4 Days in Rio De Janiero Itinerary - The Shadrian Chronicles

From touchdown to takeoff, hopefully this guide helps you to plan your time and activities. If you are spending four days in Rio, we recommend the following plan. If you are spending more than four days in Rio, then there is never too much time to enjoy the beach.

Day 1 – Arriving to Rio

After a couple layovers and a long-haul overnight flight, we arrived in Rio around 1 pm on the first day. Most flights will arrive in the morning (overnight flights) or late in the evening. Currencies listed are in Reales (or Real), R, the Brazilian currency.

Getting to your Hotel

From the airport, there are a number of options to get to your hotel (Radio Taxis, regular taxis, Uber, or public transportation). Unless you are staying at an Airbnb, you will likely be staying in one of these three areas – Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, or Barra de Tijuca.

From the airport, we always take Radio Taxis. The reason being, Radio Taxis are a fixed rate and there will likely be traffic. Sometimes there are road closures for parades, beach days, city festivals, or construction.

Radio Taxis – Radio Taxis have set rates and are prepaid at the airport. If there is traffic, road closures, or other delays, then the price remains the same. From the airport the rates are roughly 130R to Copacabana/Ipanema and 160R to Barra de Tijuca. To use a Radio Taxi, go to one of the booths near the exits (after getting your bags) and provide the attendant your location. They will tell you the cost, you pay (cash or credit card), then they give you a ticket. You can ask the attendant to direct you to the Radio Taxi, then you can hand the driver your ticket. Make sure you tell the driver the correct hotel name or print off the name of the hotel as some hotels have similar names.

Regular Taxis – The difference between a Radio Taxi and a regular taxi is the price. Regular taxis charge by the minute/mile you travel, so traffic jams, delays, road closures, etc… can add up. To take a regular taxi, exit the airport and look for the line of yellow taxis with blue lines. Provide them with the exact name of your hotel or provide a written version so there is no confusion. Some regular taxis accept credit cards, but most do not. When paying by cash, round up to the nearest dollar, as is standard practice in Brazil. All Taxi drivers have identification posted on their windshield.

Uber – Uber is new to Rio, so we chose not to use it, however we did meet some people that used Uber while in Rio and did not have any issues.

Public Transportation – There are city buses that run from the airport to various places within the City. The city buses can be confusing and hard to follow the route, so we do not recommend using them.

Check-in and Relax…

Once you reach your hotel, check in, drop off your bags, and get ready for some beach time! You are likely tired and probably jet-lagged from the flight, so going to the hotel pool or the beach is a good start.

Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach are very busy beaches on the weekends, holidays, or festivals. Actually most any sunny day it’s pretty crowded, but the beaches are big and long, so you should not have any problems finding a place to lay out. A majority of beachside hotels have a chair or umbrella service available to guests, so if your hotel does, its a great way to have them lay out a chair and umbrella for you. If not, grab a beach towel and find you some real estate to claim. (We didn’t bring a towel, and bought one from a street vendor for 20R. Worked like a charm!)

At the beaches, do not bring a lot of items with you. Your hotel room key, some cash or a credit card, sunscreen, sunglasses, and your beach towel. Never leave your items unsupervised and never carry a large amount of cash or flashy items like jewelry or DSLR cameras out to the beach.

There are small food and drink kiosks on the beach. Also, vendors line the streets, beach walks, and walk the beach with products, food, and drinks. If you choose to leave your spot, take your belongings or have someone stay to keep an eye on your belongings. The beaches are beautiful! Most importantly, enjoy and relax.

Copacabana Beach: Picturesque landscape views, plenty of people watching and a great place to watch the locals play beach sports.
Ipanema Beach: Best beach for sunset views. Less crowded than Copacabana but still with plenty of people watching and locals playing sports.
Barra de Tujuca Beach: Most secluded beach with white sands. This area was developed for the 2016 Olympic Games, so it is still developing. Very nice part of town.

LGBT Beaches

For our gay readers, there are portions of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches that most LGBT people congregate at. On Copacabana, the area is near the Copacabana Hotel. You will see a few large rainbow flags identifying the location. On Ipanema, the location is near Post 8, also marked with rainbow flags.

Dinner Time

After a relaxing day at the beach, it is time to get some dinner. Our recommendation is to try a churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) to try the flavors and foods in Brazil. There are a lot of options, but check with the hotel front desk for recommendations in your area. Most churrascarias charge around 100-150R per person for the buffet plus between 5 and 10R per non-alcoholic drink (each refill is another charge). Alcoholic drinks run a little higher but will vary depending on the location and type. Again, majority of places accept credit cards, a few only accept cash. Tipping is included in the bill, so you do not need to tip.

Walking to and from dinner or the beach is usually safe during the day. At night, we recommend taking a taxi if you are going more than a block or two. From the hotels, the beach is close enough to walk to without a taxi, however if you plan to visit another beach, such as visiting Barra de Tijuca from Copacabana, take a taxi. When grabbing a taxi for dinner or a night out on the town, ask your hotel to call one for you. You can also ask the restaurant to call you a taxi to head back to your hotel. They will call a reputable taxi for you.

After dinner, head back to the hotel, check out the hotel amenities and relax for your first night in Rio.

DAY 2 – See the City!

Hopefully you wake up relaxed, refreshed, and ready for a day out in the city! Most hotels offer a breakfast buffet that includes a wide assortment of fruits and breakfast entrees. Double check to make sure your breakfast buffet is included with your room rate or if it is an extra charge. The hotels we have used charged a rate between 80R and 120R for the breakfast buffet. If you choose not to eat the breakfast buffet, there are usually some smaller lunchanettes (Brazilian cafes/bakeries) that will have breakfast foods for under 20R per item.

After breakfast, it is time to enjoy a day out exploring the city. There are a number of tour guides and groups that offer all day or part day tours. We used a group called Be a Local Tours who offer a number of tours. Tours are run by local Rio residents, so they are very knowledgeable and can offer some good suggestions for food/bars for your evening.

City Attractions

If you plan to do a tour on your own, try to leave the expensive stuff behind, and only bring enough cash to pay for your taxis/entrance fees as needed. All tourist attractions accept credit cards.

Christ the Redeemer – This is definitely one of the two highlight items to hit while in Rio. Going early means you miss the crowds. A taxi can take you up to the entrance, but from there you have to take a bus from the entrance to the top. From the bus exit, you can either take the stairs up to the top or take the elevator. Remember to keep your ticket from start to finish as you need it to get back on the bus going down. Cost – 43R for adults
Rio de Janiero Cathedral – There is no entry fee to check out the church. It is a beautiful church so worth a quick visit.
Lapas Steps – The steps were designed by the late Chilean artist Jorge Selarón. There are 215 steps with tiles from over 60 countries. Also a good idea to get here earlier as the steps can get really busy in the afternoon. There are no fees to visit the steps. There are some small restaurants around, too for some delicious food.
Lapas Arches – This was original an aqueduct to bring water to the city. It has been renovated to act as a train line, but it is a sight to see none the less. There is no fee to view the arches.
Museum of Tomorrow and Olympic Boulevard – The museum is a beauty in its own right, even if you choose not to go in. The Olympic Boulevard is lined with beautiful murals that are worth a short walk through. The Murals/Art in this city is gorgeous! Prices for the museum depend on which day, time, and group you fall under. The highest price is 20R per person and they do down from there.
Sugar Loaf Mountain – This should be the last stop on your day. Try and make it about 1 hour before sunset to get the best views of the sunset and the city night lights. You can buy tickets in advance or on-site. Credit cards are accepted. Tickets are 110R for adults, less for children, students, etc… There are some places to get a snack or shop on the mountain. Be aware, there are monkeys so keep an eye on your food.
Botanical Gardens – Gardens showcasing a number of the Brazilian trees and plants. This is an optional add-in that you can do during your city tour or separately during another day.
Maracanã Stadium – The World Cup famous soccer stadium. If you’re a soccer buff, you might want to check this out. It can easily be part of the tour. Ask your hotel concierge or event planner for soccer game details. You might be able to catch a game with the local team Clube de Regatas do Flamengo

After a long exciting day checking out the City, it is dinner time. If you got a good recommendation from your guide, this is the night to check it out. If not, ask the hotel accommodations desk for a recommendation for dinner or drinks.

Day 3 – Beach, Soccer, Volleyball, or the Favela?

If this is your last full day in Brazil, it is time to make a decision. Do you want to spend it touring, experiencing a cultural event like a soccer or volleyball game, or visiting the beach for one last day? Check out the Be a Local Tours for options for soccer or the favelas.

For LGBT tours, check out the Rio Gay Tours.

Most soccer games and volleyball games are in the evenings, which means you would have all morning/day to check out the beach or hit up another tour option.

Regardless of which option you do chose, remember only to bring what you need and always keep an eye on your belongings.

DAY 4 – Goodbye Rio…

If your flight is in the morning, leave the hotel at least three hours before your flight, which gives you time to take on traffic and still check in/go through customs without any issues.

If you have a late flight, check with your hotel for a late checkout. Some hotels will offer a half day rate to check out after 5 pm. This gives you one more day the beach, pool, or that last minute stop at an attraction you may have missed.