Valid 1 day
Cable car ticket
Both lines, at your pace
- Covers4 rides, whole park8
- AccessWheelchair accessible
- CancelUp to 24 hours ahead
Cost for your group
Sugarloaf tickets in Rio: the cable car, the trail and the sunset
Rio de Janeiro: Sugarloaf Cable Car
★ 4.6 · 3,613 user reviews
Choose from 4 options
What Sugarloaf costs for your group
Pick a ticket or tour and set your group size.
- Cable car ticketValid 1 day · for each guest from $47
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View - Cable car, pay later2 to 4 hours · for each guest from $44
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View - Fast pass and guide1 hour · for each guest from $123
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View - Hike and climb4 hours · for each guest from $61
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View
Starting prices on GetYourGuide, exchanged at the ECB reference rate. The booking page gives the exact price.
Everything behind Sugarloaf tickets in Rio: what the cable car ride covers, who pays half, how the fast pass works, when to go up and how to walk the first hill.
Editorial team, riodejaneirotour.click · Updated November 11, 2026 · Takes 9 min
Quick look
- Ticket priceThe operator sells it from BRL 205; our listing starts from $47.1
- The ride2 cable car lines: Praia Vermelha to Urca Hill, then on to the summit.2
- Opening hoursWeekdays from 8:30 AM, weekends from 7:30 AM, last boarding 7:30 PM.3
- Half priceAges 3 to 12 and 60 or over, plus students with a photo card.4,5
- Free way upThe Urca Hill trail takes about 30 minutes uphill.6
Sugarloaf tickets in Rio: what a single ticket covers
Sugarloaf tickets in Rio buy you a ride, not a time slot on a viewing deck. One Cable Car Ticket opens the whole park and covers both cable car stages, from Praia Vermelha up to Morro da Urca and from there to Sugarloaf Mountain, the top of the route.7 In practice you ride the cable car 4 times, up and back down on each line.8 Between rides nobody hurries you down, and that is the point: the viewpoints, the art space and the bars belong to the visit, and an unhurried afternoon on the hills is time well spent.
The operator, Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar, advertises its ticket starting at BRL 205 on its own site.1 The cable car ticket on GetYourGuide, valid for 1 day, starts from $47 and has 3,613 reviews averaging 4.6. You can cancel it for a full refund until 24 hours before. Either way you queue at the same lower station and board the same cabins, so the choice comes down to which cancellation terms and which payment you prefer.
A second listing sells a Sugarloaf cable car ticket from $44 with reserve now and pay later, useful if your dates are still moving. Keep in mind that tickets bought from the park itself carry their own flexibility: a ticket can be used once within 7 calendar days of the date you chose.9 That window helps in a city where the summit can sit in cloud on the morning you planned, and it is worth knowing before you pick a date.
Ticket types
Which Sugarloaf ticket is yours
| Ticket | Who it is for | What to show |
|---|---|---|
| Cable Car Ticket | Everyone, from BRL 205 | Nothing extra1 |
| Half price | Ages 3 to 12, 60 or over | Photo ID or birth certificate4 |
| Half price | Students, ages 13 to 21 | Student card with photo24,5 |
| Free | Children up to 2 | Proof of age25 |
| Fast Pass | Anyone short of time | Priority at every station26 |
| Resident fares | Brazil or Rio state residents | Proof of residence27,28 |
Fares and proof as the cable car operator lists them; discounts do not combine.29
The cable car lines and the hill in between
The ride runs in 2 stages. The first line climbs from the Vermelha Beach station to Urca Hill, and the second carries you on to Sugarloaf Mountain.2 Urca Hill is 220 m high and holds the terminal where you change cabins,16 while the summit of Sugarloaf stands 396 m above sea level.17 The change is quick, but give the middle hill time: it has its own viewpoints over Botafogo and the bay, restaurants and a playground, and it is where the walking trail arrives.
The first line opened on 27 October 1912 and covered 528 m between Praia Vermelha and Urca Hill; the Brazilian engineer Augusto Ferreira Ramos conceived it.10 About 577 people rode it on the first day, according to records from the time.18 The second section, 735 m from Urca Hill to the summit, followed in 1913.11 The operator calls it the oldest cable car still running anywhere.19 Today's cabins came from Switzerland in 2008.14
From the top the panorama runs from the Tijuca Massif and Corcovado, with the Christ statue, across Guanabara Bay and Botafogo Cove to the Serra do Mar and the peak called God's Finger.20 Riotur adds the Copacabana seafront and the mouth of the bay to the list.21 On Sugarloaf itself, at the second stop, Bosque das Artes is an open-air contemporary art space under the trees.22 Since 2022 a free circuit built with IPHAN gives history at 14 viewpoints around the park.23
Discounts, the fast pass and changing your date
Half-price tickets go to anyone aged 60 or over and to children from 3 to 12, foreigners included.4 Young people aged 13 to 21, people with disabilities and a companion, and students also pay half.24 A foreign student qualifies by showing a student card with a photo.5 Children up to 2 years old ride free with proof of age.25 Discounts do not stack, whatever your mix of categories.29 Bring the document that proves your category: staff check it at the gate.
The cheaper fares you will see on the operator's page are not meant for most visitors. The Promotional Ticket for Brazilians is for people born or living in Brazil,27 and the State Ticket is for people born and living in Rio de Janeiro state, with proof on the day.28 If you hold neither, buy the standard ticket. Paying more makes sense in one case: the Fast Pass Ticket, which gives preferential queue access at every cable car station and a VIP lounge welcome at the first one.26
The park's own change rules are generous if you plan ahead. Change or cancel at least 24 hours ahead and you may do so as often as availability allows.33 Inside the last 24 hours a cancellation keeps 20% of the ticket value.34 A GetYourGuide alternative bundles the fast pass with a guided tour of 1 hour in Spanish, English or Portuguese from $123, meeting in front of the entrance below the Teleférico sign. It suits a short visit on a crowded day more than a long, slow afternoon.
Plan your visit
Which Sugarloaf visit fits your day
Match the visit to your time, budget and taste.
If I want the sunset without the long queue
Fast pass, late afternoon
Priority access at every station keeps the wait short on busy evenings.26
If I want to save the first fare
Walk up Urca Hill
The trail takes about 30 minutes, and tickets are sold at the top.6,30
If I want sunrise from the summit
Book Amanhecer
Arrival from 4:15 AM, before the park opens, with a cap of 80 people.31,32
If I want Christ and Sugarloaf together
Half-day tour
6 hours with pickup, ending at Sugarloaf at sunset.
If My dates may change
Buy from the park
Free changes until 24 hours before, and 7 days of flexibility.33,9
Ways to go up
Sugarloaf tickets and tours compared
1 hour guided
Fast pass with guide
Priority queue and history
- QueueSeparate entrance
- GuideSpanish, English, Portuguese
- MeetsBelow the station sign
4 hours
Hike and climb
Up the rock with an instructor
- GroupUp to 5 people
- InstructorPortuguese, Spanish, English
- CancelUp to 24 hours ahead
Sunset, sunrise or a quiet morning on top
Monday to Friday the gates open at 8:30 AM, on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 AM; closing is at 9 PM and the last cabin up leaves at 7:30 PM.3 The FAQ on the same site still lists 8 AM to 8 PM with entry until 6:30 PM, so check the banner on the day before you plan around the late slot.40 Sunset is the famous moment: on chosen dates the park stages it with a DJ, and the afternoon fills up as the light turns gold over Corcovado.41
For the opposite end of the day, Amanhecer no Parque Bondinho opens the park before normal hours, with arrival from 4:15 AM.31 Breakfast follows from 6 to 8, and the group is capped at 80 people.32 It is the one way to see first light from the summit without the midday crowd, though it means a pre-dawn taxi to Urca. Book it ahead of your trip, order the taxi the evening before, and pack a sweater for the pre-dawn wait at the station.
Weather matters more than the clock. The park opens and runs as usual in rain, with covered areas,42 but strong wind or lightning can stop the cabins for a while until conditions allow.43 On a cloudy morning wait an hour and look up at the summit from Botafogo before you go; a clear late morning is often quieter than sunset. The UK government notes that Rio's rainy season runs from November until March.44
Cable car history
From the first cabins to a world heritage view
1912
The first line opens
Praia Vermelha to Urca Hill, 528 m, on 27 October.10
1913
On to the summit
The 735 m line from Urca Hill to Sugarloaf opens.11
1972
Bubble cabins
Capacity rises from 115 to 1,360 passengers an hour.12
1973
Heritage listing
IPHAN lists the Sugarloaf complex on 8 August.13
2008
Swiss cabins
New cabins arrive from Switzerland.14
2012
A century and UNESCO
Rio's landscape joins the World Heritage List.15
Walking up: the Urca trail and the climbing route
You can save the first cable car by walking. From Praia Vermelha, the path to the top of Urca Hill is roughly 30 minutes of climbing, graded light to moderate by the park.6 Riotur counts 1.5 km from the beach along the Cláudio Coutinho track to the top, about 40 minutes with steep and flat stretches.45 At the top you can buy a cable car ticket and continue to Sugarloaf, or ride down instead.30 Start early: by late morning the forest is hot and humid.
The flat part of the walk, the paved Cláudio Coutinho path, starts at the end of Praia Vermelha and runs 1.25 km between the sea and Urca Hill.46 Marmosets and tiê-sangue birds are often seen along it.47 Feeding or approaching animals is against the park rules, and the same goes for the trail.48 The beach itself, between Sugarloaf and Babilônia hill, has calm water if you want a swim after the descent.49
Climbers go further. A guided Sugarloaf hike and climb lasts 4 hours, with an instructor and no more than 5 climbers, from $61; its 59 reviews average 4.9. Members of FEMERJ, the state climbing federation, ride down free with their card.50 Climbing is a technical activity with an instructor and ropes; if you have never climbed, the walking trail and the cable car give you the same summit without the exposure.
Video
A Sugarloaf Mountain guide with the cable car and its prices
TravelWithJoe on YouTube · Your tap on play is what loads the video.
The majestic Tijuca Massif and Corcovado Mountain with the Christ the Redeemer statue; Guanabara Bay with Botafogo Cove in the background; Serra do Mar with its famous peak, "Dedo de Deus" (God’s Finger)
Before you go
Sugarloaf checklist
Bring4
Getting to Praia Vermelha and what to leave behind
The lower station is at Avenida Pasteur 520 in Urca.51 By metro, get off at Botafogo, exit E, take bus 513 to the UNIRIO stop and walk 260 m.38 Buses 107, 513, 518, 519 and 167 also serve Urca from the centre, Botafogo and Copacabana.52 A taxi or ride app from Copacabana is the simplest option with luggage or children. There is no car park at the station; tickets bought on the official site give a rate of BRL 20 for up to 6 hours at the RIOSUL garage.53
The access rules are strict and checked at the gate. Large items stay outside: tripods, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, coolers and bags bigger than 25 x 35 x 55 cm.37 You may not enter shirtless, in swimwear or barefoot, so come from the beach dressed.36 Drones are banned,54 glass bottles and cups are not allowed,35 and eating or drinking inside the cabins is forbidden.55 Visitors under 16 must be with a parent or legal guardian.39
None of that is a problem on a normal day out: a small backpack, water in a plastic bottle and a thin jacket for the breeze on the summit are enough. A wrist strap for the phone helps if you film through the cabin window. If you come straight from Praia Vermelha after a swim, change first; the park does not let visitors in shirtless, in swimwear or barefoot.36
Sugarloaf tour in Rio de Janeiro: on its own or in a day
A Sugarloaf tour in Rio de Janeiro can be just the ticket, or the last stop of a longer day. The half-day tour that ends on Sugarloaf at sunset, after the Christ statue and the Selarón Steps, lasts 6 hours with pickup, from $122, and has 2,487 reviews averaging 4.5. It times the summit for the end of the afternoon, which is hard to plan alone if you also want the statue in the morning light.
The full day sold on this site, 8 to 9 hours with hotel pickup, also includes Sugarloaf after lunch. Only some of its options include the cable car admission; the others give free time at Sugarloaf, so read the option you pick before you book. It starts from $74 with 2,984 reviews. If your option leaves the ticket out, you can buy one at the station on the day or ahead on your phone.
Whichever way you go, the place has history worth knowing. IPHAN listed the Sugarloaf complex, with Urca, Cara de Cão and Babilônia hills, as heritage on 8 August 1973.13 In 2012 the cable car turned 100 and Rio became a UNESCO Cultural Landscape that includes Sugarloaf, Guanabara Bay, Copacabana Beach and Tijuca National Park.15,56 The operator counts more than 50 million visitors in its 113-year history.57
FAQ
Fast answers to common questions.
How much are Sugarloaf tickets in Rio?
From BRL 205 at the park.
The operator sells its Cable Car Ticket starting at BRL 205; on GetYourGuide the ticket starts from $47.1
Does a single ticket cover both cable cars?
What time does the Sugarloaf cable car open?
8:30 AM weekdays, 7:30 AM weekends.
It runs until 9 PM, with last boarding at 7:30 PM.3
Who gets half price at Sugarloaf?
Can I walk up Sugarloaf Mountain?
Does the cable car run in the rain?
Can I go in swimwear straight from the beach?
No.
The rules bar entry shirtless, in swimwear or barefoot.36
Sources
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · The Park ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Urca Hill ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Sugar Loaf ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Rio highlights ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · The Park ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Urca Hill ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Amanhecer no Parque Bondinho ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Amanhecer no Parque Bondinho ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · The Park ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Brazil travel advice: safety and security ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Urca Hill ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Rio parks and trails ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Rio parks and trails ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Riotur, the City of Rio de Janeiro tourism office · Vermelha Beach ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · Cable Car Ticket ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩
- Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf cable car operator) · About us ↩