Jenn
Arlington (Virginia)
I'll have the opportunity to tack on 1 day in Rio or Sao Palo after a work trip. Interested in best recs for museums or adventurous day tours; will be travelling solo.
If you only have one day, the only sensible thing to do is to go and see the statue of Cristo Redentor, in Rio. Afterwards, you can sip caipirinhas on the beach in Ipanema.
Rio de Janeiro, hands down. It's simply the more unique of the two cities. The only problem is choosing what to see in only one day!
If you want something more active, you could sign up for a Tijuca forest jeep tour or go hang gliding or surfing. If you're looking for museums, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil is regularly listed amongst the world's top 100 museums. But honestly, if I had one day in Rio, I wouldn't bother with a museum! I'd walk along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, go up to Sugarloaf Mountain or Corcovado, maybe check out Santa Teresa and the Selaron Steps. The way the city is built around the dramatic landscape makes it really fun to experience the different neighborhoods and their views, and makes getting from one point to another an adventure of its own (in the good way).
If you do end up in São Paulo, Jenna at This Is My Happiness has some wonderful ideas about what to do and see, and is a great resource for a Sampa visit!
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