Rio de Janeiro Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus

Copacabana beachfront and the South Zone

Copacabana is the beach that made Rio famous: four kilometres of golden sand curving between two rocky headlands, backed by Avenida Atlântica and its famous black-and-white wave-pattern promenade. From the upper deck you see the beach volleyball courts, the kiosks, the high-rise hotels and the old fort at the southern end, with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.

Copacabana is a natural place to start or finish your Rio de Janeiro hop-on hop-off loop, and the bus also passes through the restaurant-lined streets of the South Zone. Hop off for a swim, a walk along the promenade or a coconut water at a beach kiosk, then catch a later bus. Early mornings and late afternoons are the most pleasant times on the beach, when the sun is softer.

Flamengo Park and Sugarloaf Mountain

Heading north from Copacabana, the route follows the Aterro do Flamengo, a huge waterfront park built on reclaimed land in the 1960s, with gardens, sports fields, cycle paths and the Museum of Modern Art. The views across the water to Sugarloaf Mountain are among the best in the city, especially in the golden light of late afternoon.

Sugarloaf rises nearly four hundred metres from the entrance to Guanabara Bay, and its cable car, first opened in 1912, climbs in two stages from Praia Vermelha in Urca. The bus brings you close to this area so you can continue on to the cable car if you wish. Remember that attraction tickets, including the cable car, are not included in your bus pass, so buy them separately.

Corcovado train, Largo do Boticário and Tijuca Forest

One of the most useful stops on the route is in Cosme Velho, beside the station of the Corcovado train. This little red rack railway, first opened in 1884, climbs through the rainforest to the foot of Christ the Redeemer in about twenty minutes. Hop off here if you want to visit the statue; the train ticket is bought separately, ideally in advance.

Nearby, Largo do Boticário is a small, almost hidden square of colourful houses with painted shutters and tiled façades, beside a stream at the edge of the forest. It is one of the most photogenic corners of Rio and very few visitors know it. The route also crosses part of the Tijuca Forest, giving you a taste of the rainforest that covers the mountains inside the city.

Lapa Arches and the Selarón Steps

In the historic district of Lapa, the bus passes beneath the Carioca Aqueduct, better known as the Lapa Arches. Completed in the middle of the eighteenth century to carry fresh water from the hills to the city, its double row of white arches now carries the little Santa Teresa tram. Around it, Lapa is known for its samba clubs, music venues and lively street life after dark.

A short walk away, the Selarón Steps climb from Lapa towards Santa Teresa, every step covered in bright tiles in the colours of the Brazilian flag and pieces sent from around the world. Hop off here to climb the steps and take the classic photo, then wander the old streets before catching the next bus. Mornings are the quietest time at the steps.

The Sambadrome

No visit to Rio is complete without seeing where carnival reaches its peak. The Sambadrome, on Marquês de Sapucaí avenue, is a purpose-built parade avenue about seven hundred metres long, lined with grandstands that hold tens of thousands of spectators. Opened in 1984, it is where the city's great samba schools parade every year with their giant floats, drummers and thousands of costumed dancers.

Outside carnival season the avenue is quiet, which makes it easy to walk along part of the parade route and imagine the noise and colour of the celebrations. The bus soundtrack of samba and Brazilian popular music adds to the atmosphere as you arrive. It is a short stop for most travellers, and a good place to learn how central carnival is to the identity of Rio.