Brazil South America

Exploring Rio de Janeiro: Hiking Morro Dois Irmãos

Rio de Janeiro is not just a great city to relax with a Caipirinha at the beach, but also for hiking to the top of the surrounding rock formations.

One of them is Morro Dois Irmãos – a huge rock at the end of the Ipanema and Leblon beaches. At 533m  (1,749ft), it looks like the top is impossible to reach without professional climbing gear, but I was proved wrong.

Getting to Morro Dois Irmãos

The entrance of the trail is located in one of Rio’s favelas: Vidigal. The trail officially starts at the northwest corner of a gated soccer field (Campo do Vidigal). Since we visited the Botanic Garden prior to our hike, we took an uber to the start of the trail for R$13. But another popular way to get to the top is a moto-bike, or van that you can catch just inside the entrance of Vidigal. Tell your driver “Dois Irmãos” or “a trilha”, and they will know where you want to go.

The motorbike driver will give you a helmet, but streets are very narrow and we could see them drive super fast. If you’re in for an adventure, this is for you.

Entrance to Morro Dois Irmãos

Entrance to Morro Dois Irmãos

On the way back down, we took a van (kombi) that picked us up when we exited the trail. We paid R$5 for both of us. Carry exact change, so you don’t get overcharged. You can also walk up but this will add 1.6 km to your hike. If you like to see more of Vidigal, I would recommend walking down to save some energy.

Hiking Morro Dois Irmãos

The trail starts gradually with lots of flat bits and small climbs, followed by some very steep hills. We walked the first bit with one of the locals and his dog. He was very kind and explained the surroundings to us. Although we told him, that we only speak little Portuguese, he kept talking to us 🙂  

Hiking Morro Dois Irmãos

Once we reached the northwestern ridge of Dois Irmãos, we were greeted with amazing views of São Conrado, Rocinha, Pedra Bonita, and Pedra da Gávea. Pictured below is Rocinha – the largest favela in Brazil. It is home to almost 70,000 people and even has its own businesses such as banks, supermarkets and medical stores. 

Hiking Morro Dois Irmãos

About 25 minutes within the hike, we came across a local selling fruits and water. We kept following the main trail, which was very well laid out and easy to follow. When we got closer to the top, the views opened up and we could overlook the beaches in the south. The views got better and better and the summit was just ahead of us now.

Hiking Morro Dois Irmãos

The summit

50 minutes later, we’ve finally reached the summit. We walked past a stone pillar to get to the top of the hill. Finally, we could admire the picturesque view over the whole of Rio. We were lucky and only a few other people joined us to soak in the views. Clouds kept pulling in and Rio disappeared from time to time. I sat down to enjoy the changing views over the city.

View from Morro Dois Irmãos

View from Morro Dois Irmãos

View from Morro Dois Irmãos

Although it was a tough hike due to the hot, humid weather, it was one of my highlights in Rio because of the incredible views we could enjoy without hundreds of people around us. This was also our first time in a favela and I didn’t know what to expect, but I did feel safe the whole time. Like anywhere in the city, it’s important to keep an eye on your valuables and only visit favelas during the day. If you’re thinking of doing the hike, bring plenty of water because you might not be able to buy anything on the way up. 

What’s high on your to-do list for Rio de Janeiro? Would you go for a hike? Let me know in the comments below.

Pin it for later!

You Might Also Like

8 Comments

  • Reply
    Carmen Baguio
    26. May 2017 at 3:40 pm

    We just returned from a trip Rio this past March. We didn’t do this hike. The views look amazing! We have to plan it for next time.

    • Reply
      Sina Meyer
      28. May 2017 at 10:49 am

      Rio has so much to offer, it’s easy to miss out on things. We did the hike on our last day and I’m glad we did as it was a completely different experience. Highly recommend when you return to Rio!

  • Reply
    Siddharth and Shruti
    26. May 2017 at 9:58 am

    The first image itself has sold us on the idea of this hike! What a view. And then we read the post and reached the summit part. Wow! It looks so dreamy! I’m imagining totally worth the climb. Adding this to the list asap!

    • Reply
      Sina Meyer
      28. May 2017 at 10:24 am

      Yes, we knew the view would be nice but it was absolutely amazing. Hope you get a chance to go, it’s definitely worth it!

  • Reply
    Travel Lexx
    25. May 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Love this and definitely something I would want to do if I am in Rio. Hiking is one of the main reasons I travel so if a destination doesn’t have hiking options, I probably won’t go! So this just definitely made Rio even more exciting to visit. Thanks for sharing

    • Reply
      Sina Meyer
      28. May 2017 at 10:46 am

      I’m an outdoor person too and loved that Rio has so many hiking trails. There’s also a great 2h trail up to Christ the Redeemer if you fancy a more challenging hike 🙂

  • Reply
    Shona @ paraphernalia.co
    23. May 2017 at 12:34 pm

    I will definitely add this to my itinerary for Rio. The views are spectacular and with all the eating & drinking I’ll be doing I’ll need the exercise. 😉

    • Reply
      Sina Meyer
      28. May 2017 at 10:21 am

      This was my thinking too 😀 You can do so many hikes in Rio, I’m sure you’ll get your exercise!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.