There is no worst season to travel to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil — any time of the year is good. Of course, every season has its pros and cons though.
Most crowded time of year to visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Carnival
Carnaval is by far the most popular time of the year among Brazilians and foreign tourists to visit Rio. Obviously, you can’t say that Carnival is the worst time of the year to travel to Rio de Janeiro because Rio’s Carnival is one of the main reasons to be in Brazil at that time (Carnival officially lasts 4.5 days sometime in February or March — varies from year to year).
The worst thing during Carnival is that hotels charge at least twice their usual rate and require a minimum stay of 4 nights. Besides, tourist attractions are crowded, although you can face no hassle if you follow the instructions in chapter 3 of My Rio Travel Guide — the most useful, reliable, and updated travel guide to Rio de Janeiro.
Apart from that, beaches, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and other areas that tourist frequent are rather busy, if not crowded. However, there is plenty of areas with lots of room and with no sign of Carnival whatsoever. The bottom line is you won’t feel claustrophobic as not everywhere is crowded all the time.
New Years Eve
Around new years eve is another time of the year when Rio de Janeiro is packed with tourists. The majority arrives in the end of December on purpose, to witness one of the most famous New Year Eve fireworks in the world — the Copacabana Beach one — with usual attendance of more than two million people (you don’t necessarily need to be among them, you can even watch the fireworks from your hotel).
Similarly to the Carnival days, the city is full of tourists. It is not the worst time of the year to visit Rio either, although it the worst time to visit the iconic attractions Christ the Redeemer Statue on Corcovado Mountain and Sugar Loaf Hill.
In a nutshell
The bottom line is over 1 million tourists from Brazil and from all over the world visit Rio de Janeiro during Carnival and around New Year Eve. Places are rather busy, but you will have memorable moments that will stay in you memory forever. Bear in mind that these two times of the year are the most lively, with lots of things going on such as street and roof-top parties, beach luaus, concerts, other summer events.
Apart from that, there is no bad season to come to Rio. The city is worth-visiting any time — summer, spring, fall, or winter (does not rain and it is not cold).
There is more important and updated information to learn before flying to Brazil. Learn what matters in My Rio Travel Guide — the independent and alternative travel guide to Rio de Janeiro.
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