Brazil, an exciting tropical paradise with buzzing cities, white sand beaches, is home to the amazing Amazon rainforest, roaring waterfalls including the famous Iguazu Falls and so much more. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most popular places to visit, with so many things to do and home to the most pristine beaches it makes it the perfect place to start your holiday!
I visited Brazil in August 2019, I only had 10 days because I’d already used most of my holiday allowance from work. I had a few things that I absolutely wanted to do, this included Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls. So after a lot of time researching, I came up with a 10 day itinerary which included all the key sights.
How to spend 10 days in Brazil
Days 1-4 Rio de Janeiro
The first 4 days of this itinerary are going to spend exploring the beautiful and exciting city of Rio de Janeiro. I’d recommend staying in Copacabana as this is a central location and there are some fantastic reasonably priced hotels on the beach front. From here you can easily get to the main sights in Rio. There are so many things to do here:
Beaches
Rio known for it’s beautiful white sand beaches, most famously Copacabana beach which stretches over 4km. It’s neighbour Ipanema known for its cool laid back vibe is also very popular. The sunset at Ipanema over the Dos Irmaos peaks is beautiful! Relax on the Copacabana/Ipanema beach, drinking fresh coconut water or even caipirinhas (it’s a bit like a mojito, but stronger), getting tempted by the sunglasses/bikini sellers.
Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain is surrounded by the ocean and the only way to get here is by cable car. Well actually two cable cars, you take one up to Morro da Urca and then another one up to Sugar loaf. The views from here are amazing! I would suggest getting to Sugarloaf Mountain Cable car at around 3:30pm so that you can get up to the top of Sugarloaf to get a good spot for sunset! It is so beautiful up there but there are a lot of people. Also remember to bring your student card if you have one as you can get discounted tickets! When you go to buy your tickets there’ll probably be a long queue, but don’t fret as it doesn’t take too long using the ticket machines.
Christ the Redeemer
This is the most popular attraction in Rio and what it’s known for. The monument sits at the top of Corcovado Mountain and offers one of the best views of the bustling city. I would recommend visiting Christ the Redeemer first thing in the morning to beat the crowds. There are several ways you can get to the top, we took the Cog train which was so nice. You can catch the train from the Trem do Corcovado station and journey takes about 20 minutes. The train takes you up the mountain through the Atlantic Forest along the way you get some stunning views! The first train is at 8:20am, aim to get to the station for then! When we got the statue there were barely any people, however 20 minutes later it was soon packed!
Yes i spent about 45 minutes trying to get this picture
Lapa Steps
Jorge Selaron created these famous multicoloured mosaic steps. The steps start in Lapa and make their way all the way up to Santa Teresa. I’d suggest visiting the Lapa Steps after Christ the Redeemer. It’s amazing how colourful these steps are! Of course to get the classic picture on the steps, there is a queue. It’s quite funny actually as people shout to those walking up or down the steps to stay to the side so they don’t ruin the photo.
Cycling along the beach and round the Lagoa
There are several bike hire shops/stations by the beaches or round the Lagoa. We tried to use the equivalent of ‘Boris Bikes’ however our foreign credit card wasn’t recognised by the machine so we had to hire from a bike shop. You can cycle from Copacabana to Ipanema along a cycle path next to the beach. This was so much fun! Rio has such a fun, lively yet chilled vibe, there were so many people walking and cycling down these lanes. We cycled to Ipanema and treated ourselves to an Acai bowl by Acaiberry along Ipanema beach, which was delicious.
Parque Lage
Parque Lage is a beautiful public park in Rio at the base of the Corcovado Mountain. There are many trails you can follow to explore round the gardens. At the centre of the park is the Roman Palace a beautiful big house with a central courtyard. It’s so peaceful walking round here and wandering round the Palace.
Hiking in Rio
There are some really amazing hikes in Rio that have the most amazing views! Unfortunately we didn’t get time to do any of these but I would’ve loved to do them.
- Dos Irmaos: This is the best hike to do if you’re short for time. The hike begins at the top of Vidigal Favela. You can get here by taxi and then take a mini taxi up the favela to entrance. The view from the top looks amazing!
- Pedra da Gavea: This looks like an amazing hike rewarding you with amazing views of Dos Irmaos, all the beaches and even Christ the Redeemer. For more information have a look here.
Sunrise/Sunset in Rio
The sunrise and sunsets in Rio are so beautiful! You should definitely wake up early for the sunrise, when we were there we saw it from our hotel and it was one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen!
Best places to see sunrise:
- Copacabana beach – we saw the sunrise right from the top of our hotel. The orange and pink sky was amazing!
- Mirante Dona Marta – This viewpoint sits on top of the Santa Marta Favela. The easiest way to get here is to take a taxi. You can walking through the Santa Marta Favela, if you choose to do this be careful. If you’re planning on going here I would book a tour to be on the safe side!.
- Dos Irmaos – a hike starting at the top of the Vidigal Favela. From pictures the sunrise from here looks stunning! Again I would book a tour as you don’t want to be climbing through the Favela in pitch black.
Best places to see sunset:
- Ipanema – When the sun sets the Dos Irmaos peaks are framed beautifully by the pink sky.
- Sugarloaf Mountain – As I mentioned above this is one of the best places to see sunset. If you would like to do this ensure you get up for about 4pm to ensure you get to the top in time. It’s amazing watching all the lights in Rio come on as the sun sets.
- Mirante Dona Marta – This viewpoint sits on top of the Santa Marta Favela. The easiest way to get here is to take a taxi. You can walking through the Santa Marta Favela, if you choose to do this be careful as walking through the favela at night might be dangerous.
Eat all the Acai
Acai has taken off in the last few years, hailed as a superfood in the West. Well acai originates in Brazil and is a staple for Brazilian people. In fact you’ll acai being sold in so many places. It’s often mixed with some kind of sweetener, sugar or syrup to remove the bitter taste from the natural berry. When buying acai, you can often get it with different toppings, including fruit, granola, flaked coconut and many others. It is so delicious and moreish and cheap in Brazil, you won’t be abe to get enough of it!
If you’re wondering how to spend your 4 days in Rio I would suggest:
Day 1 – Copacaban/Ipanema and Sugarloaf for sunset
Day 2 – Christ the Redeemer, Lapa Steps and beach
Day 3 – Parque Lage and cycling
Day 4 – Hike and beach
Days 5-6 Iguazu Falls
Catch an early flight to Foz d’Iguacu. Once you’ve arrived head to the Brazilian side of the Falls, the easiest way to get there is by uber. The Brazilian side is quite small so can easily be visited in the afternoon. The next day make an early start to cross the border and visit the Argentinian side of the Falls! The Argentinian side is much bigger with several different trails, here you should also book a boat to take you up close to the falls. This will a whole day trip so get a good night’s sleep. I’ve written a separate post on visiting Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian and Argentinean side with much more detail including the border crossing which you can read about here.
Days 7-9 Ilha Grande
Catch an early flight back to Rio, then make your way to Ilha Grande straight from the airport. I’ve written a separate post on Ilha Grande including how to get there. After about 3 or 4 hours after landing in Rio you’ll be in the Village of Abraao. Once you’ve checked in spend some time walking around, you’ll find many restaurants and tour agencies.
I’d recommend going to Lopes Mendes Beach one day then relaxing or walking round the island in the afternoon. Then doing a half boat tour the next day. The half boat tour will take you to various different places around the island and is a great trip. If you have time I’d try and do the Pico de Papagaio hike too it looks amazing, unfortunately we had awful weather so this trail was too dangerous! In the evening on your last day, make your way back to Rio by booking a transfer from Abraao. It much easier to organise a transfer back so that you don’t need to worry about how to get back to Rio.
Day 10 – Final day in Rio de Janeiro to fly home
Spend your last day shopping for souvenirs, buying those all-important havaianas, eating acai or visiting one of the sights you missed in your first few days. Then head to the airport to catch your flight back home.
Top Tips for this itinerary starting in Rio de Janeiro
- Uber is so easy to use to get around and it’s really cheap as well
- Most places take card, you only need cash if you’re buying from street sellers sometimes
- Get to Christ the Redeemer early as it gets packed within 1 hour of it opening time
- Wake up for the sunrises – they are amazing!!!
- Eat all the acai and fresh coconuts
- You may read a lot about the safety of Rio, I certainly did. When you’re there just all the usual precautions, leaving your valuables in the safe in your hotel, don’t go wandering into dodgy areas late at night, looking after your money and phone. Thankfully we didn’t have any trouble in Rio but I know of several friends who have had things pickpocketed.
- If you have booked internal flights with GOL They may try to charge you 120 Reals per checked bag if you’ve booked a ticket that doesn’t include checked baggage. However if you use the machines to check instead of going to a kiosk with a person you will only have to pay 60 Reals per bag!
- At Iguazu Falls, both the Brazilian side & Argentinian side take credit card so don’t worry about taking cash! We had a last minute panic to exchange money into Argentinian pesos because I had read a lot about the Argentinian side not taking credit card.
