Resources & Information:

  • Main Site:  Rio Carnival
  • What is it?:  This world famous festival held before Lent every year is the biggest Carnival celebration in the world with 2 million per day on the streets.
  • When: February 
  • Location:  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Samba Parade:  The highlight of Carnival, a fierce competition between the Rio samba schools.  Judgment categories range from best Percussion Band & Samba Song to best Costumes, Floats & Props.
  • Sambodromo:  Built in 1984 my renown Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, it gets lit up with special effects and is where the judges and thousands of spectators (72,000 capacity) watch the principle parades.  

Accommodations & Getting Around:

  • Planning -- You should start planning your trip at least 4-5 months in advance (August / September timeframe) - everything will be booked by December.
  • All Options -- Look at all options including budget hotels, bed & breakfasts, vacation home rentals, and family & friends.  We suggest trying AirBnB, Hotels.com, Vacation Home Rentals, and BedandBreakfast.com.
  • Getting Around -- Since traffic and parking will be a nightmare, see if you can carpool, take public transportation (Metro or bus are good options), or even walk if you're lucky enough to be close by.

General Tips:

  • Tickets -- If you want to see the Samba competition in the Sambadromo, then you'll need to get tickets ahead of time ($60 - $1000).
  • Free Fun -- The good news is that everything else at Carnival is FREE, so you can just join in with the local street parties (known as blocos).
  • What to Bring -- Money belt (Rio is safe but there are pick pockets), Good walking shoes, Hat, Sunscreen, Rain gear, Snacks, Lightweight clothing.
  • Bathrooms -- Rest rooms are in very short supply, but you can purchase daily use passes from some establishments (may be the best $2-3 you'll ever spend).
  • Food -- Street vendors offer delicious and easy to eat items like various meats on skewers or ham & cheese wraps.  There are also restaurants that sell food by weight (Por Kilo Restaurant).  
  • Money -- Banks are closed during Carnival and ATM's can run dry, so bring cash with you.  Merchants will accept Dollars and Euros but will charge more, so best to exchange to the Brazilian Real currency beforehand.
  • Have Fun! -- Dance with the locals, Eat & drink the local cuisine, & Embrace the culture! 
Cost:
$ $ $ $
 Difficulty:
⚒ ⚒ ⚒ ⚒ 
 Bliss Level:
☺︎ ☺︎ ☺︎ ☺︎ ☺︎