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First visit to Rio
The icon is the point
- WhenA clear morning
- HowTrain with entry
- BookA fixed slot
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Christ the Redeemer reviews: is the visit worth it
Two questions, an honest call
Is the statue worth it for you
Tell us how much time you have and what you care about most, and we suggest the visit that pays off, with its starting price.
Best match for you
Go up by train on your own
from $48
Pick a clear morning and a time slot, and take the view at your own pace.
Best match for you
Go at sunrise
from $98
Dona Marta at dawn and the statue as it opens, with pickup.
Best match for you
Go with a guide
from $61
A guided 4 hour visit with pickup, so someone explains the view.
Best match for you
Do both summits
from $110
A 5 hour express tour of the statue and Sugarloaf with pickup.
Best match for you
Statue by day, Sugarloaf at sunset
from $122
A 6 hour half day that saves Sugarloaf for the evening light.
Christ the Redeemer reviews are mostly glowing, with the same few complaints. What visitors love, what wears them down, and how it compares with Sugarloaf when time is short.
Editorial team, christtheredeemertour.top · Updated November 11, 2026 · Read in 7 min
Key facts
- ScoreOur train ticket averages 4.4 from 5,180 reviews on GetYourGuide.
- PopularityMore than 1.5 million people ride the train up every year.1
- Main gripeQueues, and a summit that can sit in cloud: no view is guaranteed.2
- Quieter hourVisits after 14h meet thinner crowds, says the van firm.3
- Versus SugarloafThe cable car runs to 9 PM, the statue train to 6 PM.4,5
Christ the Redeemer reviews: what the scores say
Christ the Redeemer reviews on the main booking platforms are strongly positive. The Corcovado Train ticket with entry sold on this site averages 4.4 from 5,180 reviews, and a similar admission by train averages 4.4 from 284 reviews. Guided versions score higher when they solve the crowd problem: a sunrise tour that starts at the Dona Marta lookout averages 4.9 from 148 reviews.
Read the newest reviews of our ticket and the praise is consistent: the view from the top, the ride through the forest and a queue system that works, with one guest describing a weather postponement handled without fuss. The complaints are just as consistent, and almost all about waiting: the line for the train going up and the line for the ride back at the end of the day.
That split tells you what to expect. Nobody seems to regret the statue or the view; people regret the hour they spent in a queue they could have avoided. So the question is less whether Christ the Redeemer is worth it and more how to visit so that the good part takes up most of your time. The rest of this page is about exactly that: the crowds, the weather, the time you need and the alternatives.
Head to head
Christ the Redeemer or Sugarloaf
| Question | Christ the Redeemer | Sugarloaf |
|---|---|---|
| How you get up | Train or official van | Cable car |
| Opening | Train from 8 AM | From 7:30 AM at weekends |
| Closing | Train until 6 PM | Until 9 PM daily |
| Walk option | 1.15 km trail from Paineiras | About 30 minutes to Urca Hill |
| Best for | The icon and the city view | Sunset over the bay |
Hours and trails as the train operator, the national park and the Sugarloaf park state them.5,15,4,9,16,17
Is Christ the Redeemer worth it?
Is Christ the Redeemer worth it? For a first visit to Rio, yes. The statue reaches 38 meters on a summit the train operator gives as 710 meters high, and from its platform you see the bay, the beaches and the mountains in one sweep.10 A public vote among 21 monuments placed it among the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World, and the operator calls it the symbol of the city.11
Numbers back the instinct. More than 1.5 million people a year ride the train up, and the official vans report over 1 million more.1,12 Tijuca National Park, which includes Corcovado, received more than 4.6 million visitors in 2024 and has been the most visited national park in Brazil since 2008.13 A sight that busy is either a trap or a must; the reviews say it is the second.
It is also more than a viewpoint. The statue sits on a Catholic sanctuary, with a chapel at its base and a daily opening rite with a priest's blessing between 7h30 and 8h, before visitors are let onto the platform.14 Treat it as a place of worship as well as a lookout: quiet voices near the chapel and clothes other than swimwear cost nothing and make the visit easier for everyone.
Average ratings
How guests rate the ways to visit
- Sunrise lookout4.9
- Guided hike4.8
- Half day by van4.6
- Christ and Sugarloaf4.5
- Train ticket (ours)4.4
Average scores guests gave these listings on GetYourGuide, based on 30 to 5,180 ratings each.
The crowds, the queues and the cloud
Crowds are the first complaint, and they are not imaginary. During the escalator works, which run from August 2026 to an expected end in May 2027, only half the usual crowd is allowed on the summit at a time.19,20 That limits how many people stand on the platform at once, which helps photos, but it also means time slots fill sooner and queues form below.
The van company recommends the afternoon, preferably from 14h, as the time with the fewest visitors, and adds that late afternoon light suits photos.3 Sunrise tours take the other route and arrive as the platform opens. Avoid the late-morning peak if you can, and book a slot rather than turning up, because the train boards in the order of the times printed on tickets.21
Cloud is the other risk. Corcovado is high enough to catch it, and the sanctuary states openly that a ticket comes with no promise of a view.2 Hours can change without notice for weather reasons.22 Check the sky from the beach before you set off, keep your ticket flexible, and treat a clear morning in your trip as the day to go up.
Who it suits
Should you go up, and how
Go early
Crowd-averse
Wants quiet photos
- WhenSunrise or afternoon
- HowSunrise tour
- AvoidLate morning
Combine
Short on time
Only half a day
- WhenMorning, then Urca
- HowChrist and Sugarloaf tour
- SunsetOn Sugarloaf
How long you spend at the top
Neither official transport sets a time limit at the top. Van passengers may stay as long as they like until closing, and the ticket sold here lets you explore at your own pace once you enter at your chosen time.7 Plan on an hour or so on the summit for photos, the chapel and the views in every direction, more if you like to wait for the light.
The climb takes some of that time. From the train or van drop-off to the platform there are 220 steps, partly covered by lifts.23,24 While the escalators are being replaced, everyone walks the last 80 steps on the stone stairs.25 People with reduced mobility can use stair-climbing chairs that take 7 to 8 minutes up, but not on wet days.26,18
Add the journey and the queues, and a visit by train from a hotel in the South Zone easily fills half a day. The park's own trail from Paineiras takes about 45 minutes on foot, and the full hike from Parque Lage can take up to 4 hours.16,27 So budget the morning or the afternoon, not an hour between other plans.
Group cost
Visit cost for your group
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Compare 4 choices
Visit cost for your group
Tell the calculator your group size to price each visit.
- Train ticket with entryOn your own · starting at, per person $48
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View - Sunrise and statueQuietest start · starting at, per person $98
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View - Christ and Sugarloaf5 hour express · starting at, per person $110
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View - Both, Sugarloaf sunset6 hours with Selaron · starting at, per person $122
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View
Converted at the ECB reference rate, from-prices as listed by GetYourGuide. The precise amount is shown when you book.
Both in a day
Statue first, Sugarloaf at sunset
Christ the Redeemer vs Sugarloaf Mountain
Christ the Redeemer vs Sugarloaf Mountain is the classic dilemma for a short stay. The statue is on Corcovado, inside the forest of Tijuca National Park; Sugarloaf rises from the bay at Urca and is reached by Brazil's first cable car, which links Vermelha Beach, Urca Hill and the main summit.9 They are different mountains on opposite sides of the South Zone, and each has the other in its best view.
The schedules differ more than the prices. Trains to the statue operate between 8 AM and 6 PM and vans begin boarding at 7h, while the Sugarloaf park opens at 8:30 AM on weekdays and 7:30 AM at weekends and keeps going until 9 PM, weekends included.5,6,4 That makes Sugarloaf the natural sunset choice, and the statue the morning one.
On effort, both offer a walk for the keen. The trail to Urca Hill takes about 30 minutes uphill and is rated light to moderate, while the shortest official trail to the statue climbs 260 m in 1.15 km.17,16 If you can only do one, pick the statue for the icon and the sweeping city view, and Sugarloaf for the bay at sunset with the statue on the skyline.
Video
Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain in one day
Tide Knot Travellers on YouTube · The video waits until you tap play to load.
A visit does not guarantee specific conditions of view or of weather.
Make it worth it
Making the climb pay off
Choose the day3
- Pick the clearest morning of your stay
- Keep a flexible ticket in case of cloud
- Avoid the late-morning peak
Pack3
- Original ID for entry
- A light layer for wind at the top
- Water for the climb
Respect the place2
- No swimwear on the sanctuary terraces
- Keep voices down near the chapel
Doing both in a day
You do not have to choose. Because the statue closes earlier than Sugarloaf, the obvious plan is the statue in the morning or early afternoon and the cable car towards sunset.5,4 Half-day tours are built on exactly that order, collecting guests at their hotels, running up to Corcovado while the light is clear and finishing on the bay as the sun drops behind the mountains of the west.
A 5 hour express tour of both with pickup starts from $110, and a 5 hour half day by van from $130 adds free rebooking if poor weather closes the road. The combination with the most feedback, 2,487 reviews, takes 6 hours, fits in the Selaron Steps and saves Sugarloaf for sundown, from $122.
Doing it yourself works too: train or van to the statue, lunch in Botafogo or Urca, then the cable car late in the day. Allow for queues at both ends, and do not leave the statue for the last trains of the day if you want to be on Sugarloaf for the sunset, since the ride down and the trip across town both take time.
Who might skip it, or plan differently
A few travellers should think twice. Anyone who struggles with stairs should know that during the works the last 80 steps are stairs for everyone, and that the stair-climbing chairs do not run in rain or on wet ground.25,18 On a dry day the equipment and staff make the visit possible; on a wet one, it may not be.
Families with small children do fine on the train, where a child up to 6 sits on a lap for free, but should leave the Parque Lage hike for later years, as the park sets it at 10 and over.28,27 Travellers on a tight schedule should avoid carrying luggage: the station has no storage and bags slow the queues.29
And anyone expecting a beach-day dress code should adjust. The sanctuary asks visitors not to stay shirtless or in swimwear in its visiting areas.30 None of this argues against going; it argues to plan the visit for a dry, clear day, with the right clothes and a booked time. Done that way, the climb is short, the view is long and the queues become a footnote.
FAQ
Questions answered quickly.
Is Christ the Redeemer worth visiting?
For a first visit, yes.
Our ticket averages 4.4 from 5,180 reviews; the main complaints are queues and cloud.2
How long do people spend at the top?
As long as they like.
No clock runs on van passengers before closing, and our ticket sets no limit either.7
When is it least crowded?
Afternoon or sunrise.
After 14h, by the van firm's count; or at opening, with a sunrise tour.3
Christ the Redeemer or Sugarloaf at sunset?
Can I do both in one day?
Yes.
Half-day tours pair them; a 5 hour express version starts from $110.
What if the summit is in cloud?
No view is guaranteed.
The sanctuary says a visit does not guarantee a view; keep your ticket flexible.2
Sources
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · History and Curiosities ↩
- Santuario Cristo Redentor (santuariocristoredentor.com.br), Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro · Politica de Visitacao ↩
- Paineiras-Corcovado (paineirascorcovado.com.br), the official van concession · Duvidas (frequently asked questions) ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pao de Acucar (bondinho.com.br), the Sugarloaf cable car operator · Sugarloaf Mountain Park official page ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Useful Information ↩
- Paineiras-Corcovado (paineirascorcovado.com.br), the official van concession · Duvidas (frequently asked questions) ↩
- Paineiras-Corcovado (paineirascorcovado.com.br), the official van concession · Duvidas (frequently asked questions) ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Useful Information ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pao de Acucar (bondinho.com.br), the Sugarloaf cable car operator · Sugarloaf Mountain Park official page ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · History and Curiosities ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · History and Curiosities ↩
- Paineiras-Corcovado (paineirascorcovado.com.br), the official van concession · Paineiras Corcovado ↩
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca / ICMBio (parquenacionaldatijuca.rio) · Parque Nacional da Tijuca ↩
- Santuario Cristo Redentor (santuariocristoredentor.com.br), Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro · Horarios e atendimento ↩
- Paineiras-Corcovado (paineirascorcovado.com.br), the official van concession · Paineiras Corcovado ↩
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca / ICMBio (parquenacionaldatijuca.rio) · Trilhas para o Corcovado ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pao de Acucar (bondinho.com.br), the Sugarloaf cable car operator · The Park ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Works and Accessibility at Christ the Redeemer ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Works and Accessibility at Christ the Redeemer ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Works and Accessibility at Christ the Redeemer ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Useful Information ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Useful Information ↩
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca / ICMBio (parquenacionaldatijuca.rio) · Saiba tudo sobre a troca das escadas rolantes do Cristo Redentor ↩
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca / ICMBio (parquenacionaldatijuca.rio) · Saiba tudo sobre a troca das escadas rolantes do Cristo Redentor ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Works and Accessibility at Christ the Redeemer ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Works and Accessibility at Christ the Redeemer ↩
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca / ICMBio (parquenacionaldatijuca.rio) · Trilhas para o Corcovado ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Useful Information ↩
- Trem do Corcovado (tremdocorcovado.rio), the Corcovado Train operator · Useful Information ↩
- Santuario Cristo Redentor (santuariocristoredentor.com.br), Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro · Politica de Visitacao ↩