Multi-Day Trips From Rio de Janeiro
Two coastlines run out from Rio: the mountainous Costa Verde to the southwest and the Região dos Lagos to the east. Neither rewards a rushed day trip. Both reward two or three nights away from the city, and visit.rio’s own regional pages carry current bus and ferry timetables for each.
Ilha Grande, 2 to 3 days
This vehicle-free, 193-square-kilometre island holds 106 beaches, Atlantic forest reserve trails and the ruins of the old Cândido Mendes penitentiary. Reach it via Conceição de Jacareí, a 2-hour drive followed by a 15-20 minute Flexboat speedboat crossing for R$50-70, or via Angra dos Reis, a 3-hour Viação Costa Verde bus (~R$65) followed by a CCR Barcas ferry or fast schooner. Once on the island, Lopes Mendes beach is a water-taxi ride to Praia do Pouso (~R$30-40) plus a 20-minute ridge hike; Pico do Papagaio is a demanding 9km round-trip climb, often started at 02:00 for a sunrise above the clouds; and boat trips to Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde run R$150-220 per person for snorkeling among sergeant major fish and sea turtles.
Paraty, 3 days
Paraty’s traffic-free colonial grid, laid over irregular 18th-century stone paving, earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019 for its mix of Portuguese port architecture and the surrounding Serra da Bocaina rainforest. It sits 250km southwest on the BR-101, a 4.5 to 5-hour Viação Costa Verde bus ride (~R$85-100) or 4 hours by car. Once there, a 5-hour schooner cruise around the bay’s islands runs R$80-140 with lunch included, and the town’s cachaça distilleries, including Engenho D’Ouro and Cachaça Coqueiro, run tastings along a centuries-old geographic-indication route.
Búzios and Arraial do Cabo, 2 to 3 days
Búzios, 175km east, takes 3.5 to 4.5 hours by Viação 1001 bus (~R$70-95) thanks to Rio-Niterói bridge traffic, and rewards the trip with 23 distinct beaches and dining along Rua das Pedras. Arraial do Cabo, 160km east, is known for cold-water upwelling that gives it 10-25 metres of visibility, the best scuba diving base in southeastern Brazil; boat trips to As Prainhas do Pontal do Atalaia are unrestricted, while Praia do Farol sits inside a regulated island reserve requiring Navy authorization to land. Multi-day packages covering both towns are searchable on GetYourGuide .
The verdict
Ilha Grande and Paraty pair well as a single week along the Costa Verde; Búzios and Arraial do Cabo work better as their own trip, since the bridge traffic east of Rio eats into any itinerary that tries to combine both coasts. Compare beachfront hotels in these towns on Booking.com before locking in bus times. For single-day options closer to the city, see the day trips guide .
Before you go
Buy Viação Costa Verde and Viação 1001 bus tickets a few days ahead for weekend departures from Rodoviária Novo Rio; the popular afternoon slots to Paraty and Búzios sell out first.