Rio de Janeiro is a very large city set on the east coast of Brazil. It has everything that a big city has plus it has beautiful beaches and impressive mountains all around. Here is how to spend 5 days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and experience a lot of what this city has to offer!
Getting To and From the Airport
There are a few different airports in Rio de Janeiro so make sure when flying in and out to pay close attention to the name of the airport. We flew into Santos Dumont Airport which was fairly close to where we were staying. Then we flew out of the larger RioGaleao- Tom Jobin International Airport which was significantly farther away.
Both times we used Uber to get between the airport. It was very easy to request and very reasonably priced at about $6-12 USD depending on which airport. If you don’t want to use Uber there were plenty of taxis outside the airport that you can also take.
Where to Stay & How Long to Spend in Rio de Janeiro
Rio is a really large city so there are a lot of options in terms of different neighborhoods to stay in. We stayed in Copacabana which is a neighborhood near the popular Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach. Dave has actually been to Rio before and knew there was plenty of restaurants, cafes and things to do in the area. We were about a 10-15 minute walk to the beach which was awesome!
There is a lot of do in this sprawling city so you want enough time to hit everything without skimping on beach time! We spent 5 days in Rio which for us was a really nice amount of time. We got to enjoy the beach a few times, watch the sunset from different spots and go to a handful of neighborhoods. With less than 3 days you might have to pick and choose what to do in order to fit into your time frame.
Day 1: Arrive in Rio & Explore Copacabana
Depending on when you arrive, you might have time to do more on your first day. We usually like to get to where we’re staying, find the closest grocery store to stock up and then explore the neighborhood around where we’re staying.
Take the afternoon and explore Copacabana. There are stalls on almost all the streets selling clothing items, souvenirs as well as food. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to grab lunch or dinner. If you keep walking to the beach you can walk along the boardwalk that runs parallel to the beach. You can walk for the whole length of the beach with mountains on either side! You can get snacks, beach blankets, shirts, drinks and so much more.
Travel Truth: There are many street food vendors on the boardwalk selling various snacks and foods. We tried the Acia bowl for 4 Reals or $1 USD as well as the caramel (we think) popcorn for 5 Reals or just over $1.
If you stick around for sunset the sky gets soft shades of blue and pink as it sets behind the mountains. In August it was very comfortable at the beach even after the sun goes down. There are plenty of people in the area and we never felt unsafe!
Day 2: Copacabana Beach & Sunset
We were so excited to be in Rio de Janeiro because we had been in cold weather for weeks! We were relishing in the sun and the beach. Rio is one of those cities where you can be in the middle of a large city and then a few minutes later you can be on a beautiful beach. So take advantage and spend some time at the well known Copacabana Beach.
You can rent chairs and umbrellas if you want or just throw your towels down and find a spot like we did. While we were by no means the only people on the beach, even on a weekend we were able to find a spot without being too far back.
The water was pretty cold but the beach is an experience in itself. While sitting down you will have people walk by selling empanadas, cocktails, shirts, bathing suits, tours, water, shrimp (we don’t recommend buying this) and anything else you could possibility want. You really don’t need to get up from your spot to get anything, it will come to you at Copacabana beach!
Travel Truth: While there were plenty of people trying to sell stuff, we politely said no and never had an issue with it. If you’re interested you can try negotiating for a better price or just say no thank you and they will likely continue on to the person next to you.
From Copacabana Beach you can continue walking for about 10 minutes to the famous Ipanema Beach. This is another popular beach but has a younger, more livelier feel than Copacabana beach does. If you’re still around the beach close to sunset a great spot to watch is Arpoador Rock. Walk to the edge of Ipanema Beach onto the rocks. You will see a staircase and pathway leading to the rocks. If you get there before sunset you will find a few people there but as it gets closer more and more people will come. We walked down a little to one of the lower rocks and there were only a couple other people near us. As the sun goes down it disappears behind the mountains in the distance and it is so pretty! When it’s completely gone, everyone claps before continuing on with their night.
After the sunset on our walk back we walked through the Copacabana Night Market. It sits in the median of the road across from Copacabana Beach. You won’t miss it as you can see the stalls from the boardwalk. It was really cool to go to our first night market! We saw them setting up at about 5:00 PM but it wasn’t completely open with people walking through until later in the night. You can buy inexpensive clothing, souvenirs, and lots more.
How Much Does it Cost to Travel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? Budget Breakdown
Day 3: Christ the Redeemer & Sugarloaf Mountain
We decided to hit the ground running for our third day in Rio. Two of the popular things to see in Rio de Janiero are Christ the Redemmer and Sugarloaf Mountain. They both require getting to a location in order to start as well as time spent exploring the area.
Christ the Redeemer, or Cristo Redentor, is a large statue that sits on Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. You can spot it from various spots throughout the city but is a bit difficult to get to as it’s about 13 km from Copacabana and up some small, windy roads. Once at the top of Corcovado only official vans can drive up to Christ the Redemmer, which is included in your ticket.
There are a few different options to get to Corcovado (the base of Christ the Redeemer) that we’ll go through below because it can be a little confusing. You can decide which of the options you want to take to get to the base of Christ the Redemmer depending on how much it will cost but regardless you need to purchase a ticket which includes the van ride to the actual Christ the Redeemer statue.
- There is a train that goes to the top of Corcovado Mountain. We’ve heard it’s very steep so if you get really motion sick this might not be the best option for you.
- You can also take a van all the way up and there are many waiting at the bottom of Corcovado bringing people up and down.
- We chose to take an Uber up to the base because it was significantly cheaper than the other two options.
- We requested an Uber in Copacabana near where we were staying and got to the bottom of Corcovado where a van company flagged our Uber driver down. They tried telling him he couldn’t drive up and he kept saying it’s on the route we paid for. Ultimately someone who spoke English came over and tried selling us the van service to the top, we politely said no and we continued on with our Uber. With the language barrier it was hard but we’re pretty sure our Uber driver argued back with them when they were saying we had to buy a ticket.
At the top of Corcovado we bought our tickets in the ticket office and waited about 20 minutes for our time slot. We did read in the busy season this wait can be more like a few hours so plan accordingly if you’re visiting then. The van ride to the top takes about 15 minutes and then there are a few flights of stairs to get to the top.
- Even in the low season, there were so many people at the top! It’s not a huge area so there isn’t that much room for people to spread out. Everyone is also trying to take the same pictures with the statue in the background so you’ll see many people laying on the ground trying to get the angle right.
- Honestly, it was a little too crowded for us which made it hard to stay for too long. The views of Rio off the back were unobstructed and beautiful! Don’t forget to look out at the surrounding area not just at the statue.
After spending about an hour at the top, we started making our way back down first getting into the van to take us back to Corcovado and the ticket office. We tried requesting an Uber back but we stood there for about 20 minutes waiting for it to connect us to a driver and then cancelling. Turns out it’s really hard to get an Uber back down from Christ the Redeemer. One of the van employees asked if we wanted to take the van for 15 Reals each, we said yes and were waiting when he told us to go in a smaller car.
- We probably should have been more hesitant but we jumped in, he drove us to the train station and we paid him the 30 Reals (15 each) which is about 7 USD. In the end it was a pretty bad deal considering he only drove us to the train station which meant we needed an Uber from there back to Copacabana but it was better than nothing!
- Our recommendation would be to take an Uber up but take the van or train back down. It’s a long, windy road up so not many Ubers make the drive up. There were a few taxis there so if you’re there at the right time that could also be an option.
Travel Truth: It cost us 60 Reals or just under 15 USD for the tickets into Christ the Redeemer as well as the Uber there and 2 car rides back. So it total it cost us 30 USD for transportation to and from as well as admission to the top. Honestly, by the time we got back it was a little pricey for how crowded it was at the statue even in the low season. I don’t think we would do it again for that price, however, it was cool to see once!
Sugarloaf Mountain, or Pao de Acucar, is a mountain that overlooks the city of Rio. Like Christ the Redeemer, you can see Sugarloaf Mountain from various points which makes it so interesting to visit at the top. One of the best times to visit Sugarloaf is at sunset because the sun sets behind the mountains and makes the sky look so pretty! It is also a popular time as people flock to see this amazing sunset spot so if thats your plan, it’s best to get there early.
- We’re gonna be honest visiting Sugarloaf Mountain is really expensive! It’s usually way over our budget and usually we would say no way. But Dave did it a few years ago and knew how amazing the views were so we decided it was worth the money.
- You take a cable car up to the first viewpoint and then a second cable car up to the top. At the top you get panoramic views of the ocean, the mountains and the city of Rio.
- You can hike up and down to the first cable car, however, there have been incidents of muggings on the trail so beware if you’re planning to hike especially at night. Plus since we were going at sunset we would have had to hike back down in total darkness which is not what we were looking to do.
Travel Truth: Sugarloaf Mountain was definitely worth the money. Watching the sunset at the top was one of the highlights of our time in Rio de Janeiro. The views are seriously unreal and it was one of the best sunsets! We would highly recommend it and even though it was really expensive, it was something we both would do again!
Doing both Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain is kind of a lot in one day so feel free to spread them out more than we did. But it’s also totally doable if you don’t have as much time or if you just want more beach days before leaving!
Read More: Photos to Inspire You to Visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Day 4: Ipanema Beach, Caipirinhas by the beach & Brazilian Steakhouse
Beyond Copacabana Beach lies Ipanema Beach, one of the more famous beaches in Rio and is worth checking out! It has a bit of a different feel than Copacabana. We both said it felt like everyone was younger and a little more livelier whereas Copacabana was a little more relaxed with more families. It could just be the days we went to each but something to keep an eye out for if you’re deciding between the two.
The location of Ipanema Beach is absolutely beautiful! The mountains in the distance make it unlike any other urban beach we’ve seen. Just like Copacabana you can find anything you would want on the beach from the vendors selling food, drinks, t-shirts, souvenirs and more. If you’re tired of the sun there were opportunities at both beaches to rent an umbrella.
One thing you will see all over Rio is a drink called Caipirinhas. It’s a drink made with Cachaca, which is alcohol from the area made from sugar cane, mixed with lime and sugar. It’s delicious and tastes similar to a mojito without the mint. You will see them advertised all over the city and knowing they are quite delicious, we couldn’t leave without having one! While we’re not usually ones to pick touristy spots, there are so many restaurants along Copacabana Beach. They all have really good happy hour deals so when we saw one for 4 Reals we couldn’t resist! For 8 Reals, or 2 USD, we each got a caipirinha while sitting on the beach watching the sky turn shades of blue and pink.
- If the beach isn’t your scene, you can find Caipirinhas all over the city and for really cheap!
While visiting new places we try really hard to balance staying on budget by going to the grocery store and cooking while also trying local foods of the area. So on our last night in Rio we splurged and went to a traditional Brazilian steakhouse. A Brazilian steakhouse usually features a buffet of starters such as salad, meats, etc. and then features servers bringing around various types of meat.
- We had chorizo, chicken, so many different cuts of steak, lamb, pork and I think even a few more! Along with all that, if you can imagine, comes French fries, onion rings and plantains.
- It works by having a card that has both a green size and a red side. Having the green side up essentially means you want food and the red side means you don’t. Servers come around with pieces of meat, usually sizzling, and cut you a piece.
- It’s a set price because it’s all you can eat. Theoretically you could stay for hours and keep on eating more and more. We spent some time researching one that was going to be good but also wasn’t crazy expensive. We went to Carretao in Copacabana and it cost about $50 USD for both of us.
Travel Truth: One tip to keep the cost of the Brazilian steakhouse down is to be careful of the price of drinks. Getting a cocktail, for example, is very expensive and you don’t always get a menu when you say you want the buffet so it’s hard to know the prices. We had Caipirinhas by the beach before going for $2 USD and skipped them at dinner to save some money.
Day 5: Escaderia Selaron & Hippie Market
Before leaving Rio de Janiero, take a trip to the neighborhood of Lapa to Escaderia Selaron, a tiled staircase that replicates the colors of the Brazilian flag. We easily took an Uber from Copacabana for less than $8 USD round trip. It is a great photo spot from all the different colors so make sure to bring your camera!
- We got there at about 1:30 PM in the low season and there were quite a few other people there. If you’re visiting during the high season we would definitely recommend going earlier in the day as it’s not huge and can be hard to take pictures if it’s so packed.
- We spent about an hour walking around, looking at all the tiles and taking pictures.
- It’s a bit farther out from where we were staying but it was like a hidden slice of color!
If you happen to be in Rio on a Sunday make sure to venture over to the Ipanema Hippie Market. It is about 5 minutes from Ipanema Beach and features stalls around the whole park. You will find all kinds of items such as clothing, handmade things, and so much more! It was really nice to walk through and see everything they had. By about 5:00 PM most of the stalls are packing up so make sure to head earlier in the day!
We know Rio de Janeiro is just scratching the surface in Brazil and hope to be back one day to explore even more of this very large country!
Love your photos.