I booked a Jeep tour leaving from Rio to this park in the morning. A lot of locals come here to…read morepicnic, hike, and swim in the lagoons with waterfalls. The tour was really fun with great sights and you really feel like you're in the rainforest even though you're pretty close to Rio. Some highlights: -Mirante das Canoas - Great view at the top of the park above São Conrado beach -Cascatinha Taunay - large waterfall where you can swim in the lagoon below -Mayrink Chapel - a small, pink chapel that is in the middle of the rainforest I would definitely recommend the tour, it was really fun to ride in the Jeep and only requires half a day.

We booked a tour for this rainforest it was a private tour by error but worked out well for us…read more Our guide gave us a nice tour, lots of walking & if u are lucky u get to see some animals, we saw Coati's , a whole family of them very cute. The waterfall was not what I initially thought from looking at pics the waterfall looked like it's something u could enjoy by getting in the water it was not the only area where u could get in the water was like a small looking pond annoying simply because would have been nice to cool off during all the walking. We got to see plenty of nature, trees, caves not terrible overall.

Probably the best hike I've done in my life so far. Also one of the most difficult…read more You can technically do it without a guide but I highly recommend getting one. The trail is pretty well marked so I don't think you'd get lost but getting a guide also gives you access to the rope and harness to get up the rock scramble (or 'Carrasqueira' as the locals call it). Allegedly you can go on your own and just pay one of the guys to rent the harness but I think a guide is worth it. Place they'll take some epic photos for you! I hiked Pedra da Gavea in late February so it was in the peak of summer in Rio. Temperatures hovered around 90F and it was HUMID. The heat and humidity had me hitting my inhaler on the way up. It takes about 3 hours to go up and 2-2.5 hours to go down. The views at the top are breathtaking so you'll probably want to hang out at the top for an hour or so. Plan for it to be an all-day affair. Bring a lot of water. Bring a light lunch. Put on some sunscreen.

An epic adventure hike that is not for the faint of heart. It's a pretty long trip to the top,…read morewhich includes some dangerous sections. The risk can be mitigated by an experienced guide with some ropes/harnesses for safety (mostly for the brief rock climb) . Local hikers tend to throw caution to the wind, but you don't want to go tumbling down a cliff do you? Getting to the top is about a 3 hour endeavor almost entirely uphill, you hike out the same way though downhill is obviously faster (maybe 2 hrs). You'll definitely want a good amount of water, so either a camelback or 3-4 12 oz waters per person. The views are totally breathtaking, I don't think I've ever been up so high without being in an airplane. If you're feeling fit and want a real hiking challenge in Rio, this is the one for you!

Whenever we travel, we always try to find a good local hike to do. In Rio, Dois Irmaos is it! It is…read morequite difficult, but amazing! To get there, have a taxi/uber drive you to the Vidigal favela entrance on Avenue Niemeyer (about 10 mins from Copacabana). At the entrance, you will see a group of motorbikes. Ask one of them to drive you to the trailhead. It will cost you 5 BRL. The motorbike drops you off at a football field. Cross the field and you will see the trailhead. We had just hiked Machu Picchu before arriving to Rio, so our legs were already pretty beat. Maybe this hike is easier than it felt for us, but by the time we reached the peak, our leg muscles were feeling the burn. The first half of the hike is fairly easy. You'll be in the shade for the most part and it's an easy, steady climb. The second half gets harder, steeper, and you'll be in the blazing sun. Be sure to pack plenty of water and sunscreen. At the half way point there is a local guy selling water and frozen acai. It's a nice treat as it is HOT outside and the frozen acai tastes great! Once you reach the top, you'll be greeted with some of the best views in all of Rio. You can see Copacabana, Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and some surrounding favelas. We stayed at the top for about 20-30 minutes before heading back down. Descending is much easier, however, can be slippery due to a lot of loose sand. If you enjoy hiking, Dois Irmaos is a fantastic climb in Rio de Janeiro.

This parque is at the end of Leblon. You take the first street off of Albuquerque (toward the…read morebeachside) and head uphill and make a left. This smaller street zigzags up a steep but fairly short hill. But do watch out for cars as there's no clear shoulder. At the top you'll see gates to the park. It says it closes at 5pm but it could be for vehicles. There's usually a gate guard hanging around. The view of Ipanema beach is awesome from here and for such little work. There is a memorial for the flight from Rio to Paris on Air Frances nicely carved out in glass. There's several stairs down to another couple open areas, the last one with another memorial with the names of the people on the plane. If you continue up into the park it has a long and curvy road that culminates to a parking lot with a pretty garden, pond and office. There's a great hike up to the base of Dois Irmãos.

This was our first time here. We took at cab to the park entrance. You go through a small…read moreneighborhood and up a windy road. The park itself is quite big and is very beautiful. You can see a different side of Dois Irmãos. It has a lot of parking, wide open spaces, plenty of shade and grassy area. There are picnic benches and a kids playground. There used to be a museum but it's closed according to the website. They also have a huge lake. It seems like a beautiful place to spend the day with family and friends. It's in the heart of Tijuca forest. We used it as a starting point to a hike up Vista Chinesa. There's a trail that starts on the right side as you walk in (past the parking, children's playground, and rest area). It starts off paved and the road eventually turns into cobble stone and then dirt. As you start getting deep into the forest you'll eventually see some houses in the distance. There's a clearly marked sign for Vista Chinesa trail which turns off and it's clearly defined all the way to the top. Definitely worth the view!

In a city lined with beautiful beaches that are perennially crowded with sun-blathers, surfers and…read moreswimmers, the São Conrado beach comes out as an exception. It is pretty calm and secluded except for this tiny part that serves as the landing strip for dozens of hang gliders and para gliders. With the gliding club of Rio operating nearby, this is the beach to come to if you want to see human beings fly like birds. If you are interested in flying, then the São Conrado beach would be your rendezvous point.

We came here to check out the Gastro Beer fest but ended up seeing a couple other things. The Jogos…read moreCarioca was also going on, so they had a small makeshift skatepark and a climbing wall for kids. We saw one kid wearing a metal for winning a jujutsu competition and plenty of kids skateboarding or mountain biking down the steep hills. They also had a music venue, with a large stage step up for live music. It was too hot to be out in the sun, but the hillside provided a bit of shade. The park has the zoo (which is currently closed due to inhumane conditions for the animals) and the national museum which is quite impressive. The food and beer festival had a great space for venue like this. They had quite a variety of food and beer options which made this a great weekend to hang out at the park despite the heat. There's also scenic views of Christo from a distance and a lagoa with scenic Corinthian columns and swan peddle boats for rent. It's also conveniently located right next to the São Cristóvão metro station.