Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro

Rio's highlights are mostly outdoors, so plan them around the weather. Save the viewpoints for the clearest days, since clouds often wrap the peaks, and keep the museums for the rain.

1. Christ the Redeemer. The statue on Corcovado, 710 metres above the city, reached by a rack railway through the forest or by official vans. Go early on a clear morning. Our Corcovado and Sugarloaf guide compares the options.
2. Sugarloaf Mountain. Two cable cars from Praia Vermelha to the 396-metre summit at the mouth of the bay. Time the ride up for late afternoon and stay for sunset.
3. Ipanema and Copacabana. Spend at least one full day on the sand, the way Cariocas do. Our beaches guide explains how the beaches differ.
4. Sunset at Arpoador. The rocky point between Ipanema and Copacabana, where crowds gather each evening and applaud when the sun drops behind the Dois Irmãos peaks.
5. Santa Teresa. A hilltop neighbourhood of old mansions, artists' studios and bars, served by the yellow bonde tram, which crosses the Arcos da Lapa from Centro.
6. The Selarón Steps. A staircase between Lapa and Santa Teresa covered in more than 2,000 tiles by the artist Jorge Selarón. Arrive early for photos without the crowds.
7. Samba at Pedra do Sal. Free open-air samba circles, traditionally on Monday and Friday evenings (check before you go), at a stone square in the old port district that was a centre of Afro-Brazilian life.
8. The Museum of Tomorrow and Praça Mauá. Santiago Calatrava's science museum on the waterfront, next to the Rio Art Museum and the giant murals of the Olympic Boulevard.
9. The historic centre. The Theatro Municipal, the ornate Royal Portuguese Reading Room and coffee at Confeitaria Colombo, open since 1894. Visit on a weekday, when the streets are busy.
10. The Botanical Garden. Founded in 1808, with an avenue of imperial palms, then Parque Lage next door for coffee in a mansion courtyard beneath Corcovado.
11. A hike above the city. Tijuca Forest, replanted in the 19th century, is one of the largest urban forests in the world, with trails and waterfalls behind the South Zone. Closer to the beaches, the Dois Irmãos trail from Vidigal is short and steep, with one of the best views in the city. Go with a local guide, as the trailhead is inside the favela.
12. A match or tour at Maracanã. The stadium hosted the deciding matches of the 1950 and 2014 World Cups. A match is the real experience, and the stadium tour runs most days.

What we'd skip: the Lapa street party on a crowded weekend if you're not a night owl, since it's rowdy and a magnet for pickpockets, and any favela tour that drives visitors around in open trucks. Choose a small walking tour led by a resident instead.