In a nutshell
- The best ways to reach the Christ statue are by cog railway or official van — admission to the Cristo Redentor is included with both tickets.
- Prefer something more active? There’s a great hiking trail up from Parque Lage. Or visit as part of a guided day tour through Rio and knock out several highlights in one go.
- The panoramic view over Rio from the observation platform is seriously breathtaking. Want a great photo of the statue itself? A helicopter tour is absolutely worth it.
- Read on for all the details on tickets, getting there, and our top tips for visiting Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
The Most Important Facts About the Christ Statue in Rio
The Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous landmarks in the world and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Machu Picchu in Peru and Chichén Itzá in Mexico are also on that list.
Visiting the Christ the Redeemer statue is an absolute must on any trip to Brazil. It’s Rio de Janeiro’s top attraction, sitting right in the heart of the city atop the 710-meter-high Corcovado mountain.
The Cristo Redentor stands 38 meters tall — eight of which are the pedestal. From a distance it can look surprisingly small, but when you’re standing right next to it, the scale is seriously impressive.
We’ll walk you through all the key details, ticket options, and ways to get there so you’re perfectly prepared for visiting Christ the Redeemer in Rio.
Getting There and Tickets for the Christ Statue
Since most transportation options already include admission to the statue, we’ll cover tickets and getting there together.
These are the 4 options we recommend for getting to the Cristo Redentor:
- Cog railway Trem do Corcovado (admission to the statue included)
- Official van (admission to the statue included)
- Hiking trail from Parque Lage (ticket purchased at the entrance to the statue at the top)
- As part of a day tour covering multiple Rio highlights (admission to the statue included)
These are the options we don’t recommend:
- By private car (the road is dangerous and you can’t drive all the way to the top)
- On foot along the road (the road is dangerous — take the hiking trail instead)
Also read our safety tips for Rio de Janeiro
Trem do Corcovado
The cog railway is a really special way to get up to the Corcovado — the train ride through Tijuca National Park is a highlight in itself.
The departure station is called Cosme Velho and is located near Santa Teresa. Your best bet for getting there is by Uber or taxi. The cog railway takes you all the way to the top, right to the entrance of the statue. The train ticket includes admission to the Cristo Redentor and the return trip.
Tickets for the Trem do Corcovado
Ticket prices vary depending on peak and off-peak season. Children up to age four get in free, and children up to age eleven pay a discounted price.
Adult ticket prices are around 134 Brazilian reais (21 euros). You can buy them on the Trem do Corcovado website, which is available in English.
On GetYourGuide, the ticket is significantly more expensive, but you get free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and all the booking details neatly in one place.
Get the ticket: Cristo Redentor by train
Note: Buy your ticket online in advance — don’t show up at the train station without one. The lines can be seriously long.
Christ Statue in Rio by Official Van
Another popular way to get up to the Corcovado is by official van. The ride isn’t quite as scenic as the train, but the advantage is that vans depart from more centrally located stops:
- Praça do Lido at Copacabana
- Praça do Largo do Machado (at a metro station)
Van tickets also include admission to the Christ the Redeemer statue, and the vans take you all the way up to the entrance.
Van prices are around 130 reais (20 euros) during peak season. Tickets are available on the Paineiras Corcovado website. Book these online in advance too.
Hiking to the Christ Statue in Rio
If you’re a true hiking enthusiast, walking up to the Cristo Redentor is a fantastic option. There’s a really cool trail that starts at Parque Lage.
Note: Many websites advise against this trail, citing frequent robberies. We’ve hiked it twice and always felt completely safe — there were other tourists around the entire time.
At the trailhead in Parque Lage, there’s a security checkpoint where you’ll need to write down your name, the time, and your passport number.
From there, it’s about 2.2 kilometers uphill, with a gain of 700 meters in elevation. There’s a small climbing section, but it’s fairly easy and requires no equipment. Most of the hike goes through forest, and along the way you’ll get some beautiful views of Lagoa lake.
Near the end, you’ll cross the railway tracks, and the final stretch follows a road. At the top, at the entrance to the statue, you pay admission separately. Prices vary by season and day of the week — the last time we checked, it was around 58 reais.
Important: The latest time to begin the ascent is 3:00 PM — during the winter months it may be even earlier.
Day Tours in Rio with Multiple Highlights
If you’re short on time and want to hit the top attractions in Rio in a single day, booking a guided tour that covers multiple highlights — including the Cristo Redentor — is a really smart move.
We found three options on GetYourGuide, each of which includes admission and transportation to the Christ statue, Sugarloaf Mountain, and various other must-sees.
Take a quick look at the tours yourself to see which of the other highlights in Rio de Janeiro interest you most.
Christ Statue, Sugarloaf, Selaron, and BBQ Lunch
6 Rio Highlights with Lunch incl. Cristo Redentor
Rio Highlights Tour with Cristo Redentor and Sugarloaf
How to Get the Best Photos of the Cristo Redentor
The Christ the Redeemer statue isn’t just a top highlight within Rio — for us, it’s one of the most spectacular attractions in all of Brazil.
The view from the observation platform is absolutely stunning, but you won’t get a great shot of the statue itself with a sweeping panorama backdrop from up there.
Honestly, getting a truly good photo of the Cristo Redentor is trickier than you’d expect — you’re either too close or too far away, and from ground level the statue looks surprisingly small. That said, a good camera can still pull off some impressive shots from below.
The best option for photographing the Christ statue is from a helicopter. Several helicopter tours fly over Rio de Janeiro, all giving you the chance to capture stunning aerial shots of the Cristo Redentor:
Helicopter tour over Rio’s top highlights
Group helicopter tour — 30 or 60 minutes
Another great tip for a standout photo is the Heliponto Mirante Dona Marta viewpoint. It sits well below the Corcovado, but gives you a much closer view than you’d get from street level. A decent camera — or even a modern smartphone — makes a real difference here.
