Sugar Loaf Hiking - Visit Rio’s Best Attraction Hiking & Climbing
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Experience Rio de Janeiro’s most iconic attraction in a unique and adventurous way.
Join a guided hike through the lush Atlantic Forest as you learn about the city’s rich history and enjoy a fun, beginner-friendly rock scramble to reach the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain.
From the top, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking 360-degree view of Rio de Janeiro. To begin the descent, you’ll take the famous Sugarloaf cable car down to the first hill — and it’s included in the price of the tour.
This is without a doubt the most classic hiking experience in Rio. If you're looking for more than a simple walking trail and prefer reaching the summit under your own power instead of taking the cable cars like a typical tourist, this is the tour for you.
Our friendly, professional guides will support you every step of the way and provide all necessary equipment.
Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain will definitely be a highlight of your trip!
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Claudio Coutinho Trail
Pista Claudio Coutinho, also known as Claudio Coutinho Trail, is a scenic walking trail located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It runs along the base of the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) and is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Along the way, you'll find viewpoints with benches where you can stop, rest, and take in the stunning vistas. The view of the Sugarloaf Mountain from the trail is particularly impressive, as you can observe its imposing granite peak rising sharply above the city. While walking on the Pista Claudio Coutinho, you may encounter small monkeys, known as marmosets or saguis, which are common in the area.
Trilha do Pao de Acucar
Hiking and climbing Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a thrilling adventure that offers breathtaking views of the city and its surroundings. Sugarloaf Mountain is an iconic landmark, characterized by its distinct shape and imposing granite cliffs, making it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and tourists. Hiking to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain involves a combination of walking and climbing. Whether you choose to hike or climb Sugarloaf Mountain, the experience is a unique opportunity to connect with nature, challenge yourself physically, and witness some of the most breathtaking views in Rio de Janeiro.
What‘s Included
Accredited climbing guide
Climbing Equipment
Food and drinks are not included
Options
Sugar Loaf Hiking - Visit Rio de Janeiro’s Best Attraction Hiking and Climbing
Duration: 4 hours: Longer than a easy hike with dramatic elevation gains. Ideal for Intermediate to experienced hikers!
Climb to the Summit: This is fore sure the most classic hike in Rio. Enjoy an easy level rock climb to reach the summit of Sugar Loaf.
Reviews
15 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Walking meditation
O7410AVanthonyr,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Everithig was amazing, it's kind a walking meditation, best experience for me and my family in Rio, we want to live the experience again soon, thank u Thomas
The Best Experience of Our Trip in Rio!
Navigator58281940018,Mar 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did the hike up Sugarloaf Mountain with a group of friends and it was an absolutely outstanding experience! The climb was definitely challenging and a real adventure for us — but that’s exactly what made it so special. Our guide supported us incredibly well throughout the whole hike. He was extremely friendly, very supportive, and had a warm and funny personality. Because of that, we felt safe and motivated the entire time, even during the more difficult sections. When we reached the top, the view was simply unbelievably beautiful. The panorama over Rio is absolutely spectacular, and every step of the climb was more than worth it. For us, it was the perfect combination of adventure, challenge, and nature. We would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to experience something truly special in Rio!
An incredible climb with guide Thomas!
Paigelotter91,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a brilliant climb with Thomas, it has been the highlight of our trip! An incredibly unique way to reach the summit of sugarloaf mountain. I’ve climbed many mountains but this was truly incredible and we wouldn’t have been able to do this route without Thomas’s help, the areas where you need rope are vertical so unachievable for the average person. Thomas was a confident and calm guide who made us feel very safe and comfortable. Thomas encouraged us to take our time and took care to explain to us the terrain and how we can best navigate it. We see beautiful wildlife on our way up and the views are spectacular. I would recommend this tour to anyone and I would recommend you ask for Thomas to guide you, he has many years experience and is a very charismatic and kind person.
Amazing Hike Up Sugarloaf With Amazing Guide Thomas!
brianmI2512GS,Jan 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely, here’s a more natural version without the em dash and with a lighter, less AI-ish feel: We hiked/climbed Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil and honestly went in not expecting much, but it turned out to be an incredible experience. Thomas was very friendly, funny, and super accommodating the whole way. He set a comfortable pace, answered all our questions, and made us feel safe even on some of the sketchier parts. We finished feeling confident, happy, and blown away by the views. The photos were also incredible!! I highly recommend booking this experience, especially with Thomas.
Pão de açucar climb, great experience
shoshanaw702,Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00About the guide: Thomas (free lancer employed through the company) was SPECTACULAR. We were two 22yo women. One of us had some hiking experience and one of us none and he was very mindful of our pace and our needs. He also taught us a lot of interesting things as we passed along trees and sites, and wasn't focused only on hiking. Thomas said he takes groups of up to 6 people, but we were the only two that day. The hike was amazing, we got to see incredible views and push our limits further than we thought. Taking the cable car up to Pão de Açucar probably gives you 10% of the views and experience that hiking does. Some of the parts of the hike were a little scary but Thomas did a great job keeping us safe and happy. If you're thinking of hiking, DO IT AND TAKE THOMAS WITH YOU. If we ever return to Brazil, we'll definitely contact him again!! Price: 300 reals each, hike took about three hours to top of Pão de Açucar. Cable car ride back to Morro da Urca is free, but cable car from Morro da Urca to Red Beach costs 50 reals per person. However, there's an easy 20 minutes trail down from Morro da Urca that's free. About The hike: The hike starts out with a walk from Red Beach to the base of Pão de Açucar and then you hike steeply up several slabs of rock (mind your footing!). There's a small section where you need a harness to climb the rocks and then the last third of the trail is a normal hiking trail through trees. As you go up the mountain, the view only gets more breathtaking. Thomas recommended that we pause to enjoy the view before getting to the very top where the people who took the cable car were, and boy was he right. We planned to stay for the sunset up top, but ended up taking the cable car down before sunset as the angle isn't that great. All in all, we were thrilled with our experience and it was absolutely WORTH IT. Tips: BRING CLOSED TOED SHOES, a couple liters of water, sunscreen, and snacks.
Sugar Loaf was Sweeeeet!
Scot B,Jun 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Sergio did a great job as a guide. 99% of the climb is 3rd class or less. There is one short (~20 meters) pitch that we roped up for that I would estimate as fifth class (~5.5). It was a holiday weekend so some traffic on the route, but it was manageable. Almost zero rockfall hazard. A nice beginner scramble. Footwear with good grip/traction increases the fun factor,
Pão de Açúcar trilha com emoção
Adrian C,May 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great hike with some climbing. With a guide and climbing equipment the hike / climb is fine, about 3 km uphill, steep terrain. One section with rock climbing about 8 - 10m. Rope and harness highly recommended. Beautiful views, great experience! Starting at 1/2 pm for sunset on top is great!
An incredible afternoon with stunning views and excellent guides
Sightseer51186547847,May 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely loved our hike up Sugar Loaf. Daniel and Viktor were superb, friendly, very supportive and made us feel very safe and confident on the trickier sections, but also very relaxed and fun. The route is stunning, the views are unbeatable and the sense of achievement arriving at the top is amazing. We also were visited by a family of monkeys on the way up. We stayed at the top to enjoy the view and watch sunset, which is definitely worth doing. If I had another spare afternoon in Rio, I would 100% book with these guys again.
Excellent and Safe
U5461NMjoshuar,Mar 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a brilliant time with Lucas today! He took us up the amazing and beautiful Corringa route which was 4 pitches of mainly slab - so our feet were really well worked out! It took about 3 hours to get up and we were lucky to see the sunset. Lucas had everything we needed for the three of us to multipitch up. He was knowledgable and gave us cool information throughout the climb. His belaying from above was great. We only did top rope and felt secure throughout. The grade was a French 4 but due to the slabby nature (very few jugs) we felt like it was in the 5's Would love to do the Italian route if we come back to Rio!
Climbing Pão de açúcar
875tillr,May 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really nice experience. Demanding hike with a little bit of climbing and beautiful views as a reward! Our guide Adílio was the best. He knew a lot of interesting stuff and kept us safe and comfortable during the ascend!
From R$380.00
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Operated by Rio Natural Ecotourism