Rio de Janeiro Luxury Travel
Blessed with long stretches of golden shore skirted by Atlantic Coast, and braced by mountains blanketed with lush tropical forest, vibrant Rio de Janeiro is one of the world’s most splendid cities. It’s a place where glitz mingles with grit, and the senses are always enlivened.
Bathed in sunshine, it’s hard to be too serious about anything in decadent Rio. It’s not Brazil’s political nor financial center. For residents, work is something that gets in the way of hours-long social calls and beach time. Travelers will have no problem falling into Rio’s round-the-clock coastal-cosmopolitan reverie.
Pretty as it is, Rio de Janeiro has depth, too. Travel beyond the beach to the city’s historic downtown to find colonial facades that harken to Portuguese settlement and other vestiges of a centuries-old city. Deep dive into history to learn how Rio was once the capital of Portugal, and how its past as one of the largest slave ports influences its present—from samba to capoeira to Carnival—and how it reflects in the ancestry of nearly half of all Brazilians.
Rio de Janeiro Travel Highlights
- Post up at an open-air restaurant on Copacabana or Ipanema Beach to people-watch, listen to live music, and watch a spirited volleyball or beach futbol match
- Ride the cable car to Sugarloaf to enjoy 360-degree city views
- Tour the boho neighborhood of Santa Teresa
- Visit Christ the Redeemer
- Go hiking in Parque Nacional da Tijuca, one of the world’s largest urban parks
- Go on a half-day or sunset cruise
- Explore Rio’s historic downtown
- Visit the Museum of Tomorrow (or any number of premier museums)
- Take a guided food tour, sample street eats, and dine in Michelin-star restaurants
- Get a taste of Carnival, year-round
- Sip a caipirinha at a glamorous pool bar
- Get sporty, visit an Olympic site or cheer on any one of the four local football clubs
Rio de Janeiro Travel FAQs
Many people start or end a Brazil trip in Rio de Janeiro. Two days is the minimum you would need for a Rio whistle–stop tour. But trust us, you’ll want more. Three to five days offers a more comprehensive visit at a relaxed pace.
Spring (September to December) and fall (March to May) are the best times to visit Rio de Janeiro. Summer can be hot and humid (90s and 100s during peak weeks), while winter (June to September) can be mild: high 50s to the low 80s.
It’s also worth noting that holidays are well observed in Brazil. Many people travel to gather, while businesses closing for the day(s). We tend to recommend avoiding Easter and Christmas travel.
If the excitement of Carnival’s parades, balls, and street parties beckons to you, consider traveling in February. (The exact celebration dates fluctuate, sometimes stretching into early March, depending on when Fat Tuesday lands.) But be forewarned, attending Carnival is not for everyone. Audiences and crowds can number in the tens of thousands, prices for almost everything surge, you’ll be spending a good deal of time queuing for services, and hotels typically implement a five-day minimum stay.
If you want a taste of Carnival, your Extraordinary Journeys Brazil Specialist can arrange niche off-season tours. Visit a samba school, see how floats are constructed, and admire elaborate Carnival costumes and fashions.
Rio de Janeiro’s Best Neighborhoods
Copacabana Beach
The epicenter of beach culture in Brazil, Copacabana needs no introduction. There’s plenty to do here besides catching some rays. Park yourself at one of the many breezy, open-air restaurants for supreme people-watching. Go for a stroll along the black-and-white geometric wave calcada, beach promenade. Snack, sip, and savor anything and everything that piques your palate from the myriads of food and drink vendors.
Copacabana is the world’s most famous two-and-a-half miles of beach, but it’s also a barrio, neighborhood. Home to many museums, shops, galleries, fine restaurants and notably, Belmond Copacabana Palace, it’s a prime location to stay for a luxury trip to Rio de Janeiro.
Ipanema Beach
Forever immortalized in one of the most iconic Boas Nova songs (Garota de Ipanema” / The Girl from Ipanema – you’ll know it when you hear it), Ipanema is Copacabana’s cooler, hipper neighbor. You can do many of the same things at Ipanema—the calcada runs along it, and there are beach bars, too —but a playfulness hangs in the air here thanks to footvolley players, surfers, and a Sunday Hippie Market. Base yourself at Fasano Rio de Janeiro for one of the city’s best rooftop pools; its sweeping views of Arpoador and Morro Dois Irmãos are known to attract a celebrity clientele.
Ipanema is also a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, and you’ll find plenty of splendid dining, designer shopping, and attractions. To stretch the legs and shirk the tour buses, head north to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas to walk, jog, or bike the 4.5-mile loop. Look to Corcovado to spot Christ the Redeemer.
Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa is a hillside, off-beach neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Cobbled streets, artist workshops, galleries, cafés, boutique hotels, mansions, and independent shops all lend to its bohemian village vibe. This is also where you’ll find the vibrantly tiled Escadaria Selarón staircase.
Safe, walkable, and leafy, it’s a lovely alternative for travelers who have previously stayed beachfront and want to experience a different side of the city. We love to recommend a stay at MGallery Santa Teresa Hotel paired with a walking tour of Santa Teresa’s winding alleys and artist workshops alongside a local expert guide.
Explore Rio de Janeiro on a Map
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