Rio de Janeiro
Beaches between granite peaks, the statue on the mountain and a city that lives outdoors.
Rio de Janeiro is set between forested mountains and the sea, with Copacabana and Ipanema curving along its front, Sugarloaf at the mouth of the bay and Christ the Redeemer on the summit of Corcovado above everything. The old centre, the hillside quarter of Santa Teresa and the samba halls of Lapa fill in the rest.
Why go
For the setting, which is unlike any other city's: the view from the Christ or the Sugarloaf takes in beaches, bay, forest and favela in one sweep. And for the beach life below it — football and volleyball on the sand, coconut water from a kiosk, the sunset applauded at Arpoador.
And for the music and the food: samba in Lapa, bossa nova in Ipanema's bars, feijoada on a Saturday, churrasco any day, and Carnival in February if you can face the crowds.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Christ the Redeemer and Corcovado
The statue on the mountain, reached by the cog railway through the Tijuca forest or by van, with the whole city laid out below on a clear day.
02Sugarloaf
Two cable cars from Urca to the granite peak at the harbour mouth, with Copacabana, the bay and the Christ in view; sunset is the hour.
03Copacabana and Ipanema
The two great beaches, the mosaic promenade along Copacabana, the numbered lifeguard posts that mark Ipanema's tribes, and the rock at Arpoador between them for the sunset.
04Santa Teresa and Lapa
The hillside neighbourhood of mansions, studios and tram lines, the tiled steps of Escadaria Selarón running down to Lapa's arches and its samba clubs.
05The Tijuca forest and the trails
The rainforest inside the city, with waterfalls, the Vista Chinesa lookout and the climbs of Pedra da Gávea and Dois Irmãos for the views over the beaches.
06The centre and the museums
The Museum of Tomorrow on the renewed port, the Candelária church, the Confeitaria Colombo's belle-époque tearoom and the colonial streets of the old centre.
07Carnival and the samba schools
The parades at the Sambadrome and the street blocos across the city in the days before Lent, with rehearsals open to visitors through the summer.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Ipanema and Leblon
The beach, the boutiques and the restaurants of the Zona Sul. The favoured base.
Copacabana
The classic beach with hotels along the front, from grand to simple, and the metro along the back.
Santa Teresa
Guesthouses in old mansions on the hill, bohemian and a taxi ride from the beach.
Botafogo and Urca
Bay-side neighbourhoods near the Sugarloaf with a local feel and good restaurants.
When to go: Rio de Janeiro
- SummerDecember – March
- Hot, humid and lively, with the New Year fireworks on Copacabana and Carnival in February or early March. Afternoon storms.
- AutumnApril – June
- Warm, drier and clearer, with the beaches still full at weekends and the crowds gone. The pick for many.
- WinterJuly – September
- Mild, sunny and dry, with cooler evenings and the clearest views from the mountains.
- SpringOctober and November
- Warming up, with some rain and the city getting ready for the summer.
Getting there
Airports
Two airports in our search serve Rio de Janeiro. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- GIGGaleão International
- SDUSantos Dumont
Distance from
- JNBJohannesburg7,140 km
- JFKNew York7,740 km
- CDGParis9,190 km
- LHRLondon9,260 km
- DXBDubai11,880 km
- BOMMumbai13,410 km
- SYDSydney13,510 km
- SINSingapore15,740 km
Getting around: Rio de Janeiro
Galeão is the international airport; Santos Dumont, by the bay in the centre, handles domestic flights with the view on landing. The metro links Copacabana, Ipanema, the centre and the port; ride-hailing is the usual way otherwise.
The beaches are walked and cycled along the front. The Christ and the Sugarloaf are reached by their railway and cable cars; the forest trails go with a guide.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Brazil
- Currency
- BRL · Brazilian Real
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Time zone
- Brasilia Standard Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +55
The atlas
Rio de Janeiro in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Rio de Janeiro, month by month
- Jan28°
- Feb28°
- Mar28°
- Apr27°
- May25°
- Jun24°
- Jul24°
- Aug25°
- Sept25°
- Oct26°
- Nov26°
- Dec27°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: April to October.
Mean highs run from 24°C in July to 28°C in February, with about 1,470 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for Rio de JaneiroModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBRio de Janeiro
11,880 km
14 hrs 45 mins · Estimate
From AUHRio de Janeiro
11,780 km
14 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Rio de Janeiro
Plan this trip: Rio de Janeiro
Open the trip builder with Rio de Janeiro already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
