Rio’s most famous attraction actually stands high above the city itself. Take the cog train through the Tijuca Rain Forest in order to get to the top of Corcovado Mountain, where the statue of Christ the Redeemer towers. Another huge Rio landmark is the sexy beaches that line its coastline. Sip a caipirinha (a Brazilian cocktail made from sugarcane liquor, soda, sugar, limes and fresh mint) and soak in the rays on Ipanema Beach. Sadly, another Rio characteristic is how its poor juxtapose with the city’s well-off. Favelas, poorer sections of town, climb up from the base of hills where the middle-class and rich reside. To see all of Rio, including its unpolished corners, take a tour through a favela in a jeep.
To mobilize your sleeping legs after a long bus ride, hire a guide at an agency to accompany you to hike Sugarloaf Mountain. The last bit requires technical climbing and thus it’s recommended you hire professionals. Several outfitters offer high-excitement trips such as hangliding, jet boat, helicopter and canopy tours. (In a canopy tour you sling through tree tops harnessed to a thick cable.)
While the kids are off flying through the jungle, hop on a city tour and learn more about Rio’s history. Instead of getting an adrenaline rush from teetering heights, the displays at the indigenous and modern art museums will astound you, like at the Museu do Indio and Museu de Arte Moderna Rio de Janeiro.
At night, splurge on a dinner with live Brazilian music. Move your shoulders to samba music while chewing local cuisine.