Corcovado tickets: train or van?

What a Corcovado ticket covers

There's no single Christ the Redeemer ticket. What you buy depends on how you go up. A Trem do Corcovado ticket includes the train up and back and access to the monument. A Paineiras-Corcovado van ticket includes the return van from the same boarding point and access to the monument. If you walk, the trail is free and you buy entry when you arrive. So you never need a transport ticket and a separate entry ticket. Pick the route first, then the ticket follows.

• Train: return ride from Cosme Velho plus monument access
• Van: return ride from one boarding point plus monument access
• On foot: free trail, entry bought at the top

The cog train from Cosme Velho

The Corcovado Railway opened in 1884, decades before the statue, and for four years it carried the statue's pieces up the mountain. It was electrified in 1910, the first electric railway in Brazil. The line runs 3,824 metres from Rua Cosme Velho 513 to the summit, with gradients up to 30%. Today's trains, built by Stadler, arrived in 2019. The ride takes about 20 minutes. Trains leave every 20 minutes, daily from 08:00 to 18:00, with extra times added on some days. The line carries about 540 passengers an hour, so boarding queues can be long on busy days.

How the GetYourGuide train ticket works

This is a timed train ticket, not a guided tour. The provider is Ingresso Com Desconto, the company the train's own site names for voucher rescheduling. You get a voucher by email. At Cosme Velho you exchange it at the ticket office, and the train asks you to complete check-in at least 40 minutes before your departure. If you check in late, your slot counts as missed and you board only if seats are free. Bring your original passport or photo ID, because copies and photos aren't accepted. There's no hotel pickup and no food included.

• Includes: the official train ticket, Christ the Redeemer access and the panoramic viewpoints
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your start time
• Date changes allowed up to 24 hours before
• Not a skip-the-line pass: you still queue to board

Buying direct from the train

The train's official site is tremdocorcovado.rio, and it warns buyers to check they're on it before paying. Direct tickets cover the same thing: the return ride and monument access, priced in Brazilian reais. Children aged 7 to 11 pay a child fare. Under-6s ride free on a guardian's lap with a document. Senior and student discounts are only for Brazilians, or for seniors living in Brazil. Direct bookings can be changed or cancelled free more than 48 hours ahead, with a fee inside 48 hours. If you pay by card on the site, bring that card and the cardholder's ID to check-in.

The official vans (Paineiras-Corcovado)

The Paineiras-Corcovado vans are the only transport authorised to take visitors to the monument on the Tijuca National Park road. They board at Praça do Lido in Copacabana, at Largo do Machado in front of the Glória church, at the Catedral Metropolitana car park in the centre, and at the Paineiras Visitor Center. Copacabana and Largo do Machado board from 07:00 to 16:00. Paineiras runs 07:30 to 18:00, with last access at 17:00. The price depends on the day and the boarding point. The van stops only at its boarding points, including Paineiras, and you must return to the point you started from.

• Arrive 15 minutes before your time; there's a 15-minute grace period
• Your ticket on a phone screen is fine
• Time at the monument is up to you, within opening hours

Walking up: two official trails

You can walk. The Parque Lage trail starts at Rua Jardim Botânico 414, climbs through the forest via Paineiras and can take up to four hours, with very steep stretches but no climbing. The park doesn't recommend it for children under 10 or people who don't hike, and the trail gate closes at 15:00. The shorter Paineiras-Corcovado trail, opened in December 2024, is 1.15 km with 260 metres of climb, about 45 minutes, and passes the glass-walled Mirante Cartão Postal. Both trails are free. You buy monument entry at the train's ticket office at the top, and you can buy a train ticket just for the ride down.

Read next: Tijuca Forest and Corcovado Mountain

Can you drive or take a taxi up?

Not to the top. There's no parking at the Paineiras Visitor Center or at the monument, and the road into Paineiras from Alto da Boa Vista is closed. Take a taxi or ride-hail to Cosme Velho station or to a van boarding point instead. One other option exists: two groups of local visitor guides are authorised by the park to lead visitors to Corcovado, the Anfitriões do Cosme Velho in blue shirts and the Condutores do Parque in yellow. Only accept a guide wearing a park badge with the ICMBio hologram on the front and a QR code on the back.

Escalator works until mid-2027

The escalators to the statue's platform went out of service on 3 August 2026 for replacement, with completion expected by the end of May 2027. The site stays open, but the summit's visitor capacity is cut by half, whether you come by train, van or trail. From the train it's about 220 steps to the platform. Lifts still cover part of the way, but the last 80 steps from the second floor are stone stairs. Stair-climbing chairs are available for visitors with reduced mobility. They can't run in rain or on wet surfaces, and they only take standard wheelchairs.

Getting to Cosme Velho station

The station is at Rua Cosme Velho 513, by São Judas Tadeu church. By metro, get off at Largo do Machado and take bus 583 or 422 towards Cosme Velho, which stops in front of the station. From Copacabana or Leblon, the 583 circular bus goes there directly. There's no luggage storage at the station, and the train asks you to avoid bringing bags so you don't lose time in the queues. Strollers must stay folded for the whole ride.

When to go

Cloud often hides the view from the summit, so check the forecast on the morning you go, and remember the weather at the top changes quickly. Train times can also change at short notice for technical or weather reasons. For smaller crowds, Paineiras-Corcovado suggests the afternoon, from around 14:00, and says late-afternoon light suits photos. With summit capacity halved during the escalator works, the train advises buying tickets in advance. If you're walking, start early: the Parque Lage gate closes at 15:00.

Read next: Weather, Light and Crowds at Corcovado

Who this isn't for

If climbing about 80 stone steps is hard for you, think carefully before visiting until the escalator works end, and don't count on the stair-climbing chairs on a wet day. If you want pickup from your hotel, this train ticket doesn't include it. If you can't carry an original passport or photo ID, you can't use it either. And if you're set on walking with children under 10, take the short Paineiras trail rather than the route from Parque Lage.