Feedback on first-time Brazil itinerary using public transport

Hello, We’re planning our first trip to Brazil from October 10 to November 7, 2025. We’re a couple traveling with light backpacks using local transport. Here’s our planned route: Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, 5 days, Tiradentes, Ouro Preto, Belo Horizonte, 7 days, Flight from Belo Horizonte to Recife, Recife, Olinda, 4 days, Maceió, Penedo, 3 days, Aracaju, 3 days, Salvador de Bahia and surrounding areas, 5 days Departure from Salvador de Bahia to Paris

Thanks in advance for any feedback you can share!

Of course, everything is flexible except for our arrival in Rio and departure from Salvador de Bahia.

Could you also recommend a neighborhood to stay in Rio? Alod

Hello, in Rio it's better to avoid the center and Santa Teresa...

For staying, I’d say from Botafogo and everything below it: Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, down to Barra.

The further south you go from the center, the calmer and cleaner it gets... though it depends on what you like, but personally, I recommend people stay near the beach....

Hi there, Thanks for your reply! We really like lively, local neighborhoods. Is 4 days in Rio enough? Alod

hi,

We really like lively, working-class neighborhoods.

It won’t come as news to you that crime in Rio is high. Avoid empty beaches and the downtown area—it’s best to go there during the day when it’s busy, not at night. Anyway, steer clear of deserted places at night. I was personally mugged near Leme Beach on a national holiday. The best option would be to stay in Ipanema, but prices there are relatively high. I stayed in an excellent hotel facing Arpoador Beach (Praia do Arpoador in Portuguese)—it was magical.

Thanks for your feedback! We’ll look around Ipanema, then. Alod

Thanks for your feedback, We’ll look around Ipanema then. Alod

That’s a great neighborhood—it’s not working-class but more the Rio bourgeoisie, so no worries even at night. There are some really clean restaurants, the "hippie" market on Sundays, and the metro’s there too. The best option, since there aren’t many hotels in the area, is to rent an Airbnb. But if you’ve got the budget, the Arpoador hotel looks amazing… or the Fasano, though that one’s really overpriced…

Hi Alain, A two-and-a-half-hour boat ride from Salvador, you’ve got the Tinharé archipelago with Morro de São Paulo and Boipeba. Paradise beaches and, most importantly, no cars and no insecurity. If you’ve got more time in Bahia, there’s also Chapada Diamantina. If you need more info, don’t hesitate!

Hi there, Thanks for the info. Could you tell me how to get from Salvador to Boipeba or Morro de São Paulo? And which neighborhood to stay in in Salvador? Alod

To get to the islands, there are several options: - The (famous) catamaran between Salvador and Morro de São Paulo (just be aware that this boat goes through the Atlantic Ocean and isn’t super comfortable if there are waves) - The ferry from Salvador to Itaparica + bus from Itaparica to the port of Valença (where you take the boat to the islands) - For those who prefer, there are also private car transfers that can pick you up directly from the airport or your hotel in Salvador Tropical greetings from Salvador, @ivanbahiaguide