Sunrise and sunset photo hike in Rio de Janeiro

At a glance

How it works

We put three things together for one outing: a car from your hotel, a guide who knows the trail and a photographer who shoots you on the way up and at the top. We pick the peak with you from your fitness, the time you have and the light you want. The photographer handles light and framing while you walk and take in the view.

Park hours decide what is possible. We never plan entry before a park opens, so where we say sunrise, we mean the first light that opening hours allow. For sunset, Morro da Urca is the clear choice.

Which peak for which light

Pedra da Gávea takes about five hours and must be entered by 14:00, so it does not fit a light-timed shoot; we book it as a hike, with photos along the way if you like. Dois Irmãos has no published hours, and its timing is set with the community guide. Pedra do Telégrafo is not offered: INEA says no paid service, photography included, is authorized there.

Sunset on Morro da Urca

This is the plan most people pick. You walk up from Praia Vermelha (about an hour, easy), pass the gate into Parque Bondinho before 17:00 and buy cable car tickets at the terminal on top. Then you have time for the light over the bay, can ride on to Sugarloaf, and come down by cable car. Parque Bondinho bans commercial photography without its prior authorization, so we arrange it or plan the shoot on the trail before the gate.

Morning in Tijuca National Park

For Pico da Tijuca we aim for the earliest pedestrian entry to the Floresta sector, 6:00, and we confirm the hours for your date with the park, since the peak page gives 8:00 to 17:00. Pedra Bonita opens at 8:00 and is a 20-minute walk to the summit. In the national park, photos in public areas during opening hours need no special permit if they follow the park’s rules; a shoot outside hours needs ICMBio authorization, which we do not plan around.

What the photographer does

• Plans the shots with you before the day: outfits, poses, which views you want.
• Shoots on the trail and at the summit, in the best light the hours allow.
• Delivers the edited photos in the number and time agreed in the proposal.

For a city shoot without a hike, at Arpoador or other viewpoints, see the Rio photoshoot.

Our part

We find you a guide who knows the trail, so you won’t get lost, you walk at your own pace and get the shots from the best viewpoints. We book the photographer and the transfer, set the times inside park hours, check the forecast with the guide the evening before and stay in touch on the day. Compare the peaks in more detail on hiking in Rio, or see other ideas in private trips in Rio.

What to tell us in your request

• Date and whether you want morning or sunset light
• Number of people and ages of any children
• Fitness and hiking experience
• The peak you have in mind, or “you choose”
• Photo style and what the photos are for
• Where you are staying

Our fee is already included in the price. Price on request, proposal within 24 hours, and you pay nothing before you confirm.