RIO DE JANEIRO - BRASIL
Rio de Janeiro pairs urban beaches with mountain scenery in a single destination. The core sights are Cristo Redentor on Corcovado, Pão de Açúcar by cable car, the lookouts over Guanabara Bay, and the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The downtown area, the Santa Teresa district and day trips to Petrópolis or the coast round out the programme.
For accommodation, the seafront Zona Sul holds the best supply: Copacabana offers the largest hotel volume across categories; Ipanema and Leblon are quieter and more residential, at higher rates. Downtown and Santo Cristo suit business stays or short layovers.
Galeão international airport (GIG) handles long-haul flights; Santos Dumont (SDU) runs the domestic shuttle from the centre. Two to three nights cover the main sights. High season runs December to March and over Carnaval, with elevated rates and minimum-stay requirements.
Useful information
Access Galeão International Airport (GIG), about 20 km from the Zona Sul: 40-50 min by private transfer depending on traffic. Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), domestic flights, is 5-10 min from downtown.
Season Best from May to October, with drier weather. December to March is summer, hot and humid, with peak rates over Christmas, New Year and Carnaval.
Currency · time zone · language Brazilian real (BRL), UTC-3, Portuguese.
Operations Pre-book airport-hotel transfers and visits to Cristo Redentor and Pão de Açúcar. We recommend a guide with language and a private vehicle to move between neighbourhoods; minimum 3 nights.