is to watch a bossa nova concert from 10 p.m. at Vinícius Bar across the street).
13 – Try the Brazilian national dish: Feijoada
Here is a thing you should eat when visiting Rio de Janeiro: Feijoada, Brazil’s national dish. It is a black bean stew, with beef and other parts of the cow. As side dishes: rice, manioc flour, kale, and occasionally other things such as orange. To help digest all that try a shot of cachaça, the national liquor made from sugar cane.
14 – Try Caipirinhas made from exotic fruits
Caipirinha is the national drink, which is made with sugar, ice, lime, and cachaça (Brazilian liquor from sugar cane). The drink is delicious and refreshing but rather strong, especially in Brazil due to the abundance of the liquor as well as to the lack of drink measurers at most bars. One thing that most tourists don’t know is that Caipirinha is not the number one alcoholic beverage drunk in Brazil; beer is by far the Brazilian’s favorite.
Things to do in Rio de Janeiro at night
Live Samba Concert at Rio Scenarium
15 – See a samba concert at Rio Scenarium
Samba is one of the things Rio de Janeiro is famous for, and Rio Scenarium is the most popular Samba place in the city. The highlight is not only the live Samba concert, but the fascinating antique decor. If there is one single place to go see what a live Samba band is about, Rio Scenarium is the spot.
16 – Watch a folklore show
The Plataforma Folklore Show is the most traditional in Rio de Janeiro. It blends Brazilian regional dances and rhythms, Carnival costumes, capoeira martial art, live samba musicians, and other things. Most tourists like it, although some find it of low quality. In fact, it depends a lot on how many good shows you have previously seen around the world — the more good ones you have seen, lower you will rate the plataforma one.
17 – See a bossa nova concert
Bossa nova was the trendy rhythm in the 1960s. Nowadays, it is considered a thing of the past by the young generation of Rio de Janeiro natives. However, you can still go listening live bossa nova music, including classics such as Girl from Ipanema and Wave. Concerts take place every night from 10 p.m. at Vinícius Bar on Vinícius de Moraes street in Ipanema. What to do before or after the concert? Have dinner at the Girl from Ipanema Bar, across the street.
18 – Watch a Carnival rehearsal
A Carnival rehearsal is one of the things you should absolutely see if it is already happening on the week you visit Rio de Janeiro. The rehearsals start sometime in July until the last week before the Carnival parade (February or March). The best samba school to watch the live, loud, and contagious rehearsals is Salgueiro, in Tijuca district. It happens on Saturdays from midnight until 4 a.m.
Things to do in Rio de Janeiro related to shopping & window-shopping
Havaianas — Popular Brazilian Flip-Flops
19 – Shop at Rio Sul Mall
Rio Sul is the most traditional mall in Rio de Janeiro, and it is one of the largest ones, with over 370 shops. Malls are extremely popular as a recreational activity on rainy days in Rio, when locals go there mostly for shelter and end up shopping (usually things they didn’t actually thought of purchasing before getting there). Besides, in the mall you can go to the movies, drink and eat (the food court is varied and lively). Rio Sul is open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (3 – 10 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays).
20 – Visit the Ipanema Hippie Market
The Feira Hippie de Ipanema (Ipanema Hippie Market) is the most known open-air market in Rio de Janeiro. It happens every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. At the market you can buy many things: typical souvenirs such as mini Christ the Redeemer statue, paintings, hammocks, Brazilian music instruments, bikinis, Havaianas flip flops, you name it.
21 – Visit the Old Rio market
The Feira do Rio Antigo (Old Rio Market) is probably the nicest and liveliest market in Rio de Janeiro. However, it happens only on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Lavradio Street in Lapa district. Besides souvenirs, accessories, and antiques, you can listen to live Brazilian music (usually samba) at a couple of casual open-air bars/restaurants.
Things to do in Rio de Janeiro related to sightseeing
Christ the Redeemer’s Head
22 – Visit Christ the Redeemer statue
Christ statue on top of Corcovado Mountain is by far the number one attraction in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, make sure the statue has no cloud cover before heading there. One of the most disappointing things in Rio is to get to the statue sanctuary and see no view of the city (and sometimes not even of the statue).
23 – Visit Sugar Loaf
Sugar Loaf is the second most visited site in Rio de Janeiro — it complements the visit of Christ the Redeemer statue and it is another must-do. The highlights are the breath-taking views from the summit of the hill, 396 meters (1,298 feet) above sea level. To get to the top of Sugar Loaf, you take two cable cars (and the same two back to the ground level). Among the things you can do while enjoying the views is eating, drinking, and chilling out at one of the benches at the outloook.
24 – Visit the Botanical Garden
The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden is one of the things you can do to have full contact with nature while sightseeing in Rio de Janeiro. The area is gated, guarded, and 100% safe. It takes anything between 40 minutes to two hours to visit the garden. Upon finishing your stroll, you can have a drink and eat something at the Botânica Café.
25 – Visit the International Museum of Naive Art
Rio de Janeiro is not famous for museums, but this is one of the worth-visiting in the city. Even if you are not particularly interested in art or museums, it is unlikely that you will regret a stop there. One thing you can do is to combine a visit to Christ the Redeemer statue with the Museum of Naive Art, as it is located right next to the Corcovado Train Station in the Cosme Velho district. Another great attraction is the National History Museum in Centro area (downtown/business district).
Other things you can do in Rio de Janeiro
Hang gliding over Rio de Janeiro
26 – Go hang gliding
Hang gliding over Rio de Janeiro is an absolutely must do, even if you are not adventurous or are afraid of heights. The tandem flight takes about 10 minutes, from the moment you jump off a 500 meter (1,640 feet) high ramp and land on the beach. In fact, Rio is one of the few cities in the world where you can hang glide over the city and land on the beach. Hang gliding is one of the things Rio de Janeiro is famous for in Brazil. Hire a reputed pilot and…just do it!
27 – Watch a football game
Football is the number one sport in Brazil, and watching a game is quite an experience, especially if it is an important game drawing tens of thousands of fans. Games are usually on Wednesday (sometimes Thursday) nights and on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons. Watching a game at Maracana Stadium is one of the things you should do to get an idea of how passionate about football Brazilians are.
28 – Take your kid to play with local kids at Baixo Bebê
If you have a young kid then this is the place to go to meet local kids/babies. Baixo Bebê is basically a beach café with toys and facilities for children and moms. The café is located on the promenade of Leblon Beach.
29 – Go to Praia Vermelha
Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) is the beach right next to Sugar Loaf. Despite of its great location, most tourists miss the opportunity of going to this beach with calm waters and few people (on weekdays). Plan ahead — when you go visiting Sugar Loaf, bring along swimming clothes to take your time on the beach that faces the hill. One of the popular things you can do on the Red Beach is to drink a coconut milk, sold from one of the beach vendors.
Planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro? There are still many things you didn’t know about Rio. Read all the detailed and updated information on things to do in My Rio Travel Guide – The Essential How-To Visitor’s Guide to Rio de Janeiro.