Christ the Redeemer statue: A Critical Visit in Rio de Janeiro
Christ the Redeemer statue is located at the top of Corcovado Mountain, 2,100-feet above sea level.
The most famous and most visited Rio de Janeiro landmark is also one the 7 New Wonders of the World.
From the top of the mountain, you can have an unparalleled view of the city of Rio de Janeiro, and of course, you can also see the statue itself right in front of you.
However, due to a combination of meteorological factors the statue finds itself often with a cloud cover. The point is that the density of the cloud can impact dramatically on the visibility of the statue itself and of Rio de Janeiro.
Is there a best time to visit the Christ statue?
There is no such a thing as a better time of the day to visit the statue. Neither there is a better or worse day, week, month, or season.
The statue may get partially or totally enveloped by a mist, for just a few minutes or for many hours in a row. The density of the cloud can be such that can totally impede the view of it, even being right up and close to it.
Some days the statue is clear for the whole day. Some days the statue has a dense and low cloud from morning to evening. And some days the visibility at the top of Corcovado varies several times a day, from none to partial to total!
The bottom line is that it is a matter of luck. However, you increase your chances of visiting the statue at the perfect time if you take several 2 or 3 three half-day tours (or even full-day ones). Why? Because this way the tour guide has the flexibility to take you there at the right moment.
If, on the other hand, you book only one tour just to see the statue and say Sugar Loaf, then you risk be going at a bad time of the day (that day).
Bear that in mind, if you have only one day in Rio de Janeiro, you diminish your chances of seeing it. In fact, thousands of visitors who have only a day in Rio waste their time and money arriving at the top of Corcovado and are not able to see neither the statue or the city.
The point is that without a savvy guide and with only one day in Rio de Janeiro you increasing your chances of not seeing the statue.
As just a human Rio de Janeiro private tour guide, I can’t guarantee the weather, but I can maximize your chances of arriving at the summit of Corcovado at the right time. How do I do that? Careful logistics. I monitor cloud coverage at Corcovado from the moment I pick you up from your hotel. If it is not covered, we visit it right away. If it is cloudy, we visit other sites first and continue to monitor the statue from other parts of Rio in order to visit this important site at the just the right moment of the day. As you know, timing is everything.