This guide is for you if you want to see the forest that covers the mountains in the middle of Rio, and the views over the south of the city, in half a day and without a long hike. It helps you choose the start time and the season, explains what the forest is, and shows how this tour fits round the rest of your days in Rio.
A forest that was planted
Most of what you drive through was replanted. In the nineteenth century, coffee farms had cleared the slopes, and the city's drinking water was suffering. In 1861 Emperor Pedro II placed the land under federal control and replanting began. Under the forest's manager, Major Manuel Gomes Archer, six enslaved people, Eleutério, Constantino, Manuel, Mateus, Leopoldo and Maria, planted more than 100,000 trees by 1887, many of them native hardwoods raised in nurseries.
The forest became a national park in 1961, and today it covers about 40 square kilometres. It is run by ICMBio, the federal agency for protected areas. In 2012 it became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers Rio's landscape between the mountains and the sea, together with the Botanical Garden, Corcovado and Sugarloaf. Keep an eye out for capuchin monkeys, coatis and marmosets.
When to go, and which start time
The mountains of the Tijuca massif are the wettest part of the city, in every season. In summer, most of Rio gets more than 400 millimetres of rain over the season, and the area around the massif gets more than 600. The wet season runs from November to April. The driest months are June to August.
That shapes the choice between the 07:00 and the 13:00 start. Rio's summer rain tends to arrive as storms in the late afternoon, so from December to March take the morning.
Some parts of the park open later than 07:00. On an early start, your driver orders the stops so you arrive as each one opens. The afternoon start works well in the drier months, and when you want a lie-in.
How the half-day fits together
You are collected at 07:00 or 13:00, and the tour lasts four hours. Most of it is by car, with short walks at each stop.
The first stop is Parque Lage, at the foot of Corcovado, about half an hour after pick-up. The mansion was remodelled in the 1920s for Henrique Lage and his wife, the singer Gabriella Besanzoni. It has been a public park since the 1960s and now houses a school of visual arts and a café. The statue of Christ looks straight down on the courtyard.
Then up into the forest: the Vista Chinesa, a Chinese-style pavilion above the lagoon, Ipanema and the sea; the Mesa do Imperador, a stone table with a wide view over the city; the Cascatinha Taunay waterfall, beside the road; and the small Capela Mayrink. After four hours you finish at your hotel, the Botanical Garden or a restaurant.
The tour is private, so the order can change. The Botanical Garden is next to Parque Lage. If you want time there, tell your driver and we will make room for it.
On your own or with a driver
Parque Lage is in the city and easy to reach. The viewpoints and the waterfall are higher up, on roads through the forest. Without a car you will need a taxi or ride app for each leg, including the way back down.
If you want to walk, trails cross the park. The best known climbs from Parque Lage to the statue on Corcovado. It is free, but you buy the ticket for the monument at the top. The park recommends hiring only accredited guides with an official badge for its trails. This tour does not include hiking: longer trails need a separate guide.
With a driver, the stops come one after another without waiting. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Entrances, if any, and food are not included.
What to bring
- Insect repellent. You are in a forest, and it is damp.
- A light layer. It is cooler up in the trees than by the beach.
- An umbrella or rain jacket from November to April.
- Shoes with some grip for wet paths at the waterfall and the viewpoints.
Who it suits
It suits people who want green and cool after the heat of the beaches, and anyone who cannot manage a long walk: most stops are a few minutes from the car. It works with children, who can get out at every stop.
It also fits round the other Rio tours. It does not go up to Christ the Redeemer. For the statue and Sugarloaf, book our Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf tour. If you have two half-days, pair this one with the city tour of Centro, Lapa and Copacabana, which runs on the same 07:00 or 13:00 pattern.
Questions people ask
Is this the same forest as Christ the Redeemer?
Yes. Corcovado and the statue stand inside the Tijuca forest. The Corcovado rack railway climbs through the national park, and part of its ticket income goes to the park's conservation.
Do we need to walk much?
No. Most stops are a few minutes from the car.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half-day
Choose the morning in the wet season and either start in the dry one, and decide whether you want the Botanical Garden at the end. Our guide to day trips from Rio de Janeiro shows how this tour sits with the others. Stops and what is included are on the private tour of Tijuca Forest and its viewpoints page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
