Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Guide: How to Visit Rio's Two Great Viewpoints

Rio's two classic viewpoints look at each other across the city. Christ the Redeemer, on Corcovado, is higher and gives the famous panorama over Sugarloaf, the bay and the beaches. Sugarloaf is lower but sits right at the mouth of the bay, and its sunset is the better of the two. Do both, on different days if the weather allows. For quieter viewpoints, try Arpoador or the Dois Irmãos hike.

Christ the Redeemer

The Art Deco statue was completed in 1931 and stands about 30 metres tall on an eight-metre pedestal, on top of the 710-metre Corcovado mountain. The platform around it is small and often packed, so expect to shuffle for your photo. Accessibility works on the upper platform are due to run until around May 2027. Until then, capacity is roughly halved and visitors climb fixed stone stairs while the escalators are replaced, so book your slot ahead and allow for the climb if mobility is an issue.

There are three ways up, and every ticket includes transport and entry.

• The Corcovado train. A rack railway from Cosme Velho that climbs through Tijuca Forest in about 20 minutes. It's the most scenic option. Book a timed slot online.
• Official vans from the city. From Copacabana (Praça do Lido) or Largo do Machado, near the metro station. They drive to the Paineiras visitor centre, where you change to a shuttle for the final stretch.
• Official vans from Paineiras. The cheapest ticket, if you get to the visitor centre by Uber.

Ignore the unofficial drivers selling rides at the bottom. Go on the first train or van of the day, before the crowds and the clouds arrive. Check the summit webcam before you go: if the statue is in fog, you'll see nothing but white.

Sugarloaf Mountain

A cable car opened in 1912, among the first in the world, and today's glass cabins run in two stages: from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca at 220 metres, then up to the 396-metre summit. Allow two hours. Buy your ticket online and go up an hour or so before sunset, then watch the city lights come on. Morro da Urca has a café, a bar and a smaller crowd. Our 3-day itinerary pairs the sunset ride with a morning in Centro.

Walking up instead

A steep trail leads from the Pista Cláudio Coutinho, a flat seafront path at Praia Vermelha, to Morro da Urca in about 30 to 40 minutes, and you can then ride the second cable car up. The hike up to Corcovado through the forest is longer and should be done with a guide or a group.