What a place! We had about 5/6 days in Rio and I wish we had more. It is just such a fun place with an awesome vibe but what you hear about crime in Rio is true so be extra vigilant and leave valuable belongings at home! I would love to go back to Rio for Carnival because I can only imagine how crazy and fun it would be.
Accommodation: Discovery Hostel
Honestly one of the best hostels simply because the staff are so amazing. Hostel staff are always friendly but these guys go above and beyond. They go out with you, drink with you, and make nights out that much better. They are also right back at it the next day running tours and climbing mountains with you. Could not recommend this place enough if staying in Rio! The breakfast included is nice, they cook pancakes and the like each day and you have soft bread rolls, salad, tea and coffee, and more.
The beds are really comfy but pray you don’t get the third bunk because it’s so high up and climbing up it after a night out is not an easy task haha. Overall we absolutely loved Discovery and didn’t want to leave!
Things to do:
Party: #1 priority it Rio as it is insane! The clubs are a little expensive but have great music and are always a good time! The street parties are also the BEST. Everyone gets in the street and dances Samba, the vibe is CRAZY GOOD! Also make sure you go over Thursday – Saturday because you can buy these street Capirinhas (Brazilian alcoholic drink) which are like $2 for 750ml of alcohol and they are so delicious. We drank 2 and apparently that is not the done thing because they get you blind but you know… STRAYA.
Christ the Redeemer: the really difficult thing about Rio is trying to see all of the tourist stuff whilst being hungover everyday. You need to see Christ the Redeemer because it’s a wonder of the world and it’s an icon in Rio. Honestly when you get up there it’s a wow moment but then it’s like ok it’s a big Jesus. The real money maker is the view from up there. You get a 360 view of the city and it’s absolutely incredible. If you don’t go for Jesus, go for that! Beware though, if there are clouds, it’s unlikely you will see Jesus let alone the view of the city. They have a camera up there that you can check online so make sure you do otherwise you will waste time and money staring at clouds.
Two Brothers mountains: Marcelo from the hostel took us on a hike up the big brother of the two brother mountains. It’s not a clear set out path so the walk up and down isn’t exactly safe on the body but you know, it’s rio! Along the way you should bring a banana to feed the monkeys, they are so cute and climb on you. Once you get to the top it’s incredible, be mindful again, this all depends on the weather and clouds.
Copacabana: the most famous beach in Rio. It’s cool to go and say you went, we were lucky because the Paralympics were just finishing up so it was all clean and the stadiums were still up so that was a positive for us. I can’t say how it will look in the future when the city doesn’t need to prepare for a worldwide event.
Ipanima Beach: this is the beach you should go to; much cleaner, cheaper, and quieter. You can also watch the sunset from the rocks near there but as with every amazing view in Rio, the clouds will determine your experience.
Favelas: so many of the Favelas are extremely dangerous and should not be visited however some (the one at the bottom of the 2 brothers) survive off income from tourists so they are relatively safe to go to DURING THE DAY. Go here with staff from the hostel as they know good places to eat etc. There is a lot of cool graffiti/street art in the Favelas so go check it out!
Sugarloaf mountain: we didn’t get a chance to do this but you can go up in cable cars if you like (or hike it). People say the view is awesome and report good things about it.
There is so much more to do in Rio but you won’t get it all done unless you’re there for a month. It’s such an incredible place please go whatever you do! One of my all time favourites.
Travel Guide 