Lapa and Pedra do Sal samba nights

Where can you hear live samba in Rio at night?

In Lapa, at Pedra do Sal in Saúde and at a handful of weekly samba nights around the centre, from Monday to Sunday.

Time Out Rio keeps a list of the city's best sambas. These are the regular nights that sit closest to Lapa and the port. Every one of them is a local night, and they are friendly to visitors who join in.

What is Lapa like at night?

Loud, crowded and fun. Bars with live bands sit under and around the white Lapa Arches, food and drink stalls line the square, and the party runs late.

The arches are Rio's old Carioca Aqueduct, 42 large double arches inaugurated in 1750, and one of the best-known landmarks of old Rio. Two of Rio's main music halls stand beside them, Fundição Progresso and Circo Voador. On Thursday nights, Time Out Rio recommends the Samba Independente dos Bons Costumes at Fundição Progresso, free until 9:30 PM.

A short walk away, the Selarón Steps climb from Rua Joaquim Silva in Lapa to Rua Pinto Martins in Santa Teresa, covered in tiles from around the world by the Chilean artist Jorge Selarón.

What happens on a Lapa samba pub crawl?

A cachaça tasting, a caipirinha at the stalls by the arches, a photo stop at the Selarón Steps, a samba bar with a live band and a club to finish.

The Lapa pub crawl starts at Av. Mem de Sá 110. You taste at least 4 cachaças in a classic bar, then walk to the arches for a free caipirinha, stop at the Selarón Steps and move on to a samba bar with live music. The last stop is a club with Brazilian funk, pop and reggaeton until closing.

Each guide keeps a small group, and guests say the guides make it easy to meet people. Skip-the-line entry to the bar and club is included. It is for adults 18 and over, the walks are short, and it cancels free up to 24 hours before. With 1,128 reviews and 4.8 stars, it is the most booked night on this site.

The most booked night out in Rio: at least 4 cachaça shots, a caipirinha under the Lapa Arches, live samba and a club, with skip-the-line entry and a guide all night.

★ 4.8 · 4 hours · from $33

Explore the Lapa pub crawl with live samba → Tour details

What is Pedra do Sal?

A large rock with steps carved into it, in Saúde by the port, and the square below it, called a cradle of Carioca samba. The area is known as Little Africa.

The salt from ships in the port was unloaded here, which gave the rock its name, and the dockworkers who gathered here were among the first sambistas. The area is called Little Africa because enslaved Africans were sold and traded here, and the port later sheltered Black communities. The carved steps lead up to Morro da Conceição, and the rock is listed as heritage.

On samba nights the band sits in a circle on the square, the crowd packs the steps and the street, and beer is sold from stalls and bars around it.

Which night is best at Pedra do Sal?

Monday. Time Out Rio puts the main samba circle at 6 PM to 11 PM, free, and other groups play from Friday to Sunday.

Monday is the famous one, and the square is packed with locals after work. Weekend nights are busy too, with different groups. Arrive early on a Monday for a spot near the band.

The Pedra do Sal samba night meets at R. Sacadura Cabral 75 in Saúde. Your guide explains the history of samba and the area, shares tips on street food and drinks and buys the first drink. It lasts 2 hours 30 minutes. Bring closed-toe shoes for the cobbles and a charged phone. It does not suit pregnant women or people with claustrophobia.

Lapa or Pedra do Sal: which is better?

Pedra do Sal for the most authentic samba circle, Lapa for a full night out with bars and a club. If you have two nights, do both.

Our take: Pedra do Sal on a Monday is the purest samba night in Rio, all music and singing, with no stage and no cover charge. Lapa is a party. You hear samba in the bars, then dance to everything else in the club, and the night lasts twice as long.

Pedra do Sal suits couples and music lovers. Lapa suits groups, solo travellers and anyone who wants a guide to handle the bars. For a staged show with costumes instead, our best samba show guide compares all the options.

Can you learn samba before going out?

Yes. The samba class and night out teaches you for an hour, then takes you to a samba club with a live band.

The samba class and night out starts with a 1-hour class for beginners, no partner needed. From Wednesday to Saturday the class is in Copacabana and the night continues at a samba club with a live band and fast-track entry. On Mondays it meets in Ipanema and goes to a samba street party. Your instructor stays with you for 3 hours at the club. Drinks and the ride home are extra, from $48.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the caipirinha workshop and samba class in Copacabana is a cheap warm-up at $19, with two caipirinhas you mix yourself.

Is Lapa safe at night and how do you get back?

Lapa is busy at night, and the usual big-city care applies. Stay where the crowds are, carry little and take a taxi or a ride app home.

• Carry less. A copy of your passport, a little cash and one card. The tours accept a copy of your ID.
• Phone away. Keep it in a front pocket in the crowd.
• Stick together. A guided night keeps the group close, which is half its value after midnight.
• Ride home. Order a taxi or a ride app from a busy street. None of the tours above include the ride back.
• Steps by day. The Selarón Steps are at their best in daylight, and quieter.

Frequently asked questions