4 Best Sights in West of Downtown, Rio de Janeiro

Now seating 78,838 fans after a major makeover in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup, the stadium hosted key matches during the 2016 Rio Olympics, and big local games are also held here during the seemingly never-ending Brazilian soccer season. The stadium is officially called Estádio Mário Filho, after a famous journalist, but it's best known as Maracanã, the name of the surrounding neighborhood and a nearby river. Guided and nonguided stadium tours can be booked on the official website; on match days the last tour begins three hours before gates open.

Check local press outlets for match times.

For children and others with an interest in seeing birds and beasts up close, Rio's city zoo makes for a fun day out. Colorful native birds and a variety of South American monkeys are among the attractions; the "nursery" for baby animals and the reptile house are always popular with younger visitors. The zoo has received criticism for the somewhat small enclosures the larger animals—including lions and bears—endure, but conditions have improved in recent years, and an extensive refurbishment program was completed to improve facilities for animals and visitors alike, turning it into a biopark. 

A little off Rio's main tourist track, the National Museum is well worth the metro ride to view its exhibits of botanical, anthropological, and animal specimens. With a permanent collection of 20 million objects (give or take a few), the supply is nearly endless. Temporary exhibitions focus on subjects such as meteorites, tribal art, and animal evolution. The opulent museum building—a former imperial palace—itself merits a visit, and the vast grounds are home to Rio's city zoo.

Unfortunately, the museum was damaged by a fire in 2018, closing its exhibitions rooms inside. The open-air exhibition Museu Nacional Vive was installed nearby, with panels and photographs that highlight the history and reconstruction of the institution. The restoration process can be followed on this website. ( museunacionalvive.org.br/)

Complete with lakes and marble statuary, this vast public park on a former royal estate's landscaped grounds is a popular spot for family picnics. You can rent boats to pedal on the water, and bicycles to pedal on land. The former imperial palace now houses the Museu Nacional. The city zoo sits adjacent to the park, which often hosts live music events.