Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) and Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) are the top attractions to visit in Rio de Janeiro. They are impressive viewpoints within the city that have awe-inspiring views. What truly blew me away was how embedded these destinations are within the city. The city and the beach wrap themselves around these huge rock formations.
What Time of Day is Best
I recommend visiting either of these peaks in the morning or for sunset. This is when there will be the fewest number of visitors, especially since the tourists from cruises visit the peaks in the middle of the day. We visited Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) in the morning and Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) for sunset but it seemed that they were interchangeable in terms of experience.
It is also important to look at the forecast before purchasing tickets to either of these peaks. A clear sky is going to have the best views but you can also get great visibility if the clouds are high. You can look at the visibility in the weather (or look up and see if Christ the Redeemer or Sugarloaf Mountain is visible. Finally, the website to purchase tickets for Sugarloaf Mountain has a live feed of the view. You can always look at that to see the visibility and you can see Christ the Redeemer on the camera as well.
Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) First Thing
The easiest ways to get to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) are via Uber (destination: Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar) or bus. Sugarloaf Mountain can be visited via two cable cars or by hiking/climbing.
Via Cable Cars
Let’s talk about the cable car method first. I recommend purchasing the ticket in advance from the official website here. The great thing about this ticket is the flexibility. You have seven days after the date you select to redeem the ticket. If the weather changes on you (and it can change quickly in Rio de Janeiro), you can adjust your plans and go on a different date. Purchasing in advance also allows you to go into a priority line, which is shorter/faster than the line to purchase the ticket on site.
The park opens at 8 am. We arrived right on time and were some of the first people up on the mountain. Because of the way Sugarloaf Mountain is situated, to get to the top via cable car or hiking, you first have to ascend Morra da Urca. This is the hill in front of the mountain. The first cable car takes you to this initial peak where you will have an incredible view of Sugarloaf Mountain along with the surrounding area. If you want to take a helicopter ride, this is the area where they will depart from.
The second cable car will take you to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Here you will have many viewpoints from all sides of the mountain top. In addition, there’s a short pathway (about 10-15 minute walk) on the backside of the mountain through the jungle.
You can spend as much time as you want at each of these stops. There’s food, water, drinks, and souvenirs that you can look into if you need a break from the heat. We definitely needed to sit down with some water to catch our breath and hydrate! If you choose to visit for sunset, remember that the final boarding to the top is at 6:30 pm and the park closes at 8:00 pm.
Via Hiking or Climbing
The second option is hiking/climbing to the top. You can hike to the first peak, Morra da Urca and take a cable car to the next peak. (You need to purchase the cable car in advance, either online or at the base, because you will not be able to purchase it at Morra da Urca!) It is possible to hike this first peak without a guide but make sure you bring sufficient water and nutrition to keep you hydrated. The sun hits hard here.
If you want to go all the way to the top, you can rock climb Sugarloaf Mountain with a guide. There are a number of companies that can help you climb to the top and there are a few paths that you can take that range in difficulty. It is a true rock climbing feat so make sure you go with a guide!
What To Do In Between Pão de Açúcar and Cristo Redentor
Because we decided to do Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) first thing in the morning and Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) for sunset, we had a few hours in between the two. After coming down from Sugarloaf Mountain, we went to Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) to explore the beach. This one is a smaller beach right at the base of the cable cars with darker sand than Copacabana and Ipanema. You can rent chairs and umbrellas here to enjoy some time at the beach.
Also, adjacent to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) is the lovely neighborhood of Urca. It has a relaxing waterfront, a beach, and some very nice homes and villas to explore. We walked around the neighborhood and went to Bar Urca for lunch. There are two pieces to this restaurant: one is a sit down restaurant with white tablecloths which felt too formal for how sweaty we were; the second option is a counter where they prepare the food and drinks to go. We opted for this option and took our food to the waterfront where we enjoyed this delicious meal while watching the boats in the bay.
We then made our way to the Praia de Urca (Urca Beach) where we people-watched until it was time to get our Uber to go to Christ the Redeemer.
Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) for Sunset
Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) is a 98 foot tall statue built in the 1920s. It stands looking over Rio de Janeiro and can be seen from many points throughout the city. There are a few ways to access the statue.
Via Train or Van
There is a train that will take you to the top of the mountain. Estação Cosme Velho is the base train station for this train and the destination you can enter into Uber or Google Maps for directions. You should purchase a ticket in advance from the official website here. This will just be a voucher and you will have to redeem it at the ticket office at the base of the train. Although you pick a departure time for the train, you need to arrive at the station 30 minutes in advance. From there, you will be directed onto the train that will take you to the top.
The other way to get up there is with a van. You can purchase tickets for the vans at this website. The van tickets are valid for 30 days if the visibility is poor, you can contact them to reschedule. The first ride up is at 7:30 am and the final ride down is at 6:30 pm.
We took the train at 4:30 pm to try and get up there when crowds started to thin. After getting off the train, we took a series of stairs and escalators to reach the very top. When we got up there, it was incredibly packed, and it didn’t help that it was really hot! However, as the evening progressed, the crowds regressed somewhat and it was more pleasant to watch the sunset. In addition to the statue, in the base of the monument is a small chapel that you can discover. The final train departs from the top at 6:30 so don’t miss it!
Via Hiking
There is also the option to hike to the top of the mountain. The hike starts at Parque Lage. The hike takes at least 1.5 hours long and is completely free. There are a few things to note about hiking this trail:
- Start the hike early and take a lot of water with you as the heat and humidity may increase very quickly in the forest
- Do not take many valuables with you. There have been a number of reports of muggings on this trail. If you are stopped, hand over all of your valuables without hesitation to protect yourself. Since 2019, there has been some serious effort by the police to reduce crime overall
- Take cash with you because, while the hike is free, entrance into Christ the Redeemer is not and they only take cash at the top of the mountain.
Seeing Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in the Morning
We decided to do Christ the Redeemer on the same day as Sugarloaf Mountain because of the visibility forecast during our time there. We opted to do Christ the Redeemer for sunset, but the least-crowded time at the top would have been in the morning. If we could have split up the peaks over two days, we would have. After visiting Christ the Redeemer , we would have gone to Parque Lage and eaten brunch at Plage Cafe. Then we would have spent the afternoon at the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Both of these parks have nice views of Christ the Redeemer. Finally, we would have spent the afternoon and evening exploring Ipanema and the beach.