Best time to visit Rio de Janeiro
Brazil · 20-year averages
July is the best month in Rio de Janeiro, scoring 89 out of 100, with January the weakest at 53. The 36-point spread means timing is worth planning around without being decisive. The good window runs May to September — 5 months within ten points of the best.
February is the warmest month at 29.2 °C and July the coolest at 25 °C — a 4.2 °C spread across the year. Around 63 days a year top 30 °C, concentrated in February and the months either side.
There is a real wet season here. January, March, November and December carry the rain — up to 20 wet days in a month — while June to August drop as low as 6. That 14-day gap is the biggest single difference between a good month and a bad one in Rio de Janeiro, and it moves further than the temperature does.
The sea never drops below 22.3 °C, so swimming is on the table year round. Daylight runs from 10.7 hours in winter to 13.5 in summer, enough to notice on a sightseeing itinerary.
The three strongest months are July, June, August. The one to think twice about is January. Each month below has its own page with rainfall reliability, extremes, daylight, sea temperature and crowd levels.
Rio de Janeiro month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain days | Daylight h | Sea °C | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29 | 24 | 20 | 13.4 | 25.9 | 53 | Shoulder season |
| February | 29.2 | 24.1 | 15 | 12.9 | 26.3 | 57 | Shoulder season |
| March | 28.5 | 23.9 | 19 | 12.3 | 26.7 | 56 | Shoulder season |
| April | 27.5 | 22.8 | 14 | 11.6 | 26.4 | 69 | A good month |
| May | 25.6 | 20.6 | 10 | 11 | 24.8 | 81 | Prime time |
| June | 25.2 | 19.6 | 7 | 10.7 | 23.7 | 87 | Prime time |
| July | 25 | 18.8 | 6 | 10.8 | 22.9 | 89 | Prime time |
| August | 25.7 | 18.9 | 7 | 11.3 | 22.4 | 87 | Prime time |
| September | 26.4 | 19.7 | 10 | 11.9 | 22.3 | 81 | Prime time |
| October | 27.1 | 20.8 | 13 | 12.6 | 22.9 | 75 | A good month |
| November | 27 | 21.7 | 20 | 13.2 | 23.8 | 63 | Shoulder season |
| December | 28.1 | 23 | 20 | 13.5 | 25.1 | 56 | Shoulder season |
Planning the rest of the trip
- Flight time to Rio de Janeiro how long you are actually in the air
- Rio de Janeiro time zone and the difference from home
- Days until your trip count down to the departure date