New Year’s in Rio de Janeiro is an epic celebration of worldwide proportions. Here, it is known by its French moniker, “Reveillon,” which means a new awakening. The major festivities occur on Copacabana Beach, where you can see numerous bands on massive stages with 2-3 million of your closest friends. The major fireworks show takes place here, just off Copacabana Beach. The epicenter of the beach party is in front of the Copacabana Palace Hotel.
There are other celebrations and fireworks shows all around the city, and hotels, bars, and restaurants offer great vantage points from which to watch the show from above the fray. So, you can be in the thick of it, surrounded by hot sweaty bodies, you can watch from a perch high above it all with the city as a backdrop, or you can do what we did…
Watch the whole deal from a safe distance on a comfortable, even luxurious cruise ship! MSC is the most popular cruise line in Brazil and offers itineraries that include this event, but other lines occasionally have such itineraries, including Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Azamara.
Check out this video sample of this year’s fireworks show over Copacabana Beach. You can see two cruise ships in the background and, if you squint really hard, you can see us sharing our midnight kiss!
Check out photos from our trip here.
Brazilian New Year’s Traditions
Summer begins December 21 in the Southern Hemisphere, and summer in Rio is HOT! The sea breeze cools things off at night, but I am betting 2-3 million 100+ pound 98 degree sweaty bodies keep the beach steamy all night long…
Wear White Clothing and Colored Underwear!
It is customary to wear white in Brazil for New Year’s. It represents peace and a new beginning, and you will see most people wearing this color. White parties are the norm in night clubs and parties around the city. BUT, don’t wear white underwear! Wear multicolored drawers! While this just doesn’t feel right, because the colors may show through your sheer white dress, if you are a stickler for tradition or superstition, here is the deal. It has got to be new underwear, and here is what the colors mean (Borrowed from Nuestro Stories):
- Red: The color of passion, often associated with love and allure, enticing the prospect of new romance.
- Yellow: Symbolizing luck, fostering aspirations for fortuitous outcomes.
- Green: Reflective of wealth and financial prospects, attracting prosperity.
- Pink: Linked with fun and friendship, aiding in building new relationships.
- White: Signifying new beginnings, peace, and/or prosperity, creating fresh starts in relationships or careers.
- Blue: Tied to health, bringing you a healthy mind, body, and soul.
Offerings to Iemanja
It is customary to give offerings to Iemanja, goddess of the sea, during Reveillon. Revellers place flowers, particularly white roses, white food such as sticky rice or coconuts, or watermelon into tiny boats and send them out to sea.
Jump Seven Waves
People consider the number seven a lucky number, particularly in Brazil. New Year’s traditions include chewing 7 pomegranate seeds at midnight- don’t swallow them. Instead, keep them in your wallet all year long to keep it full of money! And/or, jump 7 waves. After the fireworks display, jump 7 waves, making a wish with each hop. Then, walk away without looking back (hopefully Iemanja won’t send a rogue wave to knock you on your booty before the year even begins).
What to Eat
Many cultures have superstitions about what to eat on New Year’s Day to ensure good things come your way during the year. In the Southern US, we eat collards, black-eyed peas, pork, and cornbread for health, wealth, and luck. In Brazil, eat lentils and pork and avoid crab and turkey!
General Information
About Rio
Important information
The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, not Spanish. It is the only country in South America that speaks Portuguese, because it used to be a Portuguese colony after a treaty with Spain in the late 15th century. The currency is the Brazilian Real which, at the time of writing (January 2024), has an exchange rate of around 5:1 with the USD. As of April 10, 2024, US citizens will need a visa to enter Brazil. Check current requirements and details here.
Arrival
We flew from Little Rock to Rio de Janeiro via Houston (IAH) in United Airlines Polaris Business Class. Read about our experience here.
The major international airport, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG), is located about 9 miles north of the city, and getting to city center takes about 20 minutes.
Brazil is a very popular destination for New Year’s. When we travel, we usually take a cab or uber from the airport to our accommodations, but for an event like this, I highly recommend booking a transfer ahead of time. Getting an uber can be an incredibly difficult task. Often you will get a confirmed ride, but they will cancel if they get a better fare. Nevermind surge pricing! Cabs are hard to come by and can scam you- if you get one that is not owned by a reputable company, you could be in trouble. If you choose to get a cab, choose a yellow cab and be sure to pre-negotiate your fare before even putting your bags in the trunk.
We decided to book our transfer ahead on Viator, as we knew we’d be tired and that there would be a gazillion other people trying to get rides as well. PLUS, Viator was offering 12x cash back or points when I booked. Aside- did you know you could change the settings on your Viator to get Amex points instead of cash back? Amex points can be way more valuable than cash back if you know how to use them! Just go to your account settings and, under “how you would like to get paid,” add your Amex and choose “Amex Points.” You don’t even have to pay with your amex to use this option. New to the points game? Read my introductory post here.
Accommodations
Hotels
Staying on Av. Atlantica at Copacabana Beach is the perfect way to set yourself up for the New Year’s celebration. There are numerous hotels along the strip, ranging from around $250 to thousands of dollars.
Copacabana Palace
Do you have an unlimited budget and want to experience New Year’s in Rio like a rockstar? Stay at the Copacabana Palace (a Belmond property)! This iconic hotel started it all, making Copacabana Beach a popular spot for the jet set.
I have no idea how to acquire a room here, as it is already booked for New Year’s 2025 at the time of writing (Jan 14 2024), and New Year’s 2026 is not available for booking… rooms on a regular night start at 3600 Brazilian Real, which is over $700 USD. And I guarantee that New Year’s pricing is higher. Check with your Amex Concierge?? Just for tix to their New Year’s party, expect to pay $250 or more! If you choose to stay here (New Years or otherwise), one huge perk is that their “beach assistants” will accompany you to the beach and watch your stuff while you swim in the ocean! Gotta figure out how to stay here on points!
Other Options
Other popular and more affordable options on Av. Atlantica include the JW Marriott, Rio Othon Palace, and Windsor properties. We stayed at the Windsor California Copacabana, and it was fine. We paid $270 a night for 2 nights. I booked through the Amex travel portal, so I got 5x Amex points, and Amex Platinum offers a $200 a year credit for hotels in its “Fine Hotels + Resorts” directory. Not a bad deal overall.
If I had it to do over, we would stay at the Mercure. We saw this really cool boutique hotel between our hotel and the Copacabana Palace, and loved it. Normal rates are less than $200, but I am sure they surge for the holiday.
Apartments and Hostels
AirBnB or VRBO rentals are a great way to really get to know a city, and booking one here for New Year’s could be a great idea. With that said, I bet finding an uber on New Year’s is a tremendous pain, and walking from some areas in Rio can be hazardous to your health. Be careful and only book if you can find one very close to Copacabana Palace.
Hostels can be a cheaper alternative, but even they are more expensive here during this time. Ones I found start around $50, but location is not ideal. I’d be super cautious about staying in a hostel here without personal recommendations.
Dining
Churrascaria
Ah, the parade of meats! Brazil is known for its unique Churrasco style of serving meat. A Churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse that serves meat in the traditional manner, known as Rodizio. Don’t want to go all the way to Brazil? Check out one of several popular franchises in the US, including Fogo de Chau, Texas de Brasil, or Rodizio Grill. Waiters circulate with massive skewers of meat, and you choose the ones you want. There is also a vast “salad” bar, which does indeed have salad and other veggies. It may also have charcuterie meats and cheeses, sushi, soup, pasta, rice, bread, and other accompaniments that cut the fat and richness of the meat. A nice glass of Argentinian Malbec from the Mendoza region goes perfectly with this meal.
The original Fogo de Chau is actually in Rio, and has a fantastic ambience and stunning views. This is a great choice, despite it being a chain.
Churrascaria Palace consistently ranks as one of the best rodizios in Rio, and this is the one we chose. Right next to the Copacabana Palace, the location is great if you are staying on Av. Atlantica for New Years. Service was fantastic and the meat was delicious.
Check out this list if you want other options for churrascarias in Rio.
Other Food
Other food? Is there other food in Rio? Sure there is…being the carnivores we are, and we only spent 2 nights here, we tried little else. Portuguese and Latin American flavors influence the food. Pasteis de Nata (AKA pasties de Belem with a caveat-must come from a specific cafe in Lisbon) and Pasteis de Bacalhau are Portuguese treats you can find here. The first is a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart, and the latter is basically a cod fritter.
Street Food
The street food is delicious! We had street corn, which was yummy but not sweet. Another street treat was queijo coalho, grilled cheese on a stick with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of oregano. Empanadas abound, and the seafood is delicious. Acai is a trendy berry that comes from the Amazon forest in Brazil and is touted to have many health benefits. You can find it everywhere in Brazil, and it is served cold, hot, in-between, in solid or liquid form, with a plethora of accompaniments. They have consumed it in Brazil for hundreds of years…
A unique ice cream flavor we had never heard of is known as “Romeu e Julieta.” This flavor was inspired by a Brazilian dessert of the same name, which includes a slice of a particular Brazilian cheese and guava paste. OMG so good!!
The national drink of Brazil is the caipirinha, whose basic form is cachaca (Brazilian rum), sugar, and lime. Like a mojito, many bars serve these with added flavors, such as raspberry or pineapple. A variant called a caipiroska is made with vodka instead of cachaca.
Activities
City Tours
I feel like there are obligatory sites in most major cities that I have a responsibility to visit, as a tourist. These sites are often amazing, and almost always packed with loud, obnoxious tourists checking a bucket list. At the risk of sounding snooty, I hate places that are crowded with tourists. Mind you, I am fully aware that I, too, am a tourist… But I hate feeling like one, and I hate dealing with hordes of people doing something they mostly don’t want to be doing. How many kids or parents are dragged along by one over-enthusiastic person who wants to see everything? While I am usually that over-enthusiastic person dragging people along, I do hate wrestling for the perfect photo spot, waiting in long lines, and being herded along…
With that said, I just cannot, with a good conscience, go to a place and not see the iconic sites. In Rio, must-see sites include:
- Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado Mountain)- great to see at sunset. Go early or go late, to avoid the largest crowds and the heat of the day. We took the train up and down, but some folks we met did the hike up and quite enjoyed it.
- Sugar Loaf Mountain- we spent way too long here. The cable car ride is crowded and smelly, but the views worth it. My advice- cable car to the first stop, have an ice cream, and cable car to the second spot. Take some pix and get in line for the ride down…Get in and get out.
- The Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro- This unique cathedral looks like a Mayan pyramid and vaguely resembles a space ship. It is conical and has 4 long stained glass windows. I definitely recommend seeing this unique church.
- The Selaron Steps– famous street art, this rainbow staircase is super instagrammable, crowded, and beautiful.
We booked our city tour on the website Tours by Locals. We were so lucky to have an amazing guide, Rosangela. If you want her contact info, send me a message!
Hang gliding
We booked our hang gliding experience through Viator with Rio Hang Gliding. I highly recommend doing this while in Rio! It sounds way scarier than it is. Once you take off, you are basically just soaring around, looking at the scenery and feeling the buoyancy of the wind. Mind you, I flew tandem, so I didn’t have to worry about details like wind speed and direction, steering, and landing. We left that to the professionals!
If you are over 100 kg or prefer, you can paraglide instead. Paragliders use a more flexible wing that is like a parachute, and is slower and more relaxing.
Helicopter rides are on offer, if you prefer a motorized flight.
Food Tours
Doing a city tour on day one helps you get oriented to the layout of a city and gives you a chance to ask questions of your guide. Doing a food tour on day one is a great way to sample characteristic dishes and get restaurant recommendations for the rest of your stay.
Eatrio offers great options for food tours and their website has great info about the city. Their tours are small groups, which is preferable. I, for one, HATE being one of 50 guests on a tour… Struggling for a spot where I can see over other people and hear what the guide is saying is not fun for me. I am a little shy in groups and won’t ask questions with so many others listening and judging me (lol). I prefer a small group of no more than 6-8 people, so it feels more like you have a local friend showing you around.
In addition, with small groups or private tours, you can spend more or less time at a place as you choose, rather than having to go with the wishes of a large group or stick to a strict predetermined schedule.
Beach Time
Rio de Janeiro is probably best know for its beaches. Check out this awesome article by a local about the top 15 beaches in Rio.
The largest and most famous, which is also the center of activity on New Year’s, is Copacabana Beach. This 2.5 mile long, very wide stretch of soft, tan sand is crescent shaped and lined by a paved promenade. Fun fact– the song Copacabana was actually written about the night club in New York. It was conceptualized in Rio, but written about the club.
You can rent an umbrella and lounge, play volleyball, or swim. There are tons of vendors serving snacks and drinks, including lemonade and caipirinhas. Some areas are great for surfing or boogie boarding, while others are better for wading or swimming. It is best to stay in populated areas after dark, as Rio has seen increasing violent crimes of late.
Copacabana Beach is divided into 12 zones, or postos. At each posto, there is a lifeguard stand and services such as toilets and changing rooms. These numbers can help arrange meeting places with friends, and give you an idea of what is where. Check out this detailed guide here.
Ipanema is another iconic beach in Rio, whose name is recognizable to many of us because of the Brazilian Bossa Nova song “The Girl from Ipanema.” It is a very nice white sand beach which tends to be a little less crowded than Copacabana but still has all the necessary services.
Wherever you choose to spend your day at the beach, enjoy the surf and sand so emblematic of this hotttt city.
Cruises
You can do a cruise that leaves or ends up in Rio, like we did. See the first section of this post for a little more info on that. Or instead, you can choose to do a sightseeing cruise, some of which include a dinner and sunset viewing. Check these out on Viator.
Day Trips
Staying longer, or had enough of city life and need an escape? Get out into the Tijuca rainforest where you can see lots of wildlife and stretch your legs with some hiking. Some of the country’s most beautiful beaches are at Angra dos Reis, including Ilha Grande. The beaches of Arraial do Cabo are extremely beautiful too, and worth a day or two. Read about these tours and other choices for day trips here.
The End
Don’t be alarmed by the stories of how dangerous Rio is. Be smart– don’t wear fancy jewelry or display expensive items. Don’t carry all of your cash and credit cards with you when you are out and about. I usually carry 2 credit cards, one debit card, my driver license, and some small money when we go out exploring, and leave several cards, my passport, and more cash in the safe in the hotel room. This way, if I am robbed, it will not be a total disaster.
These items and my phone go in a small crossbody purse, which I keep on my right hip with my hand on it at all times. I don’t get into situations where I am pressed against other people, and I am always aware of everything going on around me. I don’t go into scary places alone or at night, and I walk with a purpose rather than wandering aimlessly. I’ve not been robbed yet, and I know it could happen… but it is no more likely to occur in a foreign city than in a US city.
Get out there! South America is full of amazing culture and is vibrant, full of life, and full of delicious cuisine. Jet lag is not a problem, since you are heading almost due south. The time change is only 2-5 hours, and flights about 10 hours or so. Are you heading to South America soon? Let me know! Any questions?
Come back next time for details about our cruise and the excursions we took! Happy travels.