
6 hours
Top sights half day
Christ, Selarón and Sugarloaf
- PickupIncluded
- EndsSugarloaf at sunset
- GroupPrivate or small
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Look at 57 stops
Pick a route, then tap a marker or a stop for notes and a Google Maps link.

Jorge Selarón started tiling these 215 steps between Lapa and Santa Teresa in 1990.
Google MapsA museum about the future of the planet and the impact of what we do now.
Google MapsBuilt in 1914 to defend Guanabara Bay; now the Army Historical Museum.
Google Maps2 lines from Praia Vermelha via Urca Hill to the 396 m summit.
Google MapsThe statue on Corcovado, one of the postcards of Tijuca National Park.
Google MapsOpened on 16 July 1950; the stadium tour goes behind the scenes.
Google MapsCreated in 1808 by Dom João VI; arboretum open from 8 AM on most days.
Google MapsAn 8 km path around the lagoon for walking and cycling.
Google Maps52 hectares at the foot of Corcovado, with a garden designed in 1840.
Google Maps28 tanks and 4.5 million liters of salt water in the port zone.
Google MapsThe royal family's home from 1808 to 1889; free entrance.
Google MapsMore than 600 exhibitors on Praça General Osório.
Google MapsA paved viewpoint built as a tribute to the Chinese and tea growing in Brazil.
Google MapsWhere the Last Ball of the Empire was held; a 10-minute boat crossing.
Google MapsAbout 70 booths of northeastern Brazilian culture.
Google MapsThe park's visitor centre on Estrada da Cascatinha, with its permanent exhibition.
Google Maps
Jorge Selarón started tiling these 215 steps between Lapa and Santa Teresa in 1990.
Google MapsThe old Carioca Aqueduct, with 42 large double arches, now carries the Santa Teresa tram.
Google MapsLaurinda Santos Lobo's old mansion, now a free cultural centre with a view over the bay.
Google MapsCastro Maya's former home, listed by IPHAN in 1974, with art collections on three floors.
Google MapsThe Santa Teresa tram leaves from here every 30 minutes, 16 passengers to a car.
Google MapsA cone 75 m high outside, inspired by Chichén Itzá, with room for 20,000 people standing.
Google MapsOpened in 1909 on a design inspired by the Paris Opera; guided visits sell at the box office.
Google MapsThe historic tea room of downtown, with a second branch inside Copacabana Fort.
Google Maps
The historic tea room of downtown, with a second branch inside Copacabana Fort.
Google MapsA reading room founded in 1837 that holds 350 thousand titles by Portuguese authors.
Google MapsBuilt in 1743 for the viceroys, now a cultural centre with free entrance.
Google MapsA grand downtown church a short walk from the CCBB and Praça XV.
Google MapsA cultural centre since 12 October 1989, in a building from 1880.
Google MapsThe rock in old Little Africa where urban carioca samba was born.
Google MapsAbout 1 million enslaved Africans arrived through this wharf, built in 1811.
Google MapsA museum about the future of the planet and the impact of what we do now.
Google MapsThe Rio Art Museum on Praça Mauá, next to the Museum of Tomorrow.
Google Maps
Quieter than its neighbour, under Pedra do Leme and its colonial fort.
Google MapsAlmost 4 km of sand from the Leme Fort to the Copacabana Fort, divided into posts.
Google MapsBuilt in 1914 to defend Guanabara Bay; now the Army Historical Museum.
Google Maps800 m of beach and the rock where people clap the sunset over Dois Irmãos.
Google MapsThe meeting point of Ipanema's 2 km beach, between Arpoador and Jardim de Alah.
Google MapsAbout 1 km of sand with a children's area, the baixo bebê.
Google MapsAround 400 m of sand at the foot of Dois Irmãos hill.
Google MapsStrong surf and the landing beach of the hang gliders from Pedra Bonita.
Google MapsOnly 300 m long and reached through a gated community; check the tide.
Google MapsThe longest beach in the city, 14.4 km, with 12 lifeguard stations.
Google Maps8 km of quiet sand in an environmental protection area.
Google MapsA 2.8 km cove at the end of Lúcio Costa Avenue, popular for surfing.
Google Maps700 m of surf beach inside a municipal natural park.
Google MapsA protected beach where building is prohibited, with strong waves.
Google MapsCalm water under Sugarloaf, named for its reddish sand; the cable car starts here.
Google MapsA bay beach close to the centre, facing Sugarloaf.
Google Maps
A short, quieter stretch at the start of the Copacabana seafront.
Google MapsMetro stations Cardeal Arcoverde and Siqueira Campos, and the tourist police base.
Google MapsMetro General Osório and Nossa Senhora da Paz, a 2 km beach and the Sunday hippie fair.
Google MapsMetro Antero de Quental on line 4, a family beach and the tourist police station.
Google MapsThe metro stop for the Sugarloaf bus, on Botafogo Cove.
Google MapsFlamengo Park and a bay beach, close to the centre.
Google MapsNamed by Time Out among the world's coolest neighborhoods; Sunday fair with 150 vendors.
Google MapsThe hill neighborhood called Rio's Montmartre, with its tram from 1872.
Google MapsThe cradle of bohemian Rio, under the arches.
Google MapsTheatres, churches and museums, linked by the VLT light rail.
Google MapsA quiet bay-side district below Sugarloaf, with the Mureta wall.
Google MapsRio's longest beach, metro Jardim Oceânico, and the BRT to the airport.
Google MapsMapping data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Rio de Janeiro tourist activities for every kind of day: the famous views, the port's new museums, football at Maracanã, gardens, odd corners, rainy-day plans and free things.
Editorial team, riodejaneirotour.click · Updated November 11, 2026 · Takes 8 min
Quick look
Rio de Janeiro tourist activities start with the views. Sugarloaf, which Riotur calls one of the city's finest postcards,8 is reached by cable car in 2 stages from Praia Vermelha to a summit 396 m above the sea.2,1 Christ the Redeemer stands on Corcovado inside Tijuca National Park, one of the park's postcards.9 Between them lie the beaches, the forest and an old centre with tiled steps, and each deserves its own day.
If you want the headline sights done in one go, the half-day tour this page books visits Christ the Redeemer and the Selarón Steps and ends on Sugarloaf at sunset, in 6 hours with pickup, from $122. It has 2,487 reviews averaging 4.5. The full day sold on this site adds Maracanã from outside and a barbecue lunch in the options that include it, in 8 to 9 hours, from $74.
After that, choose by mood. The port zone holds the newest museums; Maracanã is a pilgrimage for football fans; the Botanical Garden and Tijuca forest give you green and shade; and the West Zone has art, markets and wild beaches. The map on this page gathers the sights in one panel and the beaches, the old centre and the places to stay in the others. Our separate pages cover Sugarloaf, the Selarón Steps, the Tijuca forest and the beaches in depth.
Plan the sights
| Sight | Area | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sugarloaf | Urca | Cable car in 2 stages2 |
| AquaRio | Port | 28 tanks3 |
| Maracanã | North Zone | Tickets from $24 |
| Botanical Garden | South Zone | Opens at 11 AM on Wednesdays26 |
| Quinta da Boa Vista | North Zone | Free, 6 AM to 6 PM7 |
| Ilha Fiscal | Centre | Thursday to Sunday27 |
| Sítio Burle Marx | West Zone | 3,500 plant species28 |
Hours and details from Riotur and the venues; check them on the day.19
The old port was reborn after 2010, when the Porto Maravilha works started uncovering its forgotten past.14 Today it is one of the Rio de Janeiro tourist destinations you should not skip. The Museum of Tomorrow there studies the future of the planet and the possible ways to change it,4 and the Rio Art Museum stands on Praça Mauá beside it.15 Orla Conde, a public walkway of 3.5 km, links the warehouses of the port with Praça da Misericórdia.16
AquaRio, in the same area, has 28 tanks holding 4.5 million liters of salt water and about 3,000 animals of 350 species by Riotur's count; the aquarium itself now says around 10,000.3,17 Its Oceanic Tank, 3.5 million liters and 7 m deep, is crossed by an underwater tunnel.18 Riotur lists it as open Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and 9 AM to 6 PM at weekends and on holidays.19 It offers wheelchairs, sunflower lanyards, noise-canceling headphones and quiet sessions for visitors with autism.20
A guided tour of 4 hours ties the Olympic Boulevard, AquaRio and the Museum of Tomorrow together with pickup, from $50. On your own, walk Orla Conde in the morning, see a museum at midday, and finish at Pedra do Sal or the Valongo Wharf in Little Africa,21 whose story our Selarón and old centre page tells. Take the VLT light rail between Praça Mauá and the centre to save your feet.22
Maracanã opened on 16 July 1950,5 and Pelé scored his 1000th goal on its grass in 1969.32 After its renovation it holds 78,838 fans.33 The Maracanã Tour, reopened in June 2017, takes you behind the scenes to the press room and the pitch.29 For the west entrances get off at Maracanã metro station, for the east at São Cristóvão.34 Both stations sit a short walk from the gates, so the metro beats a taxi on busy days.
The stadium entrance ticket on GetYourGuide covers a visit of up to 1 hour, through pedestrian Gate A near the UERJ ramp, from $24, and has 1,915 reviews. A behind-the-scenes tour of 3 hours with pickup available starts from $40. On match days the last stadium tour leaves 3 hours before the gates open, so check the fixture list before you go.35 Outside match days the visit is calm and the pitch-side photos easy.
Seeing a match is the other way in, and a full stadium on a Sunday afternoon tells you a great deal about the city. Buy through official channels or with a local host, wear neutral colors if you are unsure of the crowd, and leave valuables at the hotel. The full-day city tour on this site passes Maracanã from outside, which is enough for a photo if football is not your thing, and it saves the ticket for another sight.
Choose your day
Pick by weather, budget and company.
If It is raining
Port museums and AquaRio
If I love football
Maracanã
The stadium tour goes behind the scenes to the pitch.29
If I want something unusual
Ilha Fiscal
If I am on a budget
Parks and palaces
If I have only a day
Half-day highlights
Christ, Selarón and Sugarloaf at sunset in 6 hours.
Book a sight

6 hours
Christ, Selarón and Sugarloaf

Up to 1 hour
The stadium on your own

4 hours
Boulevard, AquaRio, Tomorrow
The Botanical Garden was created in 1808 by Dom João VI of Portugal.10 Its Japanese Garden dates from 1935 and began with a donation of 65 Japanese plant species.105 The arboretum opens Thursday to Tuesday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and on Wednesdays from 11 AM to 5 PM.26 Tickets can be bought ahead online,102 and a tour of 4 hours combines the garden with the Tijuca forest and pickup, from $62.
Next door, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon has an 8 km path around it for walking and cycling, with rowing and canoeing on the water.93 Parque Lage, at the foot of Corcovado, adds 52 hectares of gardens and art programs.94 Downtown, Flamengo Park is a Burle Marx landscape along the bay, and on Sundays from 7 AM to 6 PM its avenues belong to people, not cars.84,103 On those Sundays the whole waterfront from the centre to Botafogo turns into a park for runners, skaters and families.
In the North Zone, Quinta da Boa Vista was the home of the royal family from 1808 until the republic in 1889.96 It opens daily from 6 AM to 6 PM with free entry, next to São Cristóvão train and metro station.7 For real forest, the Tijuca rain forest has its own page on this site; the park's entry is free, and only Corcovado charges.106 Go with a guide for the trails, and keep the jeep tours for a lazier morning among the waterfalls.
Price your sights
Pick a tour or ticket and set your group size.
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ViewStarting prices on GetYourGuide, exchanged at the ECB reference rate. The booking page gives the exact price.
Rio's landmarks
1808
Dom João VI founds the Botanical Garden.10
1909
The Theatro Municipal opens downtown.11
1912
The Sugarloaf cable car starts running.12
1950
Maracanã opens on 16 July.5
1990
Selarón begins his staircase.13
2010
The Porto Maravilha works begin.14
Plenty of unique things to do in Rio de Janeiro hide in plain sight. Ilha Fiscal, the island where the Last Ball of the Empire was held days before the republic, is reached by a schooner crossing of about 10 minutes.30,31 Visits run Thursday to Sunday at 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM, with tickets at the Navy's cultural centre.27 Downtown, the 1837 reading room of the Real Gabinete Português is a cathedral of books.49
Out west, Sítio Burle Marx, the landscape designer's former home, holds more than 3,500 plant species.28 The São Cristóvão Fair of northeastern traditions has about 70 booths of food, music and crafts,99 open Tuesday to Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM and at weekends until 8 PM.107 Along the BRT Transbrasil, 131 artists painted 18 stations for Colors of Brazil,108 which Riotur calls Latin America's largest urban art corridor.109
A sunrise and a sunset ritual belong here too. Sugarloaf opens before dawn on chosen days, with arrival from 4:15 AM for groups of up to 80,110,111 and on the Mureta da Urca locals meet for a cold beer as the sun drops over the bay.90 In the North Zone, Parque Madureira has a Samba Square in the home ground of the samba schools Portela and Império Serrano.112 It is a long way from the beaches, and that is exactly why it shows another side of the city.
Video

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The new museum in the Port Zone studies the future of the world and presents possibilities for transformations.
Plan ahead
Rain is most likely between November and March, according to British travel advice.113 Keep a few indoor Rio de Janeiro places to visit in reserve for those days. The Museum of Modern Art in Flamengo Park holds more than 15,000 works,114 and the CCBB has been a cultural centre since 1989.52 AquaRio and the Museum of Tomorrow fill a wet afternoon in the port, and the Theatro Municipal runs guided visits with tickets at the box office.47
Plenty costs nothing. The Paço Imperial, built in 1743, is a cultural centre with free entrance.51,6 Quinta da Boa Vista is free,7 the Parque das Ruínas cultural centre in Santa Teresa is free,40 and so is Tijuca National Park outside Corcovado.106 On Sundays the seafront roads of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon close to cars, and the city takes them over on foot and by bike.103 Join them with a rented bike or a pair of running shoes.
Markets are free to browse. The Ipanema Hippie Fair gathers more than 600 exhibitors on Praça General Osório,97 and the Sunday fair in Glória has more than 150 vendors and a samba circle.86 Watching the sunset clap at Arpoador costs nothing either.62 Add a beach morning, a walk up Urca Hill and a picnic in the Botanical Garden, and a budget day in Rio can be as full as any, with money left for a coconut on the sand.
Read the Rio de Janeiro tourist map above by districts rather than by sights. The centre and the port hold the history, the museums and the Selarón Steps; the South Zone has Sugarloaf, the beaches and the lagoon; the mountains in between are Tijuca National Park; and the North Zone has Maracanã, Quinta da Boa Vista and the São Cristóvão Fair.7,99 The panel for this page marks each of the sights below.
Group your days by those districts and you lose less time in traffic. A centre day can link the Selarón Steps, the cathedral, Praça XV and the port museums by tram and light rail.42,22 A South Zone day pairs Sugarloaf with Copacabana Fort, built in 1914 and now the Army Historical Museum.59 A green day joins the Botanical Garden, the lagoon and the forest, best started early before the heat.
For getting between them, the metro serves the centre, Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, and Bike Rio has 3,100 shared bikes at 310 stations.81,104 Leave the West Zone, with Sítio Burle Marx and the wild beaches, for a separate day with a car or a tour. Whatever you choose, book Sugarloaf at sunset and the top sights tour ahead in high season; the rest can be decided on the morning.
FAQ
A half-day tour covers Christ, the Selarón Steps and Sugarloaf at sunset in 6 hours.
The entrance ticket covers a visit of up to 1 hour.
On Wednesdays the arboretum opens from 11 AM to 5 PM.26
Visits leave at 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM.27
It offers wheelchairs, noise-canceling headphones and sessions for visitors with autism.20
Sources
Touring Rio? Ask a real person here.