Neighborhood 48H guide
Leblon & the Lagoa: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Upscale beach life, the Botanical Garden and Parque Lage.
Leblon continues Ipanema’s beach toward the twin peaks of Dois Irmãos, with Rio’s smartest restaurants; inland lie the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas lake, the Jardim Botânico and Parque Lage.
Photo gallery
Photo: Mucio Scorzelli · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Aquino Hilton · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Calm, safe and close to green spaces.
Who it's for: Families and food lovers.
Pros
- Upscale dining
- Calm
- Gardens
Cons
- Pricey
- Far from the centre
- Few metro stops
48H in Leblon & the Lagoa
Upscale beach life, the Botanical Garden and Parque Lage.
09:00 – Jardim Botânico
Palm avenue and greenhouses.
12:00 – Parque Lage
Garden and café under Corcovado.
18:00 – Leblon
Dinner in the restaurant streets.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Outdoors
Outdoors
Jardim Botânico
Rua Jardim Botânico 1008
Historic botanical garden with its avenue of royal palms.
Official site / map →Outdoors
Parque Lage
Rua Jardim Botânico 414
Free park with a mansion courtyard under Corcovado; the palace is closed for restoration in 2026.
Photo: Aquino Hilton · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
JANEIRO Hotel
Avenida Delfim Moreira
Beachfront design hotel with a rooftop pool.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
Promenade Palladium Leblon
Leblon
Mid-range hotel a short walk from the beach.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Leblon & the Lagoa.
Brazil’s tenancy law allows furnished holiday lets of up to 90 days, and Rio has no city rental permit yet (a registration bill was filed in 2026). In May 2026 Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that apartments in residential-only condominium buildings need the condominium’s approval before being offered on short-stay platforms. Before booking on Vrbo, check that the building allows short stays.
Browse vacation rentals in Leblon & the Lagoa on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Rio de Janeiro
- Copacabana — The famous beach, the promenade and the fort.
- Ipanema & Arpoador — Posto 9, the Sunday hippie fair and the Arpoador sunset.
- Botafogo & Urca — Sugarloaf and views of the bay.
- Centro — The Museu do Amanhã, Confeitaria Colombo and the old city.
- Lapa & Santa Teresa — The Selarón steps, the arches and the tram.
- Barra da Tijuca — Long beaches, surf and the Cidade das Artes.
- São Conrado — Hang-gliders over the beach and Niemeyer’s Hotel Nacional.