Guide to

Rio de Janeiro

Welcome to Rio!

We are really looking forward to celebrating our wedding together with you in one of our favourite cities - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio has a special place in our hearts. Before we met, Ben learnt Portuguese here while Bruna learnt about concerts and carnaval. In recent years we’ve loved exploring Rio’s neighbourhoods, beaches, food and culture together. Sat in the Colorado bar on Copacabana beach last year, it suddenly became clear that Rio was where we should share our wedding party with our dearest friends and family.

Neither of us live in Rio and we strongly suggest doing research of your own before you travel, but below are some initial pointers based upon our experience and oriented mainly at the guests travelling from the UK.

Where to stay

Neighbourhoods

For proximity to both the wedding venue and the ocean, we’d recommend the neighbourhoods in the city’s Zona Sul as the best base for visitors. The wedding will be held in the wonderfully historic and bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, but you may well prefer to base yourself in one of the beach localities where you can walk to the sea but easily visit the rest of the city’s sites in metro or uber.

Ipanema and Leblon have a gorgeous beach with iconic views but can be expensive. Copacabana and Leme are more down-to-Earth and often offer better value-for-money when it comes to accommodation. Botafogo and Flamengo are cool neighbourhoods with plenty in the way of bars of restaurants plus nearby beaches of their own, though not ones where you can swim. The Lagoa area offers you proximity to lake, beach and Corcovado.

Away from the beaches, Santa Teresa itself is a fun place to stay and offers some of the city’s best boutique hotels and coolest Airbnbs. Glória has long been one of our favourite bases and - while it’s more expensive now that TimeOut has named it one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods - it still offers a balance of artsy bohemia with normal life, plus good value Airbnbs. Lapa and Centro are well worth visiting but are less comfortable to walk at night, so we wouldn’t recommend them as areas to stay in.

Whether you choose the beach neighbourhoods, the more historic neighbourhoods or somewhere in-between, you can move easily between them in metro or uber. Google Maps will be able to show you how close your potential accommodation is to a metro station. Here is an excellent map of Rio’s metro system and its nearby bairros. In short, we would recommend staying somewhere along the metro line between Antero de Quental and Glória.

Accommodation

There is a huge range of reliable accommodation on both Booking.com and Airbnb, which are the usual places for us to pick places to stay. As with anywhere else, beware of places with little or no reviews. You may want to check whether flats have a full kitchen (some don’t or only have a very basic hob and fridge). A lot of hotels offer hearty buffet breakfasts which can negate the need for lunch beyond a beach snack.

In Brazil, it is common for flats to be housed within a large building or condominium with shared security and possibly a shared pool, gym and barbecue area. This is usually clear on Airbnb, but ask if it isn’t; you’ll need to ensure you have clarity on the rules regarding the shared areas (such as whether you need to reserve the gym and what time the pool closes). Established hotels and modern blocks of flats will have ample security features; more rustic accommodation may not. Always feel free to ask.

We usually stay in Airbnbs in Glória / Santa Teresa or flats and hotels in Copacabana / Leme and have never been disappointed. The Arena hotels offer great locations with good value-for-money if you spend as much time in the pool and breakfast buffet as Ben does…

What to see and do

Joint activities

A lot of you have expressed an interest in some joint activities, which we think would be a great way for our different groups of friends and family to get to know one another before the big day and continue the festivities afterwards!

Exact activities, times and dates will be confirmed nearer the time, but we expect to spread the following options across Thursday April 2 - Sunday April 5, 2026:

Thursday evening dinner by the sea in Ipanema.
Visiting the Christ at the Corcovado on the Thursday or Friday.
Friday evening drinks in an historic bar in Santa Teresa.
Sunday afternoon on the beach in Ipanema or Copacabana.
Going to a football match, fixtures and ticket availability permitting.

What else?

There is so much to see and do in Rio, and you could spend an entire holiday in the city. We certainly recommend leaving a minimum of four days for tourism plus the wedding. Classic sightseeing includes:

Ipanema

Iconic beach with a view of the Dois Irmãos hills. The adjacent high-end neighbourhoods offer fine dining, bars and a stroll across to the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas lake and surroundings.

Few beachside food and drink options, but plenty of snacks and drinks brought to you on the sand.

Stand-up Paddleboarding and sunset at the Arpoador rock are classics. Usually safe to swim.

Copacabana

Never-ending sand with over 60 beachside quiosques selling meals, snacks, coconuts, ice-cream, caipirinhas and ice-cold beers.

Flanked by historic forts, as well as hiking at Ponta do Leme. Usually safe to swim.

Sugarloaf Mountain

(Pão de Açúcar)

The actual mountain, not to be confused with the supermarket chain of the same name.

A cablecar will take those of you less adept at rock-climbing up to some of the city’s most spectacular views from this 400-metre peninsular hill. Don’t even think of asking whether they are better than the ones from…

Christ the Redeemer

(Cristo Redentor)

Located at the peak of the 2,300 ft Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca National Park, the 360 views allow you to take in all of Rio’s districts, beaches and mountains.

We once went up in the middle of the day. Turns out that’s not what English skin was made for…

Botanical Garden

(Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro)

An oasis of peace in the city.

Pedra da Gávea

Aead slightly out of town to this monolithic mountain in Tijuca Forest for hiking, views, climbing and hang-gliding.

Botafogo

Relaxed neighbourhood for restaurants, cocktails, music and craft beer.

Lapa

Busy nightlife, vibrant street art, and the famous aqueduct and the Escadaria Selarón steps make this famous neighbourhood well worth a visit.

Rent a bike!

Ben’s favourite way to get around Rio. There are excellent cycle lanes all the way from Leblon to Centro and it is an extraordinary way to take in the different beaches and bairros with plenty of places to stop for some coconut water in the shade.

There are rental shops in Copacabana and Ipanema, or you can download the user-friendly and cheap Bike Itaú rental app linked to your bank card.

Catete, Glória and Santa Teresa

Take in the crumbling grandeur of some of Rio’s most historic buildings, such as the Palácio do Catete which houses the Museum of the Republic (Museu da República).

On Sundays you can visit the wonderful market at Feira Livre da Glória for craft goodies, food and music. Walk up the steep inclines to Santa Teresa and pass an afternoon exploring its ancient mansions, bohemian bars, restaurants and shops.

Centro

The business centre of the city is also home to some of Rio’s cultural icons: the Modern Art Museum (Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro), the Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã), the Metropolitan Cathedral, and one of the world’s most stunning libraries - the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura.

We love the after-work vibe of the old bars on Rua do Ouvidor and downtown has some of the city’s best book and record stores, but you’ll need to be extra security conscious here.

Sport

Rio is football mad. And even if you don’t get to see one of the city’s many famous teams, you can still tour the Maracanã or have a kickabout on the beach.

Most beaches have volleyball nets and all have ample room for beach tennis, or frescobol, as it’s called in Brazil - bring or buy a kit!

Samba

You won’t have to go far to find live music in Rio; in fact it can be harder to find a bar or a restaurant that isn’t hosting live samba, bossa nova or pagode.

Depending upon the neighbourhood you end up in, we can recommend spots or - better still - you can follow your ears!

Feira de São Cristóvão

Brazil is as big as Europe, and if you haven’t time to visit the country’s Northeast, then you can dive deep into its food and culture in this tented city within a city where musicians play forró and huge vats stew Ben’s favourite African-influenced Brazilian dishes like moqueca, bobó, acarajé, and carne de sol.

Security and practical tips

Hat. Water. Sunscreen. Ben has failed on all of these fronts and paid the consequences. Don’t be like Ben. Bottled water is sold everywhere. Many restaurants have filtered water available. Ask for água da casa.

Getting a Brazilian SIM card or roaming that works in Brazil is going to make your life infinitely easier - we highly recommend it! Being able to use the internet on your phone for the duration of your stay will allow you to connect to Google Maps, Uber and a host of other apps which will make your stay more comfortable.

If your own network allows you to pay for a Brazil roaming package prior to travel, then this will be the easiest way to set this up.

Brazil is a bloody nightmare for foreigners seeking anything as official as a SIM card and will make it nay impossible to do without an official local ID - so we highly recommend finding a specialised travel eSIM provider so you have it set up before travelling (this is one option, but there are many others available).

If you can't get one beforehand, in São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport, there is one little shop serving the entire planet’s roaming tourists. The queue and the process will test your patience, but the price is fair and they will get the job done. Don’t leave the little shop until you’ve tested that it is definitely working. It’s near the pharmacy, which will also do you a SIM if you have a Brazilian ID to register it with.

Plan for spending in Reais. Brazil is generally pretty card payment friendly. At the beach or markets, you can usually get a small discount for payment in cash, so it's worth having a small amount with you.

You'll see the word Pix everywhere - this is a national payment system that allows for free and easy bank transfers, but unfortunately only available if you have a Brazilian bank account.

Check with your bank if they allow for payments in BRL, and if there are any fees. Good alternatives are Wise and Revolut, who offer free accounts with small exchange fees and cards that work literally everywhere.

Travel light on valuables. Just because you’ve got your phone set up, it doesn’t mean you need to wave it about. Muggings and violent robberies are common in Rio and so you’ll need to be careful when out and about. We’ve been robbed in London more recently than we’ve been robbed in Rio, but nonetheless, it’s a very good idea to follow the following guidelines:

Only take out what you really need. Take a bit of cash as well as your bank card.
Keep your belongings safely in your pockets as much as possible. Pockets and bags with zipper or tight closing are preferable, as you can easily get distracted in the crowds.
Don’t leave your belongings unattended on the beach.
Take particular care in busy areas but avoid isolated areas.
Don’t stray too far off the beaten track! If unsure, pop into a shop or restaurant to check on your phone how to get back to where you want to be. If you’ve really buggered it up, call an uber to come and get you!

Learn a little Portuguese:. While Rio is set up enough for tourists to have quite a few English signs up and multilingual announcements on the metro, in general not much English is spoken. So why not jump on Duolingo and learn the basics?!

Ubers are more secure than local taxis and Uber Blacks are more secure than Ubers. We strongly suggest you download the app and set it up with more than one of your bank cards before you travel (in case one of them stops working at just the wrong moment). Even if you don’t have a local SIM, you’ll be able to connect to wifi to get Ubers from A to B, which can be a secure and easy way to get around most of Brazil’s major cities.

Food and drink

Brazilians love meat and seem to embrace vegetables about as fondly as seeing an Argentinian win in the football. Fantastic fruits are where you’ll get your vitamin fix. Meals generally aren’t spicy and an early lunch is the main meal of the day. However, all tastes can be catered for and easily covered by the fact that Brazil is not only King when it comes to buffets and all-you-can-eats, but also the ubiquitous per kilo restaurants which are perfect for covering the dietary requirements of a diverse group of wedding attendees! Here are some extra tips…

Where to go and what to eat and drink there

Quiosques - Beachside shacks serving mostly snacks and basic cooked and cold lunches. You’ll pay premium prices for substandard scran with a cracking view. The drinks will be reliably cold and the music up tempo.

Padarias - Brazil’s definition of a bakery makes Greggs look positively minimalist. As well as an array of sweet and savoury bakes and deep fried treats, you’ll often get fantastic fresh fruit juices, appalling coffee, cold pop, toasties, snacks and sometimes meals. Try the coxinhas and empadas, and go for glory on the sucos and Açai!

Butecos / botecos / botequims - Relaxed restaurant come neighbourhood bar, these are places where you can get a lunchtime prato feito (cheap, filling, set menu usually of meat, two carbs and means), petiscos (hearty bar snacks, try the bolinhos), and sometimes some more elaborate dishes, as well as your beers, capirinhas and pop. An extremely reliable option in Rio is the small Boteco Belmonte chain, where Ben has spent approximately 9% of his income from the past 20 years.

Restaurantes - More formal affairs, these are your classic restaurants. The more expensive parts of town will have more global offerings. At some point, you should try the national dish, feijoada.

Per Kilos - Go in, grab a plate, and take a moment to admire the enormous buffet in front of you. Then build you plate with whatever you like! They’ll weigh your plate and charge you accordingly. Like a pick n mix without the diabetes and tooth abscess. Go full Bruna: strategically picking the best morsels of meat alongside a selection of fresh salads before weighing in at a bargain price. Or go full Ben: telling yourself you’re taking it easy and asking them to reweigh your platterful of lasagne, chips, fishcakes and gnocchi before putting it on the credit card…

Rodizios - The all-you-can-eat that they bring to you. You pay a fee, and the waiters come around loading your plate back up until you say basta! Pizza rodizios are a classic, especially in São Paulo, but if you’re a meat-eater then heading to a churrascaria and eating til you drop is a Brazilian experience you won’t want to miss!

Bares - Most bars in Brazil will do petiscos if you just want something to pick at with your sundowners. Capirinha is the national cocktail - the traditional version is with lime, but most places do an array with whatever fruits are seasonal, you’ll want to ask them what they have - and a great way to keep your vitamin intake up. Most Brazilian commercial beers are appallingly light - the most drinkable options being Original, Serramalte, Devassa and Heineken (yes, Heineken). The slightly more expensive Colorado beers are increasingly easy to find and excellent. You pay almost the same in Brazil for a craft beer as you do in England, but many are top class. Cachaça is the national spirit - the best stuff comes from Bruna’s home state of Minas Gerais.

Key phrases

“Eu não como carne” - I don’t eat meat.

“Eu sou vegano” - I’m vegan.

“Sou intolerante ao glúten” - I’m gluten intolerant.

“Sem lactose” - lactose free.

“Sem álcool” - alcohol-free.

“Tem água da casa?” - Do you have (free) filtered water?

“Tem molho de pimenta por favor?” - Do you have spicy sauce please? (Arguably Ben’s most used Portuguese catchphrase)

Tipping in Brazil

In most places the tip (usually 10%) will be included in the bill.

If you don't see it, or want to chip in more, tipping in cash directly to the waiter is appreciated.

Tea and Coffee

Yep, the Brits are coming to town, so this subsection is of particular importance! You are just not going to get a good cup of tea in Brazil. Sadly, you are not likely to get a kettle either - Bruna finds it hilarious our obsession with mini kettles, tea and biscuits in hotels; Brazilians expect a minibar. Your best bet of getting a good brew is to bring your own teabags, install yourself in an Airbnb, buy a bottle of milk, and boil up that water on the stove!

You’ll have no trouble at all finding coffee, usually a cafezinho (a small brewed coffee crying out for heaps of sugar), at the padaria. However, despite producing more coffee than anywhere else on Earth, it can be difficult to find an excellent cup without paying through the nose, and it can be tricky to even do that in Rio (São Paulo and Belo Horizonte have some wonderful cafés). We live in Hackney and so are unbearably pretentious about coffee - we’ve found that your best bet of finding a good one in Rio is to search “flat white” in Google Maps and beeline to wherever a reviewer has mentioned theirs! Starbucks is as reliable (and as expensive) as it is everywhere.

Travelling to Rio and around Brazil

British Airways and Latam have reasonably priced direct flights to São Paulo. BA has slightly more expensive ones direct to Rio. TAP, Lufthansa, KLM and Air Europa will do you a cheaper journey to Rio with only one stop in Europe, and will likely be your best bet from Manchester or Birmingham. Avoid the USA and make any change or stopover European or Brazilian. Flights for April 2026 should go on sale around a year beforehand. Google Flights is probably your best place to start searching.

Brazil is ginormous and internal flights are plentiful. Gol, Latam and Azul are some of the more reliable ones. Their websites can sometimes play up with bookings by foreign nationals and sometimes it’s worth paying a little more to book through a third party to avoid that. It’s approximately an hour’s flight from Rio to São Paulo.

Who knows how the hell Rio’s Santos Dumont (SDU) airport got planning permission (we can guess), but it’s much closer to the city centre and the views on take off and landing are worth whatever it takes to get a window seat. Galeão (GIG) is a little further away. Either way, an uber to your hotel will be easiest and cheap.

If your tolerance to unnecessary risk is as high as Ben's, buses are cheap, comfortable and plentiful. Brasil by Bus is a good website. It’s approximately 6.5 hours to São Paulo and 7.5 to Belo Horizonte.

Nearby and elsewhere in Brazil

Brazil is the same size as 85% of Europe and our biggest tip would be to come and stay a while and explore as much as you can! Failing that, our suggestion would be to avoid trying to cram too much into a small trip. Make the most of Rio and pick one or two other places you really want to see.

Bruna’s home state of Minas Gerais isn’t far away and offers spectacular nature and some of the country’s best preserved colonial cities and heartiest food. As in the UK, Brazil’s Northeast is culturally unique and has some of the best sand dunes in the country. Less Pease Pudding and Newkie Brown, however, you’ll find plenty of African influences in the food and music. Salvador is a UNESCO world heritage site.

For nature, the Amazon is unique but can take some time and money to get stuck into. The Pantanal is an alternative, but also needs several days to reach and enjoy.

The entire coast is home to spectacular beaches of every kind. Ilha Grande is only a few hours from Rio and offers beach-to-beach hikes, impressive birdlife, good food and accommodation options. It’s pretty safe and transfers can be arranged from your hotel with Ilha Tour, which we've used once. Another good spot for hiking not far from Rio is Teresópolis, which could be the beginning of a road trip into Minas Gerais.

Florianópolis is very foreigner-friendly, with amazing nature and pretty safe for a state capital. Families will love staying at the English's Beach (Praia dos Ingleses), and singles can have a lot of fun around Praia da Joaquina and Praia do Campeche.

São Paulo is one of the world’s biggest cities and feels it. What is lacks in beauty it makes up for in food and culture. You can fly pretty easily and cheaply from Brazil to Argentina and Colombia.