Tour guides needed for SugarLoaf and Corcovado? Transfer recs?
 

My husband and I will be in Rio for part of our honeymoon around Christmas. We're wondering if we need to arrange for a tour guide to see Sugar Loaf and Corcovado/Crist Redentor or if it could work well to do it on our own. We're spending a lot on the trip, so we aren't trying to spend much on unnecessary extras. Any thoughts? On our own, we'd plan to get to Corcovado to take an 8am cog train.

Also- does anyone have recommendations for transfers between Rio hotels and the airport?

Do both of them on your own. There is no real reason for a guide at either location, as there really isn't anything to explain. They are essentially observation points, although the views are breathtaking no less. Allow about 90 minutes to 2 hours for Sugarloaf in order to take it all in, walk around the trails, etc., and keep in mind that there are two viewpoints, on Morro de Urca and Sugarloaf itself. Corcovado takes about the same amount of time, given that it takes about 25 minutes to get up and down by the train.

Hello!!
You will come to Rio in a chaotic period, so I recommend for you make these tours with a tour agency. Can be a little more expensive but will be more easy and faster. Has a lot of people visiting these places in December, so you probably will have some problems with queues. With a tour agency your ticket is guaranteed and you have more time to enjoy the place.
Some of agencies has airport transfer included.
Have a good travel! :D

>>so I recommend for you make these tours with a tour agency. <<

Well - of course you would . . . since you have a tour agency. What a joke.

You want to do them both on a clear day, weather not guaranteed at that time of year.

To get between points, a regular yellow taxi with the cooperative's name and phone painted on the rear fender will do fine.

Thanks for your thoughts.

If we go with a tour guide, does anybody have any tour guides to recommend that aren't so pricey? We've seen a number quote around US$400 for the day, not including entrance ticket costs and that seems a bit high for our budget.

If we do this on our own, how can we buy tickets in advance? Is there a way to buy tickets online? where?

Sambachula: Yes, we're trying to do both when it's clear. I've heard that clouds can form later in the afternoon(along with the crowds), so we were thinking of maybe trying to do both early in the morning (8am or so).

Sorry, U$ 400.. How many people?

There are only 2 of us. We wouldn't require a private tour necessarily though.

The weather is sometimes just overcast or rainy all day in that season. I was in and out of Rio several times (different trips, different years) in the (SA) summer before I got a good day. July, for example, is better for clear days in my experience than the summer months. Once I couldn't even see the statue from street level because it was so socked in ( and normally, even on cloudy days, you can kind of see it). I wouldn't buy tickets in advance. But there is an online site for the train to Google. And two places to get a van most of the way to the top, to meet the official van that goes to the top.

The group bus tours spend a long time picking people up and dropping off afterwards. My recommendation for a private guide would be Rafa, if he's available. He's a hoot! If not, just DIY by taxi.

You can purchase your tickets at the sites. Not worth going up if it is a poor visibility day.

Oh, and I found on Rafa's page here (http://braziliantours.blogspot.com) pricing for a day tour foe 2 people that is not nearly what you mentioned (what you mentioned would be divided in 4 for a party of 4 people) .