You will need to learn enough Portuguese to ask for directions though, since few drivers speak English. Avoid taking buses at night; they can be a hotspot for robberies. The private Fresco buses have regular stops and can be flagged down anywhere on the way to the beach, downtown or the airport.
For a more reliable and air-conditioned cab, your best bet is one of the radio taxis and cab companies that serves hotels. If you rent a car, stay alert and keep the car doors locked. The journey to the top is done in two stages. The first cable car climbs more than feet up Urca Hill. Then, on another cable car, tourists travel feet to the summit from which there are wonderful views of Copacabana beach and over the city.
The world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer is feet high and stands at the peak of the mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park. The botanical gardens are home to about 2, species of plant life. The gardens were created by the Prince Regent of Portugal in as a temporary home for imported plants while they were being acclimatized. There are animals too such as toucans, tanagers, marmoset monkeys and exotic butterflies.
It displays artifacts from the 19th century to today from several famous Brazilian artists including Victor Meirelles, Pedro Americo and Candido Portinari as well as foreign and contemporary artists.
