Rio de Janeiro shopping malls, from largest to smallest

At a glance

How to read the ranking

GLA (in Portuguese ABL, área bruta locável) is the floor space a mall rents to stores. We take it from investor reports of the mall owners (Multiplan, ALLOS, Iguatemi, Ancar) or from the mall’s own site, and show the source and the date of the data. Store counts come from the same sources; where none is published, we write “n/a”. Figures from different owners are dated differently, so treat close numbers as roughly equal.

Labels: Zona Sul = in or next to the South Zone beach districts; premium = the mall positions itself as upmarket on its own site; kids = indoor park, supervised play area or kids’ zone confirmed on an official site.

Ranking by gross leasable area

NorteShopping’s own site also quotes 103,000 m² and 110,000 m², which looks like a different measure (built area); we rank by the ALLOS GLA.

Malls near the South Zone

• RioSul (Rua Lauro Müller, 116, Botafogo). Opened 1980, about 400 stores, Kinoplex cinema. The mall runs the “Conexão Metrô” shuttle to Cardeal Arcoverde station in Copacabana every half hour from the main entrance, Mon-Sat 10:00-22:30, Sun and holidays 12:00-21:00. Animasom play area and the XD zone for ages 5-15.
• Shopping Leblon (Av. Afrânio de Melo Franco, 290). Opened 2006, Kinoplex, Teatro Casa Grande, Animasom and Gamelab. Jardim de Alah metro station is under 4 minutes’ walk.
• Botafogo Praia Shopping (Praia de Botafogo, 400). About 5 minutes from Botafogo metro station; the Terraço Botafogo food floor opens daily 11:30-00:00.
• Shopping da Gávea (Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 52). Opened 1975, four theatres and the Estação NET Gávea cinema.
• Rio Design Leblon (Av. Ataulfo de Paiva, 270). Small mall with a cinema.
• Fashion Mall (Estrada da Gávea, 899, São Conrado). Kinoplex and two theatre halls.

Large malls further out

• Shopping Nova América (Av. Pastor Martin Luther King Jr., 126, Del Castilho): direct exit to Nova América/Del Castilho metro station, 7 cinema screens, the open-air Rua do Rio food street, Playcity indoor park in the car park.
• BarraShopping (Av. das Américas, 4.666, Barra): opened 1981, Hot Zone, Barra Kids, family rooms, strollers on loan. No metro.
• NorteShopping (Av. Dom Hélder Câmara, 5474, Cachambi): 10 cinema screens, Teatro Miguel Falabella, Praça Kids and a 300 m² playground. Access by bus.
• Via Parque (Av. Ayrton Senna, 3000, Barra): describes itself as a mall for families with children; Animasom’s largest play area, restaurants with kids’ corners.
• Shopping Metropolitano Barra (Av. Embaixador Abelardo Bueno, 1300): BRT station Rede Sarah, Animasom area, trampoline park and indoor karting.
• VillageMall (Barra): luxury national and international brands, a 1,060-seat theatre.

More on kids’ areas and the Animasom rules: Rio with kids.

Opening hours

Store hours from each mall’s site, checked 29.10.2026. Food courts and restaurants often stay open later.

For the other malls, check hours on their own sites.

Getting there by metro and BRT

Fares and how to pay: Getting around Rio.

Tax free for tourists

On 29 October 2026 there is no working tax refund for tourists in Rio, and none of the malls we checked offers one.

• Federal: Complementary Law 214/2025 (art. 471) allows a future refund of IBS and CBS to non-residents leaving by air or sea, but it still needs regulation. According to the Ministry of Finance as quoted in the press, it will not start with the reform on 1 January 2027.
• State of Rio (ICMS): the law exists, but the state finance office is still choosing an operator (bids until 2 December 2026). No start date has been announced.

Niterói

Across the bay, Plaza Niterói (Rua XV de Novembro, 8, Centro) has 44,592 m² GLA (ALLOS, 22.07.2025) and a cinema; stores Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun and holidays 13:00-21:00. Niterói Shopping’s site was under maintenance when we checked. More: Niterói from Rio.

How we help

We add a mall stop to any day: a private driver who waits while you shop, a guide in your language who helps with sizes and payment, or a rainy-day plan with an indoor park for the children. For souvenirs and crafts, the street fairs are often a better fit: see Rio markets and fairs.

What to tell us in your request

• Dates and where you stay
• What you want to buy, or which mall
• Children’s ages, if you want a play area
• Language for the guide
• Your WhatsApp number