Is Rio Safe? What I Tell Friends After Three Trips
I've been to Rio three times: September 2023, the end of April into May 2024, and September 2025. The first time I went alone, and the last two times I went with my uncle. Each trip was about ten or eleven days.
So, is it safe? I never once felt unsafe in Rio. That's my experience, and I went in with the same common sense I'd use in any big city.
For reference, the U.S. State Department has Brazil at Level 2, "exercise increased caution," mainly because of crime, with some specific areas rated higher.
Before you go: you need a visa now
This one catches people. Since April 10, 2025, Americans need a visa to visit Brazil. You apply online through the official eVisa portal, and you can't get in without it. My first two trips were before the rule came back. My 2025 trip was after it, so give yourself time.
Where I stay: Leblon
Every time I've gone, I've stayed in Leblon, and I book on Airbnb. On my first day I called it the Upper East Side of Rio, and I still think that's about right. It's easy to get around from there, the beach is right there, and it's close to Alliance, where I train.
Here's every place I've stayed and what it actually cost, straight from my receipts:
- 2023 (solo): an apartment with a panoramic view, about 8 minutes from the beach. I booked it as two stays, 8 nights total, for about $673 with fees. That's roughly $84 a night all in.
- 2024 (with my uncle): a renovated two-bedroom about 5 minutes from the beach. 9 nights for $1,873, so about $208 a night, split two ways.
- 2025 (with my uncle): a modern penthouse with a terrace in Alto Leblon, 11 nights. My uncle booked that one, and the listing's gone now. Alto Leblon is up a hill, the furthest from the beach I've stayed, and still not far.
What I tell a friend before their first trip
- Don't wear anything super expensive or flashy. Same as anywhere. You'll see people wearing watches and jewelry, sure. Funny thing: the fanciest, most expensive jewelry I saw the whole time was in the favela.
- Take Uber. I used it everywhere, and it's super cheap. There are taxis, but I just preferred Uber.
- In a favela, keep your phone and camera put away. Don't walk around waving a camera. There are things going on that they don't want you to see.
- The beach at night depends on where you are. In Leblon, once it gets really dark, you can't be down by the water. The tide comes up and they close that part of the beach. In Copacabana and Ipanema, there are kiosks along the beach with live music, food and drinks, and people are out.
- Like any city, Rio has good areas and bad areas. Something I learned: the favelas police themselves. Inside, you really don't have much to worry about, as long as you follow the rules.
- The police were super friendly. I barely dealt with them, honestly. The one time was coming down Sugar Loaf after our hike. It was pitch black on the trail, and the police at a checkpoint stopped us and told us to take the cable car down instead. They were friendly about it, and they were right.
- Watch your drink. Don't accept random drinks from people, especially open ones, and don't leave yours unattended, especially if you're alone. That goes for any city, not just Rio.
- Don't go to strange places with people you just met.
- Make a local friend. Every time I've been to Brazil, I've met an interesting group of people, or even just one person, at a pub crawl or training jiu-jitsu, and we end up hanging out. They've shown us things we never would've found on our own, and they've given us the best advice on the city: where to go, what to do, what not to do. That's honestly the best safety tip I have.
- Save the emergency number. In Brazil, the police are 190.
- Check your Airbnb when you get there. On my first trip I packed a little hidden-camera detector and a carbon monoxide detector, and I run both as soon as I drop my bags. It takes five minutes.
What it costs
- Flights: my round trips from the DC area ran $423 to $636 (Copa through Panama, and GOL/Avianca through Bogotá).
- Lodging: see above. My solo trip in 2023 was the cheapest by far.
- Food: you can get a meal for $5 to $10. My uncle and I split a lot of meals, so it went even further.
- Tours: most of the Airbnb Experiences I booked were $14 to $40 a person. The Sugar Loaf hike was $83, and the helicopter ride was the big one at $263.
- Getting around: Uber, and it's cheap.
The best stuff I did
Honestly, I did so much fun stuff there. I met a group of people and got to hang out in Lapa, which is where the nightlife is. I also trained jiu-jitsu at Ares BJJ and at Alliance. Alliance is the easier one for me to get to from Leblon, and they've got a good group of guys over there.
Fun story: on my flight down to Rio, I recognized a black belt named Diego Bispo from Instagram. I walked up and said, "Hey, I know you. You train, right?" He told me about training at Ares, so that's where I went. One thing to know: class was supposed to start at two, and people casually strolled in until about three. Diego just said, "Sorry, this is the Brazilian way." There was no formal warm-up either. Everybody did their own stretches, then positional training from the feet, then the ground, then straight rolling.
Me and black belt Thiago Traveck at Alliance
The full list, from the Sugar Loaf hike to free samba on Monday nights, is in Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro.
Where to eat
A few spots I like:
- Príncipe de Mônaco in Copacabana, on Rua Miguel Lemos right behind Posto 5. It's an old-school seafood joint and the food is really good. My uncle and I went a few times.
- Yayá in Leme, at the end of Copacabana beach. Afro-Brazilian food, and it's really good.
- Clan BBQ on Rua Dias Ferreira in Leblon, a barbecue spot close to where I stay. It's in the Michelin Guide.
Dinner at Yayá in Leme, September 2025
Lunch at Príncipe de Mônaco
So, is Rio safe?
For me, yes. Three trips, Leblon every time, Uber everywhere, and all my visits have been good. Get your visa sorted, use the same sense you'd use in any big city, don't flash anything expensive, and go enjoy it.