Rio de Janeiro

1. ~7:30a●Carioca breakfast

   Tropical fruit, pão de queijo (warm cheese-bread puffs), and a cafezinho — then an açaí bowl, the Amazonian berry the city runs on.

2. 8:30a◆Christ the Redeemer at opening

   Up the cog train through the Tijuca forest to the Art Deco Christ — go at opening before the cloud and the crowds settle on the peak. The whole city unfurls below.

3. ~11:30a→Santa Teresa & the Selarón Steps

   The hilltop artists' quarter — the rattling bonde tram, the studios, and the tiled Escadaria Selarón, 215 steps in ceramic from around the world.

4. ~1:30p●Feijoada lunch

   Brazil's national dish (best on Saturdays) — the slow black-bean-and-pork stew with rice, collard greens, farofa, and orange, with a caipirinha alongside.

5. ~4:30p◆Sugarloaf at sunset

   The two-stage cable car up Pão de Açúcar — time it for golden hour, when Rio's mountains, beaches, and bay light up and the city glitters on.

6. 8:30p✦Oteque ★★Anchor table

   Rio's most celebrated table — a refined seafood-led tasting menu from Brazil's coast and rivers. Intimate and superb; book ahead as the trip's fixed point.

Do the two summits on the clearest day you get — Christ at opening, Sugarloaf at sunset, weather permitting; if a day is cloudy, swap them around. Both reward going early or late, never midday.

1. ~9:00a→Ipanema & Leblon

   The famous beach by daylight — the mosaic promenade, the posto numbers locals meet at, and the upmarket Leblon end. Rent a chair and a fresh coconut from a vendor.

2. ~11:30a✦Beach culture

   A swim, a game of futevôlei, and a Globo biscuit from a roaming seller — the unhurried art of the Carioca beach day.

3. ~1:30p●Botequim lunch

   A neighbourhood bar-restaurant for a cold chopp (draft beer) and bar snacks — bolinhos de bacalhau, a grilled-fish plate, or a beachside seafood moqueca.

4. ~4:00p✦Lagoa & the Jardim Botânico

   A walk or pedalo around the Lagoa lagoon under the Christ statue, and the imperial palms of the great Botanical Garden nearby.

5. ~6:30p✦Sunset at Arpoador

   The rock between Ipanema and Copacabana where the whole beach gathers to applaud the sunset over the sea — a genuine daily Rio ritual.

This is the slow beach day — Cariocas treat the beach as a way of life, not a sight. Keep valuables minimal on the sand, and don't miss the communal sunset clap at Arpoador.

1. ~9:30a◆Centro's historic core

   Colonial churches, the Imperial Paço, the Theatro Municipal opera house, and the Confeitaria Colombo — a belle-époque tea salon frozen in time (stop for a coffee under its mirrors).

2. ~11:30a◆Museu do Amanhã & the port

   Calatrava's swooping 'Museum of Tomorrow' on the revitalised waterfront, and the giant Kobra mural of the world's indigenous faces nearby.

3. ~1:00p●Lunch in the centre

   A traditional botequim or a per-kilo buffet (comida a quilo) — pile a plate of Brazilian home cooking and pay by weight, the local lunch system.

4. ~3:30p✦The Lapa Arches & Escadaria

   The white aqueduct arches, the bohemian Lapa quarter by day, and the antique shops of the Saara market district.

5. ~7:00p●Dinner before the samba

   An early bite in Lapa or Santa Teresa — grilled meats or a Bahian seafood dish — to set up for the night.

6. ~9:00p✦A samba night in Lapa

   Lapa after dark is the city's music engine — a roda de samba in an old gafieira dance hall, a caipirinha in hand, the band and the crowd as one.

Centro is liveliest on weekdays (quiet on weekends). Lapa is the place for live samba but stay street-smart at night — go with a group and keep to the busy, lit blocks.