Hikes in Rio in 3 days
Three hikes inside the city, one a day, each at a different time: Pedra Bonita early in the morning, Pico da Tijuca mid-morning and Morro Dois Irmãos in the late afternoon.
Day 1: Pedra Bonita, in the morning
The shortest of the three: about 1.3 km each way and some 40 minutes up, inside Tijuca National Park, with the hang-glider ramp and the view over São Conrado. The vehicle gate opens at 8:00 and the trail can only be started until 16:00. At the guard post the group leader signs a short form with the group size and a phone number.
The free parking lot is small and fills up on weekends: get there around 8:00. Without a car, take Metro Line 4 to São Conrado, then a ride-hailing car, a taxi or bus 448. Arrange your ride back before you go up: there is usually no phone signal at the parking lot, only at the ramp and the summit.
From July to September morning fog often hides the view; low cloud usually clears between 10:00 and 11:00. After rain the ground is slippery.
See my day on Pedra BonitaExample: day 1 hour by hour
| 08:00 | At the guard post (the gate opens at 8:00). Form signed. |
|---|---|
| 08:15 | Start of the trail, 1.3 km to the top. |
| ~08:55 | Summit and hang-glider ramp (about 40 min up). There's signal here: book your ride back. |
| ~09:45 | Down, about 35 min. |
| ~10:20 | Back at the parking lot. The rest of the day is yours. |
An example built from the park's hours and the up and down times the sources give. Your own day, with the weather, comes in the plan.
Day 2: Pico da Tijuca
The highest point of the trip, 1,022 m. It starts at Bom Retiro, inside the Tijuca Forest: about 5.2 km round trip and 361 m of climb, nearly all in the shade of the forest, with stairs cut into the rock near the top. Count on about 1h10 up and 1h down.
Trail entry at Bom Retiro runs from 7:00 to 15:00. Cars may enter the forest from 8:00 to 17:00 and everyone must be out by 18:00. In the morning the limit is 300 cars. Without a car: bus 301, 333, 308, 309 or 345 to Praça Afonso Viseu, then about an hour on foot along the park road to Bom Retiro.
Bring water: the fountain at Bom Retiro isn't drinkable and nobody sells water there. The trail is well signed with no scrambling; fog can close in at the top.
See my day on Pico da TijucaDay 3: sunset on Morro Dois Irmãos
The trail starts behind the football field of the Vila Olímpica in Vidigal and is about 3 km round trip, around 40 minutes up, with lookouts on the way. There is no gate and no official hours; sources suggest starting between 14:00 and 15:00 to catch the sunset and to avoid the midday sun, because there's little shade up top.
Getting there: metro to Antero de Quental, a bus along Av. Niemeyer to the Vidigal entrance, then a kombi or mototaxi to the field (around R$ 10 a person in 2024). There's a community visitation fee of about R$ 10, paid at the field. Wear long trousers: the brush on the upper part scratches. If you stay for the sunset, you may walk down in the dark: bring a headlamp.
See my day on Dois IrmãosWhat about Pedra da Gávea?
It's Rio's most famous hike and the most serious one in our catalogue: extreme level, about 7 km and 800 m of climb, and the Carrasqueira, a 30 to 40 m rock wall with ropes where fatal accidents have happened. It doesn't belong in three easy days. If your group is experienced, read the Pedra da Gávea guide first.
November to March is Rio's hottest, rainiest time. Before each day, see your day free: it says whether to go (GO!, HEADS UP or SKIP IT) and, if not, shows better days.
Sources: Tijuca National Park (February 2026 protocol) and hiking guides published between 2024 and 2026. Hours and prices change: check with the park before you go.
The trails in this guide (pages in Portuguese): Pedra Bonita, Pico da Tijuca, Morro Dois Irmãos, Pedra da Gávea.