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How to get to the Two Brothers hike: the trailhead in Vidigal
Fast answer
To reach the Two Brothers hike you go to the Vidigal entrance and take a moto-taxi, a kombi or a tour scooter up to the trailhead at the football pitch.
Route essentials
Check out 15 stops
From the beaches to Vidigal and up the hill
Choose a route, then tap a pin or stop for its note and a Google Maps link.
If you stay in Copacabana, the route to Vidigal runs west along the beaches through Ipanema and Leblon, by metro, bus or ride app.
Google MapsThe rocks between Copacabana and Ipanema, which Riotur calls the most beautiful place to enjoy the sea and the sunset.
Google MapsThe hill stands behind the western end of this beach, and Riotur says it is often seen in the background of photographs taken on Ipanema and Leblon beaches.
Google MapsAt the end of Leblon beach, next to the rise to Vidigal, Riotur lists an observation deck with views of the Leblon and Ipanema seafront.
Google MapsA Line 4 metro station in Leblon; MetroRio lists Sao Conrado as the next stop on the line towards Barra da Tijuca.
Google MapsThe meeting point of the hike sold here: the guide waits in the middle of the square.
Google MapsRiotur gives the football pitch at the Vila Olimpica do Vidigal as the start of the trail, reached by moto-taxi from the community entrance.
Google MapsThe trail climbs 1.5 km in about 40 minutes to the top of the bigger brother, 533 m above sea level.
Google Maps
The trail climbs 1.5 km in about 40 minutes to the top of the bigger brother, 533 m above sea level.
Google MapsThe favela on the slope beside Vidigal; Riotur says you already see Rocinha along the trail.
Google MapsA neighbour peak that Riotur gives as 844 m high, with a climb of at least 3 hours.
Google MapsRiotur lists a 40-minute trail here inside the Tijuca National Park.
Google MapsRiotur: the beach, officially Praia da Gavea, begins where Av. Niemeyer ends and runs 3 km to the Sao Conrado tunnel.
Google MapsAt the end of Leblon beach, next to the rise to Vidigal, Riotur lists an observation deck with views of the Leblon and Ipanema seafront.
Google MapsThe hill stands behind the western end of this beach, and Riotur says it is often seen in the background of photographs taken on Ipanema and Leblon beaches.
Google MapsOne of the postcards that Riotur says you can see from the wooden decks of the Penhasco Dois Irmaos park.
Google MapsChrist the Redeemer comes into view at the end of the trail, with the whole Zona Sul.
Google MapsThe rocks between Copacabana and Ipanema, which Riotur calls the most beautiful place to enjoy the sea and the sunset.
Google MapsIf you stay in Copacabana, the route to Vidigal runs west along the beaches through Ipanema and Leblon, by metro, bus or ride app.
Google MapsA municipal park in Leblon created in 1992 on 39.55 hectares, whose Janela do Ceu trail is 1.5 km long and leads to the foot of the smaller brother.
Google Maps
Base map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Where the hill stands, which entrance to use, how to reach Vidigal from Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, and how the last stretch up to the trailhead is done.
Editorial team, twobrothershike.top · Updated November 12, 2026 · Quick read: 6 min
The essentials
- The trailheadPer Riotur, the walk begins at the pitch of the Vila Olímpica.1
- The ride upRiotur quotes a moto-taxi from the community entrance at BRL 10.1
- The entranceThe community gate is at Av. Pres. João Goulart 920, says Riotur.2
- MetroMetroRio's Line 4 lists stops in Leblon and São Conrado.3
- Our hikeGuests meet the guide in the centre of Praça do Vidigal.
Where the hill and the trailhead are
The Dois Irmaos hike starting point, according to Riotur, is the pitch of the Vila Olímpica do Vidigal, which the authority lists on Avenida Niemeyer between São Conrado and Leblon.4,1 The map above puts that pitch on the slope of Vidigal, a short ride up from the Praça do Vidigal where tour guides meet their guests, and the place Riotur names as the start of the trail. Check the exact spot with the operator before you go.
The hill is hard to miss from the sand. Riotur says it keeps turning up behind photographs from Ipanema and Leblon, and puts its top, at 533 metres, above Sugarloaf.5,6 Seen from Leblon, the two summits rise behind the end of the beach, with the favela of Vidigal on the slope below them, which tells you where to point your ride.
The slope is easier to read on the map than on the road. Avenida Niemeyer runs along the foot of the hill, and Riotur lists the Vidigal beach and, where Leblon beach ends beside the rise to the community, an observation deck.7,8 Below it, the Penhasco Dois Irmaos park lies on the Leblon side, with decks from which the lagoon and the beaches show.9
Four ways in
Ways to reach the trailhead compared
| Way | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 4 and a ride | Staying in Leblon or Ipanema3 | The last stretch still needs a ride |
| Ride app to the entrance | Starting from Copacabana12 | Use a licensed car, not a street taxi |
| Tour meeting at the square | A simple start | Getting yourself to the square |
| Tour with hotel pickup | Dawn starts | A higher fare for a small group |
| Moto-taxi from the entrance | Going without a tour1 | Agree the price before you climb on |
Each way depends on where you sleep and when you start; confirm every detail with the operator.
The Vidigal entrance and the ride up
Riotur places the community gate at Av. Pres. João Goulart 920 and advises planning the route there with the Moovit app, then picking a kombi or a moto-taxi for the slope.2 The kombi is a local van that circulates in Vidigal, and the moto-taxi is a motorbike taxi; both are how residents themselves climb the steep streets.11
The tours use their own versions of this ride. The hike sold on this site opens with a scooter ride of 10 minutes from Praça do Vidigal, and another listing uses a van of 10 minutes and a short walk through the neighbourhood before the trail. The small-group sunrise listing collects guests from hotels and then rides a motorcycle taxi of about 10 minutes to the base of the mountain.
If you go without a tour, Riotur quotes the moto-taxi from the entrance of the community at BRL 10, a figure to confirm on the day.1 Carry small notes, agree the price before you climb on, and keep your helmet on until you are off the bike. The route from the entrance to the pitch is short but steep, and doing it on foot at night or alone is exactly what the guided hikes are designed to avoid.
Ride to the trail
Minutes in a vehicle at the start
- Van, small group5
- Motorcycle, 4-hour8
- Scooter, our hike10
- Van, 4-hour hike10
- Private sunrise van20
- Car, hike and favela40
Vehicle time at the start of each listing's itinerary; the car of the hike-and-favela listing is the drive from the city.
From Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon
Most of the choice is about the first half of the trip. MetroRio's Line 4 lists a stop at Antero de Quental in Leblon and another at São Conrado, and its Ipanema stop is Nossa Senhora da Paz.3 From a station you still need a bus, a ride or a walk to the entrance, and Riotur names Moovit as the city's official app for planning public transport routes.13
Ride apps are the simple answer from Copacabana and Ipanema, particularly for an early start when public transport is thin. UK travel advice says not to hail taxis in the street and warns about unlicensed cars, among them some that use fraudulent ride-hailing accounts, so order the car in your own app and check the plate and the driver before you get in.12
Staying in Leblon is the easiest base for the Two Brothers mountain in Rio. The end of Leblon beach is where the rise to Vidigal begins, and the entrance is a short ride from there.8 Staying in Copacabana adds a longer ride west along the beaches, while the small-group listing with pickup collects guests in Leme, Leblon, Ipanema, Barra da Tijuca and Copacabana, which removes the whole question.
Pick by situation
Which way up suits you
Tell us your base and your travel style, and see the way up that fits.
If I stay in Leblon or Ipanema
Metro Line 4 and a ride
Line 4 has stops in Leblon and in São Conrado.3
If I would rather not plan the final stretch
A tour from the square
The guide waits in the middle of the square.
If I want a pickup from my hotel
The small-group listing
Pickup from 5 city areas, groups of up to 6.
If I will go without a tour
A moto-taxi from the entrance
Riotur quotes BRL 10 from the community entrance.1
If I start from Copacabana
A ride app
Order a licensed car; do not hail street taxis.12
Three ways
Pickup, the square or on your own
Booked here
Meet at the square
The hike we book
- Meet atPraça do Vidigal
- RideScooter, 10 minutes
- Reviews517
Budget
From the avenue
A 4-hour guided hike
- Meet atAv. João Goulart 920
- RideVan, 10 minutes
- Reviews76
Tour meeting points and pickup
Meeting points differ by listing, and it pays to read the starting location before you book. The hike sold here begins and finishes at Praça do Vidigal, with the guide standing in the middle of the square. A guided 4-hour hike starts from Av. Presidente João Goulart 920, and a private sunrise listing starts from number 854 on the same avenue.
Some listings take the question away. One hike-and-favela outing collects guests and has 21 drop-off points in the southern districts, with 40 minutes in the car each way. Another small-group listing starts at a hotel and uses a van of 5 minutes. Check which version you are booking, because the meeting point is the first thing you need on the morning.
Whatever the listing says, write to the operator the evening before and ask for the exact meeting spot and a phone number. The record of the hike sold here adds that you can contact the operator in advance if you cannot find the meeting point, which is useful in a neighbourhood where street names and numbers can be confusing. Share the meeting point with your hotel, so that a driver does not take you to the wrong entrance.
Price your group
Compare the starts for your group
Type your party size to see the fare of each start.
4 options compared
Compare the starts for your group
Type your party size to see the fare of each start.
- Meet at the square3.5 hours · per person, from $49
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View - Hotel pickupSmall group · per person, from $143
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View - From the avenue4 hours · per person, from $40
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View - Sunrise and sunset3.5 hours · per person, from $59
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View
These from-prices come from GetYourGuide and are converted using the ECB reference rate; the exact price shows at checkout.
From the hotel to the trail
A route from the beaches to the trailhead
Your hotel
Head west
Follow the beaches west to the end of Leblon, where the rise to Vidigal begins.8
The entrance
Vidigal entrance
The community gate is at Av. Pres. João Goulart 920.2
The square
Meet your guide
Guests meet the guide in the centre of Praça do Vidigal.
Up the slope
Scooter or van
A scooter ride of 10 minutes opens the hike sold here.
The pitch
The trailhead
Riotur names the Vila Olímpica pitch as the trailhead.1
The trail
About 40 minutes up
Riotur gives 1.5 km of trail in about 40 minutes.10
Getting back down
The hike sold here ends where it began, at Praça do Vidigal, 3.5 hours after the start. That means your ride home starts from a known, busy point, with the guide to help you with the app and the pickup spot. Plan the return before you leave the hotel, since a morning hike finishes when lunch is on the mind and a sunset hike finishes in the dark.
Order the car from the square and, if you can, wait inside a shop or café until it arrives. British advice gives 190 as the police number to call after a crime in Brazil, a number worth saving before you go.22 Keep the phone out of sight while you wait, and ask your guide where the pickup spot for ride apps is, as the narrow streets rarely suit a waiting car.
Tour vans and cars solve the return as well. Listings that include a van or a car at the end, as several do, return you to the meeting point or to a drop-off in the city, and the hike-and-favela listing has 21 drop-off locations. If you arranged a ride-hail return, confirm the pickup on the app screen with your guide before you leave the square.
Video
A walk from Vidigal down to Leblon and Ipanema
Narramundos on YouTube · Playback files load only once you tap play.
Consult the Moovit app for the best route to the Vidigal entrance (Av. Pres. João Goulart, 920), then choose a kombi or a moto-taxi to go up to the lookout.
Before you set out
Route, entrance and the way home
The last stretch, in daylight and in the dark
Early sunrise starts begin well before dawn, when the streets of Vidigal are quiet and the transport options thin out. The small-group sunrise listing starts around 3 hours before sunrise, which is why it collects guests at their hotels. If you book a dawn slot, arrange your ride the night before, and do not plan to walk through the community by yourself in the dark.
For favela visits, Riotur's guidance is to go with registered local guides.23 The same advice applies to the way in and out: let the guide lead you from the entrance to the trailhead, and do not wander off into side streets for photographs. Our page on guided or independent hiking sets out what the British government and the city tourism authority each say about it.
Finally, allow slack in the day. The scooter ride alone is 10 minutes, the whole outing runs 3.5 hours door to door, and a ride from your hotel can take longer in traffic on the coast road. A hike that finishes at midday leaves the afternoon free for a beach, a lunch in Leblon or a visit to the Penhasco park, which is why the logistics deserve calm rather than haste.
FAQ
Fast, clear answers, short.
How do I get to the Two Brothers trailhead?
Through Vidigal, by moto-taxi.
Start at the Vila Olímpica pitch, Riotur says, and ride a moto-taxi up there from the community gate.1
Is there a metro to Vidigal?
Where do the tours meet?
At a square or an avenue in Vidigal.
The hike sold here meets at Praça do Vidigal, while another listing starts from Av. Presidente João Goulart 920.
How much is the moto-taxi up?
BRL 10 in Riotur's listing.
Riotur quotes a moto-taxi from the community entrance at BRL 10; confirm the fare on the day, as city pages can age.1
Can I take a street taxi to the entrance?
Order a licensed car in an app.
UK travel advice says not to hail taxis in the street and warns of unlicensed cars, so check the car and driver in your app.12
How long is the ride from the square?
About 10 minutes.
The hike sold here lists a scooter ride of 10 minutes at the start; another listing uses a van of 10 minutes and a walk through Vidigal.
Where is the hill on a map?
Between Leblon and São Conrado.
Riotur places the trail address on Avenida Niemeyer, between São Conrado and Leblon, above Vidigal.4
Sources
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Morro Dois Irmaos ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Roles nas favelas cariocas ↩
- MetroRio (Rio de Janeiro metro operator) · Home ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Morro Dois Irmaos ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Dois Irmaos Trail ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Rio: parques e trilhas ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Roles nas favelas cariocas ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Leblon Beach ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Parque Natural Municipal Penhasco Dois Irmaos ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Morro Dois Irmaos ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Roles nas favelas cariocas ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (gov.uk) · Brazil travel advice: safety and security ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Mobility ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Arpoador
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Trilha Dois Irmaos
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Trilha Dois Irmaos
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Pedra da Gavea
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Pedra Bonita
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Sao Conrado
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Parque Natural Municipal Penhasco Dois Irmaos
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Parque Natural Municipal Penhasco Dois Irmaos
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (gov.uk) · Brazil travel advice: safety and security ↩
- Riotur (Rio de Janeiro city tourism authority) · Roles nas favelas cariocas ↩