📌Where it is
Inside the city of Rio de Janeiro: it's the largest replanted urban forest in the world, with around 3,950 hectares split into three sectors —Floresta, Serra da Carioca and Pedra Bonita/Gávea— spread across the Zona Norte, the Zona Sul and São Conrado.
📌How to get there
By car, taxi or ride-hailing app to the Floresta da Tijuca entrance (Praça Afonso Viseu, Alto da Boa Vista) or to the entrances of the other sectors; also by city bus to Alto da Boa Vista. Corcovado has its own official access points.
📌How much time to spend
Half a day for the Floresta circuit (Cascatinha, Capela Mayrink, viewpoints); a full day if you climb Pico da Tijuca or Pedra da Gávea.
📌Best time to go
April to October, the driest season. The waterfalls carry more water in summer, but heavy rain closes paths and makes the trails tricky.
📌Currency and prices
Brazilian real (R$). Entry to the park is free: the park itself points out that the only place that charges admission is Corcovado.
📌Language
Portuguese; signage is mostly in Portuguese, with some English at the most visited spots.
📌What surprises most
That this rainforest isn't original: it was replanted by hand from 1861 onwards to restore the city's water sources, after coffee plantations had stripped the mountain bare.
📌Watch out for
Opening hours: the park is open from 8:00 to 17:00 and you can't stay overnight. And the long trails: don't do them alone, or start late.
💱 BRL exchange rate
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🌤️ Weather in Parque Nacional da Tijuca (Floresta da Tijuca)
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Rio has a rainforest inside it. Not a big park: a rainforest of almost four thousand hectares with waterfalls, thousand-metre peaks, monkeys, toucans and more than a hundred kilometres of trails, all within the city limits and half an hour from downtown. Parque Nacional da Tijuca is the largest replanted urban forest in the world and, according to its own figures, the most visited national park in Brazil: it received more than 4.6 million visitors in 2024 and has held that top spot since 2008.
It's divided into three sectors. Floresta da Tijuca, the classic one, with the Cascatinha Taunay, the Capela Mayrink, picnic areas and the trail circuits that lead to Pico da Tijuca. Serra da Carioca, home to Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer, the Vista Chinesa, the Mesa do Imperador, Paineiras and Parque Lage. And the Pedra Bonita/Gávea sector, the sportiest, with the most famous hang-gliding ramp in the world and the climb up Pedra da Gávea.
The best part: entry is free. The only place inside the park that charges admission is Corcovado, which has its own separate official access points. Here we tell you what to do in each sector, the official opening hours, which trails to choose depending on how much you walk, how to get there without a car and which rules you need to follow —the park updated its visitor regulations in 2024— so you don't get turned away.
📖 History of Parque Nacional da Tijuca (Floresta da Tijuca)
In the early 19th century, the hills around Rio were covered in coffee plantations: deforestation was so severe that the city started running out of water, because the springs of the Serra da Carioca were drying up. In 1861, on the orders of Dom Pedro II, the replanting of the massif began under the direction of Major Manuel Gomes Archer, who, with a handful of workers —most of them enslaved— planted hundreds of thousands of native trees by hand in just a few years. It was one of the first large-scale forest restoration efforts in history and the origin of the forest you walk through today. In 1961 the area was declared Parque Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, and in 1967 it was renamed Parque Nacional da Tijuca, with new sectors added. Today it protects around 3,950 hectares of Atlantic Forest managed by ICMBio, with Pico da Tijuca —the highest point, at over a thousand metres— as the park's roof, and with landscapes that define the city: Corcovado, Pedra da Gávea, Pedra Bonita, the Vista Chinesa. It has also been the most visited national park in the country since 2008, with more than 4.6 million visitors in 2024, and is part of Rio's cultural landscape recognised by Unesco. A large stretch of the Trilha Transcarioca, the longest urban trail in Brazil, also runs within its boundaries.
🗺️ What to see
Tours nearby, in Rio De Janeiro
If you only have one day, take a guided tour on the first one: it sets up the rest of your trip and saves you a lot of walking. We look ours up on Civitatis: guided in Spanish and booked online with no fuss. They have over 50 activities in Rio De Janeiro. And there are free tours here: you book without paying and tip the guide whatever you think at the end, so trying one costs you nothing. Three are below so you get the idea: tap any of them and they all open.
They depart from Rio De Janeiro, 13 km away. If you book from this link we earn a commission and you pay no more.
1
The Cascatinha Taunay and the Floresta circuit
The park's most famous waterfall, a few metres from the Floresta sector entrance, and the classic circuit with a chapel, viewpoints and picnic areas.
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The Floresta da Tijuca sector, entered via Praça Afonso Viseu in Alto da Boa Vista, is the easiest to visit. As soon as you go in you come across the Cascatinha Taunay, a waterfall of about thirty metres surrounded by forest, painted by the French artist Nicolas-Antoine Taunay in the 19th century and now the sector's postcard image.
From there, an internal road takes you past the Capela Mayrink —a 19th-century chapel with decorative panels linked to Cândido Portinari—, picnic and barbecue areas, the Açude da Solidão and a network of short trails. It's the best sector for going with kids or without mountain experience, and the starting point for the two big hiking circuits: the Picos circuit and the Vale Histórico circuit.
How to get there: by car, taxi or bus to Alto da Boa Vista. Best time: morning, just after the park opens. Tips: there's no mobile signal in much of the sector; download the map beforehand.
2
Pico da Tijuca
The highest point in the park, at over a thousand metres, with a 360-degree view over the city, the bay and the mountains: the classic hike of the Floresta sector.
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Pico da Tijuca is the roof of the park, at more than a thousand metres high. The climb starts in the Floresta sector and combines dirt road and mountain trail, with a final stretch of steps carved into the rock and chains to hold on to. It takes two to three hours there and back, depending on the starting point and your pace.
From the top you can see everything: the Zona Norte, Guanabara Bay, Corcovado and the Christ, the hills of the Zona Sul and, on clear days, the Serra dos Órgãos in the distance. It's one of the best urban hikes in South America and doesn't require a guide if you stick to the opening hours, although the park recommends not hiking alone.
How to get there: access through the Floresta sector, Alto da Boa Vista. Best time: early, in dry weather. Tips: bring enough water, sunscreen and shoes with good grip; head back in daylight, because the park closes at 17:00.
3
The Vista Chinesa and the Mesa do Imperador
The classic viewpoints of the Serra da Carioca: an oriental-style pavilion over the Lagoa and an old stone table looking out over the Zona Sul.
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The Vista Chinesa is a pagoda-shaped viewpoint built in the early 20th century as a tribute to the Chinese immigrants who came to the area to grow tea. It sits at about 380 metres and overlooks Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Ipanema, Leblon, Sugarloaf and the mouth of the bay: it's one of the most photogenic viewpoints in Rio.
A few minutes along the same road is the Mesa do Imperador, a stone table at a viewpoint where, according to tradition, Dom Pedro II used to have his picnics, looking out over the other side of the massif. Both are visited by car, taxi or bike, and are usually combined in a single route along the Estrada da Vista Chinesa.
How to get there: by road from Jardim Botânico or Alto da Boa Vista. Best time: early morning or late afternoon, within park hours. Tips: there's no direct public transport; most people go by car, taxi or bike.
4
The Pedra Bonita and Pedra da Gávea sector
The sportiest sector: the Pedra Bonita hang-gliding ramp and the climb up Pedra da Gávea, one of the toughest hikes in the city.
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Between São Conrado, Barra and Alto da Boa Vista lies the park's smallest sector, and the one where the adventure is. Pedra Bonita has one of the most famous hang-gliding ramps in the world: paragliders and hang gliders take off from here and land on São Conrado beach, and you can fly tandem with licensed instructors. The hike to the top of Pedra Bonita is short, about forty minutes, with a spectacular view.
Pedra da Gávea, on the other hand, is serious business: a monolith of more than eight hundred metres whose climb includes a section of assisted scrambling (the Carrasqueira) and requires experience or a guide. It's one of the most impressive summits in Rio and not a hike to improvise.
How to get there: access via Estrada das Canoas, São Conrado. Best time: morning, in stable weather. Tips: for Pedra da Gávea, hire a guide; for hang gliding, use licensed operators.
5
Corcovado and the Serra da Carioca
The sector that includes Christ the Redeemer, Paineiras, Parque Lage and the Horto waterfalls: the most visited heart of the park.
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The Serra da Carioca sector is the best known because it includes Corcovado, with Christ the Redeemer at the top, the Paineiras Visitor Centre, Mirante Dona Marta, Parque Lage and the Cachoeiras do Horto. It's the only place in the park that charges for access: the Christ monument is reached by the Corcovado train or by the official vans of the Paineiras consortium.
The rest of the sector is free: the trail up from Parque Lage, the viewpoints, the Horto waterfalls and the roads of the Estrada das Paineiras, very popular with cyclists at weekends. It's the gateway to the park for most visitors, often without them realising they're inside a national park.
How to get there: access via Cosme Velho, Jardim Botânico and the internal roads. Best time: clear days. Tips: if you only want the Christ, buy the official ticket with a set date and time; if you want the park, go in for free through Parque Lage or Horto.
6
The Trilha Transcarioca
The longest urban trail in Brazil, about 180 km between Barra de Guaratiba and Sugarloaf, whose central section crosses the park.
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The Transcarioca is a long-distance trail that crosses Rio from end to end, linking green areas, hills and viewpoints, and a large part of its route runs through Parque Nacional da Tijuca. It's waymarked in stages, and many of them can be done on their own, as outings of three to six hours.
The stages inside the park include some of the most beautiful sections: Pico da Tijuca, Morro do Elefante, the Vista Chinesa, Corcovado. It's the best way to get to know the city on foot, and there's an active community of hikers who organise group outings.
How to get there: each stage has its own access point within the park. Best time: dry season. Tips: read up on the stage you're going to do, bring water and don't start late: the whole park closes at 17:00.
💵 Prices
Tickets
| Type | Price |
|---|
| Entrada al Parque Nacional da Tijuca | Free. The park itself answers on its official website: 'Sim. O único local tarifado dentro do Parque Nacional da Tijuca é o Corcovado' (source: parquenacionaldatijuca.rio/faq, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Horario de funcionamiento | Daily from 8:00 to 17:00, in all three sectors. Overnight stays are not allowed except in special cases with prior authorisation (source: Parque Nacional da Tijuca, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Cristo Redentor (Corcovado) | Only sector with a charge: Corcovado train R$ 134 adult, R$ 107 reduced fares and R$ 70 for Brazilians or residents over 60 (2026); official Paineiras consortium vans with prices varying by date and boarding point (sources: tremdocorcovado.rio and paineirascorcovado.com.br, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Reglas de visitación | The park updated its visitor rules, in force since 16 April 2024 and applicable to all visitors: it's worth reading them on the official website before you go, especially if you plan to do trails, climbing or hang gliding |
| Actividades reguladas (escalada, rápel, vuelo libre) | Done with licensed operators and guides; some require prior authorisation from the park. Prices are set by each provider |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
Activities and tours
| Activity | Price | Duration | Operator |
|---|
| Floresta da Tijuca circuit (Cascatinha, Capela Mayrink, viewpoints) | Free | 2 to 4 h | ICMBio / Parque Nacional da Tijuca |
| Trail to Pico da Tijuca | Free | 2 to 3 h round trip | Independent or trekking guides |
| Trail to Pedra da Gávea | Trail free; guide recommended, at extra cost | 5 to 7 h round trip | Licensed mountain guides |
| Paragliding or hang gliding from Pedra Bonita | Depends on operator; tandem flights are booked with licensed instructors | 15 to 30 min flight | São Conrado hang-gliding operators |
| Cycling on the Estrada das Paineiras and internal roads | Free | 1 to 3 h | Independent |
| Bird and wildlife watching | Free | 2 to 4 h | Independent or birdwatching groups |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
🚌 How to get there and distances
Getting around
Car, taxi or ride-hailing app
Variable fare
NotesThe most practical way to reach Floresta da Tijuca, the Vista Chinesa or Estrada das Canoas; inside the park there are paved internal roads
NotesSome lines reach Alto da Boa Vista, near the Floresta sector entrance; from there you walk a short stretch
Metro + bus
R$ 7,90 + R$ 5,00
NotesThe usual combination from the Zona Sul to Alto da Boa Vista (source: MetrôRio, verified 22/09/2026)
On foot via the Parque Lage trail
Free
NotesThe most popular pedestrian access to the Serra da Carioca sector; Parque Lage is open from 8:00 to 18:00 with free entry
NotesThe Estrada das Paineiras and the internal roads are a weekend classic for Rio's cyclists
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
How to get there
| Route | Airlines / operators | Avg. price | Duration |
|---|
| Zona Sul → Floresta da Tijuca (Alto da Boa Vista) | Car, taxi or bus | Variable / R$ 5,00 | 40 to 60 min |
| Jardim Botânico → Vista Chinesa and Mesa do Imperador | Car, taxi or bicycle | Variable | 20 to 30 min |
| São Conrado → Pedra Bonita | Car, taxi or transfer from the hang-gliding operator | Variable | 15 to 25 min |
| Cosme Velho / Parque Lage → Corcovado | Corcovado train, official vans or trail on foot | R$ 134 adult (train, 2026) / van variable / trail free | 20 min by train; 1.5 to 2.5 h on foot |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
🏨 Where to stay
No exact prices: a scale from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (luxury), with 2-3 options per category.
Alto da Boa Vista and Tijuca
Recommended optionsZona Norte neighbourhoods next to the Floresta entrance, with few places to stay and low prices; only convenient if you're coming specifically to hike.
Recommended optionsGuesthouses in historic mansions on the slopes of the Serra da Carioca, halfway between the city and the forest.
Jardim Botânico and Lagoa
Recommended optionsLeafy neighbourhoods at the foot of the park, ideal if your plan is the Corcovado trail from Parque Lage or the Vista Chinesa.
Zona Sul (Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo)
Recommended optionsThe usual base: you sleep near the beach and head up to the park for the day, thirty to sixty minutes away depending on the sector.
🍴 Where to eat
Options / signature dishFood options are limited at the busiest visitor spots, such as the Paineiras Visitor Centre and around the Floresta. It's best to bring water and some food.
Options / signature dishHome-style restaurants and bars in the neighbourhood by the Floresta sector entrance, popular with people coming down from the trails.
Options / signature dishAt the foot of the Serra da Carioca sector, with top-notch cafés and restaurants for after your hike.
Options / signature dishRestaurants and beach kiosks near the paragliders' landing area, handy if you're visiting the Pedra Bonita sector.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to enter Parque Nacional da Tijuca?+
No. Admission to the park is free in all three sectors. The park itself says so on its official website: the only paid site within Parque Nacional da Tijuca is Corcovado, which you visit on the Corcovado train or on the official vans run by the Paineiras consortium (verified on 22/09/2026).
What are the opening hours?+
The park is open daily from 8:00 to 17:00. Overnight stays are not allowed, except in special cases with prior authorisation. These hours are key when planning the long trails: you need to time your return so you're back in daylight and before closing time.
Which sector is best to visit?+
It depends on your plans. Floresta da Tijuca (Alto da Boa Vista) is the easiest and most family-friendly, with Cascatinha Taunay, Capela Mayrink, picnic areas and the Picos and Vale Histórico trails. Serra da Carioca has Corcovado, Vista Chinesa, Paineiras and Parque Lage. The Pedra Bonita/Gávea sector is the one for climbing, demanding treks and hang-gliding.
How long does it take to climb Pico da Tijuca?+
Between two and three hours there and back from the Floresta sector, depending on your starting point and pace. The final stretch has steps carved into the rock and chains to hold on to. It's a demanding hike but not technically difficult, and the view from the summit takes in the whole city and the bay.
Can you do Pedra da Gávea on your own?+
It's not recommended. The ascent includes a stretch of assisted climbing known as the Carrasqueira, which requires experience or a certified guide. It's a five-to-seven-hour route, and several emergencies happen on this trail every year. Pedra Bonita, on the other hand, is a short, accessible hike.
Is there mobile signal and water inside the park?+
Mobile signal is weak or non-existent in much of the park, as the park administration itself warns. There are no water points along the trails: bring everything you'll need, download the map before you go in and let someone know which trail you're doing.
What rules do you have to follow?+
The park brought in new visitor rules from 16 April 2024, which apply to all visitors; it's worth reading them on the official website before you go, especially for trails, climbing, abseiling and hang-gliding. Basic rules: stick to the 8:00 to 17:00 opening hours, stay on the trails, don't feed the animals, don't light fires outside designated areas and take all your rubbish with you.
Sources consulted (9)
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca (ICMBio) — FAQ: free admission and opening hours from 8h to 17h ('O único local tarifado dentro do Parque Nacional da Tijuca é o Corcovado'): https://parquenacionaldatijuca.rio/faq/
- Parque Nacional da Tijuca — official website: sectors, visiting and new rules since 16/04/2024: https://parquenacionaldatijuca.rio/
- Official park contact: parnatijuca@icmbio.gov.br
- Trem do Corcovado — Ingressos (R$ 134 adult, R$ 107 reduced, R$ 70 over-60s): https://www.tremdocorcovado.rio/ingressos
- Paineiras Corcovado — Dúvidas (boarding points and times, prices vary): https://www.paineirascorcovado.com.br/duvidas/
- EAV Parque Lage — O Parque (free access, 8h-18h; start of the trail to Corcovado): https://eavparquelage.rj.gov.br/o-parque
- MetrôRio — Meios e Tarifas (R$ 7,90 since 12/04/2026): https://www.metrorio.com.br/ComoPagar/MeiosTarifas
- Secretaria Municipal de Transportes do Rio — bus fares (R$ 5,00 since 4/01/2026): https://transportes.prefeitura.rio/historico-das-tarifas/
- Wikipedia (ES) — «Parque nacional de Tijuca»: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_nacional_de_Tijuca
