It’s no secret that Rio de Janeiro is one of the most fun cities in the world for partying—especially during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro—and enjoying beautiful beaches. Beyond the obvious, it’s also a great urban destination for hiking. Within its concrete jungle and just outside of it are plenty of trails leading up Rio’s massive rock formations, with fantastic viewpoints overlooking the city and Atlantic Ocean.
These trails are a blessing when you need a break from the chaotic pace and noise of the city. You can escape into nature without traveling very far at all. Hiking also offers a completely different perspective of Rio from famous viewpoints like Christ the Redeemer, where the experience is much more structured and tourist-oriented.
Out of the many hikes in Rio de Janeiro, two of my favorites are Morro Dois Irmãos and Pedra Bonita. Both can be done in a reasonably short period of time during your stay, are fairly easy to access, and reward you with incredible views.
Morro Dois Irmãos: Sunrise Hike
HOW TO GET TO THE DOIS IRMÃOS TRAIL
For my sunrise hike at Dois Irmãos, I prepared for a 5:45 AM sunrise. An Uber picked me up from my hostel in the neighborhood of Glória at 3:10 AM and headed toward Vidigal.
After about a 25–30 minute ride, I arrived at the entrance to Vidigal. From there, you can take one of the local mototaxis up through the community toward the trailhead. When I visited, the mototaxi cost R$10.
Upon arriving in Vidigal, I joined a flock of people preparing to hike Dois Irmãos. We waited in line for a little while for our mototaxis, which then raced like Mario Kart maniacs up the favela streets with us on the backs of their bikes—an adrenaline rush, to say the least.
HIKING MORRO DOIS IRMÃOS AT SUNRISE
After a rapid commute to the trailhead, I started the hike in the dark. The trail was full of solo visitors and a couple of tour groups, with some people equipped with headlamps to help lead the way. Feel free to bring your own headlamp if you have one.
The moderate trek on the well-maintained trail takes roughly 30–60 minutes, depending on your speed. Along the way up, there are viewpoints overlooking Rocinha, illuminated by bright streetlights before sunrise.
Upon reaching the summit, you’re greeted by amazing panoramic views of Rio and the beautiful Atlantic Ocean as the sky starts to change color while you wait for the rising sun.
My advice is to get to the trailhead and start the hike about 60–90 minutes before the scheduled sunrise.
The summit is somewhat divided into two sections and fills with people taking photos and finding places to sit. Don’t worry about it, though. There’s room for everyone.
On the way back down, now in daylight, you can appreciate the forest trail itself, plus the viewpoints of Rocinha and all of its color no longer hidden by darkness.
All in all, Dois Irmãos is 100% worth a visit!
Pedra Bonita Hike
Pedra Bonita, like Dois Irmãos, is a moderate hike. It’s located in Tijuca National Park and is easily accessible by car, Uber, or taxi.
Although the trail isn’t particularly long, parts of it are fairly steep. I was pretty sick when I did it, so maybe I’m exaggerating, but either way, I sweated like crazy after doing the hike around midday.
VIEWS FROM PEDRA BONITA
The top of Pedra Bonita provides impressive views in several directions, including Barra da Tijuca, São Conrado, Pedra da Gávea, the surrounding mountains, and the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s a peaceful place to relax and take in the scenery for a while. There were several people circling around the summit while hang gliding and paragliding, which added a cool dynamic to the views.
It wasn’t remotely as crowded as my sunrise hike at Dois Irmãos. I would suggest spending as much time as you can up there. I even took a nap for an hour!
The summit is spacious, comfortable, and just so peaceful. Listening to silence was very refreshing.
The summit is spacious, comfortable, and just so peaceful. Listening to silence was very refreshing.
Although I loved the views, my most memorable experience here was seeing a bunch of monkeys during my descent—a total of about five, including a mother with a small baby on her back.
After arriving at the bottom of the trail, I had a bite to eat at the restaurant. There I saw the monkeys again, this time feasting on a massive jackfruit growing on a jackfruit tree. There were actually quite a few jackfruit trees around the area.
I enjoyed a tasty meal while watching the curious animals bounce from tree to tree. It was a perfect end to the activity.
BTW: Cell phone service was pretty bad here during my visit, but the restaurant had Wi-Fi. I used it to order an Uber when I was ready to leave.
More Viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro
There are plenty of other viewpoints around Rio from the beaches, mountains, favelas, and massive rock formations scattered throughout the city. Do some exploring and see what you can find! And if you’re traveling beyond the city, the coastline of Rio de Janeiro state continues with destinations like Arraial do Cabo and Búzios, where the beaches become the main attraction.
