View of Rio de Janeiro from Santa Teresa with Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain
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Rio de Janeiro in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 8.1 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is just right for Rio: one walking route a day through the centre, and a different afternoon for each side of the city, from Ipanema beach to the revamped port and the Corcovado rainforest. The pace leaves time for a midday break, a second try at a viewpoint if the sky won't cooperate, and a farewell dinner in Lapa.

Day 1From the Reading Room to the sea

Begin with "Rio Highlights on Foot": the Royal Portuguese Reading Room, Confeitaria Colombo, the cone-shaped cathedral and Glória Hill, where you'll already glimpse Sugarloaf. Have feijoada in Lapa or Cinelândia, then take the metro to Ipanema. Spend the afternoon on the beach and, an hour before sunset, grab a taxi to Praia Vermelha to ride up Sugarloaf. Watching the bay light up from the top is the best welcome Rio can give you.

  1. Morning

    Rio Highlights on Foot: From the Real Gabinete to Glória Hill

    Mixed · 3 km · 2 h 5 min

    1. Royal Portuguese Reading RoomA façade that looks lifted from Lisbon's Jerónimos Monastery guards the largest Portuguese library outside Portugal.
    2. Confeitaria ColomboSince 1894, beneath mirrors from Antwerp, it has served coffee and cakes to poets, presidents and queens.
    3. Theatro MunicipalThe Republic wanted its own Paris Opera, and built it in four and a half years.
    4. Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint SebastianAfter three centuries of borrowed churches, Rio gave itself a 75-metre concrete cone of a cathedral.
    5. Lapa ArchesColonial Brazil's biggest structure once carried water to the city; today it carries a tram.
    6. Church of Our Lady of Glória do OuteiroA figure-of-eight Baroque gem, the church of imperial baptisms, with the bay at its feet.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Feijoada at Bar Brasil. Avenida Mem de Sá, 90, Lapa

  3. Afternoon

    Ipanema Beach

    The beach of "The Girl from Ipanema", stretching from Arpoador rock to the Dois Irmãos peaks. Each stretch has its own crowd, marked by the numbered lifeguard posts. Travel light, rent a chair and cool off with a fresh coconut.

    Directions

    Sugarloaf Mountain

    Since 1912, the cable car has climbed in two stages from Praia Vermelha, via Morro da Urca, to this granite summit at the mouth of the bay. Late in the day you'll watch the sun sink behind Corcovado. Buy your ticket in advance.

    Directions

Day 2Kings, port and tram

Today belongs to the imperial capital: "From Portuguese Court to Empire" runs from São Bento Monastery down to Candelária, the Paço Imperial and Praça Tiradentes. Drop down to Lapa for roast kid at Nova Capela, then hop on the VLT light rail to Praça Mauá and the Museum of Tomorrow. Late in the afternoon, catch the Santa Teresa tram at Largo da Carioca and wander the neighbourhood until its bars start to fill.

  1. Morning

    From Portuguese Court to Empire: Rio as a Capital

    History · 2.4 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. São Bento MonasteryA plain façade hiding one of the most dazzling gilded interiors in Brazil.
    2. Candelária ChurchA shipwreck vow, almost a century of building and a dome shipped piece by piece from Lisbon.
    3. Old Cathedral (Antiga Sé)The church where two emperors were crowned and where the future Pedro I first met Leopoldina.
    4. Paço Imperial and Praça XVFrom this long white house, a viceroyalty, a kingdom and an empire were governed.
    5. Tiradentes PalaceWhere the jail that held Tiradentes once stood, a palace now honours him.
    6. Praça TiradentesA square named after Tiradentes with a statue of Pedro I: two heroes who never met.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Roast kid with broccoli rice at Nova Capela. Avenida Mem de Sá, 96, Lapa

  3. Afternoon

    Museum of Tomorrow

    Santiago Calatrava's science museum, opened in 2015 on Praça Mauá, asks what kind of future we're building. Right beside it starts the Olympic Boulevard, with Kobra's huge "Etnias" mural. Check opening hours and the weekly closing day.

    Directions

    Santa Teresa

    A hilltop neighbourhood of 19th-century mansions, studios and views over the bay. The little yellow tram gets you there across the Lapa Arches. Stroll around Largo dos Guimarães and stay into the evening, when the bars come alive.

    Directions

Day 3Christ, palms and legends

Rise early: Christ the Redeemer is best in the morning, with clear air and thinner crowds, so take the Corcovado train from Cosme Velho. A short taxi ride then drops you at the Botanical Garden, in the shade of its palms. Head back downtown for Leão Veloso soup at Rio Minho near Praça XV (check hours) and a rest. At dusk, "Witches, Tunnels and a Saint" takes in the Arco do Teles, Ladeira da Misericórdia and the Lapa Arches on the way to the Selarón Steps. Sign off with chope and bolinhos de bacalhau at Adega Flor de Coimbra, just round the corner.

  1. Morning

    Christ the Redeemer

    Corcovado's great Art Deco statue, unveiled in 1931 and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The train winds through the rainforest of Tijuca National Park to the foot of the monument. Check the forecast: in cloud, you'll see nothing.

    Directions

    Botanical Garden

    Founded in 1808 by Prince Regent John, the same year the Portuguese court arrived, it's one of the loveliest botanical gardens anywhere. Its avenue of royal palms, the orchid house and the tiny marmosets are worth an unhurried morning.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Leão Veloso soup at Rio Minho. Rua do Ouvidor, 10, Centro

  3. Early evening

    Witches, Tunnels and a Saint on a Colonel's Pay

    Mysteries & legends · 2.7 km · 1 h 55 min

    1. Arco do TelesBeneath this eighteenth-century archway, Rio's most sinister legend was born: that of Bárbara dos Prazeres.
    2. Ladeira da MisericórdiaRio's first street climbs towards a hill that no longer exists, where people hunted for the Jesuits' gold for centuries.
    3. Santo Antônio ConventThis convent's saint was made a captain, promoted to lieutenant colonel and drew army pay for two centuries.
    4. Lapa ArchesBeneath the old aqueduct grew the Lapa of the malandros, where Madame Satã ruled.
    5. Selarón StepsA Chilean painter covered 215 steps in tiles and vowed the work would only end with his death.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Chope and bolinho de bacalhau at Bar Luiz. Rua da Carioca, 39, Centro

The map

Rio de Janeiro in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Rio de Janeiro in 3 days

  • Save the clearest day for Christ the Redeemer: if day one dawns bright, change the order. For the Corcovado train and the Sugarloaf cable car, it's worth booking online and checking times.
  • Use the metro along the centre–Glória–Copacabana–Ipanema axis, the VLT for the port and a taxi or app for Cosme Velho, Urca and the Botanical Garden. At night, in the centre and Lapa, go by car.
  • Common-sense safety: phone away when you're not using it, only the essentials on the beach, no jewellery. Many downtown museums close on Mondays, so check before you plan day two.

Questions

Rio de Janeiro in 3 days: your questions

How many days do you need in Rio de Janeiro?

Three days cover the essentials without stress: the historic centre, two major viewpoints, two beaches, Santa Teresa and the Botanical Garden. With more time, add Niterói across the bay, the Tijuca Forest or a match at the Maracanã.

How much walking is there in 3 days?

Our three routes total about 8.1 km, one a day: 3 km for the highlights, 2.4 for history and 2.7 for mysteries. Add the beach, Santa Teresa and the Botanical Garden on top. It's an easy pace if you take a midday break.

Is Rio de Janeiro safe for tourists?

With the usual big-city precautions, yes. The areas in this plan are very well visited. Carry little, don't flash your phone on the street, avoid empty streets at night and take a taxi or app home late. On the beach, keep an eye on your things.

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