Why go
- Second-largest city in Brazil.
- Served by Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ).
History
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital and largest city of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-largest city in Brazil after São Paulo, and the largest by international tourists. It has a population of 6 million in the city proper, and 13 million people in its metropolitan area as of 2025. It is also the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 27 airlines, 49 direct destinations
- Sky Express G3 (737-800, 737-700) · 26 routes: Aracaju, Belem, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Campinas, Campo Grande, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Foz Do Iguacu, Goiania, Joao Pessoa, Maceio, Manaus, Natal, Navegantes, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Santo Domingo, Sao Luis, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Vitoria
- TAM Brazilian Airlines JJ (A320, 767-300, A319, A321, 747-400) · 25 routes: Belem, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Campinas, Curitiba, Dallas-Fort Worth, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Foz Do Iguacu, Frankfurt*, Joao Pessoa, Maceio, Manaus, Miami, Natal, New York, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Santiago*, Sao Luis, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Vitoria
- Oceanair O6 (318, A320) · 8 routes: Brasilia, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Joao Pessoa, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Sao Paulo
- American Airlines AA (767-300, 767) · 4 routes: Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, New York
- US Airways US (767-300, 762) · 4 routes: Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, New York
- Aerolineas Argentinas AR (737) · 2 routes: Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
- Air France AF (A330-200, 737-700, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Curitiba*, Paris
- Avianca - Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia AV (A319, A320) · 2 routes: Bogota, Lima*
- Delta Air Lines DL (737-800, 767-400) · 2 routes: Atlanta, Santo Domingo*
- Emirates EK (777-300ER) · 2 routes: Buenos Aires, Dubai
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (737, 777) · 2 routes: Amsterdam, Curitiba*
- LAN Airlines LA (A320, A319) · 2 routes: Buenos Aires*, Santiago
- TAP Portugal TP (A330-200, A340-300) · 2 routes: Lisbon, Porto
- United Airlines UA (777) · 2 routes: Houston, Sao Paulo
- Alitalia AZ (330) · 1 route: Rome
- Azul AD (Embraer 195, Embraer 190) · 1 route: Campinas
- BQB Lineas Aereas 5Q (A319, ATR 72) · 1 route: Montevideo
- British Airways BA (777) · 1 route: London
- Changan Airlines 2Z (ATR 72) · 1 route: Ribeirao Preto
- Copa Airlines CM (737-800) · 1 route: Panama City
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (787-8) · 1 route: Sao Paulo
- Grupo TACA TA (A320) · 1 route: Lima*
- Iberia Airlines IB (A330-300, 342, 345, A340-600) · 1 route: Madrid
- Korean Air KE (767-400) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (747-400) · 1 route: Frankfurt
- TAAG Angola Airlines DT (777-300ER) · 1 route: Luanda
- TAM Mercosur PZ (A320) · 1 route: Buenos Aires
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 6 airlines, 18 direct destinations
- Azul AD (Embraer 190, Embraer 195, ATR 72, AT4) · 12 routes: Belo Horizonte, Campinas, Campos, Curitiba, Goiania, Macaé, Porto Alegre, Porto Seguro, Sao Jose Dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Vitoria
- TAM Brazilian Airlines JJ (A319) · 6 routes: Aracaju, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Ilheus, Sao Paulo, Vitoria
- Sky Express G3 (737-800, 737-700) · 5 routes: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Vitoria
- FlyLal TE (L4T) · 3 routes: Cabo Frio, Macaé, Sao Jose Dos Campos
- Oceanair O6 (A319, 318) · 3 routes: Brasilia, Salvador, Sao Paulo
- Marusya Airways Y8 (EM2) · 1 route: Ribeirao Preto
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.
Milder and quieter, with better value.
The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ); 20 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: GIG has direct flights to 49 destinations on 27 airlines (incl. Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Brasilia, Campinas…). By water: 6 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Estação Praça XV, 3.6 km); routes include Espaço Cultural da Marinha-Ilha Fiscal, 1º Distrito - CIAW, Praça XV - Praça Arariboia.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Rio de Janeiro. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Local transit
Trains & rail
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.