Golden monasteries, alleyway legends and the world's most famous bay.
Long before it was a beach city, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of a viceroyalty, the seat of the Portuguese Court and the heart of an empire, and its historic centre still tells that story in churches, palaces and century-old cafés. Three free walking routes at your own pace, from São Bento Monastery to Lapa and Outeiro da Glória.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the mixed route.
Benedictine monks, emperors crowned by the bay and a martyr of independence: six stops through the downtown where Brazil's fate was decided.
A witch under an archway, the Jesuits' hidden gold, a saint promoted to lieutenant colonel and a staircase its maker never wanted to finish.
A fairy-tale library, the Belle Époque café, a theatre modelled on the Paris Opera, a cone-shaped cathedral and a hilltop church facing Sugarloaf Mountain.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
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Itineraries
We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.
All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.
See the itinerary 2A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.
See the itinerary 3The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.
See the itineraryWhat to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Black beans slow-cooked with dried beef, ribs, linguiça sausage and assorted pork, served with rice, sautéed collard greens, farofa and orange slices. In Rio it's a Friday and Saturday dish, eaten without hurry. Bar Brasil, in Lapa since 1907, and Amarelinho in Cinelândia are two downtown classics.
Where to try it
Tender, golden roast kid goat with green broccoli rice and potatoes: Lapa's Portuguese heritage on a plate. It's the signature dish of Nova Capela, heir to an early twentieth-century eating house and listed as Rio cultural heritage.
Where to try it
A Rio take on bouillabaisse, with fish, prawns, mussels and crab in a rich broth. It's named after the diplomat Pedro Leão Veloso, credited with the recipe, and is the speciality of Rio Minho, open since 1884 on Rua do Ouvidor.
Where to try it
Ice-cold draught beer with two fingers of foam is practically a Rio institution, and the salt-cod fritter, crisp outside and soft inside, is its best companion. Bar Luiz, founded in 1887, prides itself on serving chope from the start; Adega Flor de Coimbra, from 1938, is famous for its bolinhos.
Where to try it
A thick fillet steak buried under crispy fried garlic, with rice, egg farofa and Portuguese-style potatoes. Tradition says it's named after the minister Oswaldo Aranha, who always ordered it; Lapa's Cosmopolita, nicknamed «Senadinho», claims to have invented it.
Where to try it
