So Carnival time has arrived, everyone is excited, you are in Rio de Janeiro but don’t want to party. What to do? Is there anything to do out of the Carnival bounds? What are the alternatives for those who do not enjoy Carnival?
Don’t worry, after all, not liking Carnival is not something that unusual! In this article, you will find 5 suggestions of tours in the Marvelous City (and 1 bonus item) that can make you forget that you are in the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro. Take one tour per day, and you will enjoy your stay here as if the biggest party in the world was not even happening!
–> For those who want to enjoy the party, do not forget to read our Practical Guide to enjoy the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
1. Escape to the Tijuca Forest
Rio de Janeiro has in its heart an enormous urban forest. Full of lookouts, waterfalls, places for hiking, and fresh air, it can be a great alternative to get away from the revelers, since they do not circulate around there!
Begin your tour through the main entrance of the Tijuca National ParkTijuca National Park, located next to the Afonso Vizeu Square. There are buses from Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá and Tijuca. To find out how to get there by public transport, visit the Moovit app or click on this link here.
From there you can walk to Cascatinha Taunay and choose one of the many hikes that leave from that point. To plan your visit, visit the park official website the park official website. Include in your tour the Lago das Fadas (Lake of the Fairies) and the Açude da Solidão (Açude of Solitude). At Bom Retiro, you will find picnic tables and a playground for the children, but to use them you must arrive early.
If you are going by car, when you leave the Açude da Solitude, you can also take advantage of the Chinese View and the Pedra Bonita Free Flight Ramp, two of the free, easy-to-access lookouts that we listed in this article here. Both are very close by!
Carioca Tip:
In Afonso Vizeu Square, there is the Pracinha Bar, a lovely restaurant that serves a delicious feijoada on weekends and holidays and can be an excellent opportunity for you to eliminate one of the 10 things not to be missed in Rio de Janeiro. For those who prefer something more exquisite, the alternative for lunch is to go to the Restaurant Os Esquilos (The Squirrels), established since 1945 in the middle of the forest, which has a beautiful garden in its backyard, great for playing with children.
Tijuca Forest: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (in daylight savings, closes at 6 p.m.). Free entrance.
Bar da Pracinha: Open every day. Monday, from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. From Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am to 11 pm (Friday and Saturday until 1:30 am). Address: Praça Afonso Viseu s / n. Alto da Boa Vista. Accepts debit and credit cards.
Os Esquilos Restaurant: Open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Address: Str. da Cascatinha, s n. Alto da Boa Vista. It accepts Visa and Mastercard.
2. Visit the Moreira Salles Institute
Another hidden spot from the Carnival party is the Moreira Sales Institute. Located in Gávea, it is a Cultural Center with interesting exhibits and movie theaters that exhibit films and documentaries out of the most famous circuit.
The Institute is in the former residence of the banker Walther Moreira Salles. Designed in 1948 by Olavo Redig de Campos, one of the greatest icons of Brazilian architecture, the house is an authentic modern mansion with gardens designed by Burle Marx – the most famous Brazilian landscaper. So beautiful that the place alone would be worth the ride.
But to make the place even more pleasant, the institute has an excellent restaurant inside. The Emporio Jardim has a typical bistro menu, which includes salads, quiches, omelets, sandwiches, desserts, drinks, and wines. But the main meal of the house is the breakfast, that is served all day in an air-conditioned lounge or in the outdoor area with tables by the lake of carps and Burle Marx panel. Sitting there, I guarantee you will not even remember that Carnival is going on out there!
Moreira Sales Institut: From Tuesday to Sunday and holidays (except Monday), from 11am to 8pm. Address: Marquês de São Vicente Street, 476, Gávea. Free admission to the cultural center and exhibitions. Check the price for other activities.
3. Enjoy one of the West Zone beaches
If you are the type that loves spending the day at the beach, the best option is to flee to one of the beaches of the West Zone, some already listed in the article ‘the 10 best beaches in Rio de Janeiro’.
The closest to the most touristic districts of Rio is Barra da Tijuca beach, but choose the more distant points in the region, like the Environmental Reserve located after the lifeguard post 8. To get there, you have the option to go by bus or take the subway to the Oceanic Garden Station and from there get a Uber.
If you are driving, you can even go further! Choose between Prainha, Macumba Beach and Grumari. But, remember, arrive early, before 9am. This is one of the favorite choices of the Cariocas who don’t like Carnival, and the beaches are usually crowded.
Also, despite having breathtaking views, the roads to the beaches are quite narrow, after all, it is an environmental reserve region. Then there can be enough traffic if you decide to arrive after 9am.
4. Visit Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf
If you have a more tourist style, you won`t have much trouble to taking advantage of the two main postcards in the city: Crist the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf. Because Carnival is a national holiday, they will probably be swamped. But from above, like Gilberto Gil (A Brazilian musician) would say, “Rio de Janeiro remains beautiful,” and there will be no sign of Carnival.
→ Speaking of music, have you already listened to our Spotify list? Click here to check.
To visit Corcovado, choose to buy your ticket in advance, especially if you want to take the Corcovado train, which is how we recommend it. For Sugarloaf, if you are an adventurous type, know that it is possible to do Morro da Urca Hike. The path begins next to Praia Vermelha.
→ Explore Sugarloaf with us: book your tour now!
In both cases you must pay attention to one detail: Botafogo, Urca, Laranjeiras, and Cosme Velho, the neighborhoods where these two tourist attractions are located are very well known for having a lively Street party Carnival! Therefore, it is necessary to check the traffic conditions in advance to not end up stuck around the cars, watching the street parties parades pass by.
GMaps and Moovit work very well in the city. And on this website here you will find all the street parties that will parade through the town, by neighborhood. Plan ahead, and it will work fine!
Corcovado: Daily from 8am to 6pm. Buy your ticket in advance! To go by van, go to here. PTo go by train, go to here. Tickets starting at R$ 71,00.
Sugarloaf: Every day, from 08:00 to 21:00. If you buy your ticket early on the website, you get a 10% discount. Tickets from R$ 110,00.
5. Day trip to Petrópolis
And if you feel like an escape to even further, the solution may be to have a day trip to Petropolis. Located only 70km from Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis is a mountain town, very marked by German immigrants and by the Brazilian Imperial Family, who had in the city its favorite place.
There the temperatures are much more pleasant, and the ride is also a good reason to escape of the high carioca temperatures. Street carnival parties also happen there (check the schedule here), but the atmosphere of the city is different, calmer and more cultural.
On the same day, you can visit the Imperial Museum, which occupies the former home of the Brazilian Imperial Family, and the São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral, which houses the Imperial Mausoleum, with the remains of the emperor D. Pedro II and of the Empress D. Teresa Cristina.
If you want to continue the cultural tour, be sure to visit Santos Dumont`s house. The Brazilian who invented the plane lived in Petrópolis, and his house is really the home of an inventor: full of creative alternatives and modern solutions for his time.
If you like beer, visit the brewery factory Bohemia. Founded in 1853, it is the oldest brewery in Brazil. They have a brewery tour that follows the style of the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam and culminates with the tasting of two beers. They also have a restaurant and a beer bar that are only sold there in the factory but will have carnival programming.
How to get there
To get to Petrópolis by bus, go to Novo Rio Bus Station. Tickets cost less than R$ 30,00 per way and buses from Unica-Fácil company leaves every hour. To buy your ticket online, click here. Arriving at the city bus station, you will need to take a taxi, a UBER or a bus to the Center. But the tours mentioned above can all be done on foot.
If you decide to hire a car, the tour might be more fruitful. It is possible to stop in a belvedere in the middle of the road, in the Palace Quitandinha, just at the entrance of the city. If you like steaks, have lunch at Churrascaria Lago Sul, right there on the lake in front of the old hotel. If you prefer a quick snack, stop at the famous Casa do Alemão and try the Sausage Bread and the Meat Croquet, the flagship of the house. But, attention, the driver of the time will probably have to dispense the tasting at the Bohemia Brewery because the roundups at Carnival becomes even stricter and are common! Be aware!
Carioca Tip:
Many Cariocas flee to the mountain region at Carnival. Therefore, to make your round-trip, prefer Sunday and Monday, days when the flow of cars to go up and down the mountain reduces.
Imperial Museum: From Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Address: Rua da Imperatriz, 220 / Centro – Petrópolis – RJ. Tickets at R $ 10.00.
São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral: Visitation from Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 5:30 p.m. On Sundays at times when there is no mass. Address: R. São Pedro Alcântara, 60 – Centro, Petrópolis. Free entrance.
House of Santos Dumont Museum: rom Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5pm. Address: Rua do Encanto, 22. Admission to R$ 8.00.
Bohemia Brewery: Monday to Thursday from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Sundays, 10am to 5pm. Saturdays, 10am to 6pm. On Carnival days, it will run from 10am to 6pm every day. Address: Rua Alfredo Pachá, 166. Centro – Petrópolis. Tickets at R $ 39,00.
Lago Sul Steakhouse: DMonday to Saturday from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm and on Sundays from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm. Address: Estrada Ayrton Senna, s / n. Petropolis.
Casa do Alemão (German’s House): Daily from 7 a.m. to 9:20 p.m. Address: Ayrton Senna Road, 927, Petrópolis.
6. Bonus tip: Go to the movies
Rio cinemas are usually crowded on weekends and evenings throughout the year. But they are typically empty during Carnival! Street movie theaters are usually open normally. In shopping malls, on Mondays and Tuesdays of Carnival, stores are close, only the Food Square and the Cinemas are open. So if you are a movie buff, take the opportunity to enjoy a quiet, air-conditioned movie with your popcorn, away from the carnival bustle.
If you don’t speak Portuguese, that`s ok as here in Brazil the movies are mostly subtitled. The audio is in the original language of the film, even in many sessions of animation films, more aimed at the children’s audience. So search for the “LEGENDADO” information, choose your movie and be happy!
These were our tips for you to get away from the revelry. What did you think? Can you be happy in Rio de Janeiro without enjoying the Carnival? Leave your opinion in the comments and, if you want personalized help, remember that we can elaborate an itinerary especially for you.
