Experience · Brazil

Hang-gliding over Rio de Janeiro

From the wooden ramp on Pedra Bonita, 520 metres above the forest, you and your tandem pilot take three running steps and Rio unfolds beneath a fabric wing: Tijuca's green, Christ the Redeemer on his peak, the sweep of coastline, then a landing on São Conrado beach in front of applauding sunbathers.

Best forAdventure seekers · Couples · Photographers
In October28°C · 18 rainy days
Ideal stayA half-day within a Rio trip
Approx. flying time~12h 40m from Los Angeles

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Hang-gliding over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Happens around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — nearest airport Rio De Janeiro (GIG), about 12km away.

CurrencyBRLBrazilian real
LanguagePortuguese
Local time09:054h behind the UK
PlugsType C / NBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+55

The experience

Few cities are laid out so obligingly for flying. From a wooden ramp on Pedra Bonita, high inside the Tijuca forest, a tandem pilot runs three steps off the edge and the whole of Rio arranges itself below: rainforest canopy, granite peaks, a statue on a mountaintop, then the long white line of the beaches. The flight is short, silent apart from wind, and needs no skill from you at all.

Build a morning around it, since the smoothest air comes early and the same ramp is used for paragliding when conditions suit. The landing beach sits within easy reach of the city's southern neighbourhoods, so you can be swimming or eating by lunchtime. Flights cancel readily for wind, rain or low cloud, so leave two possible mornings in your itinerary rather than pinning it to your last day.

Ideal stay: A half-day within a Rio trip
The vibe: Brief, weightless, absurdly scenic

From our guides

Flights last ten to fifteen minutes and mornings give the smoothest air. Book a licensed pilot through the association at the landing zone, and pay the photo supplement without hesitation.

Featured in Ten adrenaline days out: canyons, bridges and big jumps

Make a trip of it

The Pedra Bonita ramp

A timber launch platform inside Tijuca National Park at around 520 metres, with the take-off run itself the only moment that asks anything of you.
Christ the Redeemer from the air

The statue appears in profile on Corcovado during most flights, seen from a height and angle no viewing platform offers.
Landing on São Conrado

Flights finish with a run-out onto the sand between the sea and the tower blocks, usually in front of an audience of unbothered sunbathers.
Tijuca National Park

The replanted urban rainforest you fly over is worth visiting on the ground too, with waterfalls, trails and monkeys within the city limits.
Pedra da Gávea

The huge flat-topped rock beside the flight path is one of Rio's toughest day hikes, involving a scramble and a guide for most people.
Paragliding alternative

The same site launches paragliders, which fly slower and can stay up longer when thermals build. Pilots will tell you honestly which suits the day's wind.

Getting there

Fly to
Rio De Janeiro (GIG)

Nearest airport to Rio de Janeiro, about 12km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Rio de Janeiro

About 15 minutes by taxi from Santos Dumont (SDU) in the city centre to Copacabana or Ipanema. From the international airport, Galeao, allow 40 minutes to an hour depending on traffic.
On the ground
Getting around

Operators collect you from your hotel in the southern beach districts and drive about 40 minutes to the Pedra Bonita ramp above Sao Conrado, landing on the beach below. Flights last 10 to 15 minutes and mornings give the calmest air.

Public transport: The metro covers Copacabana, Ipanema and the centre well, and buses run to Sao Conrado, but for the flight itself the operator's transfer is part of the deal.

Flights

Los Angeles Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Flying from

Fly from anywhere — search 4,000+ airports worldwide.

Roughly 12h 40m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

Pick your departure date, then your return.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 26°C in July to 31°C in January. Driest in June and July; wettest in December, with rain on about 23 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

October28° · rain 18 daysWarm and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to base yourself

Beachfront high-rise hotels along the sand, plus a growing supply of apartment rentals and small boutique guesthouses in the hill districts. Hostels cluster in Copacabana and Lapa.

Best base overall
Sao Conrado

The landing beach is here, so a dawn pick-up means a five-minute transfer rather than an hour across town. It is residential and short on restaurants, with the Rocinha favela rising directly behind it.
Find stays in Sao Conrado
Best with children
Leblon

The calmest stretch of the famous sand, with playgrounds, quieter streets and good bakeries on every corner. Prices are the highest in Rio and the beach fills solid at weekends.
Find stays in Leblon
Best value
Copacabana

Rooms in the side streets behind Avenida Atlantica cost far less than Ipanema for the same walk to the water. The seafront blocks are busier, scruffier and noisier late at night.
Find stays in Copacabana
Best for nightlife
Ipanema

Bars around Rua Farme de Amoedo and the Lagoa kiosks keep going long after the beach empties, and the metro is close. Expect street noise on the numbered cross streets.
Find stays in Ipanema

Worth knowing before you book: Carnival and New Year are booked a year ahead with punishing minimum stays. For a flight, allow several spare mornings, since wind cancels tandem take-offs regularly.

Search everything else in Rio de Janeiro by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Rio de Janeiro

Good to know

Timing: Morning air is calmest and clearest, and the operation shuts down entirely in strong wind or rain. Book early in your trip so you can rebook.
Pilots: Fly only with licensed tandem pilots registered with the local association at the landing site. Ask to see accreditation; anyone legitimate expects the question.
What to wear: Closed shoes with laces are required for the running take-off and landing. Sunglasses help, and anything loose in your pockets should be left behind.
Photos: Pilots carry cameras on a boom and the footage is charged separately. You cannot hold your own phone in flight, so pay the supplement or go without.
Fitness: You need to be able to run a few steps and hold your legs up on landing. Operators apply weight limits at both ends of the scale.