Rio De Janeiro Holiday Weather Overview
Rio de Janeiro is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro and is the second largest city in Brazil. It was founded in 1565 but the Portuguese and has been made famous due to landmarks such as the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer that stands overlooking the city.
Rio de Janeiro has seen slight decline which has been contributed to the city being replaced as the Brazilian capital by Brasilia and the commercial centre of Brazil shifting to the city of Sao Paulo.
Rio de Janeiro was recently brought to prominence again with the film, Fast Five, one of the Fast and the Furious films that was released in 2011.
Top places to stay in Rio de Janeiro
With beautiful beach locations and those in the heart of the city, there are many different types of accommodation in Rio de Janeiro to suit any taste of budget.
For those who enjoy the high life there are hotels such as the Miramar Hotel by Windsor, the Belmond Copacabana Palace, the Windsor Atlantica Hotel, the Windsor Bara, the Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel and the Hotel Santa Teresa – Relais & Chateaux to choose from. All are rated at four stars or more and come with beautiful outdoor pool facilities as well as impeccable service standards.
If you are looking for a more personal touch from a bed and breakfast or small inn then Rio de Janeiro is not one to disappoint. With places such as the Casa Cool Beans B&B, the Rio Panoramic, the Casa Beleza, the Guesthouse Biance, the Caalegre Art Villa B&B and the Casa Geranio to name but a few, those who prefer contact with local culture and colour are sure to find it in Rio de Janeiro.
When it comes to holiday rentals, Rio de Janeiro really is a city where travellers are spoilt for choice with more than 2,000 different rental apartments and villas to choose from.
Food in Rio de Janeiro
For food in Rio de Janeiro, you are spoilt for choice with more than 8,000 different restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlours and bars to choose from.
For those who enjoy fine dining then there are restaurants such as Olympe that serve high priced specialised cuisine and offer a more refined dining experience than you might find elsewhere. Olympe itself specialises in French food and has a menu that starts at around £36 and reaches around £90 per meal.
If you are looking for a more relaxed dining experience then there are lots of different places around Rio de Janeiro that have great food on offer such as the CT Boucherie, the CT Brasserie and Cachambeer.
If you have a sweet tooth then Rio offers a wide range of places such as Momo Gelato where you can happily indulge your sugar cravings in comfortable surroundings.
Things to do and see in Rio de Janeiro
The most obvious of the tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro is visiting the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks the city but this is not all that Rio has to offer.
Rio de Janeiro boasts some stunning views of the landscape of Brazil and some even more breath-taking walks such as the Pedra Bonita, the view from the Pedra Da Gaea and the Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Rio de Janeiro is also not without its cultural side with beautiful venues such as the Theatro Municipal Do Rio de Janeiro and the Centro Cultural Banco Do Brasil to explore.
Best time to visit Rio de Janeiro
As Rio de Janeiro stays warm all year round and the rainy periods are not too intense it is pleasant and beautiful to visit at any time of year, though during the Christmas period there are the New Year’s Eve celebrations that should not be missed and February is the time to go if you want to be part of Rio de Janeiro’s legendary carnival celebrations.
Most visitors go to Rio between December and March. This summer period encompasses both New Year's Eve and Rio's famous carnival, so you can expect crowds and high prices, but it's worth it for the undeniably vibrant atmosphere.
Rio de Janeiro in the Summer
If you're visiting Rio during the summer months, you'll need to adapt to the heat and humidity. Average daytime temperatures between December and March hover at around 30°C, although temperatures closer to 40 are not uncommon. The nights are not much cooler, at around 25°C, and the humidity is high, so visitors can find it a little sticky and unpleasant at first.
These summer months are Rio's wettest months, with 4-6 inches of rainfall each month on around 12-15 rainy days a month. It's much too hot for waterproof clothing, however, and you may find the rain a temporary relief from the heat. Bring plenty of changes of lightweight clothing, and make sure you drink lots of water during your visit.
Rio de Janeiro in the Winter
Rio's winter climate runs between June and September, and this is the ideal time to visit if you don't do well with extreme heat. It's still very warm at this time of the year, with average highs of around 24°C and nights at a balmy 18°C, but the humidity is lower and visitors feel more comfortable. There's less rain in these months too, with only around 6 wet days a month.
Winter is ideal for sightseeing in Rio de Janeiro, especially if you want to visit Sugarloaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer, as there is much less fog now than during the rest of the year.
Rio de Janeiro in Spring and Autumn
Rio's short “shoulder seasons” bring a mixed bag of weather conditions. Both autumn (April and May) and spring (October and November) are warm and wet, and hotels tend to be cheaper during these seasons. There are still some major events to enjoy, such as the Rio Boat Show in April and the film festival in October, but overall the city is quieter than in either winter or summer.
If you're visiting Rio in the spring or autumn, bring warm weather clothing but perhaps a shawl or coverup, or something with long sleeves, in case there are sudden temperature changes.
What to wear in Rio de Janeiro?
As Rio de Janeiro stays warm all year round it is advisable to only take light clothing with you, though be sure to check that your accommodation doesn’t have a dress code that you will need to pack for before you travel. Due to the periods of rain in Rio de Janeiro it is advisable to take some form of light waterproof with you if you are visiting during the summer months.
Best months to visit Rio De Janeiro?
June and July are the best month to go for holiday or travel to Rio De Janeiro. The weather averages gathered from Rio De Janeiro weather forecast and Rio De Janeiro weather history also forecast these months temperature to be around 25°c and average of 235.4 hours of sunshine in a month.
Coldest months of Rio De Janeiro?
July and August are the coldest months with temperature at around 18°c.
Which months receive most rainfall in Rio De Janeiro?
January and December receive most rainfall with precipitation count of 184.23mm.
Travelling to Rio De Janeiro? Check out our Weather averages of Rio De Janeiro to better plan your holiday or travel.
If you would just like to know what the weather was for a past dates for research or education or you are just curious then visit our historical weather of Rio De Janeiro section.