Rio de Janeiro City Break
A short stay in Rio balancing beach mornings in Copacabana and Ipanema with cable-car views, colonial churches, and samba nights in Lapa.
- Safety — beach theft, street robbery, express kidnapping: Take nothing to Copacabana or Ipanema you can't afford to lose: phone-snatching (often from passing motorbikes) and quick 'sweep' thefts are routine, worst at dusk and on holidays. Carry a little cash, leave passport and jewellery in the hotel safe, and if mugged, don't resist — hand it over. After dark use Uber rather than walking or hailing street taxis; the 'sequestro-relâmpago' (express kidnapping) pattern forces victims to ATMs. Avoid Centro at night and on weekends, and don't wander into favelas without a vetted local guide.
