The 10 best tours to visit Christ the Redeemer
If you’re planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro, then a visit to Christ the Redeemer must be on your list of places to visit. Besides being considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World, the Christ statue is also one of the best viewpoints in the city of Rio.
But with so many tour options available, it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you. That’s why we are here! As someone who is born and raised in Rio, I have put together my personal recommendations for the 10 best tours for visiting Christ the Redeemer.
Don’t have time to read it all?
This full-day tour in Rio is our top recommendation for visiting the Christ and other main attractions in town.
Top 3 picks for Christ the Redeemer tours in Rio
6-stop Rio Highlights
- Stops on the most important attractions in Rio
- Perfect if you have limited time
- Lunch included
Christ in the Early Morning
- Specialists in early pick-ups
- Beat the crowds
- Pick up at most hotels
Christ + Sugar Loaf
- Combine the 2 top attractions in Rio
- Half day tour
- Early morning pick-up
TOP 10 Christ the Redeemer tours – The full list
Based on my experience, I have curated the ultimate list of the 10 best tours to visit Christ the Redeemer in Rio. I have combined my personal expertise of someone that has lived for years in Rio, with the tourist side of things as I am always looking for interesting ways of showing Edo my city.
In this list, I have tried to select tours that offer quite some variety to make sure that all of you can find something for you here. Let’s get it started.
Read also: Full guide on how to visit Christ the Redeemer
1. Full-day 6-stop Rio Highlights
This is one of the most complete tours you can find for visiting Christ the Redeemer and other main attractions in Rio de Janeiro.
We selected this as our favorite tour because it takes you to some of our favorite places in town, including a visit to Maracana Stadium and the Sambodrome. There are many tours that combine a visit to the Christ and the Sugar Loaf on the same day, but not many options will include a stop at Maracana, for example.
With these additional stops, you get to learn a bit about two very important aspects of our culture in Rio: Soccer and Samba.
That being said, this is a full-day tour so it is ideal for people who are on a tight schedule to visit the city. If you will be spending 5 or more days in Rio, you can also choose to break this itinerary off into multiple tours.
Book your spot:
2. Christ in the Early Morning
If you read our guide to visiting Christ the Redeemer, you know that the best way to beat the crowds is by arriving early.
This is the only Christ the Redeemer tour that will guarantee you will be one of the first people at the site. The Christ opens every day at 8 am and this tour is organized with an early pick-up at your hotel to guarantee you will be there at that time.
Since you will be going up with the van, you will arrive faster than the tourists that go up with the cog train (because the cog train is slower).
This tour is ideal for photographers.
3. Christ + Sugar Loaf
Interested in visiting the 2 top attractions in Rio on the same day? This tour gets you there.
This is a half-day tour organized during the morning. The tour will first take you to Christ the Redeemer, arriving early to beat the crowds.
Afterward, you will go to the Sugar Loaf and ride the cable car all the way up. You will still have the morning light while going up the Sugar Loaf, which is the best time of the day to enjoy the view of Rio.
This tour has an early pick-up as well as the idea is that you start your day early at the Christ so you can enjoy it before it gets too busy.
4. Christ, Selaron Steps, and Tijuca Forest
This Christ the Redeemer tour is another option for a full-day tour, taking approximately 7 hours in total.
What makes this tour special and guaranteed its spot in this list is that it starts off with a visit to the Tijuca Forest, one of the most special places in Rio. The Tijuca Forest is the beautiful tropical rainforest that surrounds the city of Rio.
With the tour through the forest, you can see waterfalls and maybe even spot wild animals like little monkeys around.
After this part, the tour guides will take you to Christ the Redeemer. You will close off the day with a visit to Selaron Steps, a famous landmark in Rio made by a Chilean artist.
5. Dona Marta & Christ the Redeemer
This tour combines two of our favorite activities in Rio: watching the sunrise at our favorite viewpoint and the visit to Christ the Redeemer.
Dona Marta viewpoint is the best place in Rio to watch the sunrise. The sun rises right behind the Sugar Loaf and you have the most amazing view of the city at twilight.
After sunrise, you will go for breakfast and then to Christ the Redeemer, where you will arrive still within the first working hours to enjoy it before the crowds arrive.
This tour is ideal for sunrise and photography lovers, but it may not be right for those of you who are not willing to have an early wake-up time.
6. Private tour to Christ the Redeemer
Group tours are not your thing? This is the best option for a private tour to visit Christ the Redeemer.
This tour has a fully customizable itinerary as you will be traveling with a private driver and a private car.
The driver will pick you up at your hotel or any other place of your choice, and you will be able to choose which attractions you want to visit. Most people use this option to visit the main attractions in Rio, such as Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf, Maracana, etc.
This tour option is ideal for couples or small families that would like their privacy.
7. Christ the Redeemer with Sunset
By now, you have definitely understood that many tour operators combine Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf in the same tour as those are the two main attractions in Rio.
What makes this tour special is that you get to see the sunset from the top of Sugar Loaf after visiting Christ the Redeemer.
You can take my word here – the Sugar Loaf is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Rio. The view is simply magical.
This Christ the Redeemer tour option is ideal for people interested in photography and appreciating the golden hour.
8. Half-day in Rio with a visit to the Christ by train
The best thing about this Christ the Redeemer tour is that it gives you the full experience of visiting Christ as you go up with the cog train.
The cog train is the most traditional transport option to go up Corcovado Hill. The original train has been replaced by a modern version, but you still travel in the same tracks and the experience is much more exciting this way.
The cog train takes you from Cosme Velho until the Christ, traveling through the Tijuca Forest where you can spot some wild animals (if you are lucky).
Besides visiting Christ the Redeemer, this tour also includes a few other stops including the Metropolitan Cathedral and Maracana Stadium.
9. Helicopter tour of the Christ
Have you ever thought about seeing Christ the Redeemer from a different angle? This is the best way to do it!
Helicopter tours are famous in Rio as you get to see the entire city from above. In this tour, the helicopter will fly around Christ the Redeemer and you will be able to see it from all angles. It is a really unique experience, one I definitely recommend.
Besides flying around the Christ, you will also see the main beaches in Rio. I cannot recommend this tour enough, it is truly special.
10. Hike to Christ the Redeemer
One of the most unique ways of getting to visit Christ the Redeemer is through a guided hiking tour. This is the best option out there for it.
The hike starts at Parque Lage and you will walk uphill until you reach the top of Corcovado Hill.
This is a trail I only recommend doing in a group or with an experienced guide, so this Christ the Redeemer tour is a perfect option if this sounds like something you want to try out.
Don’t want a full tour? Just buy the tickets to Christ the Redeemer instead!
If all you want is to visit Christ the Redeemer without a full tour, we recommend doing it this way: Buy your tickets online here and just go on your own to the Cosme Velho station where you can get the cog train.
With this online ticket, you avoid having to wait in line.
This is the option we used the last time we visited Christ the Redeemer in 2023. You will have to select the time you want to visit so we recommend booking it only one or two days in advance, so you can take a look at the weather forecast before.
More about visiting Rio
Need more information to help plan your trip to Rio? We have a lot of guides to help you out:
We hope this blog post has helped you pick your favorite tour for visiting Christ the Redeemer. We did our best to select a few very diverse options including private and group tours to Christ the Redeemer, within a varied price range.
Whichever option you choose, don’t forget to take lots of pictures – this is one of the most incredible views of Rio.
Happy travels!
Organizing your trip
To help you plan your trip to Brazil, we have put together our favorite planning resources:
- Flights: Get affordable flights to Brazil on Skyscanner.com.
- Travel insurance: Make sure you are protected during your trip. We use VisitorsCoverage whenever we are traveling abroad.
- Renting a car: We always use Discover Cars to get the best car deals.
- Accommodation: Find the best hotels and apartments on Booking.com.
- Activities: Get fun ideas of what to do and buy unique activities with Get Your Guide.
- SIM Card: Stay connected during your trip with Airalo.
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