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Things to do in Rio de Janeiro
57 verified places and 129 missions to truly experience Rio de Janeiro. Must-sees: Christ the Redeemer, Maracanã Stadium, Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos (Engenhão), Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil. Best known for: Culture, Nature, Leisure.
Plan your trip to Rio de Janeiro →The Rio de Janeiro magnets
Earned by experiencing 2%, 10%, half and the whole city.
Places in Rio de Janeiro
CultureChrist the RedeemerArt Deco statue of Christ with open arms, at the top of Corcovado (710 m), inside Tijuca National Park.LeisureMaracanã StadiumFootball stadium in the Maracanã district, opened in 1950 for the World Cup.LeisureEstádio Olímpico Nilton Santos (Engenhão)Stadium in the Engenho de Dentro neighbourhood, in the north zone of Rio, opened in 2007 for the Pan American…CultureBiblioteca Nacional do BrasilHeadquarters of the National Library on Avenida Rio Branco, opposite Cinelândia.NatureLagoa Rodrigo de FreitasBrackish lagoon in the heart of Rio's South Zone, surrounded by the districts of Ipanema, Leblon, Jardim…CultureSambadromeA concrete avenue on Marquês de Sapucaí, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1984, where the samba…NaturePedra da GáveaA granite monolith of about 842 metres that drops almost vertically to the sea, in Tijuca National Park…CultureMuseu Nacional de Belas ArtesMuseum on Rio Branco Avenue, in a neoclassical building from 1908 by Adolfo Morales de los Ríos, near…NatureRio de Janeiro Botanical GardenGarden founded in 1808 by Prince Regent John of Portugal, at the foot of Corcovado and beside Rodrigo de…CultureIgreja da CandeláriaChurch in the centre of Rio standing at the end of Presidente Vargas Avenue.CultureMuseu Histórico NacionalMuseum founded in 1922 in the colonial complex of the former Fortress of Santiago and the Casa do Trem, next…NatureArpoadorRocky peninsula separating Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. Its rocks are a popular viewpoint for watching the…CultureIgreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo da Antiga SéCarmelite church on Praça XV, in the historic centre of Rio. It was a royal and then imperial chapel after…CultureMuseu de Arte Moderna (MAM Rio)Modern art museum located in Flamengo Park, facing Guanabara Bay.CultureMuseu do AmanhãMuseum of Tomorrow, a science museum on the pier at Praça Mauá, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago…CultureReal Gabinete Português de LeituraA library founded in 1837 by Portuguese emigrants and housed since 1887 in a Neo-Manueline building on Rua…CultureQuinta da Boa VistaA park in the São Cristóvão district, with gardens, lakes and tree-lined paths.NatureAterro do FlamengoLarge urban park beside Guanabara Bay, built on land reclaimed from the sea in the 1950s and 1960s.NatureTijuca ForestAtlantic Forest woodland inside the city, in Tijuca National Park.CultureEscadaria SelarónStaircase of 215 steps linking the Lapa district with Santa Teresa, covered in colourful tiles and ceramics.CultureIlha FiscalSmall island in Guanabara Bay, opposite the centre of Rio, with a neo-Gothic little palace from 1889 that was…NatureParque LagePark at the foot of Corcovado, in the Jardim Botânico district, with English-style gardens and Atlantic…CultureCarmen Miranda MuseumMuseum devoted to Carmen Miranda, the singer and actress who took samba and the baiana costume to Hollywood…LeisureCinelândiaFloriano Square and its surroundings in the centre of Rio, named after the cinemas that opened here in the…CultureTheatro MunicipalAn opera house opened in 1909 on Praça Floriano, in the heart of Cinelândia.CultureMosteiro de São BentoBenedictine monastery founded in 1590 on São Bento hill, in the centre of Rio.CultureCemitério de São João BatistaA historic cemetery in the Botafogo district, opened in the mid-19th century, with mausoleums and vaults in a…NatureCampo de Santana (Parque da República)Large public park in the centre of Rio, next to the Praça da República, surrounded by historic buildings.Food & drinkConfeitaria ColomboConfectioner's and tea room founded in 1894 on Rua Gonçalves Dias, in the centre of Rio.NaturePraia VermelhaA small beach of coarse sand in the Urca district, at the foot of Sugarloaf and surrounded by hills.CultureIgreja de Nossa Senhora da PenhaSanctuary in the Penha neighbourhood, in the north zone of Rio, built on a large rock from which it overlooks…NaturePasseio PúblicoIt is the oldest public park in Rio de Janeiro, opened in 1783 to a design by Mestre Valentim (Valentim da…CultureMetropolitan Cathedral of São SebastiãoCone-shaped cathedral in Rio, built between 1964 and 1976 in the city centre, the work of the architect Edgar…CultureLargo do BoticárioSmall square in the Cosme Velho district, on Rua Cosme Velho, a short distance from the Corcovado train…LeisureCopacabana BeachAn urban beach of about four kilometres, curved like an arc, between the Leme district and Copacabana Fort.CulturePraça MauáRio's harbour square, in the renovated Porto Maravilha port district.CultureAerospace MuseumMuseum of Brazilian military aviation located at the Afonsos air base, in the northern zone of Rio.LeisureAquaRioMarine aquarium in Rio's port area, in the Gamboa district, opened in 2016.NatureBioParque do RioFormer Rio Zoological Garden, located inside the Quinta da Boa Vista, in the north of the city.CultureMuseu de Arte do Rio (MAR)Art museum on Praça Mauá, in the renovated port area of central Rio.NaturePedra BonitaMountain of about 700 metres inside Tijuca National Park, famous for its paragliding and hang-gliding…LeisureIpanema BeachA beach in Rio between Arpoador and the Leblon district, famous for the song “The Girl from Ipanema” and for…CultureCasa Museu Eva KlabinA house museum beside the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, in Rio's south zone, which preserves the residence and…CultureMuseum of Images of the Unconscious (Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente)Museum founded in 1952 by the psychiatrist Nise da Silveira inside the Engenho de Dentro psychiatric centre…NatureBarra da Tijuca BeachA long sandy beach open to the Atlantic in the west of Rio, in front of the Barra da Tijuca district, where…CultureVilla-Lobos MuseumMuseum devoted to Heitor Villa-Lobos, the best-known Brazilian composer, who died in 1959.NatureSugarloaf MountainA 396-metre granite monolith that rises at the entrance to Guanabara Bay, in the Urca district.Food & drinkFeira de São CristóvãoLarge market and centre of north-eastern Brazilian traditions, the Luiz Gonzaga Centre of North-Eastern…CultureArcos da LapaFormer colonial aqueduct of stone arches built in the 18th century to bring water from the Santa Teresa hill…Food & drinkBar UrcaNeighbourhood bar in Urca, known because people drink chopp, draught beer, sitting on the wall facing…LeisureBip BipTiny, no-frills little bar in Copacabana, famous for its rodas de samba and choro: the musicians sit in a…Food & drinkCasa CavéHistoric confectioner's in Rio's Centro, on Rua Sete de Setembro, founded in the 19th century and considered…LeisureCirco VoadorA concert venue in Lapa, next to the Arches, famous for its large circus-style tent and its programme of…CultureEtnias Mural (Kobra)Mural by the São Paulo artist Eduardo Kobra on the Olympic Boulevard, painted for the 2016 Games.CultureOrla Conde (Olympic Boulevard)Pedestrian waterfront promenade of Rio's port, recovered with the Porto Maravilha project and opened with the…CulturePedra do SalA rock and stairway in the Saúde district, in the former Pequena África, where many Afro-Brazilians settled…CultureSanta TeresaA neighbourhood at the top of a hill above downtown Rio, known for its bohemian atmosphere, its old mansions…
Frequently asked questions
What to see in Rio de Janeiro in one day?
If you only have one day, start with the essentials: Christ the Redeemer, Maracanã Stadium, Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos (Engenhão), Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil and Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
What can you see for free in Rio de Janeiro?
No entry fee: Maracanã Stadium, Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil, Pedra da Gávea, Igreja da Candelária, Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo da Antiga Sé and Real Gabinete Português de Leitura.