The statue of Christ the Redeemer above a sea of clouds at sunrise, with the sun low on the horizon.

Christ the Redeemer

Country BrazilRegion Corcovado, Tijuca National Park — Rio de JaneiroGateway Rio de Janeiro (GIG / SDU)

Christ the Redeemer above the clouds, Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro.Photo: Donatas Dabravolskas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source (Wikimedia Commons)Resized to 480/960/1600 px wide and converted to WebP (from a Commons-generated 3840 px rendition).

New Seven Wonders of the World

Cristo Redentor stands on the summit of Corcovado, about 700 metres above Guanabara Bay, with outstretched arms that seem to bless a city of beaches, bays and mountains. The idea of a monument on the peak was first proposed in the nineteenth century, and a popular campaign in the 1920s finally brought the project to life. The Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa led the design, working with the French sculptor Paul Landowski, while the face is credited to the Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida. Reinforced concrete forms the skeleton and is covered in thousands of small triangular soapstone tiles, a material chosen for durability and workability. The figure is roughly thirty metres tall on a pedestal of about eight metres, with arms spanning around twenty-eight metres, and it was inaugurated in October 1931. A small chapel inside the base is dedicated to Our Lady Aparecida, patron saint of Brazil. The statue sits in the Tijuca National Park, a protected Atlantic Forest; much of the journey up passes through green forest before the city appears. On a clear day the panorama takes in Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, Maracanã Stadium and the Lagoa. Clouds and mist often cover the summit, so many visitors plan for flexibility. Lightning strikes occasionally damage the statue, which is regularly restored.

How to visit

Standing monument. Regularly restored; open to visitors through managed access.

Gateway
Rio de Janeiro (GIG / SDU). The base stations are in Cosme Velho, Paineiras and Copacabana; the statue itself is reached only by train, van or on foot.
Getting there
The Corcovado train departs from Cosme Velho station and climbs through Tijuca National Park. Official vans operate from several points, including Copacabana and the Paineiras visitor centre. Private cars cannot reach the statue; a steep hike from Parque Lage is possible but demanding.
Access and booking
The train ticket includes the return trip and entry to the monument and is booked online for a chosen date and time. Vans have their own ticket systems and vary by departure point.
Season and conditions
Clear mornings in the drier months usually give the best views, but cloud can cover the summit at any time. Check the weather before choosing your slot.
Guides, permits and reservations
Advance booking is strongly advised. Some discounts are limited to Brazilian residents with documents.
Accessibility and physical demands
The viewing platform has lifts and escalators; detailed accessibility arrangements are pending verification with the operators.
What you can realistically visit today
You can reach the statue by train or van, enter the platform at its base, visit the small chapel and enjoy views across Rio.

Checked against official sources

  • The official Trem do Corcovado page lists departure from Cosme Velho station through Tijuca National Park, states that the ticket covers the round trip and access to the monument, and sells tickets online, by phone, by app and through accredited partners. — Trem do Corcovado (official operator)

Reviewed 2026-10-23. Official details change; confirm on the official page before you travel.

Pending verification

SATRAM has not verified the following; please check an official source:

  • Operating hours of the train and vans.
  • Current prices (the page showed an adult train fare when reviewed, but prices change).
  • Detailed accessibility arrangements.

Official and useful links

Sources

Description and visit notes were written by SATRAM from these references. “Opened” means a page was read during the review; “cited” means it is listed as a standard reference and its address has not been machine-checked. Last reviewed .

  1. New7Wonders of the World — official wonders page — New7Wonders Foundation · opened
  2. Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes — UNESCO World Heritage List — UNESCO World Heritage Centre · cited
  3. Trem do Corcovado — official site — Trem do Corcovado · opened
  4. Christ the Redeemer — overview — Encyclopaedia Britannica · cited
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