Rio de Janeiro itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 days

Rio rewards a slower pace than its postcard suggests. The two mountain viewpoints, Corcovado and Sugarloaf, sit in different parts of the city and each needs a half-day with transport. Add the beaches, Santa Teresa and one day outside the south zone and three days is the floor, not a comfortable fit.

If you have only one day, pick Corcovado plus Copacabana and Ipanema and accept that you will miss Sugarloaf. With two days, add Sugarloaf and the Selarón Steps. With three, add a beach morning at Arpoador or a half-day on Paquetá Island, which is reached by ferry from Centro.

Start at Corcovado. Take the first timed slot you can book, because the statue sits in cloud for much of the afternoon in summer. The official access is by train or van from Cosme Velho; buy the slot online before you travel and arrive 30 minutes early. From the top you look down on the lagoon, the beaches and the north zone.

Come down for lunch in Botafogo or Copacabana, then walk the Copacabana promenade and continue to Ipanema. Late afternoon, go to Arpoador rock, where locals clap the sunset. It is a short walk from Ipanema and free.

Eat dinner near your hotel rather than crossing the city at night. If you want a samba night, Lapa is the classic area, but go by app car and come back the same way.

Sugarloaf is a two-stage cable car from Praia Vermelha in Urca. Go early again, or go late — the last ascent of the day gives you the city lights and is often less crowded than midday. The walk around Urca at the base is short and flat, with views back to the bay.

After lunch, head to Santa Teresa by the tram from Centro or by app car. The neighbourhood is hilly, so plan one loop rather than wandering: the tram line, the Selarón Steps below it, and a café stop. The steps are free and busiest in the middle of the day.

In the evening, Lapa has live music and bars under the arches. Keep it simple: one venue, app car both ways, and no valuables on show.

If the sun is out, take a beach morning. Ipanema and Copacabana are the easy options; Barra da Tijuca and Grumari are further out and quieter. Rent a chair and umbrella from a beach vendor and keep only a small amount of cash with you.

If you want something different, Paquetá Island is a car-free ferry ride across the bay from Centro, with bicycles and a slow afternoon. Check the ferry timetable the day before; it is a commuter service, not a tour.

If it rains, the mountain viewpoints close or turn into fog. Swap in the Museum of Tomorrow and the aquarium in Centro, or the Botanical Garden in Jardim Botânico, and keep Corcovado for the next clear morning.

The two mountain tickets are the biggest fixed costs of a short trip, and both are cheaper booked online in advance than bought on the spot. Food in Rio ranges from a cheap per-kilo lunch to a full dinner in Ipanema; the middle of that range is where most visitors land.

Transport is cheap if you use the metro and buses, and still reasonable if you take app cars. Budget a little more for app cars at night, when you should not be walking long distances.

Build the itinerary around the weather, not the other way round. Corcovado and Sugarloaf are the two things you cannot fake in the rain, so put them on the first clear mornings and keep the beach and museums flexible.

Stay in the south zone — Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon or Botafogo — if this is your first trip. You will spend less time in traffic and more time at the things you came for. Botafogo is the value pick and has the metro.