September 7 Holiday: 6 Day Trips from Rio de Janeiro

Where to go for Brazil's Independence Day holiday (September 7)? In 2026 the question became even easier to answer: Independence Day falls on a Monday, creating a three-day long weekend — Saturday (5), Sunday (6) and Monday (7) of September.

Three days are the perfect setup for a day trip from Rio de Janeiro: you sleep in your own bed (or your hotel), skip the minimum-stay accommodation packages destinations tend to require on holidays, and can still visit more than one place over the same weekend — mountains one day, beach the next.

In this list we've gathered 6 getaways between 1h30 and 4h from the city, with something most lists of day trips near Rio de Janeiro leave out: the transport logistics of each destination. You'll find realistic travel times, the best time to depart and how a van trip with a driver solves everything for families and groups on a long weekend of packed highways. To see all the routes we operate, visit the CTF TOUR destinations page.

About 70 km from downtown Rio via BR-040, Petrópolis is the quickest day trip on the list: under normal conditions, it's roughly a 1h30 climb into the mountains along a scenic road that is already part of the experience.

Why go on the long weekend: early September still feels like winter in the mountains — dry weather, clear skies and the perfect temperature for strolling the Historic Centre, visiting the Palácio de Cristal and the Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara, and closing the day with mountain cuisine (fondues, trout and artisanal cheeses). One important detail: the Museu Imperial closes on Mondays — and the 7th falls precisely on a Monday. If it's in your plans, schedule Petrópolis for the Saturday or Sunday of the long weekend.

How the transport solves it: the BR-040 gets congested on Saturday morning and on the Monday afternoon return. With a van and driver, the group is picked up at the hotel or at home before peak hours, everyone travels together in the same air-conditioned vehicle and nobody has to face the mountain descent driving tired at the end of the day. The full itinerary of attractions is in our guide to a Petrópolis day trip from Rio.

It's approximately 180 km between Rio and Búzios, via the Rio-Niterói Bridge and the Via Lagos. Under normal conditions the trip takes 2h30 to 3h — and can run longer at peak times over the holiday weekend.

Why go on the long weekend: Búzios delivers a full day effortlessly. A morning at the beach (Geribá, João Fernandes or Ferradura), lunch with a view, late afternoon on the Orla Bardot and, if the group wants to stretch the day, the buzz of Rua das Pedras before heading back. It's the destination with the best combination of beach, gastronomy and charming-village atmosphere within day-trip range.

How the transport solves it: the Via Lagos is the classic long-weekend bottleneck — traffic is heavy on Saturday morning and on the Monday return. Leaving Rio before 7 a.m., the group gets a free-flowing road and arrives with the whole day ahead. Another point few people consider: parking near Búzios's little town centre on a holiday is a mission; with a driver, you're dropped at the door and picked up again at the agreed spot, without circling around looking for a space. We compare every travel option in the guide on how to get from Rio de Janeiro to Búzios.

Arraial do Cabo is about 165 km from Rio, also via the Via Lagos — count on 2h30 to 3h on the road. It's the most stunning sea in the state: turquoise-blue water and pale sand that earned the town its nickname, the Brazilian Caribbean.

Why go on the long weekend: the classic plan is the boat tour departing from Praia dos Anjos, which visits beaches reachable only by sea, with swimming stops. If you prefer dry land, walk down the staircase to the Prainhas do Pontal do Atalaia, one of the most photographed spots in Brazil. September usually brings clear water and smaller crowds than summer — the long weekend is your chance to see it before high season.

How the transport solves it: on holidays the boat tours fill up and boarding runs on a schedule — arriving late means losing your spot. Parking in Arraial on a long weekend is among the most thankless tasks in the Região dos Lagos: narrow streets and spaces taken from early morning. The van drops the group a few steps from the boarding point at Praia dos Anjos and returns at the end of the tour, at the agreed time. We detail the full route, option by option, in the guide on how to get from Rio de Janeiro to Arraial do Cabo. CTF TOUR runs this operation end to end for families and groups — just message us on WhatsApp +55 21 96448-6541 and ask for a personalised quote for your date.

In the opposite direction from the Região dos Lagos, the Costa Verde holds some of the most beautiful scenery on the Brazilian coast. It's around 150 km via the Rio-Santos highway (BR-101), roughly 2h30 to Angra dos Reis — or to the Conceição de Jacareí pier, where the fastest crossings depart for Vila do Abraão, on Ilha Grande.

Why go on the long weekend: Angra means schooner or speedboat tours across a sea of islands and green waters; Ilha Grande adds wild beaches and a car-free village vibe. The day trip is entirely doable — as long as you leave Rio very early, because schooners and crossings concentrate their departures in the morning.

How the transport solves it: here the secret is synchronising road and boat. Going on your own, you risk missing the last crossing back or paying dearly in time hunting for the right pier. With a professional driver, the group is dropped at the correct pier at the right time and finds the van waiting on the return — no rushing and no car left out in the open all day. We explain the whole operation, pier by pier, in the guide to transfers from Rio to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande.

5) Paraty — for those who want to go the distance: about 250 km from Rio, around 4h via the Rio-Santos, Paraty is the longest drive on the list and one of the most scenic in the country, hugging the entire Costa Verde. Waiting there are the historic centre with its famous 'pé de moleque' cobblestones, colonial townhouses, schooner tours around the bay and artisanal cachaça distilleries. Over the three-day weekend it works as a long day trip (leaving before dawn) or, better still, with one night at the destination. The Rio-Santos is winding and demands extra attention — travelling with a driver who knows every curve of the road turns the journey from a challenge into pure contemplation.

6) Cabo Frio — the wildcard for families: at approximately 155 km and 2h30 via the Via Lagos, Cabo Frio is the smart alternative for anyone who wants the Região dos Lagos without the heavier holiday crowds of Búzios and Arraial. Praia do Forte has brilliantly white sand and a sea that's great for children, the São Mateus Fort makes for a quick historical stop, and the shallow crossing to Ilha do Japonês is guaranteed fun for all ages.

And since Cabo Frio sits on the way to both Arraial and Búzios, you can combine them: one day at each destination, with the same van serving the group on both days of the long weekend.

September 7 is one of the busiest holidays on Rio state's highways. These golden rules make the difference between a perfect day and a day stuck in traffic:

• Leave VERY early. Before 6:30–7 a.m., the Rio-Niterói Bridge, the Via Lagos and the Rio-Santos still flow freely. Every extra hour in bed can turn into an extra hour in traffic.
• Avoid the peak of the return. On Monday (the 7th), the drive back is heaviest in the late afternoon. Head back early in the afternoon, or have dinner at the destination and return at night.
• Watch out for downtown Rio on the 7th. There is usually a civic-military parade around Avenida Presidente Vargas in the morning, with road closures. If you're leaving or returning through downtown, consider alternative routes.
• Confirm attraction opening hours. Museums and tours may run special holiday schedules — the Museu Imperial, for example, closes on Mondays.
• Book your transport in advance. A long weekend means full calendars: group vans are the first to sell out, and leaving it to the final week usually costs you the ideal date. In 2026 there's an aggravating factor: the first weekend of Rock in Rio 2026 runs from September 4 to 7 — exactly the holiday weekend — competing for the same van fleet and making roads and hotels even busier.

If the plan is to gather the family or a group of friends, a van trip with a driver solves the long weekend in one move: everyone travels together in the same vehicle, nobody drives, nobody hunts for parking and the day delivers from start to finish.

CTF TOUR operates every destination on this list with 15-, 18- and 20-seat vans, executive cars and SUVs, always with air conditioning, licensed professional drivers and service in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

Lock in your date before the holiday calendar fills up: message us on WhatsApp +55 21 96448-6541 or visit the CTF TOUR contact page. Tell us the destination, the date and the number of passengers — quotes are personalised, fast and commitment-free.