Hikes you can do without a car
Not every hike needs a car. These have a metro, bus or boat route named by the sources, sometimes with a ride-hailing or taxi leg at the end. Check the lines first: timetables change.
Rio de Janeiro
- Pico da Tijuca: bus 301, 333, 308, 309 or 345 to Praça Afonso Viseu, then about 1 h on foot along the park road to Bom Retiro.
- Morro Dois Irmãos: metro to Antero de Quental, a bus along Av. Niemeyer to the Vidigal entrance (Integrada 2 or 9, Troncal 4 or 557), then a kombi or mototaxi to the field, around R$ 10 (2024).
- Pedra Bonita: Metro Line 4 to São Conrado (exit C), then ride-hailing, a taxi or bus 448, which is irregular. Getting back is hard: there's no signal at the parking lot.
- Pedra da Gávea: metro to Jardim Oceânico and a ride-hailing car for about 4 km.
- Pedra do Sino: a bus to Teresópolis, then a taxi or ride-hailing car to the gate.
- Lopes Mendes: a bus from Novo Rio to Conceição de Jacareí and a boat to Abraão. See beach hikes.
São Paulo
- Pedra Grande, Atibaia: a bus to Atibaia, then the Águas Espraiadas line from the urban terminal next to the bus station, or a taxi.
- Bonete trail: the ferry to Ilhabela and the Borrifos bus, about 1 h; it drops you about 3 km from the gate.
- Pico dos Marins: a bus to Lorena or Piquete, then a taxi or pre-booked transfer; no bus reaches the trail.
Brasília and BH
- Poço Azul: a bus from the Plano Piloto terminal to Brazlândia, then a taxi, mototaxi or transfer. Ride apps work poorly: arrange your return with the same driver.
- Pico do Itacolomi: a 2026 news item says public transport runs from central Ouro Preto and from BH; we found no timetable.
Example: Pico da Tijuca by bus, hour by hour
| 07:00 | Off the bus at Praça Afonso Viseu. |
|---|---|
| ~08:00 | Bom Retiro, after about 1 h on foot along the paved park road. Bring your own water: the fountain isn't drinkable. |
| 08:10 | Start of the trail (entry runs 7:00 to 15:00). |
| ~09:20 | Summit, 1,022 m, about 1h10 later. |
| ~10:50 | Back at Bom Retiro, about 1 h down. |
| ~11:50 | Praça Afonso Viseu, bus home. |
An example with the times the sources give. In the plan, pick "Bus" under "Getting there by".
The trails in this guide (pages in Portuguese): Pico da Tijuca, Morro Dois Irmãos, Pedra Bonita, Pedra da Gávea, Lopes Mendes, Pedra Grande, Bonete trail, Poço Azul.