Welcome to Brazil: a country where modern art meets rainforest-green hills, and city days melt into music-filled nights. This 7-day São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro itinerary is crafted for curious travelers who love culture, cuisine, and coastal scenery. Expect museum masterpieces, street-art alleys, botecos with clinking glasses, and sunsets that hush the crowd.

São Paulo—the engine of Brazil—thrums with creativity in its galleries, design-forward cafés, and markets stacked with tropical fruit and towering mortadella sandwiches. Rio de Janeiro arrives like a revelation: granite peaks dive into turquoise water, neighborhoods spill down lush hillsides, and samba spills into the street by midnight.

Practical notes: Brazil is welcoming year-round, with December–March warm and humid, and May–September milder and drier. As in any major city, keep valuables tucked away and use licensed taxis or ride-hailing at night. Come hungry: from Amazonian flavors to Minas Gerais comfort food and fresh-caught seafood, Brazil’s regional cuisine shines throughout this trip.

São Paulo

São Paulo is Brazil’s cultural powerhouse—home to MASP’s floating galleries, Oscar Niemeyer’s curves in Ibirapuera Park, and one of the deepest dining scenes in the Americas. Neighborhoods shift like chapters: Avenida Paulista’s urban theater, Liberdade’s Japanese-Brazilian enclave, and bohemian Vila Madalena’s murals and music.

• Top sights: MASP, Ibirapuera Park (MAM & Auditório Ibirapuera), Pinacoteca, Beco do Batman street art, Liberdade, Copan Building and downtown modernism.
• Eat & drink: Mercado Municipal for pastel de bacalhau and the famed mortadella sandwich; contemporary Brazilian at D.O.M. or Maní; Northeastern flavors at Mocotó; cocktails at Bar dos Arcos beneath the Municipal Theater.
• Fun fact: Greater São Paulo is among the world’s largest metro areas and boasts the largest Japanese community outside Japan—taste it in Liberdade’s shops, bakeries, and noodle bars.

Where to stay: Base yourself in Jardins or near Avenida Paulista for easy museum access and dining. Pinheiros and Vila Madalena are great for nightlife and cafés.

Browse stays: VRBO São Paulo | Hotels.com São Paulo

Getting to São Paulo: Fly into GRU or CGH. Compare fares on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com. From GRU to Paulista/Jardins, allow ~60–90 minutes by taxi/ride-hail depending on traffic.

Day 1: Arrival, Avenida Paulista, and Skyline Sundowners

Afternoon: Arrive and check in. Stretch your legs along Avenida Paulista—São Paulo’s cultural spine. If time allows, dip into MASP for its suspended, glass-walled galleries; if it’s closed, pop up to Sesc Avenida Paulista’s terrace for a free city panorama.

Evening: Dinner at Bar da Dona Onça near the Copan Building—think hearty Brazilian classics (oxtail, moqueca) in a retro-modern space beloved by locals. Nightcap at Bar dos Arcos under the Municipal Theater—candlelit arches, inventive cocktails, and a cinematic setting.

Day 2: Ibirapuera Icons, Mercadão Lunch, and Pinacoteca Art

Morning: Coffee first at Coffee Lab in Vila Madalena—barista-led tastings and Brazilian beans roasted to perfection. Then head to Ibirapuera Park for a stroll past Niemeyer’s white curves; art lovers can visit MAM or the Afro Brazil Museum for hit-the-highlights collections.

Afternoon: Taxi to the Mercado Municipal (“Mercadão”). Bite into the city’s cult-favorite mortadella sandwich at Bar do Mané and a golden, football-sized pastel de bacalhau at Hocca Bar. Continue to Luz for the Pinacoteca’s Brazilian masterworks and the historic Estação da Luz.

Evening: Dinner at Mocotó in Vila Medeiros—warm, family-run Northeastern cooking (the sun-dried beef with cassava puree and the tapioca dadinhos are musts). If you prefer something closer in Pinheiros, book Maní for elegant, produce-driven cuisine. Cap the night with a Brazilian craft beer at Empório Alto dos Pinheiros.

Day 3: Liberdade Flavors, Street Art, and Samba

Morning: Breakfast at Padaria Bella Paulista (open long hours, huge pastry cases) then wander Liberdade’s lantern-dotted streets. Pick up Japanese-Brazilian sweets and browse grocery shops stacked with rare teas and condiments.

Afternoon: Explore Beco do Batman’s kaleidoscope of street art in Vila Madalena—new murals appear constantly. Pause for a mid-afternoon espresso tonic at Futuro Refeitório in Pinheiros or return to Coffee Lab for another round.

Evening: Dinner at Tordesilhas (regional Brazilian with indigenous and Amazonian touches). For live music, try Bar Samba in Vila Madalena—intimate rodas de samba that keep the crowd swaying late.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is spectacle made city: beaches curve under jagged peaks, cable cars glide over the bay, and neighborhoods climb leafy hills. History lingers in Centro and Santa Teresa, while Ipanema and Copacabana trade in sunshine, caipirinhas, and golden-hour rituals.

• Top sights: Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado), Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar), Selarón Steps, Lapa Arches, Botanical Garden, Parque Lage, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.
• Eat & drink: Classic pastries at Confeitaria Colombo; seafood and caipirinhas on Urca’s seawall; Santa Teresa’s hilltop restaurants at sunset; churrasco at Churrascaria Palace.
• Fun fact: Cariocas honor sunset like a civic ritual—watch the applause at Arpoador as the sun drops behind the Dois Irmãos peaks.

Where to stay: Ipanema and Leblon for beach time and dining; Copacabana for easy transport and classic promenade walks; Santa Teresa for artsy, hilltop charm.

Browse stays: VRBO Rio de Janeiro | Hotels.com Rio de Janeiro

Day 4: Fly to Rio, Beach Promenade, and Arpoador Sunset

Morning: Fly São Paulo (CGH) to Rio (SDU). Flight time ~55 minutes; door-to-door allow 2.5–3.5 hours. Typical one-way fares run ~$40–$120. Compare on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com. Check in and get oriented.

Afternoon: Light lunch at Polis Sucos in Ipanema—fresh açaí bowls, pão de queijo, and juices like graviola or cupuaçu. Walk the mosaic promenade from Ipanema to Copacabana, people-watching and browsing beach kiosks.

Evening: Time your day for Arpoador sunset between Ipanema and Copacabana; locals clap as the sun kisses the sea. Dinner at Churrascaria Palace (Copacabana) for classic rodízio—endless cuts tableside plus a stellar salad bar. Post-dinner drinks at Jobi in Leblon, a lively old-school bar where the city unwinds.

Day 5: Christ the Redeemer, Santa Teresa, and Lapa by Night

Morning: Beat the crowds to Christ the Redeemer. Go early via the official train from Cosme Velho or authorized vans from Largo do Machado; allow ~2.5–3 hours round trip including photos and viewpoints.

Afternoon: Ride up to Santa Teresa’s cobbled lanes. Lunch at Aprazível, a treehouse-like spot with bay views—order moqueca or bobó de camarão and a jabuticaba caipirinha. Walk down to the colorful Selarón Steps and the Lapa Arches for photos.

Evening: Lapa comes alive after dark. Start with pastel and a cold chope at a boteco, then head to Rio Scenarium—multi-floor vintage décor and live samba or forró. Comfortable shoes, light clothes, and a small crossbody bag are your friends.

Day 6: Sugarloaf, Urca Seawall, and Contemporary Dining

Morning: Take the two-stage cable car up Sugarloaf early to avoid queues. You’ll get sweeping views over Guanabara Bay, Christ, and the beaches—often with marmosets scampering in the trees.

Afternoon: Walk the tranquil Urca neighborhood. Snack at Bar Urca: bolinho de bacalhau, shrimp empada, and an icy beer perched on the seawall. If you prefer a café break, visit the Confeitaria Colombo outpost at the Copacabana Fort for pastries with a seaside view.

Evening: Dinner splurge at Oteque in Botafogo (seafood-forward tasting menu) or Lasai (seasonal, produce-driven fine dining). For something casual, Adega Pérola in Copacabana serves superb petiscos—octopus salad, cod croquettes, and marinated seafood—all at the counter.

Day 7: Botanical Garden, Parque Lage, and Farewell

Morning: Breakfast at Empório Jardim (eggs, cakes, pão na chapa) before wandering the Rio Botanical Garden—towering imperial palms, orchid houses, and quiet paths. Nearby Parque Lage offers a romantic courtyard café under the Corcovado cliffs.

Afternoon: Last swim at Ipanema or quick souvenir stop at the Hippie Fair in Praça General Osório if it’s Sunday. Depart in the afternoon—SDU is closest to the South Zone; allow extra time for traffic.

Evening: If you have a late flight, squeeze in an early dinner: Academia da Cachaça (Leblon) for feijoada or escondidinho and a guided cachaça tasting; or Zazá Bistrô Tropical (Ipanema) for breezy, colorful plates with Brazilian ingredients.

Getting from Rio onward: For your flight home or onward in Brazil, compare options on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com. Domestic flights between Rio and other Brazilian capitals are frequent and typically $50–$150 one-way when booked ahead.

In seven days you’ll have tasted both sides of Brazil: São Paulo’s artful ambition and Rio’s easygoing brilliance. With museums, markets, samba, and sea breezes, this itinerary balances depth and delight—and leaves just enough on the table to entice a return.