https://https://au.trip.com/toplist/tripbest/recommend/rio-de-janeiro-state/best-things-to-do/10070013780090
Best Things to Do
Top 50 Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State [2025]
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Christ the Redeemer
4.8
/5
318 reviews
10
From AU$ 67.96
Based on 184 reviews
Santa Teresa | 4.7 km from downtown
Phone +55 21 2224 4159
Address: Parque Nacional da Tijuca - Alto da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Selected for 2 years in a row
Highlights:
The church rooftop offers views of Rio
360° view of Rio's skyline
Saved by 365 users104 positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
NOT RECOMMEND TO PURCHASE THE TICKET FROM TRIP.COM as the original train ticket is only cost BRL128 while trip.com is cost much more expensive. Attached photo with price in SGD.
It is worth visiting. As a symbol of Brazil and even South America, the Christ Statue carries a strong religious and colonial history. It was built in 1931 and witnessed Brazil's transformation from a conservative society to a modern country. It is also the second wonder of the world. I look forward to visiting it next time...
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Copacabana Beach
4.7
/5
188 reviews
9.2
Based on 25,445 reviews
Copacabana Beach | 7.5 km from downtown
Address: Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Selected for 2 years in a row
Highlights:
Enjoy water activities in the year-round mild climate
Million-person New Year's Eve party
Saved by 107 users29% positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
This is the largest and most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Take a walk here and enjoy the sea and mountain views. Very relaxing and the weather is great. This is the largest and most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Take a walk here and enjoy the sea and mountain views. Very relaxing and the weather is great. This is the largest and most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Take a walk here and enjoy the sea and mountain views. Very relaxing and the weather is great.
On the last day in Rio, I refused to go shopping with my parents and took my brother to the beach to play. Hotel ⑨Emiliano Rio is right by the sea, and we walked along the coast, stepping on the waves. My brother made friends with local kids, and we had a lot of fun even though we didn’t speak the same language. The two of them had a wonderful conversation in English and Portuguese, nodding and handshaking vigorously even though we couldn’t understand each other, and I laughed my ass off watching them. It was close to Christmas when we went there, and there was a “Santa Claus” selling alcohol walking back and forth on the beach, selling Brazilian sugarcane wine and various beers. He was really a Santa Claus for adults (me).
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Sugarloaf Mountain
4.7
/5
300 reviews
8.0
Based on 56,932 reviews
Zona Sul do Rio de Janeiro | 7.1 km from downtown
Phone +55-21-25442533
Address: Urca, Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Featured in 2024 Global 100 - Best Things to Do
Highlights:
Cable car: city & sea views
360-degree view from Rio mountain top
122 positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
Sugarloaf Mountain is a must-visit site in Rio. We went on a Monday at 16:00, thinking we would make it up in time for sunset at 17:30. The queue was so long that the attendants just laughed when we asked for an estimate. We went to the beach instead, then prebooked tickets on CTrip for the next day. The process of using the tickets was a bit confusing. When we arrived at the cable station at 15:00 we were told to go to the reception desk to have our proof of booking printed out. A kind lady at reception helped us do this luckily, but it was a bit confusing due to the language barrier. After we’d printed the proof we had to go to another window to collect our physical ticket and were then allowed to join the queue to board the cable car quite far ahead of the back of the line - so even though the process was confusing, booking online definitely helped. This is the one occasion where I would say that paying extra to skip the queue is really worth it!!! The Sugar Loaf cable car ride is actually divided into two separate segments. This means that you queue to get tickets, queue to board the first cable car, queue to board the second cable car, and then queue twice more to go back down - and each time you’re queuing for about 30 minutes! And this was on a Tuesday in July; I can’t imagine what it’s like on the weekend. Anyway, the pictures show that it was definitely worth the effort:)
Brazil Sugar Loaf Mountain is very close to the city. It is a mountain very close to the city. It is especially suitable for daily exercise or strolling on the mountain when you have nothing to do. Because the shape of this mountain is particularly like a kind of utensil candy, it is named Sugar Loaf Mountain.
No.
4
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Rio de Janeiro Cathedral
4.6
/5
178 reviews
7.5
2.9 km from downtown
Phone +55 21 2240-2669
Address: Av. República do Chile, 245 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20031-170, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Featured in 2025 Americas 50 – Best Things to Do
Highlights:
Stained glass windows create rainbow light spectacles
Rainbow beams through stained glass
Verified User Reviews
This Stairway Church is very famous in the local area, and it is worth visiting for people who come from far away to visit. When we went there, several couples held their weddings here, which felt particularly dreamy and sacred.
Located at Tibidabo, the highest point in Barcelona
It is known as the "church closest to the sky", extremely sacred and eye-catching⑤
All tourists who come here will come here to enjoy it and there are also
It’s the fourth filming location of “Midnight in Barcelona”
•About time
11:00-18:00 (last entry time: 17:40)
See more about tickets
Free (entry to the free hot summit costs €4)
about transportation
Take the S1/S2 line from Plaza Catalunya to Peu del Funicular
Get off the bus without transferring to FV. Go to the terminal three times and turn right and take bus 111.
Arrive at terminal Bidapo Hill Amusement Park Zero
◎About playing
When you get off the cable car to the top, you can go to a small amusement park next to the church.
Fairy tale world, especially dreamy
! Tips:
When visiting the church, it is recommended to climb to the top! ! It would be a pity to miss it! ! stand on top
The end overlooks the Mediterranean Sea＜overlooks the whole Barcelona fish if here
When the sun sets, it will definitely take in the beautiful scenery of the whole city.
No.
5
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Escadaria Selarón
4.1
/5
86 reviews
7.0
Santa Teresa | 3.2 km from downtown
Phone +55-21-964372680
Address: R. Manuel Carneiro - Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20241-120, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 hour
Highlights:
250-step art staircase & tiles
Brazilian graffiti showcases rich imagination
28% positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
The steps laid by Chilean artist Jorge Celeron are located in the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Since 1990, Chilean artist Jorge Celeron has used colorful tiles, pottery and mirrors collected from 60 countries to lay a 250-step outdoor staircase connecting the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. These steps lead to a very famous photography spot in Rio. National Geographic Channel, Playboy Magazine, David the Ape, and many famous musicians such as U2 and Snoop Dogg have filmed their music videos here.
Below the Selron Stairs is the slum, an angel among the devils.
The artist used bricks and tiles collected from all over the world to decorate the unique style.
The stairs are perfect for taking photos, with a bright red background. Whether you lean against the wall or sit on the stairs, you can take a beautiful photo with an artistic atmosphere.
No.
6
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Parque Lage
4.4
/5
49 reviews
6.4
Based on 5,919 reviews
Zona Sul do Rio de Janeiro | 5.7 km from downtown
Phone +55 19 7758-2426
Address: R. Jardim Botânico, 414 - Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22461-000, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 day
Highlights:
Marvel at Christ the Redeemer
Explore pristine rainforest trails
46% positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
Very beautiful park with green plants and different animals everywhere. There is a tracking to Christ the Redeemer.
Lage Park is a small park where you can see many wonderful designs. The architectural environment of the park is also very unique. There are many tourists who come here to play, and many passengers are also served here. The huge environment in the park is very unique.
[Scenery] The scenery here is beautiful
[Fun] Very interesting
No.
7
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Guanabara Bay
4.9
/5
68 reviews
6.4
Based on 29 reviews
12.3 km from downtown
Address: Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 1 hour
Highlights:
Sunset views from Sugarloaf Mountain
World-class destination with unique culture
Verified User Reviews
A bay with beautiful natural scenery, dozens of kilometers away from the capital city, is also a beautiful holiday place. The weather here is relatively hot, so you need to bring fun things with you. The water quality of Palawan is also very good, and there are many reef resources. z h
[Scenery] The natural scenery here is good
[Fun] It is a very interesting arrangement
The beaches and bays in downtown Rio really show the beauty of nature. The mountains and high-rise buildings behind the bay, combined with the light fog during the day, give you a mirage feeling. Standing on the top of Monte Cristo or Sugarloaf Mountain overlooking the bay is the best choice. The continuous beaches, greenery and roads here show the charm of the city to the fullest.
No.
8
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Museum of Tomorrow
4.6
/5
28 reviews
6.2
Porto Maravilha | 3.5 km from downtown
Phone +55-21-38121800
Address: Praça Mauá, 1 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20081-240, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Bay view & reflection pool
Unique water cycle architecture
Verified User Reviews
A newly built and very novel museum, the exterior uses a lot of new composite materials, the entire structure of the museum is also very good, you can see a lot of exquisite items here, the location of the museum is also quite good. The surrounding landscape is very good.
[Fun] Very interesting activities
It is no exaggeration to describe it as the most beautiful modern building in Rio. Located in the new beach area, it is said that the Olympic Games have made the northern part of the CBD near the military port active. The tram passes by the square at the entrance, which greatly increases the convenience of local transportation. The huge open structure of the entire museum is also very conspicuous. A large number of modern equipment are used to display environmental protection ecology and the future. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the north side face the ocean and the Hougang Bay Bridge. The scenery is also beautiful.
No.
9
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Ipanema Beach
4.6
/5
172 reviews
5.9
Based on 19,221 reviews
Ipanema | 8.6 km from downtown
Address: State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Lanterns & fireworks at beach
World-famous cultural landmark
54% positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the most famous beaches in the area. This beach is very popular with locals. During holidays, there are a lot of people here. It is recommended that if you want to go to the beach, you can come here to play.
A city in the south, it is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between Leblon and Apu. It has a total area of 458.59 square kilometers, a total population of 17,128, and a population density of 37.3 people/square kilometer. It is the most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Ipanema is a nation with bright colors, natural charm, warm joy, and easy-going.
No.
10
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Santa Teresa
4.5
/5
42 reviews
5.6
Santa Teresa | 2.4 km from downtown
Address: Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
360° view of Rio's ruins
Stroll historic sites & history
35% positive reviews
Verified User Reviews
An old town in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is also an environment where locals often live. There are classic old-fashioned transportation trains here, but they are not very common. The businesses here are closer to the local production and consumption levels. The bookstores and restaurants are quite good.
Santa Teresa is also a very popular local building in Rio de Janeiro. It's very stylish and it really reflects the Samba style.
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