The Grandest Celebration in the World
Carnival is one of the largest festivals in the World. And no one does it better than the rambunctious Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Infamous for its flamboyant feather costumes and samba music, Carnival is the epitome of cultural celebration. But there is much more to this fiesta than all the stereotypes lead you to believe. Here’s the best tips from my experience to Carnival in one of Brazil’s largest cities.
Carnival Preparation
There’s not much you can do to mentally prepare for this crazy citywide party but remember to pace yourself. If this is your first time in Brazil, then you definitely want to start preparing for the perfect Carnival trip with everything you need. Make sure you know the right dates!
Packing for Rio
Ways to Celebrate Carnival
There are a few ways to take part in the festivities, depending on your expectations and affinity for partying. Here are a few options and some tips for gallivanting around the city of Rio de Janerio during Carnival.
The Sambódromo
One of the most iconic ways to experience Carnival is at the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, or the sambadrome. This is what everyone expects when they hear Carnival in Brazil. An entire arena created for gaudy parade floats to march through while thousands of fans cheer from the stands. Here you’ll find all the ostentatious and feather clad dancers, competing for the prize of best samba school. Tickets can be purchased far in advance online (if they’re not sold out already), or at the ticket booth any day during the parade itself. Gaze in awe at some of the greatest samba dancers in the World as they compete for the number one title!
Bloquinhos
Or better known as Blocos, are the quintessential way to enjoy Carnival in Rio. Basically just massive block parties all over the city, each one has its own particular theme. If you love music and parading down the street, you’ll be right at home. It’s the more immersive way to partake in Carnival since you are part of the parade. The insane amount of people all partying and having a good time is definitely a sight to behold. Now you can say you partied like a true carioca (native to Rio). It’s easy to see why Brazilians do Carnival best. Buy cheap beer and delicious street food as you march around the city!
Biggie 
Blocos 
Carnival y’all 
Lapa
Touring the City Sights
Rio de Janeiro during Carnival has a huge influx of people, which makes it the perfect time to do some people watching. Even if you prefer chilling to partying every day, there’s enough awesome things to do in the city to keep you busy. You can relax on one of the many beautiful beaches, tour world famous landmarks, and even go hand gliding for some sky-high views of Rio. When the sun goes down, check out a pub crawl to meet some new friends and check out the Brazilian bar scene. Easy on the caipirinhas, they’re delicious but deadly.
Museum of tomorrow 
Escadaria Selaron 
Santa Marta Favela 
Gangs All Here
Downfalls of Carnival
While the Rio is home to the best parties in the World, it does come with its own detriments. Here’s a few reasons why Carnival might not be for everyone:
- It’s super ridiculously crowded
- It gets very hot and humid
- Carnival is during Rio’s rainy season, so there is great chance of showers
- Everything gets crazy expensive
- Majority of all music is Brazilian and in Portuguese
- Downtown had some less than desirable aromas
Crowds Everywhere
Carnival is an extravagant music festival that should be experienced at least once in a life time. Its a wild atmosphere that no other celebration could compare to. An grand festival of Samba, costumes, and Brazilian Culture. Celebrating Carnival in Rio will create memories you won’t forget anytime soon. For my full list of things to do in Rio, check out this post. I hope you all get to visit one day soon and until then keep leveling up!
I also included this exclusive travel vlog of all the Blocos we went to! Enjoy!
