Hike to Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Brazil and all the world. Completed in 1931, Christ the Redeemer is set atop Corcovado Mountain and is part of the larger Tijuca Forest National Park.

This entire landscape – known as the Carioca Landscape – encompasses Corcovado Mountain, Tijuca Forest National Park, the Botanical Gardens, and Guanaraba Bay (which includes Copacabana Bay). These landscapes inspired development in and around the Rio de Janeiro area and have been grouped together to form a UNESCO World Heritage Site titled “Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea.”

The Hike

There are several ways to get to Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer, including the Corcovado Train and marked vans that leave from specific meeting points. Taking a taxi won’t get you all the way to the top; it will drop you off at the final meeting point for the vans, at which point the van will take you the rest of the way.

Nobody likes waiting in line for transportation, though, so do yourself a favor and do the hike…and if you want, take the transportation back down.

Some important details about the hike:

It is very challenging. Incredibly steep at some points, it includes a couple rock scrambles, and at one point on the trail you will need to grab on to a chain for assistance getting up the rocks. That being said, when our group paused for a couple minutes to have a snack and some water, two tiny girls in flip flops were hauling ass up the mountain, making us (an in-shape group of 4) look pretty pathetic. Took us a while to pick our jaws up off the floor.
The hike starts at Parque Lage, to the left of what looks like an old Roman bath. Have a taxi or Uber drop you off there. Pictures below.
It will probably take approximately 2 hrs to complete the hike, depending on your level of fitness.
Early on in the hike, you’ll come across a small security office. You are required to sign in here.
Bring cash (Reals) with you. At the end of the hike is the entrance to Christ the Redeemer and they only take cash.
The trail is well marked. Keep following signs to Corcovado, as well as the yellow arrows and/or footmarks on the trees.
Towards the top, the dirt trail ends and runs into the main road. When you get to the main road, take a right (just keep heading upwards). Stay close to the side of the road here as you’ll see all the vans taking people to and from the statue.
Have fun!! A very small percentage of people that see Christ the Redeemer do so by hike. In fact, the only other people we saw on the hike were the 2 tiny robot girls killing it up the hill. It’s a great workout and it comes with a definite sense of accomplishment.

The Hike (in Pictures)

Trail head is to the left of the building at Parque Lage.

Building at Parque Lage looks like a Roman bath. There are bathrooms here if you need them before the hike.

Christ the Redeemer is waaaaay up there.

The hike starts out pretty easy.

Incredibly scenery

Feel pretty small in that huge jungle.

Security checkpoint. Need to sign in here.

One of the minor rock scrambles. Get it, Anthea!

Pretty steep. Can’t see where we came from.

A rare piece of flat ground!

Looking back into the misty abyss.

Needed to hold on to the chains to get up this rock face. Good job, guys! I’ll just stay here.

Still a little bit to go.

Crossed over the Corcovado train track at one point.

Finally got to the main road. Stay to the sides, as vans come up and down the road.

Cafe in the clouds. Inside the park now, already paid the entrance fee.

Even on a cloudy day, it’s definitely worth coming up to see Christ the Redeemer.

Nurit, Andrew, me, Anthea, and Jesus. Mini-pilgrimage to Christ the Redeemer complete!

Going Back Down

The hike up was very steep and slippery at points, so we decided it was best to take the train down. At the time of writing, a one-way ticket was 22 Brazilian Real. If you have questions, there is a tourist information desk at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Christ the Redeemer.