Top 50 Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State
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Top 50 Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State

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Trip.Best is a collection of travel rankings that takes into account the travel choices and genuine preferences of hundres of millions of Trip.com users. It is updated monthly based on real data.
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  • Christ the Redeemertop_1
    󰺂10
    401
    Rio de Janeiro.Santa Teresa4.7 km from downtown
    trip best small logoAchieved a 3-year streak on the annual lists
    Highlights:
    󱨜The church rooftop offers views of Rio
    󰀆360° view of Rio's skyline
    󱨠Saved by 395 users󱨠100 positive reviews
    4.8/5
    Md Iqbal HasanMd Iqbal Hasan

    Christ the Redeemer, standing atop Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks. This 30-meter-tall statue of Jesus Christ, with arms outstretched over the city, symbolizes peace and faith. Completed in 1931, it’s made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Rio’s beaches, mountains, and the Sugarloaf. Reached by train or hiking trail through Tijuca National Park, the journey itself is scenic and memorable. At sunrise or sunset, the statue glows against the sky, creating a truly spiritual and awe-inspiring experience—an unmissable highlight for any traveler to Brazil.

  • Copacabana Beachtop_2
    󰺂9.1
    Rio de Janeiro.Copacabana Beach7.5 km from downtown
    trip best small logoAchieved a 3-year streak on the annual lists
    Highlights:
    Enjoy water activities in the year-round mild climate
    󱨜Million-person New Year's Eve party
    󱨠Saved by 129 users󱨠27% positive reviews
    4.7/5
    胡di 卖火柴的老男孩胡di 卖火柴的老男孩

    This is the largest and most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Take a walk here and enjoy the sea and mountain views. Very relaxing and the weather is great. This is the largest and most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Take a walk here and enjoy the sea and mountain views. Very relaxing and the weather is great. This is the largest and most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Take a walk here and enjoy the sea and mountain views. Very relaxing and the weather is great.

  • Sugarloaf Mountaintop_3
    󰺂7.8
    Rio de Janeiro.Zona Sul do Rio de Janeiro7.1 km from downtown
    trip best small logoFeatured in 2026 Americas 50 - Best Things to Do
    Highlights:
    Cable car: city & sea views
    󰋄360-degree view from Rio mountain top
    󱨠Saved by 109 users󱨠117 positive reviews
    4.7/5
    Ms ShanghaiMs Shanghai

    Sugarloaf Mountain is a must-visit site in Rio. We went on a Monday at 16:00, thinking we would make it up in time for sunset at 17:30. The queue was so long that the attendants just laughed when we asked for an estimate. We went to the beach instead, then prebooked tickets on CTrip for the next day. The process of using the tickets was a bit confusing. When we arrived at the cable station at 15:00 we were told to go to the reception desk to have our proof of booking printed out. A kind lady at reception helped us do this luckily, but it was a bit confusing due to the language barrier. After we’d printed the proof we had to go to another window to collect our physical ticket and were then allowed to join the queue to board the cable car quite far ahead of the back of the line - so even though the process was confusing, booking online definitely helped. This is the one occasion where I would say that paying extra to skip the queue is really worth it!!! The Sugar Loaf cable car ride is actually divided into two separate segments. This means that you queue to get tickets, queue to board the first cable car, queue to board the second cable car, and then queue twice more to go back down - and each time you’re queuing for about 30 minutes! And this was on a Tuesday in July; I can’t imagine what it’s like on the weekend. Anyway, the pictures show that it was definitely worth the effort:)

  • Rio de Janeiro Cathedral
    4
    󰺂7.3
    Rio de Janeiro3 km from downtown
    trip best small logoFeatured in 2025 Americas 50 - Best Things to Do
    Highlights:
    󰋄Stained glass windows create rainbow light spectacles
    󰋄Rainbow beams through stained glass
    4.6/5
    徐徐霞客Rr徐徐霞客Rr

    This Stairway Church is very famous in the local area, and it is worth visiting for people who come from far away to visit. When we went there, several couples held their weddings here, which felt particularly dreamy and sacred.

  • Parque Lage
    5
    󰺂6.9
    Rio de Janeiro.Zona Sul do Rio de Janeiro5.7 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󰀆Marvel at Christ the Redeemer
    󱓊Explore pristine rainforest trails
    󱨠42% positive reviews
    4.3/5
    LisliskaLisliska

    Very beautiful park with green plants and different animals everywhere. There is a tracking to Christ the Redeemer.

  • Escadaria Selarón
    6
    󰺂6.9
    Rio de Janeiro.Santa Teresa3.2 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󱓊250-step art staircase & tiles
    Brazilian graffiti showcases rich imagination
    󱨠28% positive reviews
    4.1/5
    二十画生JQK二十画生JQK

    The steps laid by Chilean artist Jorge Celeron are located in the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Since 1990, Chilean artist Jorge Celeron has used colorful tiles, pottery and mirrors collected from 60 countries to lay a 250-step outdoor staircase connecting the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. These steps lead to a very famous photography spot in Rio. National Geographic Channel, Playboy Magazine, David the Ape, and many famous musicians such as U2 and Snoop Dogg have filmed their music videos here.

  • Ipanema Beach
    7
    󰺂6.7
    Rio de Janeiro.Ipanema8.6 km from downtown
    trip best small logoNo. 3 of Night Attractions in Rio de Janeiro State
    Highlights:
    󰀆Lanterns & fireworks at beach
    󱨜World-famous cultural landmark
    󱨠52% positive reviews
    4.6/5
    徐徐霞客Rr徐徐霞客Rr

    Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the most famous beaches in the area. This beach is very popular with locals. During holidays, there are a lot of people here. It is recommended that if you want to go to the beach, you can come here to play.

  • Museum of Tomorrow
    8
    󰺂6.1
    Rio de Janeiro.Porto Maravilha3.5 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󱓊Bay view & reflection pool
    󱓊Unique water cycle architecture
    4.5/5
    小思文小思文

    A newly built and very novel museum, the exterior uses a lot of new composite materials, the entire structure of the museum is also very good, you can see a lot of exquisite items here, the location of the museum is also quite good. The surrounding landscape is very good. [Fun] Very interesting activities

  • Guanabara Bay
    9
    󰺂6.0
    Rio de Janeiro12.3 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󱓊Sunset views from Sugarloaf Mountain
    󱨜World-class destination with unique culture
    4.9/5
    小思文小思文

    A bay with beautiful natural scenery, dozens of kilometers away from the capital city, is also a beautiful holiday place. The weather here is relatively hot, so you need to bring fun things with you. The water quality of Palawan is also very good, and there are many reef resources. z h [Scenery] The natural scenery here is good [Fun] It is a very interesting arrangement

  • Santa Teresa
    10
    󰺂5.4
    Rio de Janeiro.Santa Teresa2.4 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󱓊360° view of Rio's ruins
    󰀆Stroll historic sites & history
    󱨠32% positive reviews
    4.4/5
    小思文小思文

    An old town in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is also an environment where locals often live. There are classic old-fashioned transportation trains here, but they are not very common. The businesses here are closer to the local production and consumption levels. The bookstores and restaurants are quite good.

What Best Things to Do are there in Rio de Janeiro State?
These are all Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State:Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana Beach, Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, Parque Lage
What are some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State?
Some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State include:Christ the Redeemer:4.8, Copacabana Beach:4.7, Sugarloaf Mountain:4.7, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral:4.6, Parque Lage:4.3
At what locations in Rio de Janeiro State can Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State be found?
The Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro State are mainly located in:Christ the Redeemer:Rio de Janeiro, Copacabana Beach:Rio de Janeiro, Sugarloaf Mountain:Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral:Rio de Janeiro, Parque Lage:Rio de Janeiro
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