If it’s your first time in Rio de Janeiro, chances are you would want to see the most iconic attractions Rio has to offer. My friend and I joined a small group day tour in December to avoid the hassles of pre-booking tickets and figuring out directions and transportation. There were only 6 people in the morning tour and 10 in the afternoon. It was two different tours combined into a full day; as such, the itinerary was not flexible. Some parts of this itinerary could be done on your own without a guide and organized transportation.
1-Day Rio de Janeiro Itinerary:
1. Santa Teresa
Located near Lapa, this bohemian neighbourhood is the old haunt of many local artists and artisans. Notice the colonial style architecture as you walk along the winding cobblestone roads. There are cafés, restaurants and shops where artisans sell their crafts. Running prominently through Santa Teresa are tram tracks. Once a welcome and familiar sight of Santa Teresa, bright yellow trams have stopped operating since an accident in 2011, in which 5 people lost their lives. There is talk of the trams being restored but for now, the system is shut down indefinitely.
With our group, we took the metro to Carioca station and switched to a local bus from Central to Santa Teresa. Riding the metro felt completely safe, but perhaps it was because we had safety in numbers. The best part of Santa Teresa was our hydration break at a coconut water stand!
2. Selerón Stairs (Escadaria Selarón)
The stairs are named after the Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who worked on the steps since 1990. Selarón lived in one of the houses along the steps when he began decorating the 215 steps using mosaic tiles. The artist started by using found materials to cover the steps but as he gained notoriety, people from around the world donated tiles representing over 60 countries. The artist was found murdered on the steps in 2013. The Beautiful music video by Snoop Dogg and Pharell was recorded on the steps.
We approached the stairs from the top, but as you get closer to the bottom, there’s a section worthy of a photo-op with the words Escadaria Selarón Rio de Janeiro emblazoned onto the steps.
3. Santa Marta Favela
This favela is undergoing gentrification and has visible police presence (Pacifying Police Unit or UPP in Portugese), which has cleaned up all drug trafficking operations and has even increased property value. It’s a positive example of what could happen to other favelas in Rio. Favela kids are required to attend public school starting at age 5 – there is even a kindergarten in Santa Marta. Our guide said that kids are required to graduate from high school or parents may lose custody of their children. There are extra-curricular activities offered to favela kids (martial arts, dance) to teach self-discipline.
The Favela Painting Project based in the Netherlands began the project in Santa Marta to give occupants an opportunity to become painters and that would call attention to the outside world to their plight.
At one point, the tour got a little gimmicky with a visit to a small gift shop to view Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us music video, which was filmed in Santa Marta. In that area of the favela are a statue of MJ and a mural of MJ painted by Brazilian artist, Romero Britto.
We started from the top of Santa Marta and descended 700 steps. I didn’t feel it right away, but the next day, my calves were on fire!
4. Corcovado
You could say that the tour saved the most iconic sight for last. I tried to convince the guide to move this attraction earlier in the itinerary for photographic lighting purposes but the itinerary was firm, as mentioned.
Our tour vehicle weaved through the surrounding Parque Nacional da Tijuca and dropped us off at the half-way point on the Corcovado, where the ticket counter is located. That’s also where you line up to transfer to official Corcovado van shuttles to continue the rest of the way toward Christ.
Our group arrived at the half-way point around 4pm and there was a long, disastrous line up. It was quite confusing, actually, and for this reason, I think being part of an organized group helped. We were in line for 40 minutes while our guide went to the ticketing counter to pick-up tickets. The line did not budge one bit in 40 minutes. Finally, a Corcovado park ranger shouted out the next round of timed tickets, which happened our scheduled time, allowing us to jump the queue.
At the top of Corcovado, there were a few flights of stairs we had to climb, a set of elevators and then, behold – Christ the Redeemer in all his art deco glory. After all the bustle involved in the pilgrimage, it seemed anti-climatic when we finally reached the summit! It was crowded – extremely crowded and the statue was severely backlit. We had 40 minutes to spend at the top.
There is a vantage point on a recessed platform at the foot of Christ and a little chapel at the base of Christ. To get back down to the half-way point, there was a long wait in direct sunlight for the Corcovado shuttles.
Planning tip: Wear good walking shoes.
Additional detail: The local tour operator has an agreement with the local tourism committee of Santa Marta favela and some proceeds from the tour supports the local community day care called Creche Comunitária Mundo Infantil.
Suggested time to spend: The tour was 8 hours long. There was enough time allotted for each attraction and for taking pictures.
Safe Travels!
xx Deb
The Globe Hoppers Co. says
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lovetotrav says
I adore those steps… the colours, the details. Great pictures which make me want to go and seriously Brazil has never been on my travel radar as my parents were both held up by gun point and later by knife in Rio… and they were seasoned travellers who were doing things “right” but ended up finding the ‘bad”. It has always made me nervous of the country since despite having travelled a lot. You may be able to convince me 🙂
Deb Che says
Thanks for sharing your parent’s story. Hope they were not too shaken after that experience. Safety while traveling is a serious issue especially when you’re trying to be adventurous and curious in unfamiliar places. I enjoyed Rio though!
lovetotrav says
I am sure we would too. It is just that we always heard about Brazil after that and it ranked high on the “no go zone” for a long time thereafter. I know these kinds of things happen in lots of places and it hasn’t stopped me before. I may get there someday.
Deb Che says
I agree! Paris and Rome also have a bad rap, but perhaps not to the same degree as Brazil. They need to institute more serious consequences for the perpetrators to renew tourism.
lovetotrav says
Yes and you have to be “on guard” and very aware of your environment too. It is just when someone pulls a knife on you, you are going to give them what they want, regardless. We usually carry “throw away” wallets for that purpose alone.
Deb Che says
Yes! Decoy wallets are part of my travel routine too 🙂