Botanical Garden

Rio's Jardim Botânico is a serene, green escape at the foot of the forested hills below Corcovado, founded over two centuries ago and now home to thousands of plant species across formal avenues and wilder corners. Its signature sight is the Avenue of Royal Palms, a towering double row of palms planted in the early 1800s, leading the eye in a cathedral-like colonnade. Orchid houses, a Japanese garden, lily ponds, and resident toucans and marmosets fill out a place that feels worlds away from Copacabana.

It's a calm, shaded counterpoint to Rio's beaches and bustle, ideal for a slow morning wander, with the Christ the Redeemer statue sometimes glimpsed above the treeline. Birdlife is abundant, so bring patience and look up.

Don't miss

• The Avenue of Royal Palms, planted from the early 1800s
• The orchidarium and bromeliad collections
• The Japanese garden and lily ponds
• Resident toucans, marmosets, and abundant birdlife
• Shaded calm beneath the hills below Corcovado

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Botanical Garden

Cheapest way inRio de Janeiro Historical Center Walking Tour4.5★ · 356 travelers3–4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$29 per personSee dates →Most bookedExplore the Best of Tijuca Forest – Hike to Peaks, Caves & Falls4.9★ · 1,014 travelers~5 hoursFree cancellationFrom$82 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleBotanical Garden and Parque Lage Private Tour with a Photographer5★ · 13 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$128 per personSee dates →

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Know before you go

• Go in the morning for cooler temperatures and the most active birds and monkeys.
• Bring water, insect repellent, and sun protection, it's tropical and humid.
• Look up: toucans and marmosets are often overhead if you're patient.
• It pairs well with the neighbouring Lagoa and a relaxed Zona Sul morning.

A bit of history

Founded in 1808 by the Portuguese prince regent Dom João VI, originally to acclimatise spices brought from the East Indies, the garden grew into a major centre of botanical research. The famous Avenue of Royal Palms descends from a single original tree planted at its founding.