Aside from the city, I would recommend taking a side trip to Buzios, which is one of the most "European" beach resorts in Brazil. It's about a 2 hour drive from Rio and you can easily hire someone to drive you there and back. It's beautiful, full of wonderful restaurants and bars has a great energy. It's not cheap, however, and is one of the more expensive destinations in Brazil. In years of traveling to Rio and Sao Paulo, I think I've spent more money, on average, on means and entertainment in Buzios than I have in any other city in Brazil. Regardless, it's worth the trip...