4 Unique Things to Try in Rio de Janeiro
Last Updated: April 27, 2024
Rio de Janeiro is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, vibrant cities in the world. And there is no shortage of amazing sites to see. Of course, when visiting Rio, you must see Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Copacabana Beach. But beyond the cliches, Rio offers some incredible hidden gems that you don’t want to miss out on. Here, we break down everything you need to know about some of our favorite unique experiences in Rio de Janeiro.
What are the hidden gems in Rio? Our favorite, off-the-beaten path experiences in Rio de Janeiro were:
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You may have heard of Christ the Redeemer, the Tijuca Forest, and the Sugarloaf mountain, but have you ever considered how unique it would be to see those sites from the sky? We’re here to tell you how.
And sure, you may have your qualms about launching off the side of a cliff with a stranger, but what better way to meet a local? Plus, our guide had been doing this for 26 years. He shows you everything you need to know to make hang gliding a safe, but epic experience.
Plus, we’ve checked, and this is WAY more affordable and epic to do in Brazil than in other parts of the world.
Part of what makes hang gliding so magical is that you get to float like a bird on the wind, but this means that the experience is highly dependent on the fickleness of the atmosphere. To ensure safety for everyone involved, the hang gliding pilots and their assistants constantly “read” the winds. They only fly when the weather conditions allow for a smooth, safe ride.
This means you should be ready to be flexible with your schedule. You may want to schedule hang gliding in Rio at the beginning of your trip to leave a buffer of time to reschedule. On our trip, because of the weather conditions, we rescheduled this experience at least two times. But it was absolutely worth it!
You also should make sure you leave plenty of time on the day of your Rio hang gliding experience to wait for optimal conditions. Both of us had to wait between 30 minutes to an hour once we got to the top of the mountain before we could take off.
Below, you’ll see what the starting point looks like. The instructor will teach you how to run fast with him. Surprisingly, you don’t have to jump at all, and the best way to do it is to literally run straight off the board.
If you’re like Steph, you may feel a little anxious at the thought of launching off the side of a mountain, and you may not do it the most gracefully…
But once you’re in the air, you get a completely unique feeling of weightlessness, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Not to mention a bird’s eye view of the beauty of Rio. And the pilots are excellent at ensuring you get optimal photos to remember the experience.
While you’re in the air, be ready for the pilot to give you quick instructions on how to land. It’s just a matter of putting your arm around his shoulder and running in the air until your legs hit the ground, but it can come up quickly if you’re not paying attention!
Overall, both of us felt like it was one of the most unique, epic adventures we have ever done.
In Brazil, favelas are synonymous with slums or ghettos. So you may wonder why you would want to spend your vacation visiting a place known for poverty and injustice. But sometimes, surprisingly, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Dumbledore.
Maybe that sounds dramatic, but in some favelas in Rio de Janeiro, light has wholeheartedly filled the gaps previously wrought by heartache. In the past, favelas developed as neighborhoods for the outcasts, poor citizens, and formerly enslaved Afro-Brazilians. The poverty in these communities often led to extreme instances of chaos and violence. But fortunately, over the years, many communities have begun experiencing a transformation. Families are finding creative ways to bring stability to their future.
Further, your visit gives back to the local communities in a special way. For one, they are reminded that they are not forgotten. Secondly, the value of your tour could feed a family, sponsor a student, etc.
That being said, to ensure your safety, I 100% recommend going with a tour guide who knows how to safely navigate these communities. The tour guides know the roads not to walk down, what time of day to go, where to stop, and where to safely take photos.
Also, don’t forget, this IS a walking tour so make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. Favelas are notorious for their steep hills, so wearing shoes with a good grip is also a good idea, especially if it rains like it did when we visited.
If you like to stay active when traveling, capoeira might be the experience for you. Sure, you may look a little silly, but you’ll definitely be working out muscles you didn’t know existed. Capoeira is considered a martial art infused with elements of dance, music, and maybe a little bit of gymnastics. 🤸🏻 And contrary to popular belief, it’s more than just “sexy dance fighting,” as depicted on that one episode of Bob’s Burgers.
Although you’ll be taught by exceptional capoeiristas, the overall environment of the class is quite informal. For one, you can show up wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Don’t worry about shoes because the art of capoeira is usually shoe-less. You’ll meet with your instructor outdoors at a local park—a community hub. As you wait for the capoeira class to begin, you’ll see couples grabbing a burger across the street, children running up slides at a playground, and dogs getting ready for their own training class (unclear if they were also learning capoeira or just how to walk on a leash). And you’ll end the class happily in a roda, or circle, of capoeiristas ranging in level, who are eager to share with you their love of the sport.
Fortunately, capoeira is similar to yoga in that you listen to your body. While you might see the professionals standing on their head or walking on their hands, that is by no means the expectation for a beginner. The capoeira class is designed for you to learn at your own pace. That being said, you may be surprised at how well you can pick up this fascinating sport through observation. With some spotting and help, we were both able to launch into a neat 3-second hand stand!
You have likely heard of Rio’s renowned Carnaval celebration that takes place every year in February. But did you know that year round you can get a personalized, backstage look into the making of Carnaval?
This rich cultural experience comes complete with a mini samba lesson and a caipirinha, the classic Brazilian cocktail.
This Carnaval tour takes you around the warehouses where the Carnaval floats are created in preparation for the huge parade at the Samba Drome. Each float is created by a different samba school, complete with hundreds of dancers and a huge marching band. In Brazil, a samba school is more than just a dance studio. It is an entire community. Kids grow up in the samba school, and young and old members alike contribute to the incredible display at the big day at the Samba Drome.
If you’re a lover of the arts and design, you’ll likely appreciate the concept testing, and prototyping that goes into each outfit, dance, and decorative floats. It takes hundreds of designers a whole year to prepare, making the final craft impressively immaculate.
And what a luxury it is to freely take photos of anything and everything you’d like!
If you like seeing down to earth humans making fools of themselves and having a blast, check out a 3 minute video of us struggling to follow along in our Samba class. I’m sure the caipirinha had something to do with our inability to appropriately ‘samba’.
Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro
We found Copacabana to be the best neighborhood to stay in Rio. The beaches are unbeatable, the restaurants are delicious, and there is easy transport available to any activity. In fact, a lot of the tours we did had their departure points near Copacabana Beach. You can also easily walk to Ipanema and many other shops and restaurants along the beach.