Private tour of Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf

At a glance

Half day or full day

Half day: One of the two landmarks with time to look around, or both at a faster pace. It suits a short stay, an arrival day or a cruise stop.

Full day: Christ the Redeemer in the morning, a lunch break and one or two stops, then Sugarloaf in the late afternoon. Sugarloaf’s own guide says mornings tend to have clearer skies, while late afternoon is the time for the sunset and the city lights. Staying longer? Our Rio itinerary spreads the city over several days.

A private tour of Rio de Janeiro with Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf

How you reach Christ the Redeemer

There are two official ways up for visitors, and we book one of them for your time slot:

• Trem do Corcovado. The train leaves from Rua Cosme Velho, 513, every 20 minutes between 8:00 and 18:00. The ticket covers the round trip and access to the monument. Check-in at the ticket office is at least 40 minutes before your slot, so we plan the pickup around it.
• Paineiras-Corcovado vans. Vans leave from Praça do Lido in Copacabana and from Largo do Machado, 7:00-16:00, and you go back from the point where you boarded. The operator asks you to arrive 15 minutes before your slot.

Your private car takes you to the station or the van point. The van operator says there is no parking at Paineiras or at the statue and advises against driving up, so we don’t. The platform opens after the morning blessing, held daily between 7:30 and 8:00.

Until about the end of May 2027 the escalators at the top are being replaced. Tijuca National Park says visits continue, but only half the usual number of visitors can be at the top at once, and everyone climbs the last 80 stone steps. Lifts cover most of the 220 steps from the drop-off. Tell us if anyone in your party has limited mobility, and we will check the park’s support options for your date.

Sugarloaf cable car

The cable car starts at Praia Vermelha (Av. Pasteur, 520), stops at Morro da Urca and continues to the top of Sugarloaf. The park suggests at least 2 to 3 hours for both hills. Its pages give slightly different hours and last-boarding times by weekday, so we check the official site for your date. The park stays open in the rain; strong wind or lightning can pause the cable car until it is safe.

Optional stops

Pick what interests you, and we fit it to the day:

• Escadaria Selarón. The tiled steps between Lapa and Santa Teresa, started by Chilean artist Jorge Selarón in 1990, about five minutes on foot from the Lapa Arches.
• Santa Teresa. Hillside streets, studios and views over the center.
• Copacabana and Ipanema viewpoints. A stop along the beaches, or at a lookout for the bay.
• Maracanã. A photo stop outside the stadium.
• Museu do Amanhã. Tickets are sold for a set time slot, so we book yours with the rest of the day.

What is included and what is not

Included: a guide who speaks your language, a private car with driver and hotel pickup, tickets and time slots booked by us for your date, and planning of the route. Our fee is already included in the price.

Not included unless you ask: meals and drinks, optional museum or stadium tours, and personal expenses. Our proposal lists exactly what is in it.

Tips for the day

• Go early. The vans start at 7:00 and the train at 8:00, and an early slot keeps the day relaxed.
• Watch the clouds. The weather on Corcovado can change during the day. We check the forecast with you the day before and can swap the order or the date.
• Wear comfortable shoes for the steps at the top.
• Check entry requirements on official websites before you travel.

Your own car, guide and pace

On platforms you often join a group with a fixed schedule. With us the car, the guide and the timing are yours: start when you want, stay longer at a viewpoint, skip what you don’t care about. You can also add a photoshoot in Rio at Santa Teresa or on the beach, or a helicopter flight over Rio to see both landmarks from the air. Arriving the same day? We can start with your airport transfer. For Petrópolis, Búzios or Paraty, see day trips from Rio.

Cancellation and changes

• Cancel at no cost up to 48 hours before the tour.
• Move the date once with 48 hours’ notice if the provider has another date.
• If the provider cannot go, we find a replacement or refund your deposit in full.
• If the weather or force majeure rules out the day, you get a new date or a full refund of the deposit.

Terms and payment are set out in the proposal; you pay nothing before you confirm.

What to tell us in your request

• Your date, and a backup date if you have one
• Half day or full day
• How many people, and the ages of any children
• Where you are staying in Rio
• The language for your guide
• Which optional stops interest you
• Anything to plan around: stairs, mobility, a stroller
• Add-ons: photoshoot, helicopter, airport transfer

See how we work for the booking steps.