Trilha Morro Dois Irmãos, Rio de Janeiro

Planning to do the Morro Dois Irmãos hike? Here you can find all the information you need 😉

Even if you have never been to Rio you might have seen at least a picture of Morro Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers Hill).

It’s a magnificent mountain located in the South part of the city, that you see in every single picture everyone posts on Ipanema Beach.

What many people don’t know is that you can hike Morros Dois Irmãos and get one of the most breathtaking views of Rio de Janeiro.

Morro Dois Irmãos Hike

I confess that I hesitated to do the Morro Dois Irmãos hike. First, because you have to go through a favela (a sometimes dangerous urban slum) to get there and second because I heard that some people got their pockets picked on the trail. I was a little apprehensive, but I love an adventure and wanted to hike Morro Dois Irmãos at any cost…

I left my sunglasses and wallet in the hostel and took a bus to São Conrado. I got off at Vidigal favela and it was there that my ideas of a favela started to change.

There was a police car at the bottom of the hill, many tourists taking “motor taxis”, and many people going up and down…

From the van, I realized that the favela was full of life! After a 15-minute ride uphill on a winding and narrow asphalted avenue I arrived at the start point of the Morro Dois Irmãos hike and saw another police car.

The start point is a little hidden and I found it only because of two guys on the van with me.

The trail is 1.5 km long, in the middle of the rainforest and most of the time you walk on the shady side of the trees.

The trail is also very easy to follow, completely safe and full of Brazilians and foreigners.

Ascending is a constant in this hike, and sometimes I had to hold some trees and stretch my legs completely to keep going up. At some points when I looked back I could see the São Conrado neighbourhood and its beautiful beach with Pedra da Gavea (another huge hill which provides stunning views) in the background. From there I also could see Rocinha, the biggest favela in Rio.

• Read next: How to Hike Pedra Gavea

The weather in Rio changes a lot and so fast. So, it is important to do the Morro Dois Irmão hike with a blue sky without any clouds.

After 30min I reached the summit. The view was just astonishing!! There was a panoramic view of all the famous tourist points: Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer), Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Leblon and Ipanema Beaches, and even the Sugar Loaf. From there I could confirm that Rio is really a “wonderful city” and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

• You may also like: Everything You Need to Know to Plan a Trip to Ilha Grande

I was so lucky and just had time to take a few pictures and then the weather changed completely to the point that I could not see anything besides clouds.

I took the opportunity to talk to two guys from the community who were selling beverages.

They told me that the Morro Dois Irmãos hike is safe and the favela has changed a lot after the government started a program called UPP (Pacifying Police Union), and the cops whom I talked to also confirmed it.

They also told me that people get there early in the morning to see the magical sunrise and some come to see the thrilling sunset.

It took me 20 minutes to go down the hill and after talking to the cops, I got an açai ice cream bowl (a berry from the Amazon that is very rich in antioxidants).

The weather was still cloudy so I could not enjoy the Bar da Laje, a rooftop bar that became very trendy and attracts people from everywhere because it’s in a favela and has incredible views.

I felt so safe after doing the Morro Dois Irmãos hike that I decided to walk down to the bottom of the hill. Forget the favela that you saw in City of God or Police Squad.

Vidigal nowadays seems just like a regular poor neighbourhood with children playing around, people playing cards, people listening to music and everyone enjoying one more Sunday afternoon.

It is still not the best place to hang out, but I also believe that it should be part of the experience when you visit a city full of contrasts such as Rio.

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Visiting Rio

• Where is it located?

Rio de Janeiro, or just Rio, is the capital of Rio de Janeiro (state) and is located in the Southeast of Brazil, 1,162 Km (720 miles) from Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, and 436 Km (272 miles) from Sao Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil.

• How to get there

∗ There are two airports in Rio: Galeão, GIG (the international) and Santos Dumont, SDU (the domestic).
∗ Over 12 airlines fly to Rio, some of them are: Delta, AirFrance, KLM, British Airways, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Iberia and Emirates.
∗ For domestic flights: LaTam, Gol and Azul (they also operate internationally).
∗ The bus terminal, Novo Rio, provides buses for basically all capitals and big cities in Brazil and also nearby countries.
∗ From Copacabana to Vidigal Favela: local bus number 523.

• Best time to go

∗ Rio can be visited all year round. Summers are hot with high humidity, and winters are the time with the least rain and the perfect one to enjoy other attractions besides beaches.

∗ I would say that the best time to visit Rio is between December and March when there are two big events (New Year’s and carnival), but this time is also the busiest and hottest season with some rain showers. Temperatures can reach 40C (100F).

∗ The shoulder seasons, April/May and October/November are also good and the weather is mild.

• Where did I stay?

I stayed at Copa Hostel, in Copacabana.

For more information about Rio visit the page: Visit Rio.