Where breathtaking scenery meets “maybe keep your phone on a lanyard.”

First Impressions: A Beautiful City with Edgy Energy

Like Buenos Aires, Rio is massive—but unlike BA, Rio definitely requires a bit more awareness. We encountered plenty of homeless and visibly intoxicated people, and the vibe was noticeably edgier.

On our first night, unaware that a massive Pride parade had just wrapped, we headed straight for Copacabana. Cue: packed beach, loads of man-thongs, heavy police presence, and a scene that was decidedly not child-friendly that evening.

We ducked into Bistrô S in front of the Hilton, where we regrouped over excellent caipirinhas and some of the best seared tuna we’ve ever had.

As we arrived at night, we did not get to take in the breathtaking topography of the city until we woke up the next morning - our apartment was on the top floor of a 15-story building and had sweeping views of Sugarloaf Mountain and its surrounding port areas. We were speechless as we sipped our morning drinks on the patio and took it all in. Rio's mountain-and sea-side setting is truly stunning and unique, and we never tired of the views throughout our visit..

Driving through the city on our day tour the next day was sobering in parts, especially passing favelas and impoverished areas. We asked our food tour guide about the favela tours that we had seen advertised on TripAdvisor—she strongly discouraged them. According to her, they are considered exploitative, disrespectful to residents, and potentially unsafe (calm until it isn’t). So please, skip those tours.

That said, if you stick to tourist areas, stay aware, and use common sense, Rio shouldn’t scare you. We kept our phones on lanyards, stayed vigilant, and had zero issues. Ubers were plentiful, cheap, and the safest way to get around. We not once had to use anything aside from our phones to pay; even street vendors took Apple and Google Pay - we did convert a small amount ($50) into local Reals to leave as tip and barely used that up in 5 days.

Tip: Uber Black isn’t actual luxury here—just cleaner cars. Paying the extra $1–$4 was worth it.

Day 1: Sugarloaf + Science Museum + Steak Heaven

Sugarloaf Mountain

Even with overcast skies, visibility was good enough for the cable car ride. The views were spectacular—Christ the Redeemer, beaches, the city below, even planes landing.

We grabbed breakfast at the top because—why not eat crepes while staring at world-class scenery? Bonus: monkeys wandering around looking for food handouts.

Caption: Breakfast with a side of jaw-drop scenery.

Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow)

This museum was a surprise standout. Sienna was mesmerized—beautifully designed exhibits about Earth’s future, climate, sustainability, and human impact.

We spent nearly 3 hours here and could’ve stayed longer. Highly recommend — especially with kids.

Caption: The museum that makes science feel cinematic.

Leblon Shopping Center

Heavy rain trapped us indoors, so we headed to a high-end mall in Leblon. Great shops and sweets — and a blessed break from the downpour.

Dinner at Rio Brasa Lagoa

Our Airbnb host sent us here and nailed it. Brazilian churrascaria format: endless cuts of meats + a seafood/salad bar with sushi. Kids’ play area upstairs kept Sienna busy — parenting win. If you're not familiar with the concept - you have a card by your plate with green and red sides that you flip to green for "yes, keep the meat coming" and to red when you need a break. And it's not just red meat - chicken, sausage, and pork cuts also flowed steadily. We heard that we could have asked for a lobster per person also, which we did not attempt.

$50/adult (half for kids). Worth it - while it ended up not being our favorite churrascaria of the trip, it's a great place with kids.

Day 2: Copacabana Take Two + Food Tour Adventure

Copacabana Morning

Clearer skies called us back to Copacabana. Breakfast at Dumar was decent but took 1.5 hours for a very simple order — the kitchen may have gone on break mid-order, or perhaps we were just on Rio time.

Windy, but we played in the surf and walked the beach. Soft white sand, refreshing water — once vendors set up later in the day, meandering becomes more entertaining.

Caption: Beautiful beach… slower breakfast.

5-Hour Food Tour (Yes, With a 7-Year-Old)

We booked a half-day Rio Food Crawl for 5 hours. We walked and drove through Ipanema and Copacabana eating and sipping our way through unique and local Brazilian flavors. Our guide, Chef Hayza, was excellent — knowledgeable, funny, and great at pacing.

Sienna did shockingly well — though she’s adventurous with food, which helped. They gave her shakes or juice at places where the bites were a bit out of her wheelhouse or were alcohol related. We sampled caipirinhas, piranha soup, whole pickled garlic, pastéis, açaí and lots more.

Recommended if you’re foodies or just curious about culinary culture.

Day 3: Icons, Botanical Garden & Our Favorite Dinner

City Highlights Tour

Quick, efficient, and worthwhile (though our tour guide's English was very hard to understand):

✔ Christ the Redeemer

✔ Selarón Steps

✔ Cathedral stop

✔ Olympic soccer stadium

Cloudy, but still incredible views at Christ the Redeemer. We entered via van through the national park, and the 220 steps to the statue were easy (or take the elevator — choose your adventure). Crowds, but manageable.

Caption: Even under clouds, the views — and arms — are iconic.

The Selarón Steps were colorful and interesting — Sienna loved hopping tiles toward the top. They were very crowded, but thinned out as you get higher up on the steps. The tiles were each interesting and bold, and in aggregate made for a beautifully unique set of stairs. The bottom street leading up to the stairs is lined with street vendors that peddle all kinds of souveniers and local wares.

Botanical Garden

Magical. Unique species everywhere — bamboo forests, towering palms — plus monkeys playing in branches, including a mama carrying her baby. Waterfountains, ponds, pergolas, bridges, all surrounded by lush trees and bushes, truly an oasis.

A must-visit, especially if you need a peaceful reset. Rio does not have a lot of green spaces throughout the city, so ducking into these gardens provided a welcomed respite to the hustle and bustle of the city.

Caption: A green sanctuary in a concrete city.

Dinner at Assador Rio

A high-end churrascaria with table service and lagoon views. Everything was delicious — meats, sides, desserts. Definitely a higher end experience and feel from Rio Brasa and one we preferred from a meat quality and overall ambiance perspective.

Kids under 5 eat free; adults were $50/person plus drinks and desserts — our tab ended up at $180 total (they didn't charge us for Sienna), a splurge compared to our $12 all-in buffet lunch earlier that week, but worth every penny. For all you can eat high quality meats, it's still a steal!

Day 4: Leblon Beach + Dinner Show Finale

Leblon Beach Day

We finally had a sunny morning, so we were beach bound! Leblon is Rio’s upscale beach district next to Ipanema. Leblon Beach felt safer than Copacabana, and also had showers and chair rentals (prepare to haggle; tourists = premium pricing).

Waves were big and currents strong — more wave-playing than swimming — but it was a beautiful, relaxed beach day. We walked along the shore, collecting shells and watching locals play soccer and beach ball.

Roxy Dinner Show

Doors at 6:30 PM • Dinner served before the 9 PM show.

This venue is huge - though well laid out so that there isn't really a bad seat in the house! The locals also came dressed to impress, we felt a bit under-dressed even with collared shirt and a dress. Great lounge singers during dinner. We ordered salads, tuna tartare, steak & potato galette, chicken & mashed potatoes, plus pasta bolognese for Sienna. Loved the appetizers, entrees were good, pasta kid-approved.

The show covered music and culture from different Brazilian regions. I expected a samba show — it was more Broadway-style musical with a sprinkle of samba at the end, but very entertaining and interactive. Only downside: all spoken parts were in Portuguese, so jokes went over our heads — but that’s part of travel.

Sienna’s verdict: Buenos Aires tango show wins, but Rio’s show was still great — and we agree.

Caption: Glamorous, lively, and mostly in Portuguese — still loved it.

Final Thoughts on Rio

Rio is stunning — mountains, beaches, rainforest, and culture all wrapped up in one city. But it also demands awareness — it’s a place for smart travelers, not complacent ones.

If you:

✔ Stick to tourist areas

✔ Use Uber

✔ Keep belongings secure

—you’ll have an amazing time.

Rio rewarded us with views, experiences, food, music, and memories we genuinely treasure.

Would we go back? Yes — just maybe right after checking crowd calendars and parade schedules.