Rio De Janeiro in 3 Days – Travel Guide
This is a 3 days guide to Rio De Janeiro, with a perfect 72 hours plan that will guide you on the best way to enjoy this amazing city. All tips, maps, costs, information is included, so that you feel like you are having your best friend with you showing you around Rio De Janeiro.
This guide has been developed by local experts and travel bloggers who live or frequently visit Rio De Janeiro, so that you get only the best option on where to stay, where to eat, what monuments to see, how to move around Tokyo and how to enjoy this vivid city at its best.
The maps provided can be accessible in their online format, at Google maps, which will enable you to easily navigate towards them while you are in Rio De Janeiro.
This guide is best enjoyed by solo travelers and couples or groups of friends traveling together to Rio De Janeiro. Families traveling with kids to Rio De Janeiro may also find a lot of useful details for planning their trip.
Have fun in Rio De Janeiro and thank you for choosing a Guidora guide!
Where to Stay in Rio De Janeiro
Rio De Janeiro has 3 long beaches: Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The best area to stay and the safest one is near Ipanema and Leblon. The area around Copacabana is more dangerous during the night. Leblon is the area where the rich Brazilians or foreigners are having their homes but is a little bit more far from the center of Brazil. Each one of the beaches of Rio (Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon) are around 4-5 kms and they are next to each other.
Our recommended hotel for Rio de Janeiro is the Hotel: Everest Park
Address: Rua Maria Quitéria 19, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Tel.: +55 21 2103-1800, Website: http://www.everest.com.br/park/, Price / night: 100€ for a double room
Book it Online and Read Reviews: Click Here
Recommended: Yes. Great location and clean rooms, Very close to Ipanema and Leblon neighbourhood.
1st Day in Rio De Janeiro
20:55 Arrival at the Rio de Janeiro International Airport
The airport is 17 km away from the city center. Most planes arrive in Rio de Janeiro International airport.
21:30 Luggage & Passport Control
Take the luggage and pass from passport control. It should not take more than 30 minutes.
22:00 Transportation from the airport to the hotel.
Take a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Do not take an ‘airport taxi’, take a regular one, instead. It’s 30% cheaper. To find regular taxis go to the departure floor and pick any that are dropping passengers there. (25 minutes trip). The Hotel is “Everest Park”
View ZoomTip 1.1
Cost: 65BRL (20€)
22:30 Check in at the hotel and get some rest.
Resting is recommended. However, if you prefer to go for a walk, Ipanema is a nice area with good night life. A walk by the beach at night and checking in at a local pub should be fun.
Map from the Airport of Rio De Janeiro to the Hotel
Get this Map Online: Click Here
Get this Map Online: Click Here
ZoomTip 1.1: Transportation and ATM
There are only 2 ways to get to the south zone of the city. It depends on the amount of money you can afford. We recommend taking the taxi. They run 24/7.
Other options to get from Galeão Airport to the hotel:
– Bus: The bus ticket costs about 12BRL (4€) to Ipanema. There is a stop very close to the hotel. You should have no problems walking to it unless you are carrying a heavy luggage without wheels.
Note: Brazilian Reais BRL (notes of BRL10 and BRL2) are necessary to pay for the bus/taxi fare.
Where can I find Currency Exchanges and Cash Machines (ATMs)?
In the Arrivals hall outside the secure Customs area, in the baggage claim area.
2nd Day in Rio De Janeiro: Day 2: Beach, Sightseeing, Top Restaurant, Night Life
09:00 Sightseeing and city discovery.
Photo: Forte de Copacabana
Don’t have breakfast at the hotel. Go to ‘Forte de Copacabana’ and have your breakfast there. The view of Copacabana beach from there is amazing. You should expect to pay 6 BRL (2€) to get into the fort. Go on foot. The distance is not long and it’s a good way to explore a part of the area in which you are staying.
After that you can spend some amazing time on the Beach. The Fort divides Ipanema from Copacabana. You can choose the beach that you found more attractive. Each one of them (Copacabana and Ipanema) has its own characteristics. There is no right choice here. Don’t forget to drink coconut water, it costs around 5BRL. (1,5E)
Photo: Ipanema Beach
Photo: Ipanema Beach – Aerial View
Photo: Copacabana Beach
Tips: When you go to the beach, don’t bring with you anything that can relate you with the hotel you are staying (e.g. hotel towels, with the name of the hotel on them). If your stuff gets stolen when you are in the sea, you may lose all your luggage at your hotel.
Moreover, you should buy a waterproof case for your mobile, key and money and keep them with you when you are in the sea, swimming. Better be safe than sorry.
Cost: 11BRL (per person) (3,5E)
12:30 Go back to the hotel
Rent a bike and go back to the hotel. You will need to have a shower so that you can afterwards go for lunch and enjoy the rest of the day. View ZoomTip 2.1
14:00 Lunch break at “Delírio Tropical”
Address: Rua Garcia D Ávila, 48 – Ipanema, Tel.: +55 21 3624-8164, Website: https://www.delirio.com.br/
Lunch break. People from Rio love light food during the day. We recommend going to ‘Delírio Tropical’, where you will eat the most delicious salads you have ever tried. This restaurant belongs to the legendary National Volleyball Team, Bernardinho.
Cost: 25 BRL per person (8E)
15:00 Go to the Sugar Loaf Mountain
(ZoomTip 2.1), Photo: Sugar Loaf Cable Car
Photo: Sugar Loaf
At this time, you should go and visit the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain. The cable car costs 62BRL per. You can also take the metro to ‘Botafogo Station’ and from there take a bus or a short taxi ride. There’s usually a huge queue to buy tickets, so we advise you to buy them online here: http://www.guicheweb.com.br/bondinho/. The bus fare in Rio is 3,40BRL and the Metro costs 5BRL. The view you have from up there is one of the most impressive ones that you can enjoy in Rio de Janeiro, reaching the beaches of Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, beyond the Tijuca, Corcovado, the Santos Dumont airport, the Rio-Niteroi Bridge.
Cost: Entrance Fee: 62BRL (20€)
18:00 Urca Wall
At this time we suggest that you go back on the ground level and then take a walk in the Urca neighbourhood. Start at ‘Praia Vermelha’, where the cable car station is, pass ‘Urca beach’ and the old casino and finish at Bar da Urca. In front of this bar there’s a wall facing the bay, where the locals gather to have a few beers and eat ‘Pastel’ or ‘Empada’ and watch the sunset.
Cost: 20 BRL (6€)
20:00 Return To the Hotel
Return to the hotel. Take a taxi from Urca. It will cost you about 25BRL.
Cost: 25BRL for taxi (8E)
21:30 Dinner at ‘Satyricon’
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 192 Ipanema, Tel: +55 21 2521-0627, Website: http://www.satyricon.com.br/
We recommend ‘Satyricon’ restaurant. It’s a walking distance from the hotel and it is one of the best sea food restaurants in town.
Cost: Around 200BRL for two (61€)
23:00 Visit Lapa and dance the night out!
Photo: Lapa Area
Take a taxi and go to Lapa arches (35BRL). The night life there is always vivid. There are plenty of options to spend a magnificent evening there. From just hanging out on the streets with the local people and drinking beer, to watching true samba shows in venues. The later it gets, the better it becomes. Stay as much as you like.
Our recommended bar with a samba show: Carioca da Gema at Avenida Mem de Sá, 79. Tel: +55 21 2221-0043 website: http://www.barcariocadagema.com.br/bar.htm . Entrance fee: 25BRL
Cost: 60BRL (18€) plus what you eat/drink at the bar
02:00 Get Back to the Hotel
Take a taxi back to the hotel 35BRL
Cost: 35 BRL (11E)
2nd Day in Rio De Janeiro Map
Get this Map Online: Click Here
Get this Map Online: Click Here
ZoomTip 2.1 Rio Bike System
Rio has a bike system. You can rent a bike via a mobile app. You can find bike stations everywhere in the south zone of Rio. You can take a bike in one station and drop it in another. The following days are programmed for you so that you stay in the same area during the day – thus you can take advantage of this system. This will be the cheapest way for you to move around the city. For more info about how it works, check here: http://www.mobilicidade.com.br/bikerio.asp
If you want to get the full 72 hour detailed plan for Rio De Janeiro, you can do that by clicking here.
What to do in 3 days in Rio De Janeiro
