Travel bucket list idea:

Sugarloaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Region, Brazil

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Bucket List Experience

City under mountains from a distance across bay

Last updated: 05 April, 2024

Expert travel writer: Alex Robinson

Rio’s most famous mountain crouches like a sphinx over a perfect half-moon bay just close to Copacabana. It’s a stunning sight – its haunches carpeted with forest, its slopes reflected in the calm water.

The views from the top are even more breathtaking; especially in the late afternoon when the sun shines buttery-yellow on the sands of Copacabana, before dropping behind the Christ statue; and the lights of Rio twinkle on like stars.

Logistics

Price: Free

Minimum age: Any

Age suitable: 4+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Sugar Loaf is actually two mountains – Sugar Loaf itself (Pão de Açucar) and neighbouring Urca Hill (Morro de Urca). Both summits are reachable by two ten-minute cable car rides (one paid ticket for both), setting off from the cable car base station in Urca neighbourhood. The first ascent is up Urca Hill, the second stage takes you up Sugar Loaf itself.

The nearest metro station, Botafogo, is a 10-minute bus or 5-minute cab ride away. The cable-car station is about 10 minutes by cab from Copacabana, 20 minutes from Ipanema and 10 minutes from Santa Teresa.

There are some rather pricey and mediocre café/juice bars on the summit of Morro de Urca, but they’re good enough for a snack or coffee.

When to do it

The cable car runs all year round.

Catch the first cable car up at 8am to avoid the queues and catch the best morning light or a ride up at around 3.30pm for the afternoon light and sunset (the last ride is at 6pm).

Like Corcovado, it’s unpleasantly busy in high season – Christmas and New Year, Carnival and during the Brazilian school holidays in June – and the queues can be tortuous. Avoid if possible.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Full Day: Christ Redeemer, Sugarloaf, City Tour & Barbecue Lunch

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Enjoy full-day tour in Rio de Janeiro visiting all the must-see attractions in one-single day: Christ The Redeemer Statue atop Corcovado Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain (option with and without ticket included), Selarón Steps, Maracanã Stadium, Sambadrome, and Metropolitan Cathedral. Lunch at Brazilian steakhouse (option with and without lunch included. Drinks are not included). You will also get hotel pickup and drop-off and be accompanied by a professional tour guide.

Price: $83

Min age: 0

Rating 4.76 / 5 [2271 ratings]

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Rio's Full Day: Selarón Steps, Christ & Sugarloaf – Tickets & Lunch Included

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Make the most of your time in Rio in an 8-hour city tour to discover its most iconic attractions enjoying the company of a local guide and a small group of max 15 people. Following pick-ups at some hotels in the south and downtown of Rio, tourists are taken for a lively day filled with popular attractions. The itinerary contemplates Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Maracanã Stadium, Selarón staircase, historical downtown, Sugar Loaf and Corcovado mountains along with the Christ the Redeemer and other sights. Discover the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, home to a collection of local boutiques and galleries. Enjoy fast-track entry with the tickets and break for lunch at a nice all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. (All Inclusive) The tour follows a set itinerary attracting people from all ages, backgrounds and nationalities seeking to discover the beauties of the marvelous city in the company of an expert guide escorting and providing tour explanations

Price: $146

Min age: 0

Rating 4.92 / 5 [1311 ratings]

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Sugarloaf Cable Car Ticket

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With your ticket at Morro da Urca, you visit and have access to the Praça dos Bondes - which displays the two previous generations of the Sugar Loaf Cable Car and the life-size bronze sculptures of those responsible for the creation and implementation of each one - Augusto Ferreira Ramos and Christopher Leite de Castro and; Cocuruto - a place that tells the story of the Sugar Loaf Cable Car, inaugurated over 100 years ago, with exhibitions of images, projections, machinery and objects that marked the trajectory of the 1st Brazilian cable car and the oldest in operation in the world. At some times of the year, the space hosts temporary exhibitions. The park has preferential access, lift platform, adapted toilets and ramps, making tourism accessible for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility.

Price: R185

Min age: 0

Rating 4.62 / 5 [453 ratings]

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Two of Rio's Best: Christ the Redeemer & Sugarloaf Mountain Half-Day Tour

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If you are short on time, this the perfect tour to see the top attractions in Rio in just one morning. Embark on a tour to visit the Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer. Enjoy the cable car ride in the Sugarloaf Mountain ascending to its highest point. Marvel at the sight of the long shore of Rio and the beautiful hills covered with the Atlantic Forest. Relax at the top of the Sugarloaf Mountain and take beautiful pictures to remember this moment. Follow the tour guide to the next site: the Christ the Redeemer. Enjoy the minivan ride through the Paineiras route in the Corcovado Mountain. Revel at the splendor of the Christ the Redeemer statue standing at the top of the Corcovado. Find the best position to take the famous picture imitating the Christ the Redeemer pose. Enjoy the sweeping views of the city before returning to the hotel. Tour guide, roundtrip transfer, tickets to the Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf Mountain included.

Price: $84

Min age: 0

Rating 4.38 / 5 [194 ratings]

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Christ Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and Selarón Steps 6-Hour Tour

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Enjoy a half day tour that takes you to Christ Redeemer Statue at the top of Corcovado Mountain, See the Selaron Steps and Sugar Loaf and have the rest of your day free to explore, leaving you with more time to visit many other wonders. See three of Rio’s greatest landmark’s in this small group tour and also get acquainted with Santa Teresa and its unique charming architecture. Cross many items on your “must see list” in just 6 hours.

Price: $109

Min age: 0

Rating 4.61 / 5 [78 ratings]

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