Guides · Brazil
Getting around Rio de Janeiro
How to move around Rio de Janeiro on a 3-day walking trip: metro, tickets and the notes that matter.
Checked September 2026 against official sources
Rio de Janeiro
Transit and walking
Follow the official link before you buy. Full walking days: Rio de Janeiro itinerary.
Getting around
- On MetrôRio you can pay at the turnstile by tapping a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Elo card or a phone; the single fare is R$7.90 from 12 April 2026, and with Visa and Elo cards the fare covers re-entries within two hours.Source: MetrôRio · checked Sep 2026
- The Santa Teresa tram leaves from the Carioca station on Rua Lélio Gama, near the Carioca metro station; tickets are sold only at that station, and departures run every 15 to 20 minutes.Source: Riotur · checked Sep 2026
Questions
Quick answers
How do I get around?
Days one and three are largely on foot along the beachfront and through the centre, with one taxi each; day two needs the Corcovado train and a taxi. The metro accepts contactless bank cards and phones at the turnstiles, and taxis and rideshares are cheap by European standards.
How much walking is this itinerary?
Day one is the long one, about 4 km in a straight line along the Copacabana and Ipanema promenades, all flat; day two is under 1.5 km plus the train and a taxi; day three is under 3 km through the centre, with the tram doing the climb to Santa Teresa.
The days these rules belong to
3 days in Rio de Janeiro
Rio's sights fall into three zones, so the plan gives each a day: day one takes the cable car up Sugarloaf in the morning, then walks the length of Copacabana to the fort and on to Ipanema and the sunset rock at Arpoador; day two rides the cog train up to Christ the Redeemer, then visits Parque Lage and the Botanical Garden at its foot; day three starts at the Museum of Tomorrow on the revived port, walks through the centre past Candelária, the Confeitaria Colombo and the cathedral to the Lapa Arches and the Selarón steps, and ends with the yellow tram up to Santa Teresa. The Museum of Tomorrow and the fort are closed on Mondays and the Rio Art Museum on Wednesdays, so plan days one and three around them.
