Sugarloaf Mountain Climbing Trail

We booked the sugarloaf climb in April 2026. Some physical fitness is required for the climb of nearly 400 meters of height in the warm and humid climate of Rio de Janeiro. There is only one section of real climbing, where our guide provided us with climbing shoes, helmet, and belt and secured us with the top rope. It is completely safe because you can trust the rope. Even the inexperienced climbers of our small group made it without problems thanks to the helpful instructions of our guides, who, by the way talked to us fluently in Portuguese, English, and French. I liked the relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere of the hike and climb, which was in contrast with the tourist crowds once we reached the top of the sugarloaf. Return by cable car to the Morro da Urca and finally walking down to Praia Vermelha, where you can go for a refreshing swim even after sunset.

Amazing experience - highly recommended !!! Shoutout to the team both on admin (very proactive and helpful) and of course the guides! Did both sugarloaf and Corcovado with them and had a great time! A.

A unique experience in Rio for people up for a challenge. I'd rate the hike as difficult. It is steep. I was on my hands and knees a lot. The climbing part comes half way through the hike. It's not too tough. The views are incredible throughout. Our guide Sergio is very experienced and knows the mountain very well.

My guide Sergio knows the mountain like the back of his hand. He climbs it almost every day. We also ran into a fellow local climber who says Sergio is the best. The hike started off easy on a paved trail. Soon it is a steep ascend which requires knee strength, calf and ankle mobility and good balance. It is steep so I used my hands most of the time. The 20m climb is a bit challenging in certain spots but Sergio had all the equipment and guided me. It was exciting and my adrenaline was very high. It felt super rewarding and the views are impeccable. You get it all to yourself compared to the cable car station. (As a climber you can go down half way for free.) I am very satisfied with this experience and am grateful to have Sergio as my guide. It is my highlight in Rio and I would recommend it to anyone who is up for a challenge!

Amazing, great view, beautiful mountain. Sergio is a relaxed and experienced guide and speaks good english. Fully recommend it =)

Fantastic experience, Sergio was a brilliant guide. Definitely the best way to experience sugarloaf mountain, and the views were stunning.

One of my favourite experiences in Rio so far - not for the faint hearted, but as long as you have a reasonable level of fitness it's an exciting journey to the top. I loved all the fantastic views and having my first proper experience of climbing - it's made me want to do more in the future. Thanks also to Flavio/Sergio for letting me rearrange at short notice and join a group on another day.

These guys are excellent. Super efficient super responsive. Sergio my instructor was very very sensitive to when you are scared, and makes you feel like everything all right no matter what. Really really recommend. They also never lose patience and are super super nice no matter what your level is and are always willing to help out. Price is super super good. I also checked with a couple of friends before going who live there, and everyone spoke very highly about the company.

We had an amazing time climbing Sugarloaf mountain, one our best moments in Rio. The route is steep but not difficult. Igor our guide was very friendly and showed clearly how to do the climbing sections. Much quieter than the cable car and a great way to experience the mountain!

Great experience! Sergio was very friendly and experienced, we really enjoyed our climb. A very beautiful way to visit Rio.

my guide Sergio Ricardo was amazing…professional, safety was first, and knowledgeable. we climbed the south east side of sugarloaf mountain. it was not easy, definitely not for beginners or people afraid of heights. i had a great time

We loved every minute of it! Our guide Flavio was confident, professional and also very informational, we learned a lot of new information during the hike. The climbing part is exciting and a good challenge for beginners. It's short, yet quite tricky at some point so it's all good fun! Flavio provided every necessary equipment so it was perfectly safe as well. The hike is also fun, but make sure you have proper footwear because you'll walk more on rocks than on established hiking trail. The view is amazing along the way. All in all, it was a 10/10 experience, would definitely recommend to others!

Victor was great! He was very helpful with my mum and brother who have only a little experience with scrambling - and made them feel very comfortable at all times. Make sure you bring proper walking boots or at least trail shoes. The climb is fun, not too hard, and your guide will talk you through it.

Great experience! Beautiful vistas and fun hike. A lot of hiking in exposed rock but never felt dangerous.

This is the BEST way to avoid the crowds on Sugarloaf!! Victor was our guide (he is a legend in the Rio climbing community!) and not only was he extremely comfortable on the climbing, but also gave excellent advice to a novice climber to help him get through a challenging section of the climb. So whether you've been climbing for 20 years (me) or less than 3 months (my other half), you can make it through the climb. Keep in mind, there is a lot of rock scrambling that you'll need to do so make sure you have sticky shoes that you're confident in. Victor was extremely patient as we did some shopping and took pictures at the top too. Thanks Victor for making us feel welcomed to Rio, letting me nerd out on climbing topics, and sharing your favorite sunset spot in Orca.

Climbing the Sugar Loaf (Via dos Italianos) with Companhia da Escalada was great. The guide, Gabriel was super experienced of the route and gave me useful beta so I succeeded in climbing the route. Cyntia, the company manager was very approachable and thoughful in helped me plan a few climbs that were up to my skills and experience. Easy to schedule a climb and communicate. Will definitely climb with them next time Im in Rio!

Climbed the sugarloaf a couple of days ago. Flavio was an excellent guide. He was very responsive through the booking process, answering all of my questions regarding payment, climbs, safety, and covid related. He was very clear and everything happened as planned. The climb was fantastic. Flavio was at the meeting point on time, and he took us through the hike and then Via dos italianos explaining not only the climbing aspects but also giving us quick notes on the nature around us, the different areas of the city, culture, etc. I’m very pleased with the guiding service, it was excellent and Flavio was great. He also took some fantastic pictures in the right times. Highly recommended.

Truly the best extreme experience in Rio! So much adrenaline! Victor an was amazing guide and he speaks english!

We were a family of four climbing up Sugarloaf on the beginner’s course. We had Raoni as our instructor, and we were really happy with him. A super experience and one of the most fun activity we did in Rio. I will strongly recommend it as the top activities to do in Rio.

Took a brilliant guided trip up the Coringa route with Victor. Flavio was excellent at working out which would be the best route for my ability (lots of indoor bouldering experience, infrequent outdoor trips). The route is great fun and we saw monkeys swinging through the treetops around us. I'd highly recommend for any climbers who are visiting Rio - it's definitely one to tick off the list. Just make sure you bring mosquito repellent, and try and do it at the beginning of your trip in case you have to postpone because of weather.

Today I climbed the sugarloaf mountain. It was so much fun and we stopped at every nice viewing point to rest and enjoy the beautiful view. Next time I visit Rio I’ll definitely do another hike with Flavio (:

Such an amazing experience! Our guide Victor was incredible, very experienced and so friendly and fun to be around. I got quite nervous during some of the climbing and Victor was very encouraging and gave me clear directions on how to do the climb. It really helped me overcome my nerves. The views during this climb were breathtaking. And sunset at Sugarloaf mountain was definitely the highlight of our trip to Rio.

We had a great hike with some climbing (rope and harness) guided by Flavio. We totally enjoyed the hike, views and insights into flora and fauna Flavio gave us. We felt very safe and secure at all times. We recommend doing this and other climbing tours companhia da escalada offers. The prices are fair and communication in fluent English is fast and reliable. Thanks again!

I was really excited to find our that it was possible to climb Pão de Açúcar, rather than taking the cable car. We went on the easy Costão trail, which is mostly hiking up the hill, with rock climbing on a short part of the ascent. The views are stunning along the way! Even though this climb is marketed for the first-timers, it is a good idea to have tried rock climbing in a gym at least once, so that you understand what you are signing up for. It is also important to wear running shoes with a good grip. Our guide, Victor, is a terrific guy, he is an expert climbing guide and made sure that the climb went smoothly. Unforgettable experience!

A friend and I climbed Sugarloaf with Victor and it was such an amazing experience. I very much recommend this trail. The views on the way up are stunning and Victor was so patient and encouraging.

Fantastic hike up the Pão de Açúcar. Incredible views. My guide Igor was super friendly and great company.

It's quite an experience to climb such an iconic place as the Sugarloaf mouintain and we are glad we climbed it with Victor from the Companhia da Escalada. It's a 3 hour hike, and for us it was a first time involving real climbing. Victor gave us the trust to climb the 10 meters or so on the rope. The view from the top is double rewarding after such a nice hike! A must do in Rio.

An amazing moment with Flavio climbing Dedo de Deus!!! A very professional guide to get to the top of this beautiful mountain. The view from up there is so much worth the effort Muito obrigado

I came across Companhia da Escalada on Google while searching for climbing routes on Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) mountain and realised immediately how knowledgeable and passionate they were about climbing. It was my first time climbing multi pitch and the experience could not have been better, especially with a rewarding view of a sunset at the top. Flavio and the team are awesome and I will definitely be contacting them the next time I am in Rio/ Brazil. Good luck guys!

I booked my climbing well in advance and were lucky have weather and time to climb both the Italianos-route on Pão de Acúcar (Sugerloaf Mountain) and the K2-route on Corcovado (the route up to Christ the Redeemer-statue). Both routes made for some excellent and delicate climbing with absolutely stunning views. Both my guides were excellent, strong climbers and spoke very good English, making the whole experience even more rewarding for me. They were also great belayers and had tons of good tips along the way. I will certainly use them next time I climb in Rio. I was especially impressed to see that the guides collected garbage on the track to the base of the route to help clean up the nature near the climbs. This they took with them and disposed of once safely down again. A great example to us all!

My husband and I had a great time climbing with Flavio. He guided us up Sugarloaf - Coringa route. He was very safe and communicative the whole time. We had so much fun and loved the view from the top! Plus he carried all our gear, ropes, etc which always makes things easier. :) I would recommend him to anyone looking to climb in Brazil. His English was very good also.

Unforgettable experience of being able to visit one of the most famous sights of the wonderful city from another angle. Trail with climbing stretch made with total safety thanks to the support of the guide Flávio Leone, extremely attentive and patient, explaining every detail of the most technical stretches. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I hope to be back soon for basic climbing course.

Extraordinary experience, unique in my memory. I'm 71 years old, I've been climbing my whole life and I've never done anything so magical. Magnificent guides; Marcio accompanied me with security and conversation all the trecking, a great guide. I will recommend all my climbing friends from Madrid to contact the Companion of Escalation as soon as they arrive in Rio. Unforgettable, thank you

For some time we trusted the climbing Cia for course guide, updating techniques and in this last we take nephews for climbing experience. As always the dedication and efficiency are amazing. Security and great respect for the mountain. Always better

Very interesting. It is necessary to warm the muscles before the start of the activity.. bring water and enjoy the views because they are amazing

It was very good! The instructor Adilho went through an incredible safety and led us the best way possible! The trail is a bit long with very narrow climbs, but that view is unique!!!

I made the sugar bread cottao with my 9-year-old son. Just joy. I felt a lot of confidence in the guide. Plus it was very fun.

Excellent personal experience and unique opportunity to visualize a wonderful landscape with views of the Rio you didn't know. The safety and tranquillity of the guide Leone were very important to the outcome of this experience.

We did the climb of Costão with Saint Benedict with the guide Leone and we loved it. The seriousness and experience of the professionals are perceived, which gave us greater tranquility and confidence. The trail and the view are wonderful!

The experience was very meaningful. In addition to the view being spectacular, the trail is incredible. The guide guided us and led the activity safely and attentively!

The instructors were very professional and friendly, a unique experience that I recommend having with this phenomenal company.

The climb was great! The guide was patient and attentive. Communication with the company was very good, we received all instructions in a timely manner. We just didn't receive all the equipment, such as helmet and shoes.

I went to climb the Italian route in Pao do Acucar and the next day I did sport climbing. My experience was super nice. Communication was very fast and competent. The outings were unforgettable. The guides exceeded my expectations. The payment system is also very easy.

The best way to spend my birthday! Last year I did Costão do Pão de Açúcar and this year I climbed K2, both on my birthday, and with Cia da Escalada. Very attentive!

Costão do Pão de Açúcar is incredible, certainly one of the coolest walks in Rio. But it's really not that easy from a physical point of view, especially if it's very hot on the day. The rope climbing section is short, the walk is long. The climb is not trivial, but it is not impossible either. The guide who took us was extremely patient and professional.

It was always my dream to climb the sugar bread!! And thanks to the Climbing Company I was able to accomplish it! It was an experience I will never forget!! Thank you for everything!

In addition to the climbing path and trail to the Peak of the Sugar Bread (which are great), the care and concern of the staff of the Climbing Company were great. From the beginning concerned with experience, knowledge, equipment, weather forecast, etc. Great experience, no doubt!

Always amazing the experience! The guides are amazing and the rise is phenomenal! It is worth it!! Only courage and disposition are enough!

Amazing experience. Guia had mastery over their activities and carried out the processes safely.