Rio de Janeiro · Brazil
Niterói travel guide
Niterói is a city in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, home to about 497,000 people.
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- SDU7 km · Santos Dumont Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Sao Paulo
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About Niterói
Niterói is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay, facing the city of Rio de Janeiro and forming part of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area.
Niterói is the first of the 7 municipalities of Leste Metropolitano, the sub-region of the metropolitan agglomeration of Rio de Janeiro on the east side of the Guanabara Bay.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Niterói
See
- Niterói Contemporary Art Museum
- People's Theater
- Parque da Cidade
- Fortaleza de Santa Cruz
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Niterói
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Niterói are June to August. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; January is the wettest, with about 250 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Niterói: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), about 6.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG, 17 km) and Francisco de Assis Airport (JDF, 125 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
From the center of the state capital, it is possible to go to Niterói by urban bus, van and ferry lines. Several bus lines to Niterói depart from Terminal Menezes Côrtes, in Castelo, and from the Candelária region - both in downtown Rio. The ferries depart from Praça XV station. Vans to Niterói depart from the Central do Brasil area. There is also the Rodoviária Roberto Silveira, in downtown Niterói, a long-distance bus station through which visitors coming from outside the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro can arrive directly in the municipality of Niterói.
Getting around
On Saturdays and Sundays the "Linha Turismo" (Tourism Line) operates on schedule leaving the Arariboia Square (@ the Fery Station) at 10:00, 12:30 and 14:30 and making 7 different stops along Niteroi's main attractions from downtown to the Fortress (R$10 for a round-trip all day hop in and out ticket). To get to the Oceanic Area you'd better have a car, otherwise take a municipal bus at the Bus Terminal next to the Ferry Station. Look for the specific Beach name sign on the bus(30~40~50 minutes ride from downtown to Piratininga/Camboinhas ~ Itacoatiara ~ Itaipu respectively ).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SDU · Santos Dumont Airport
GIG · Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport
JDF · Francisco de Assis Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Niterói
Drink
Try the Brazilian Caipirinha made with kiwi, passion fruit, cashew or some exotic tropical fruit at Família Paludo, a restaurant painted red in São Francisco Beach. Have a coconut water at any beach-stand and enjoy a cold Brazilian beer anywhere with a view.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Niterói: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Niterói?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Niterói are June to August. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; January is the wettest, with about 250 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Niterói?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), about 6.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG, 17 km) and Francisco de Assis Airport (JDF, 125 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Niterói?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near Niterói
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.