Praça XV to São Bento: the colonial and imperial centre: a walk in Rio de Janeiro

The old heart of Rio around Praça XV, where the Portuguese court lived from 1808: the viceroys' palace, the old cathedral, the Arco do Teles lane, the Art Deco Banco do Brasil cultural centre, the Candelária church and the Benedictine monastery on its hill.

Best time: A weekday from midday (the Paço Imperial opens at 12:00 and is closed on Mondays; the CCBB is closed on Tuesdays). Centro empties at night and at weekends.

The route, stop by stop

1
Praça XV
The square by Guanabara Bay, flanked by the Paço Imperial and the Tiradentes Palace; the ferry terminal is on its waterfront. 10 min
The historic waterfront square, in use since the 16th century, with the Paço Imperial, the Arco do Teles and the ferry station to Niterói and Paquetá. It was redone in 2016 as…
2
Paço Imperial
18th-century governors' house, then royal palace of King John VI from 1808 and the emperors' workplace; now a cultural centre with free exhibitions (Tue-Sun 12:00-18:00 per its Google listing, Sept 2026). 30 min
The 1743 governors' house on Praça XV that served viceroys, King João VI and the emperors; Princess Isabel signed the Golden Law abolishing slavery here in 1888. Today it is a…
3
Old Cathedral (Antiga Sé)
Carmelite church that served as Rio's cathedral and as royal and imperial chapel from about 1808 to 1976; look inside if a service is not on. 15 min
The Carmelite church on Praça XV that served as the royal chapel and the seat of the archdiocese until 1976, when the new Metropolitan Cathedral was finished.
4
Arco do Teles
The arch that survives from the luxury houses judge Antônio Telles Barreto had built to rent after the Paço was finished in 1743; later part of the city council building and the stage of many urban legends. 10 min
The arched passage off Praça XV, once part of the colonial Senado da Câmara, that leads into the narrow Travessa do Comércio, one of the few lanes left with the scale of colonial…
5
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB)
Art Deco bank building, a cultural centre since 1989 and among the world's hundred most visited art venues; check the free and paid shows on its listings (closed Tuesdays per its Google listing). 45 min
The 1906 commercial exchange and later Banco do Brasil headquarters, now one of the busiest cultural centres in Brazil, with a domed rotunda, exhibitions, cinema and theatre…
6
Igreja da Candelária
Built 1775 to the late 19th century: Portuguese Baroque façade, Neoclassical and Neo-Renaissance interior. 20 min
7
São Bento Monastery
Benedictine monastery begun in 1633 on its own hill, one of Brazil's key colonial monuments, with a gilded church; still a working monastery (open daily 06:30-18:30 per its Google listing). 30 min
Benedictine monastery on Morro de São Bento, one of the most important works of colonial art in Brazil. The church interior is entirely lined with carved woodwork, from…

Walking directions

Praça XV to São Bento: the colonial and imperial centre

The route, stop by stop

More walks in Rio de Janeiro