Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Evergreen city guide with quick facts, travel, business, and culture.

BrazilRio de Janeiro

Overview

Rio de Janeiro is the Cidade Maravilhosa — the 'Marvelous City' — where forested mountains, golden beaches and a vast bay frame one of the world's most spectacular urban settings, home to Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana and Ipanema, samba and the planet's greatest Carnival.

Iconic Viewpoints

Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado and the Sugarloaf cable car over Guanabara Bay.

Beaches

Copacabana and Ipanema, the sunset at Arpoador and Rio's all-consuming beach culture.

Samba & Neighborhoods

Bohemian Santa Teresa, the samba nightlife of Lapa and the colourful Selarón Steps.

Carnival & Nature

The world's greatest Carnival, the Tijuca rainforest and the legendary Maracanã stadium.
Travel Overview

Rio de Janeiro has one of the most dramatic natural settings of any city on earth — granite peaks draped in rainforest plunging to golden beaches along a great blue bay — and the Cariocas (Rio's residents) live outdoors to match it. The city's two iconic viewpoints frame everything: Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), the colossal Art Deco statue with arms outstretched atop the Corcovado mountain, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, reached by a cog railway through the Tijuca forest; and Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar), the granite monolith at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, climbed by a glass cable car for a sweeping panorama, especially at sunset. Below, the beaches are the heart of Carioca life: Copacabana, the famous curving crescent backed by its mosaic promenade and a wall of hotels, and chic Ipanema next door, immortalised in song, where the beach is divided into 'postos' for different tribes and the sunset over the Dois Irmãos peaks draws applause. Beach culture — futevôlei, beach football, kiosks, caipirinhas and people-watching — is a way of life. Inland, the bohemian hilltop neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, with its cobbled lanes, artists' studios and the rattling yellow bonde tram, leads down to Lapa, the nightlife district beneath its great white arches, the birthplace of samba and the place to dance it. Rio is also the home of Carnival, the world's largest, when the Sambadrome blazes with the samba-school parades and the streets fill with hundreds of blocos (street parties) — an unforgettable spectacle each February or March. Add the world's largest urban rainforest in the Tijuca National Park, the legendary Maracanã football stadium, the Selarón Steps, the Botanical Garden and the lagoon, and Rio overwhelms with beauty and energy. The climate is tropical — hot, sunny summers (December to March) and warm winters; spring and autumn are pleasant, and Carnival is the peak.

Discover Rio de Janeiro

Rio's two great viewpoints are unmissable. Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), the 38-metre Art Deco statue of Christ with arms outstretched, stands atop the 700-metre Corcovado mountain, gazing over the whole city — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and Rio's defining symbol. The classic ascent is the cog railway (Trem do Corcovado) climbing through the Tijuca rainforest to the summit, where the statue and a 360-degree panorama of mountains, beaches and bay await (go early on a clear day to beat cloud and crowds). The other icon is Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar), the bald granite peak guarding the entrance to Guanabara Bay, ascended in two stages by glass cable car — first to Morro da Urca, then to the 396-metre summit — for one of the world's great city views, magical at sunset as the lights come on across Rio. Together, these two summits reveal the extraordinary geography that makes the city so spectacular.

Frequently asked questions

Christ the Redeemer sits atop Corcovado mountain, reached by the scenic cog railway (Trem do Corcovado) through the Tijuca forest, by official vans, or on foot; book timed tickets ahead and go early on a clear day to beat cloud and crowds. Sugarloaf Mountain is climbed by a two-stage glass cable car from Urca — spectacular at sunset. Both are essential, and clear weather makes all the difference, so be flexible and prioritise sunny days for the views.

Both are iconic and adjoining. Copacabana is the famous four-kilometre crescent with its mosaic promenade — busy, lively and democratic. Ipanema, around the headland, is chic and beautiful, with the Dois Irmãos peaks framing a celebrated sunset and stylish streets behind. Many visitors enjoy both, plus the rocky Arpoador point between them for sunset-watching and smart Leblon next to Ipanema. Wherever you go, beach culture is the heart of the Rio experience.

Rio is a year-round tropical city. Summer (December to March) is hot, sunny and lively — peak beach season, New Year's Eve on Copacabana and Carnival (February/March), but also the busiest and most humid. Spring and autumn are warm and a little quieter. Winter (June to August) is mild and sunny with cooler evenings and fewer crowds. For Carnival, book accommodation far in advance; for general sightseeing, the shoulder months balance good weather with smaller crowds.

Diplomatic missions in Rio de Janeiro

1 embassy based in this city, grouped by region.