Rio, Búzios and Arraial do Cabo in 6 to 7 days, private trip

At a glance

Búzios sits on a peninsula east of Rio, and the city’s tourism office counts 23 beaches there. Arraial do Cabo, about 40 km away, is about the sea: its waters are a federal marine reserve, and most visitors come for a boat trip around the bays. Spending nights in Búzios and a day in Arraial gives you both without long day trips from Rio.

Day by day

Day 1: arrival in Rio

A driver meets you at Galeão or Santos Dumont. Afternoon on the beach, dinner near the hotel.

Day 2: Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf

Corcovado in the morning by train or official van; the train runs every 20 minutes from 8:00, with check-in at least 40 minutes before your slot. Santa Teresa and the Selarón Steps after lunch, and the Sugarloaf cable car at the end of the day, with the last car up at 19:30. See Rio in 4 days for the full plan.

Day 3: Ipanema and the Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden in the morning, then the lagoon and Ipanema. This is also the spare day if clouds covered the viewpoints.

Day 4: to Búzios

The driver picks you up after breakfast and takes you east to Búzios. Afternoon on one of the calmer western beaches, such as Ferradura, and in the evening a walk on Rua das Pedras, the street of restaurants, bars and shops.

Day 5: Búzios on the water

Schooner trips leave from the pier at Orla Bardot and usually take three to four hours. We can book a private boat instead and pick the route by the wind. The east side, with beaches such as Brava and Tucuns, gets more wind and bigger waves.

Day 6: Arraial do Cabo, with a stop in Cabo Frio

A day at sea in the Resex Marinha do Arraial do Cabo, created in 1997 and managed by ICMBio. Boats leave from the Marina dos Pescadores, and landing points can change by ICMBio’s decision, so we confirm the route for your date. On the way back, a stop in Cabo Frio, about 15 km from Arraial do Cabo.

Day 7: back to Rio or the airport

The driver takes you to Galeão for your flight or back to Rio for a last night. With six days, day 6 ends with the drive straight to the airport or to Rio.

How to adapt it

• Shorter. Six days: drop the spare Rio day, or go from Galeão straight to Búzios and finish in Rio.
• Longer. Add a night in Arraial do Cabo or Cabo Frio so you go out on the water in the morning, when the sea is often calmer. Or add Petrópolis as a mountain day from Rio.
• With children. Calm-water beaches on the west side of Búzios, shorter boat trips and child seats in the car. More on our Rio family trip page.
• With older travellers. A private boat instead of a busy schooner, and a hotel close to the center of Búzios.
• Add-ons. A helicopter flight over Rio, a photoshoot, diving or a sunset yacht.

What we arrange

• Airport transfers and a private car for the road legs to Búzios, Arraial do Cabo and back.
• A schooner or private boat in Búzios and a boat in Arraial do Cabo on the days with the best forecast.
• A guide who speaks your language where one helps, confirmed in the proposal.
• A selection of hotels in Rio and stays in Búzios, from a small pousada to a villa.
• Corcovado and Sugarloaf tickets planned for your dates, and a check of the marina and landing rules.
• One contact on our team for the whole trip.

Our fee is already included in the price. A vetted local provider delivers each service. More in how we work.

Good to know

• RIOgaleão lists an Auto Viação 1001 bus line from Terminal 2 to Búzios. The airport does not publish the timetable, so check it with the operator.
• The town sets the rules at the Marina dos Pescadores, including what passengers may bring on board. If you want lunch or drinks on the boat, we arrange it under the current rules.
• The UK FCDO says Rio’s rainy season runs from November to March and advises against road travel in heavy rain. If the weather keeps the boat in port, we move it to another day.

Check entry requirements on official websites before you travel.