Iconic, bold and simply a must-do in Rio De Janeiro Sugarloaf Mountain is something to tick off the bucket list when you are in Rio De Janeiro Brazil. It doesn’t matter where you are located in the unimaginable city of Rio De Janeiro, it’s hard not to notice Sugarloaf Moutain rising out of the South Atlantic Ocean.
Rio De Janeiro is one of the craziest cities in the world and gets a pretty bad rap for being dangerous. No doubt, if you are not using common sense or have your wits about you Rio can turn into a travel nightmare. But I think people tend to focus on the negative side of this amazing city. It couldn’t be further from the truth, in my opinion, Rio is one of the best cities in the world!
After arriving from Santiago, Chile we flew into Rio De Janeiro which was one of the best feelings in the world. I had dreamt about this city for so long. It was always one of those places that I thought about, but never fully thought I would be stepping foot there.
Flying into Rio is an experience in itself. Depending on what airport you fly into, you will descend over Copacabana Beach through Sugarloaf Mountain before making your final landing.
There international Airport further out of the city, the one on which we landed in. But if you are travelling domestically you will get this amazing experience. We saw so many planes taking this route.
It’s hard not to notice the unique shape of Sugarloaf Moutain wherever you are. We were staying in a Favela perched upon a hill which looked right out over Sugarloaf Moutain. We stayed here for a week staring at the mountain, but it wasn’t until the third day that we decided to finally make our way there.
Getting to Sugarloaf Moutain it’s fairly easy. depending on your budget you can simply take an Uber. But if you are on a tight budget, the public transport system is easy to navigate. Taking the subway and buses is seamless. You do not require a card like a lot of other cites in South America, just pay and go.
If you are taking public transport it will vary depending on where you are located in the city to get to Sugarloaf Moutain. Just ask your hotel/hostel or simply give a quick search online to get exact directions.
When is The Best Time to go to Sugarloaf Mountain?
It completely depends on you. One of the most popular times to take the cable cars up Sugarloaf Mountain in is in the evening. You can watch the sunset with a view over the city as the lights begin to come on. This time of day is very popular, I would recommend you book tickets in advance.
How Much Does The Cable Car Cost?
To beat the crowds and have a seamless experience you can also go early morning. We chose this option, as we prefer to spend our time experiencing, rather than waiting in ridiculous lines and getting crammed into cable cars. The cost to do the cable car right up to Sugarloaf Mountain and return is 53 R$. Although if you are 21 and under you can get it for about half the price.
The cable car system was set up over 60 years ago, it kind of blew my mind how they managed to do this all those years ago. Although it has been completely modernized today, it still feels a bit crazy. You can see all the history and old cable cars as you make your way up.
The first stop is called Morro da Urca, you will have to get out of the cable car and make your way to the next one which will take you to Sugarloaf Mountain. But here there are also lookouts and shops. I wouldn’t recommend spending to much time here, the views are a lot better at the top.
The cable cars to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain do not take that long. 15 minutes for each one at the most.
Once you arrive at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain it is hard to contain your excitement for where you are and the view you are looking at. You have a full 360degree panoramic view of Rio De Janeiro and the South Atlantic Ocean. You can see the likes of Copacabana Beach and Christ The Redeemer in the distance.
Take your time and take in the views. There is no set time that you have to be up there for. If you get peckish there are a few places you can eat, even a bar where you can get a drink or two just be prepared to pay through the roof for it, my recommendation would be to wait and just get twice as much for your money when you get back down.
We spent the good part of an hour on top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Cruising around taking in the sights and just being present in the moment. It honestly took our breath away, once of the coolest experiences ever.
Our decision to go up early in the morning was a good idea, coming back down the Cable Cars there we increasing bigger lines just to get in the cars to come up.
Sugarloaf Mountain is most definitely a must-do when you are in Rio De Janeiro. Even if you are only in the city for a couple of days, or have limited time I would highly recommend putting aside a couple of hours just to do this!
Be sure to check out my vlog from this day on my Youtube Channel, Enjoy!