How to get to Rio de Janeiro?

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most incredible cities in South America. The “cidade maravilhosa”, will be waiting for you with the magic of the Carnival, incredible beaches, the Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer, Tijuca Forest, the Sugar Loaf and more, much more.

Now, how to arrive to Rio? Well, you can arrive by air, or by land if you arrived previously to another city, like Sao Paulo for example. Take a look to the information below:

Arriving to Rio de Janeiro by air

The main airport is called Galeão. Main airlines fly to Rio de Janeiro, sometimes with a stop or connection in São Paulo. International passengers usually aarrives to Antônio Carlos Jobim Airport  more commonly known as Galeão Airport, which is located only 20km (12 miles) from Rio downtown. Then, you can arrive to Santos Dumont Airport, Rio’s second airport.  Most Brazilian airlines now use Santos Dumont for domestic flights so if you`re arriving from Iguazu Falls, or any other destination, you can arrive to Rio via this airport. Santos Dumont Airport is located only 12 km from downtown.

Arriving to Rio de Janeiro by land

All long-distance buses arrive at the Novo Rio Rodoviaria, located in Av. Francisco Bicalho 1, close to downtown near the old port. Of course, Brazil is a large country, but if you arrived to Sao Paulo for example, the bus could be a good idea to go from there to Rio de Janeiro.

Arriving to Rio de Janeiro by cruise

Cruise ships dock in the terminal almost opposite Praça Mauá. Downtown is an easy walk. There are many cruises visiting South America that ends or starts in Rio de Janeiro. You can take a taxi from the ship terminal to the downtown.