Rio de Janeiro · 10–20 Jul 2026

⚽ World Cup 2026 watch (if Brazil keeps winning): The tournament is in its final week during your trip. Brazil play Netherlands in the Round of 16 on ~5 Jul (before you arrive). If they win, the path could land a game on your Rio dates:

QF · 9–11 Jul (arrival day 10th / Salvador) SF · 14–15 Jul (you're in Salvador) 🏆 FINAL · Sun 19 Jul — you're in RIO (= Feira day)

If Brazil reach the Final (19 Jul): the whole city watches. Do Feira da Glória in the morning, then find a big screen — the Feira itself, a Lapa/Glória boteco, or a beach fan-zone. Wear green-yellow. Expect fireworks & street celebration if they win. (Confirm Brazil's actual results as the knockouts play out; adjust day-of.)

📅 The Full Picture

Beach Sight Night out Food Travel 🔒 = fixed anchor

Fri

☀️ 21° · clear

ARRIVE 4pm

Ipanema sunsetbar hop

Sat

🌤️ 26° · clear

beach dayIpanema night

Sun

⛅ 26°

✈ SALVADOR

fly out

Mon

Salvador

Tue

Salvador

Wed

Morro

Thu

⛅ 26°

✈ → RIO

back to Rio

Fri

🌤️ ~25° · dry*

FORRÓ 🔒

Cristo (AM)Forró da Glória

Sat

🌤️ ~26° · dry*

Santa TeresaBeco do Rato

Sun

🌤️ ~27°*

FEIRA 🔒

Feira da GlóriaLagoa

Mon

🌤️ ~27° · dry*

SAMBA 🔒

Sugarloaf sunsetBeco do Rato

🌦️ Weather: 10–16 Jul = real forecast (fetched 1 Jul): dry & mostly clear, cool arrival (21°) warming to 26°. 17–20 Jul marked * = 5-year climate average — mid-late July in Rio is reliably dry & sunny, 24–29° days / 18–20° nights (4 of last 5 years near-zero rain on these dates). Re-check the real forecast ~14 Jul and lock Cristo vs Sugarloaf onto the clearest of the two weekday mornings (17 or 20).

🗓️ Day by Day

10FRI

Arrival · Ipanema sunset & first walk

☀️ 21° / 18°
clear · cool

4:00pmLand, taxi/Uber to Ipanema, drop bags
~5:30pmWalk to Ipanema beach (Posto 9) — her dream, first toes in the sand. July sunset ≈ 5:30–5:45pm
DinnerCasual boteco — Boteco Belmonte (Praça Gen. Osório, cold chopp + pastéis)
NoteKeep it light — jet lag. Sleep early to reset for Salvador.

11SAT

Slow Ipanema beach day · first night out

🌤️ 26° / 17°
mostly clear

Morning🌅 Wake → beach. Coffee at a quiosque, swim, Posto 9. Buy biscoito Globo + iced mate from vendors
LunchBeach kiosk or Zazá Bistrô (Ipanema)
AfternoonWalk Ipanema → Leblon, açaí, browse
Night out💜 Ipanema — bar hop Rua Farme de Amoedo & Vinícius de Moraes. Start at Bar Astor → Canastra → Barzin
NoteEarly-ish — Salvador flight tomorrow.

12SUN

✈️ Fly to Salvador — then Salvador + Morro (12–16, set)

⛅ 26°

12 JulFly Rio → Salvador
13–15Salvador & Morro de São Paulo (your existing plan)
16 Jul✈️ Fly Salvador → Rio (arrive evening). Settle back in Ipanema, quiet dinner, recover.

17FRI

Cristo Redentor (weekday) · Forró da Glória FORRÓ 🔒

🌤️ ~25°
dry (avg)

Morning🌅 Wake → beach ritual
~8:00am⛪ Cristo Redentor FLEX day — book the first 8am slot (Google popular-times confirmed live: peaks 11a–12p, early = emptiest; weekday much calmer). Official van from Largo do Machado / Copacabana (paineirascorcovado, ~R$87–132) or cog train (tremdocorcovado, ~R$134). Light jacket — windy up top. Allow ~2.5h
AfternoonRelax / rest before the night. It's a dance night — pace it
Evening💃 Forró da Glória FIXED @forrodagloria.rj — Glória neighborhood (by Glória metro). 2× "Prêmio Forró no Rio" winner. Free before 20h, forró class ~20h30. Tix: forrodagloria.sualojaonline.app
OptionalWarm-up samba: Carioca da Gema (Lapa) — Leonardo Bessa live this night · Sympla

18SAT

Santa Teresa & Selarón · Beco do Rato samba night

🌤️ ~26°
dry (avg)

Morning🌅 Wake → beach ritual
Afternoon🎨 Uber to Santa Teresa (bohemian hilltop, galleries, Parque das Ruínas) → walk down Escadaria Selarón (215 tiled steps, free) → into Lapa. Daylight only; keep phone discreet on the steps
Early dinnerLapa — eat before the crowds build
Night 🎶💜 Beco do Rato @becodorato — the authentic Lapa roda de samba (R. Joaquim Silva 11). This is the venue Isis found. Rodas ~19h / 22h40 / 00h. Tix: becodorato.com.br/linktree · WhatsApp (21) 97968-3670
🛡️ Safety: stay on the main Lapa strip; Uber/99 door-to-door, don't walk dark side streets late. Fine as a couple on the strip.

19SUN

Feira da Glória FEIRA 🔒 · Lagoa afternoon & evening

🌤️ ~27°

Morning🌅 Beach ritual, then head out early
~10–11am 🍽️Feira da Glória FIXED · special for Isis — Rio's biggest street market (Rua Augusto Severo, by Glória metro). Declared official cultural heritage in 2025 — she's seeing a newly-anointed carioca institution. Metro Line 1 direct from Ipanema (~20 min). Go early to beat crowds
Eatpastel + caldo de cana (~R$10 + R$6) is the ritual; carioca upgrade = pastel + cerveja bem gelada. Don't-miss stalls: Cozinha da Latifa (Nigerian), Ceviche de Harry (Peruvian), Trem Bão (comida mineira), Milis (tapioca + linguiça)
Order like a local"Me vê um pastel de carne e um de camarão, por favor." · "Um caldo de cana com limão, bem gelado." · "Duas cervejas estupidamente geladas." · "Aceita Pix?"
~2pm🎶 19 Jul = third Sunday → good odds for the live samba rodas at the feira (Praça Paris area). Browse the brechó (vintage) & vinyl (Prainha Discos). Bring cash + Pix
Afternoon🚣 Cab/Uber to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas — pedal/swan boat, rent bikes on the 7.5km loop, or a lakeside quiosque. Relaxed, fun, safe, open — her kind of afternoon
Sunset+🌇 Stay at Lagoa after sunset — the kiosks light up, live music at some, calm water & mountain views. Chosen over Arpoador for safety. Easy dinner lakeside
🛡️ Lagoa is one of the safer, family-friendly evening spots — well-lit kiosks, relaxed. Grab an Uber home.

20MON

Sugarloaf sunset (weekday) · Samba finale SAMBA 🔒

🌤️ ~27°
dry (avg)

Morning🌅 Beach ritual
MiddaySlow — beach / Ipanema / rest. (Vista Chinesa removed — remote viewpoint, security risk, not worth it.)
~4:00pm🚡 Pão de Açúcar / Sugarloaf FLEX day — arrive 4–4:15pm for golden hour; July sunset ≈ 5:20–5:35pm. Weekday = lighter. Book ahead: bondinho.com.br (~R$205, two cable-car legs). Safe, iconic, worth it
DrinksMureta da Urca — beer + bolinho at Bar Urca, sit on the seawall facing the bay. Or dinner in Urca/Botafogo
Evening💃 Samba party — Beco do Rato FIXED @becodorato (the venue Isis found; Lapa, R. Joaquim Silva 11). Perfect finale.

📖 Venue Directory — 🟢 = IG-verified live · tap 📍 Maps / IG

🎶 Samba, Forró & Nightlife

Beco do Rato · Lapa 🟢 your samba party · roda 19/22h40/00h
📍 Maps IG @becodorato
Forró da Glória · Glória 🟢 your forró class · free before 20h
📍 Maps IG @forrodagloria.rj
Carioca da Gema · Lapa 🟢 institution · Av. Mem de Sá 79
📍 Maps IG @barcariocadagema
Pedra do Sal · Centro 🟢 street samba · Mondays 19h–00h, free
📍 Maps IG @rodadesambadapedradosal
Samba do Trabalhador · Andaraí Renascença, Mon 16:30, legendary
📍 Maps

🍺 Beach Bars & Botecos

Bar Astor · Ipanema beachfront cocktails 📍
Canastra · Ipanema local fave, natural wine 📍
Boteco Belmonte · Ipanema classic chopp + pastéis 📍
Bar Urca / Mureta · Urca seawall, Sugarloaf view 📍
Kiosks @ Lagoa · Lagoa Sun evening, lakeside, safe 📍

🍽️ Food to Try

Feira da Glória · Sun market pastel + caldo de cana + samba 📍
Casa da Feijoada · Ipanema feijoada any day 📍
Antiquarius · Leblon refined dinner splurge 📍
biscoito Globo + mate the beach snack
açaí any beach kiosk

🚕 Getting Around & Safety

Uber / 99 over taxis verify plate + name
Metro safe: Ipanema↔Centro/Glória/Copa
Avoid city buses robbery risk
Skip: remote viewpoints (Vista Chinesa), Arpoador after dark, favela-area bars security
Beach: no valuables, esp. after dark
Lapa night: main strip only, Uber door-to-door
July daylight ~6:30am–5:30pm, dark fast

✅ Book / Confirm Before You Go

Item	When	Where / Price	Status
Cristo Redentor (8am slot)	Fri 17 (or swap to Mon)	paineirascorcovado · ~R$87–132	book after 14 Jul weather check
Sugarloaf cable car (sunset)	Mon 20 (or swap to Fri)	bondinho.com.br · ~R$205	book advance
Forró da Glória (class)	Fri 17 evening	sualojaonline.app	confirm 🔒
Beco do Rato (samba)	Sat 18 & Mon 20	becodorato.com.br	confirm 🔒
Re-check forecast → lock sights	~14 Jul	pick clearest AM of 17 vs 20	reminder
⚽ Track Brazil WC results	from 5 Jul	if Final 19 Jul → plan a screen	watch