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Sights in Rio de Janeiro


Sights in Rio de Janeiro

The Maracanã stadium, once the largest on Earth.
The Maracanã stadium, once the largest on Earth.
  • Corcovado - The funicular train up costs R$36 (students pay 50% - R$18 but are usually requested to prove showing some ID or document) for a round trip up to Cristo Redentor, and it is definitely worth the view. The queue for the train, in Cosme Velho, can get rather long; you purchase a ticket for a particular departure time (that day only). Try going when the morning coach parties have already passed through, i.e. when most tourists are having their lunch. Take a taxi to Cosme Velho, or take the Metro-Onibus Expresso combination (see above) from the Largo do Machado station. If you opt for a taxi to the up instead of the funicular, it's R$20 round-trip to enter the park, then another R$18 or so for the shuttle up to the monument. There's also a hiking trail that begins at Parque Lage and gets there (see Hiking and Trekking on the 'Do' section below).
  • Pão de Açúcar - The Sugar Loaf mountains (one taller, the other shorter), Brazil's top landmark, with a two-stage aerial tramway to the top; a definite must see. A ticket is R$52 (the way back is free after 7pm). There is also an unsigned trail leading to the second station where you can pay only R$22 to reach the top. Ask locals for directions. The buses number 511, 512, 591 and 592 and the subway buses from Botafogo bring you to the base station. Do not make the mistake of thinking you have seen enough once you have seen the view from Cristo Redentor. Try Sugar Loaf at sunset for a truly mind-blowing experience.
  • Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas - A large lagoon in the middle of South Zone, with great views to Corcovado and Ipanema and Leblon beaches; you can jog or cycle all the way round; there are skating areas and you can hire little peddle-operated boats.
  • Streetcar of Santa Teresa - Ride for a few cents this scenic nighbourhood.
  • Maracanã - The largest football stadium in South America and once the largest on Earth. Currently closed for renovations for the 2014 World Cup, scheduled for reopening in June 2013. However, the Soccer Museum inside it is still open and it's possible to see the renovation work being done.
  • Parque Lage - A small park, once a private mansion, where now a school of fine arts works. Contains some interesting plants and wildlife as well as strange concrete structures that will entertain the kids. The park is the beginning of a hiking trail Corcovado, through sub-tropical rain forest (see Hiking and Trekking under the 'Do' section)
  • Jardim Botanico - The Botanical Garden, planted in the 1800s. It is both a park and a scientific laboratory. It contains a huge collection of plants from all over the world, not only tropical ones. If you take the bus note that Jardim Botanico is also the name of a neighborhood so make sure you take the right one to the entrance. The admission is R$5. The gardens are well kept and very lush. Not far from the cafe, first you hear swooshing sounds. Look up and you can see small monkeys swinging from tree to tree.
    • Although located across Guanabara Bay, one of Rio's best views (one that includes both the Christ and the Sugarloaf in your camera frame) can be seen from this Museum in Niteroi, a neighboring city only 15 minutes away from downtown Rio by ferry boat.
    Although located across Guanabara Bay, one of Rio's best views (one that includes both the Christ and the Sugarloaf in your camera frame) can be seen from this Museum in Niteroi, a neighboring city only 15 minutes away from downtown Rio by ferry boat.

    The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Rio de Janeiro


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    Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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