The Two Brothers hike in Rio at sunrise or sunset

At Vidigal the sun rises at 05:21 on 15 January and at 06:34 on 15 July, a swing of more than an hour that decides how early a sunrise start has to be.^4,2 The earliest sunrises in our table fall in November and December, at 05:01 and 05:02, and the latest in June and July.^1,6 Our figures come from the Naval Observatory of the United States, worked out for the 15th of each month at the hill's own coordinates and on Rio's clock.⁴

The evening runs the other way. The sun sets at 18:44 on 15 January and at 17:15 on 15 June.^4,3 Civil twilight, the stretch of usable light after the sun is down, ends at 19:09 in January and at 17:40 in June.^4,3 A sunset hike therefore has a long evening to play with in summer and a short one in winter, and in June the walk down starts almost as soon as the light turns orange over the sea.

Treat all of these as planning figures. Cloud, haze and the exact date move what the eye sees by a quarter of an hour either way, and the guide confirms the meeting time with you on the day. The tool above shows the sunset for every month on a single axis, and the table below lists the first light, the sunrise, the sunset and the end of twilight so that you can match a slot to the month you travel.

The summit rock looks out over Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana, with the lagoon and the Christ statue range behind them.¹⁵ Riotur notes how often the hill appears behind snapshots from Ipanema and Leblon beaches, so the climb hands you the reverse of a postcard you may already know.¹⁶ That reverse view changes character through the day more than almost any other in the city.

At sunrise the horizon over the ocean and the bay turns orange behind the pointed hill that guards the bay and the lagoon below it, while the streets of the city are still in blue shadow. Photographs from the trail show the sun low over the water and a soft line of cloud, and they show why early risers talk about the hour after first light as the best of the day.

At sunset the light moves to the other side of the compass. Pedra da Gávea stands out in silhouette against the sky in many photographs from the summit, and the beaches begin to glow as the street lamps come on. For a classic evening view from the sand rather than from the rock, Riotur singles out the Arpoador rocks for the sea and the sunset together, an easy partner for a hike that ends before dark.¹⁷

The last stage of the hike sold here takes 40 minutes, so a sunset outing that leaves the top at dusk ends its walk after nightfall for much of the year. Civil twilight ends at 17:40 on 15 June, which means the final part of the descent may be done by torchlight, while in December the light lasts until 19:00.^3,6 The slope is steep in places, so a good light is not a luxury.

Bring a head torch or a phone with a strong light, wear shoes with grip and follow your guide's pace. Keep your phone zipped away in the community's streets afterwards, because British travel advice singles out phone theft, above all in the hours around dusk.²⁰ Our page on guided or independent hiking returns to that advice in more detail, and explains what official sources say about walking in a favela.

If you would rather have light the whole way, the day slot or an early sunrise slot is the answer. A sunrise hike brings its own dark stretch at the start, on the way up, and then rewards you with daylight for the descent, which many people find easier on the knees and on the nerves. Compare that with a sunset walk, where the best light comes first and the hardest ground comes last.