The peak and statue can be reached via a narrow road, by the 3.8 km (2.4 mi) Corcovado Rack Railway, which was opened in 1884 and refurbished in 1980, or by the walking trail on the south side of the mountain that starts from Parque Lage.

From the train terminus and road, the observation deck at the foot of the statue is reached by 223 steps, or by elevators and escalators.

Among the most popular year-round tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro, the Corcovado railway, access roads, and statue platform are commonly crowded.

The peak of Corcovado is a big granite dome, which describes a generally vertical rocky formation.

"Corcovado" is a 1960 bossa nova song and jazz standard by Antônio Carlos Jobim whose lyrics draw on images of the hill.