Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Rio de Janeiro is the city that looks impossible from the air and even better from the ground: granite peaks rising out of rainforest, a statue with open arms on top of a mountain, and long arcs of sand where the whole city comes to swim, play and watch the sun go down.
It is also a city with deep Afro-Brazilian roots, the birthplace of samba, home of the biggest Carnival on earth and of a football stadium that is close to sacred. This guide books it properly — the train or van up Corcovado to Christ the Redeemer, the two-stage cable car to the top of Sugarloaf, a guided tour of the Maracana, a jeep day in the Tijuca rainforest, the Museum of Tomorrow on the revived port, the Botanical Garden and the big climb up Pedra da Gavea — and pairs it with the Rio that costs nothing: the promenades of Copacabana and Ipanema, sunset applause on the Arpoador rocks, the tiled Selaron Steps, the hilltop lanes of Santa Teresa, samba at Pedra do Sal in Little Africa and the sunrise hike up Dois Irmaos. Then it matches you to the right hotel, from the legendary white palace on Copacabana and a rooftop pool over Ipanema to a beachfront hideaway in Leblon and a big resort with its own slice of sand, because in a city squeezed between mountains and the Atlantic, where you sleep decides which beach becomes yours.
Christ the Redeemer and the Corcovado Train
The statue that defines Rio: thirty metres of soapstone-clad concrete with arms spread over the city, on the summit of Corcovado. Ride the historic cog train up through the Tijuca rainforest and stand beneath it with Sugarloaf, the lagoon and the beaches laid out below.
Sugarloaf Mountain Cable Car
Two glass cable cars hop from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca and on to the granite dome of Sugarloaf, rising out of Guanabara Bay. Go up in late afternoon and watch the sun set behind Christ the Redeemer as the city lights come on.
Copacabana Beach and Promenade
Four kilometres of sand from Leme to the Copacabana Fort, bordered by the wave-patterned promenade of Avenida Atlantica. Volleyball, footvolley, beach kiosks, caipirinhas and the biggest New Year party in the world.
Ipanema Beach and Arpoador
The beach of the song and the city at its most stylish, with the twin peaks of Dois Irmaos at the far end. Finish on the Arpoador rock, where crowds applaud the sun as it sinks into the Atlantic.
The statue that defines Rio: thirty metres of soapstone-clad concrete with arms spread over the city, on the summit of Corcovado. Ride the historic cog train up through the Tijuca rainforest and stand beneath it with Sugarloaf, the lagoon and the beaches laid out below.
Two glass cable cars hop from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca and on to the granite dome of Sugarloaf, rising out of Guanabara Bay. Go up in late afternoon and watch the sun set behind Christ the Redeemer as the city lights come on.
Four kilometres of sand from Leme to the Copacabana Fort, bordered by the wave-patterned promenade of Avenida Atlantica. Volleyball, footvolley, beach kiosks, caipirinhas and the biggest New Year party in the world.
The beach of the song and the city at its most stylish, with the twin peaks of Dois Irmaos at the far end. Finish on the Arpoador rock, where crowds applaud the sun as it sinks into the Atlantic.
A staircase of 215 steps between Lapa and Santa Teresa, covered in more than two thousand tiles from around the world by the Chilean artist Jorge Selaron. Free, joyful and best seen early before the crowds.
Rio's bohemian hilltop neighbourhood of colonial mansions, artists' studios and cobbled lanes, reached by the little yellow tram that crosses the Lapa Arches. Ruins, views, galleries and long lunches.
One of the largest urban forests in the world, wrapped around the city's mountains. A guided jeep tour takes in the Cascatinha waterfall, the Mayrink Chapel, the Emperor's Table and the pagoda of Vista Chinesa.
The temple of Brazilian football, built for the 1950 World Cup and home to Flamengo and Fluminense. Walk the tunnel to the pitch, sit in the dressing rooms and stand where Pele scored his thousandth goal.
Santiago Calatrava's white, winged science museum on the revived port, asking where humanity is heading. Immersive galleries on the cosmos, the Earth and the Anthropocene, with Guanabara Bay all around.
A royal garden founded in 1808 beneath Corcovado, famous for its avenue of towering imperial palms. Orchids, bromeliads, giant water lilies, toucans and marmosets in a cool green escape from the beaches.
The big one: a steep rainforest climb and a short rock scramble to the top of the 842-metre granite monolith above Sao Conrado, with the whole coastline from Barra to Copacabana at your feet.
The port district where hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans arrived, now a UNESCO World Heritage site and the cradle of samba. Walk the Valongo Wharf by day and join the roda de samba at Pedra do Sal by night.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Copacabana
The white grande dame of Avenida Atlantica since 1923, with Rio's most famous pool, two Michelin-starred restaurants and Copacabana beach across the road. Its refurbished Pool Wing reopens in November 2026.
Check rates →Ipanema (Arpoador end)
Philippe Starck's take on 1950s Rio, on the Ipanema seafront by Arpoador. A rooftop infinity pool facing Dois Irmaos, Gero for Italian dinners, free surfboards and the best address on the beach.
Check rates →Leblon
A calm, design-led boutique hotel on the Leblon seafront, styled by the founder of Osklen in Brazilian timber and natural textures. Fifty-one rooms, a rooftop pool facing Dois Irmaos and Christ, and the quietest beach in the South Zone.
Check rates →Leblon (Avenida Niemeyer)
A full-scale beach resort tucked against the cliffs just west of Leblon, with direct access to the sand, pools, six restaurants and bars, a sea-facing spa and balconies on every room.
Check rates →Santa Teresa
A boutique hideaway on the bohemian hill of Santa Teresa, on the grounds of an 1850 coffee farm, with a pool facing Guanabara Bay, a spa, the Tereze restaurant and a sunset bar. The most atmospheric stay in Rio away from the beach.
Check rates →Barra da Tijuca
A big, polished beachfront resort in Barra da Tijuca, between the ocean and the Marapendi lagoon, with Burle Marx-inspired gardens, a large pool, a spa and 436 rooms. Space and calm, far from the South Zone crowds.
Check rates →Botafogo
A stylish design hotel on Botafogo Bay with a rooftop pool and bar facing Sugarloaf and the Christ. Central, good value for its style, and in Rio's coolest neighbourhood for bars and restaurants.
Check rates →Leme, Copacabana
A big, reliable beachfront tower at the quieter Leme end of Copacabana, with rooftop-level pools looking at Sugarloaf and the Christ, and, by Hilton's account, more ocean-view rooms than any hotel in Copacabana.
Check rates →Copacabana (Posto 6)
Contemporary luxury at the Posto 6 end of Copacabana, near the fort and steps from Arpoador, with an infinity pool facing the whole curve of the beach and Sugarloaf, a beach club, a spa and the Fairmont Gold floors.
Check rates →Copacabana
Ninety rooms of quiet, design-led luxury on the Copacabana seafront from the Sao Paulo hotel family, with a rooftop restaurant and pool, the Emile restaurant and a Santapele spa suite overlooking the beach.
Check rates →Arpoador, Ipanema
A relaxed boutique hotel with its feet in the sand at Arpoador, between Ipanema and Copacabana, with a triangular infinity pool, the arp bar for crudos and cocktails, and the city's most famous sunset next door.
Check rates →Leme, Copacabana
A solid, mid-range beachfront hotel facing Leme beach at the calm end of Copacabana, with an infinity pool, sea-view rooms and flexible rates with or without breakfast. Good value for a front-row view.
Check rates →Copacabana (Posto 5)
A no-frills budget hotel a few minutes' walk from the sand at Posto 5 and next to Cantagalo metro, with a lively ground-floor kitchen and bar and free beach gear to borrow. The location is the luxury.
Check rates →Cosme Velho
A sociable hostel-hotel in a historic building on the hidden Largo do Boticario in Cosme Velho, below Corcovado, with dorms and private rooms, pools, two bars and a restaurant. Budget prices in a storybook setting.
Check rates →Botafogo
A cheerful, good-value budget hotel steps from Botafogo metro, in Rio's liveliest neighbourhood for bars and restaurants. Small rooms, very good service and breakfast, and quick connections to the beaches and the centre.
Check rates →The practical primer for a first trip to Rio: arriving, getting around by metro and ride-hailing, staying safe without paranoia, money and tipping, beach etiquette, weather, and which headline experiences to book ahead in late 2026.
Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Santa Teresa, Botafogo, the centre and Barra da Tijuca compared for first-timers, couples and families, with honest notes on safety, transport and price.
A realistic three-day plan covering Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf at sunset, Copacabana and Ipanema, Santa Teresa and the Selaron Steps, the port and Little Africa, with a flexible swap for cloudy days.
From feijoada on Saturdays and churrasco to beach snacks, botecos, acai, pastel and caipirinhas: what to eat and drink in Rio, where to find it and how eating out works.
Carnival 2027 dates, Sambadrome tickets and street blocos, New Year on Copacabana, and a month-by-month look at weather, crowds and prices in Rio.
A clear-eyed guide to safety in Rio in late 2026: the US advisory, common scams, beaches and nightlife, hikes and police operations, plus the ethics of favela tours and how to choose a responsible one.
