Parque Guinle

One of the defining landmarks of the city. The cable cars take you up from Praia Vermelha station for a breathtaking view of much of Zona Sul and the center, and also the city of Niteroi, just across Guanabara Bay. You have to queue again at Urca Hill (Morro da Urca) station for the second part of the ride. You can also walk up a trail to this point (start on Trilha do Morro da Urca along the shore, then climb the stairs on your left) and take the cable cars to Pão de Açucar and back to Praia Vermelha for R$92, or just back to Morro da Urca for R$59, or just down to Praia Vermelha for R$39 (full prices). This ticket office closes at 19:30, the downward trip is free after that. At Morro da Urca you can take a sightseeing helicopter trip, if you can afford it. The area is pretty secure, thanks to the various military institutions nearby. The buses number 511, 512, 591 and 592 and the subway buses from Botafogo bring you to the base station. Do not make the mistake of thinking you have seen enough once you have seen the view from Cristo Redentor. Try Sugarloaf at sunset for a truly mind-blowing experience. It is also possible to hike/climb up via the Escalada do Costão.

The 710 m granite peak of Corcovado, capped by the famous 38-m statue of Jesus known as Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), has been the vantage point for countless picture postcards and travel posters through the ages. Its peak provides a sweeping panorama, from the interior of Guanabara Bay to the north, to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (Rodrigo de Freitas' Lagoon) to the south. Access to the mountain as a whole is free, but most of the good views are within the paid area of the Christ statue. You can't enter the statue itself except for a small chapel at the bottom of it.

The rocks at the Copacabana end of Ipanema beach. From here you can see a panorama including Corcovado and Sugar Loaf. It is supposed to be the best place to watch the sunset from in Rio. Reputedly a bit dangerous so go there at weekends when there are lots of people and a few police around.

Former palace of the Imperial Princess, now the governor's office. Eclectic architecture. Not open to the public.

A delightful square of well-preserved colonial style houses that date back to 1831.

This is the official residence of the Governor of the State of the Rio de Janeiro