Visiting Christ The Redeemer From Copacabana

Visiting Christ the Redeemer is the most popular activity for any tourist to Rio de Janeiro. In this article I’m going to give a little information on the different ways you can visit this iconic statue, as well as a look into our experience visiting Christ The Redeemer From Copacabana, where we stayed during our time in Rio.

Table Of Contents:

• General Information
• Visiting Christ The Redeemer From Copacabana (Our Experience)
• 5 Ways To Visit With Prices

General Information

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ that was created by a French sculptor and built by Brazilian and French engineers. This statue was built between 1922 and 1931 and its height is 30 meters plus an 8 meters pedestal. The arms stretch 28 meters wide. And it is located on the top of Corcovado mountain, which is 700 meters tall.

Christ the Redeemer is the most iconic sight of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in general. And of course, the first place that was on our list for Rio was Christ the Redeemer.

Visiting Christ The Redeemer From Copacabana (Our Experience)

A few days after arrival and resting on Copacabana beach, Cody and I decided that it is time to start exploring Rio de Janeiro. So naturally we firstly went to the famous statue.

We decided to do it on our own and got an Uber right to the entrance. That was quite easy, although the ride was very windy, and I felt a bit sick after. Before going to see the statue of Jesus Christ we researched how it works and it was a pleasant surprise that they have ticket terminals at the entrance, and we can pay with a card and not wait in a long line.

Click here to check other things to do in Rio de Janeiro!

Naturally with this information, we didn’t really care that we don’t have enough cash, since we thought we can use our card. And can you imagine our faces when we finally got to the entrance and understood that mine, nor Cody’s card worked at the ticket terminals. Bad luck, right? So, like everyone else we went to stay in a long, long, long line to get our tickets. Finally, at the counter they again tried our cards and again it didn’t work. I didn’t even feel disappointed, I felt scared. What happened, why our cards don’t work, what we are going to do without money for two weeks? These and more questions were in my head.

Of course, we wanted to try if ATMs will work, but at the top of the mountain there were none of those and we called Uber to take us back to the hotel. Later on, we realised, that our cards cannot be charged through certain Brazilian banks, or they are in a risk zone, or they don’t have the agreement with our banks or countries, we didn’t really care. But from that time, we always had enough cash with us.

The second time we decided to go to Christ the Redeemer by bus. We found regular buses that take people to the entrance and back to Copacabana (where our hotel was). That was perfect for us and quite cheap. We were told to gather at the bus stop, where got picked up. At the top the driver told us that there will be two buses back with an hour difference and we can get on any, it depends on how long we want to stay at the Christ the Redeemer.

We got our ticket, this time it was faster since we went there after 3 PM and it seemed like the crowd was smaller, although when we got to the pedestal it looked like all Rio gathered at one location.

After buying tickets we got on a cute little shuttle further up and from there we climbed up quite a few steps. My advice, watch your step, wear comfortable shoes and a hat, and bring small cash for water and souvenirs.

There are few cafes on the way to the very top, where you can get a cup of coffee and just enjoy the view along with a few souvenir shops. On the lookout platform there were so many people that it was hard to take any photos or even move. So, the pictures didn’t come out as good as I hoped, but the 360° view of Rio de Janeiro is amazing.

We spent a bit over an hour by the Christ the Redeemer and another forty minutes to an hour to get back to the hotel. Although I was a bit disappointed with the huge crowd, it was worth the visit and in our case two attempts. Maybe next time we just will get on the helicopter and see it from above. That should be fun, don’t you think?

5 Ways To Visit Christ The Redeemer From Copacabana With Prices

Uber

Uber is the most convenient way to get to the top of Corcovado mountain to see Christ The Redeemer. Our first time we took Uber up, and our second time we took Uber down. The ride took about a half hour and was fairly comfortable except for the winding roads.

Prices to/from Copacabana Beach: R$16 (≈ $3,6) up R$35 (≈ $7,8) down (surge pricing)

Shuttle Bus

The shuttle bus to the top of Corcovado departs from a variety of locations and is quite convenient as well. You do have to make your way to the pickup spot, where in Copacabana it is called Lido Square. The ticket for the shuttle bus is round trip so you don’t have to worry about finding a ride back or having to call a taxi.

Prices Round trip from Copacabana: R$64.00 (low season) and R$79.00 (≈ $17,7) (high season). Buy your tickets online here.

Train

Another popular way to get to Christ The Redeemer is by train. Although it is one of the most inconvenient ways on my opinion. Why is that? The train takes off from Cosme Velho, which is a nice and not so dangerous neighborhood, but difficult to reach. There is no subway station close to the train station. And if you want to use the subway, you can get to Largo do Machado and walk for more than 30 minutes (which I personally would not do) or take a taxi that will cost around R$30.00 (≈ $6,7).

Another way to get to the train station from Copacabana is by public bus. Just put the location in Google maps and choose public transportation, it will show you the bus stop close to you. The bus will take about one hour to get to the train station from Copacabana.

Train Price: R$67.00 (≈ $15) (low season) and R$82.00 (≈ $18,3) (high season). You can buy your tickets at the bus station or online here.

Hike

Hiking is probably one of the most difficult, dangerous and adventurous ways to get to Christ The Redeemer. There is a trail in Tijuca forest, and it will take you around 3 hours to get to the top (if you are in shape).

Why is it dangerous? Well, first of all you can get lost. Can you imagine yourself wandering through the Brazilian forest on your own, because I don’t? Second, you simply can get robbed, which can happen everywhere, even at Copacabana in daylight (happened to our friend).

If you really must do this trail, better to do it in a large group or hire a local guide.

The trail starts at Parque Lage and it is free.

Travel Agency

To get to Christ The Redeemer by travel agency is the easiest way. There are lots of travel agencies that provide these services and you just need to find one online with the good reviews and negotiate the price. You can actually get a good deal during the low season.

The travel agency will send a bus right to your hotel or AirBnB and conveniently pick you up and bring you back after the excursion.

Prices vary depending on the tour operator, but they are usually around $50.

Buy Tickets To Christ The Redeemer Online

After you get yourself to the ticket office, you’ll have to buy a ticket. Either using the machine, or at the counter. Fortunately, you can also buy tickets online so after you get to the base you can just get on the inside shuttle to take you round trip to the base of the statue (about 15 minutes drive).

I don’t suggest using the official website to pre-buy tickets because they are only in the train ticket package. They never seem to sell out and there are always ways to get there.

Official Tickets Website: https://ticket.corcovado.com.br/

Check out my Copacabana Beach Food article.

Visiting Christ The Redeemer From Copacabana