Brazil · FAVELA TOURS
These are walking tours of working neighbourhoods, led by guides who live in them. The 15 below cover Rocinha, Vidigal and Santa Marta, with group sizes, what the fee supports and how long each walk takes.
Review of Rio’s Rocinha favela walking tour, with local guides, practical pickup details, safety, value, and what to expect.
“This was awesome. One of the highlights of our time in Rio, without a doubt. Fascinating to see how people in the favelas lived. Our guide, Bruno was excellent, too. Would 100% recommend this to anyone.”
Walk Rocinha with a local guide, learn its history, meet residents, enjoy Rio views, and see a favela respectfully for $35.
“well organized and impressive the guide was such a nice person I was expecting more info and explanations during the tour by the guide”
Review of Rio’s Rocinha favela walking tour, with local guides, hotel pickup, community contribution, practical tips, costs, and honest drawbacks.
“well structured and well explained tour. Ray is highly professional and well prepared. she makes sure that everyone is involved at every stage of the tour. we had very good time. in the end, we didn't want to leave! highly recommended !”
Explore Rio’s Rocinha favela with a local guide, hillside views, street art, and honest insight into daily life for $47.
“If you are in Rio and looking to do a favela tour, this is a great option. You'll be part of a small group, but your tour guide is an asset. Patrick was our tour guide, and he helped to humanize and place into proper context life in the favelas. This is a safe tour. I had no concerns about my safety, and these sorts of tours happen all the time. This would be the best experience for anyone wanting to see a whole different reality in this beautiful, vibrant city. The tour comes highly recommended.”
Explore Santa Marta with a local guide, visit Michael Jackson Square, meet residents, hear samba, and support community projects in Rio.
“Great cultural experience. The tour didn’t feel exploitative and the history shared with us was appreciated. We highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a true cultural experience and want to get to know the locals and what the Favelas are about from guides. This tour is hosted by a family that gives back to their community.”
Explore Rocinha and Vila Canoas in Rio on a small-group favela tour with local insight, school projects, city views, and hotel pickup.
“The tour was amazing, and the guide was extremely helpful, explaining every detail clearly in English and taking great care of each person in the group. He also took some fantastic photos for everyone.”
Explore Vidigal on a local walking tour with Russo Guia, enjoying mountain views, community stories, street art, and practical Rio travel tips.
“Great experience! Very knowledgeable and would recommend to others. It was a lot of stairs walking so be prepared before.”
Explore Rio’s Santa Marta favela with local guides, Sugarloaf views, Michael Jackson’s statue, community projects, and practical safety tips.
“Such a rich history and an immersive experience into the Brazilian culture. You’re able to see first hand the diverse culture in a safe way. I’m forever grateful for the time I shared with the beautiful people of the Saint Marta Favela!”
Explore Rocinha with local guides, rooftop views, motorbike transport, capoeira, and candid insight into Rio’s largest favela.
“Makes you feel a whole lot more comfortable when your guide actually lives in the area you’re touring. Antonio was an excellent guide; friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. He made the tour fun & kept me wanting to see more.”
Explore Santa Marta with resident guide Gilson Fumaça, meeting local families, learning its history, and supporting education and community projects.
“Me and my 2 friends took this tour at 10am and thought that we just will see how the people in favela live. It turned out that we’ve been there till 5pm and we decided to do a monkey tattoos to remember this trip for the rest of our lives. Gilson(our guide) answered all questions we had and made us think that Brazilian people are the best people on the whole earth. Everyone is so open minded and welcomed us as family there. We just want to say thank you. We want to recommend everyone who stay in Brazil to visit this incredible community!”
Explore Rocinha with a local guide, ride by motorcycle, see secret viewpoints, and learn about Rio’s favela culture in a small group.
“The trip was a good experience on culture and history and thank you to a great tour guide, Jade”
Review of the Rocinha favela tour in Rio, with motorbike rides, local streets, rooftop views, guide tips, price, and practical advice.
“Passeio incrível, vistas maravilhosas, super recomendo, o guia Zé incrível, super atencioso, fiz novas amizades no grupo as fotos perfeitas, quem vier pro Rio venham fazer esse tour pela Rocinha, super seguro, voltaria mil vezes.”
Explore Rocinha with a local guide, ride a moto-taxi, learn its story, and enjoy Rio views on this affordable two-hour walking tour.
“This was the most incredible and mind boggling tour that I've ever experienced! It literally felt like I was Alice in Wonderland. Thank you to my awesome tour guide for this amazing experience that I will always remember and cherish for the rest of my life.”
Explore Rocinha with a local guide, see daily life, enjoy city views, and learn how this Rio community grew beyond old stereotypes.
“It was an amazing tour. Carlos was a great guide. It was very interesting. Many thanks for everything.”
Hike Rio’s Two Brothers Peak with a local Vidigal guide, motorbike transport, sunset views, photos, and a close look at the city.
“One of the best hikes I’ve ever done and I had the best guide ever in Robinson Santos. The ride up and down in the motorbikes was a fun way to start and end the hike and the hike itself was moderately challenging but had a ton of places to stop for some awesome photos. Robinson was very nice, knowledgeable and he even helped me find my lost phone after the tour was finished! He is a very good person. I highly recommend doing this hike and I highly recommend doing it with Robinson!”
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