Rio de Janeiro – Visit Brasil

Samba, sun, and stunning landscapes – Rio awaits you with its vibrant culture, natural beauty, food, and unique hospitality

Rio de Janeiro is a Brazilian icon and the country’s best-known destination worldwide, attracting millions of tourists every year. It is the second largest city in the country, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its Urban Cultural Landscape and, recently, world book capital for the year 2025.

The city is a great blending between the human spirit and natural grandeur. The effervescent culture that fascinates visitors from all over the world is framed by a lush natural landscape, a stage for those seeking ecotourism and sports.

Fun facts

The Tijuca Forest is the largest urban forest in the world and is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as trails and waterfalls.

Ipanema Beach became one of the most famous on the planet, as it was mentioned in the song “Garota de Ipanema”, a world-famous bossa nova song.

The famous Sambadrome is where the samba school parades take place during Rio's Carnaval, the biggest open-air show in the world.

The Escadaria Selarón is a postcard of the Lapa neighborhood. Covered in colorful tiles from around the world, it is a unique artistic attraction.

In Porto Maravilha, a revitalized area in the center of Rio, where the Museum of Tomorrow and the Museum of Art of Rio are located, you can see the Etnias panel by the famous Brazilian graffiti artist Eduardo Kobra, which entered the Guinness World Records as the largest mural of graphite in the world.

Rio’s iconic beaches

Visiting Rio de Janeiro is the certainty to experience paradisiacal beaches, with translucent waters. The city’s coastline is approximately 86 km long, with beaches for all tastes, which makes visiting the city much more interesting, with several options to enjoy sunny days.

The beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema are internationally known, being famous postcards of the city. And following the same charming setting, full of natural beauty, it is possible to find several other beaches such as Arpoador, Leme and Leblon.

Unique nature integrated into urban life

In addition to the beaches, enchanting nature is present in the Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest in the world, where Corcovado Hill is located, and Christ the Redeemer stands at a height of around 800 meters, considered one of the 7 wonders of the modern world, welcomes all visitors with open arms. The grandiosity of the Parque Lage mansion and its beautiful gardens in total harmony with the Atlantic Forest forming an architectural-natural ensemble that leaves anyone’s jaw dropped! Experiment with outdoor activities in contact with exuberant nature, such as trails, diving and cycling, football and sand volleyball, in addition to water and adventure activities, with emphasis on the famous paragliding or hang-gliding flight, departing from Pedra da Gavea.

Carnaval and culture

Rio has a diverse and intense cultural life, with numerous theaters, such as the Municipal Theater, the Portuguese Reading Cabinet, cinemas, libraries, cultural centers, and world-renowned museums, with emphasis on the Museum of Tomorrow, the Museum of Modern Art of Rio, and the Rio Art Museum.

This destination is also musical, producing internationally revered rhythms and artists. Rio is samba, Choro, bossa-nova and Brazilian funk and pop-rock. You can experience Rio’s musical production at dozens of festivals held annually that attract thousands of tourists to the city, such as Carnaval and the traditional New Year’s party on Copacabana beach.

African heritage in Rio de Janeiro

Afro-Brazilian culture is very present in Rio de Janeiro, in places such as the territory of “Little Africa”, in the region of the Port Zone of Rio de Janeiro, but also in the hills that produce it and in the suburbs that organize the famous samba schools (Escolas de Samba). Memory and cultural heritage come together when visiting Quilombo da Pedra do Sal, where you can experience traditional samba and revisit the history of black resistance in the city. Visiting Rio de Janeiro’s samba schools is an incredible and unmissable experience, accessing the backstage of the biggest show on Earth, which celebrates Afro-Brazilian culture by presenting the genuine creativity of different professionals, costume designers, art directors, samba dancers and thousands of artisans.

Gastronomy for all tastes

The cultural and cosmopolitan melting pot of Rio de Janeiro has created a unique gastronomy that brings with it hints of the city’s relaxation and the Rio lifestyle. From traditional bars and snack bars to street food, from the creation of iconic dishes to renowned chefs, the cuisine is a dive into rich and diverse flavors and aromas that have also promoted icons such as starch biscuits, Globo, iced mate and Traditional sandwiches sold in Maracanã and in the hot areas of Rio’s beautiful seafront. It’s worth wandering through the historic streets of Santa Tereza and its restaurants with panoramic views or enjoying the samba gatherings in Lapa tasting the delicious feijoada cakes. Street markets are an experience where you can buy products and supplies used in the hundreds of restaurants run by award-winning, creative and entrepreneurial chefs.

Gastronomy for all tastes

Another aspect of the gastronomy produced in Rio comes from the adverse conditions where the food is produced. No wonder, an intense and varied gastronomic market drives the economy of Rio’s favelas, with its street markets, stalls, rooftops transformed into bars and restaurants, with privileged views of the city. Furthermore, Rio is home to Refettorio Gastromotiva, a school restaurant in Lapa created to serve lunches to the population in vulnerable situations through its own methodology of fully utilizing inputs and avoiding food waste, one of the main causes of hunger around the world.