Favela Tours in Rio: The 15 Worth Booking

1.Rocinha Favela Walking Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,052 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $36Our pick

Join a two-hour guided walk through Rocinha with a local guide such as Ray, Bruno, or Carlos. Pickup is available from Copacabana or Ipanema on selected departures, with multilingual guides, air-conditioned transport, and a community contribution included in the $36 price.

“We learnt a lot from our tour guide Ray, she is from Rocinha and keen to share any details with you and answers questions in detail. She takes care of each guests individualy.”

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2.Half-Day Rocinha Favela Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,272 reviews · 3 hours · from $35

Walk through Rocinha with local guides such as Wellington, Alberto, Daniel, or Martin. Hear how the community developed, visit a capoeira school, meet local hosts, and reach a rooftop viewpoint over Rio. The three-hour tour costs $35, with food, drinks, and hotel pickup extra.

“Everything was very nice.. The guide took care of us and made us feel very safe. Highly recommend the tour.”

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3.Favela Santa Marta Top Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 488 reviews · 150 minutes - 3 hours · from $28

Spend two to three hours in Santa Marta with a resident guide such as Mario, Marco, Luis, or Raycca. Visit Michael Jackson Square, Mirante Dona Marta, local projects, a residents’ association, and possibly a guide’s home, with samba, football, and honest stories about daily life.

“Very authentic and enriching experience with Mario, who was born, raised and lives in the favella. Highly recommended if you want to experience a favella by a local.”

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4.Favela Santa Marta Tour with Resident Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 220 reviews · 2 hours - 150 minutes · from $27Best value

Join Gilson Fumaça, a lifelong Santa Marta resident and community guide, for a small-scale visit through Rio’s favela. Learn about local life, see Michael Jackson’s video location, visit his family home and community projects, meet residents, and take in views of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain.

“It was a very Nice tour with Gilson. He is the perfect guide for this visit in the favéla Santa Marta because he lives in the favéla. Thanks so much I highly recommend him.”

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5.Favela Rocinha Tour with Local Guide & Secret Spots

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 218 reviews · 2h 30m · from $43

Join a small group of up to 10 for a 150-minute Rocinha tour led in English, Portuguese, or Spanish by guides such as Malu, Jade, Gisele, and Antonio. Ride a motorcycle taxi uphill, walk through local streets, visit lesser-known viewpoints and businesses, and watch capoeira and samba. Bring cash for added fees.

“I can only recommend it! Our guide Jade was exceptional. The tour definitely changed a lot of clichés we had from hearing stories from people who obviously never went there. Go and see for yourself!”

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6.Vidigal Favela Tour and Two Brothers Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 121 reviews · 5 hours · from $88

Spend five hours exploring Vidigal with a local guide, ride neighborhood motorbike taxis, then hike Morro Dois Irmaos for views over Rocinha, Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana, Corcovado, and Pedra da Gávea. Guides speak English, Spanish, or Portuguese, and private or small-group options are available.

“We really enjoyed the tour! Eduardo is a great guide, he’s friendly and helpful and gave us some interesting informations about Rio De Janeiro. The hike itself was beautiful even though we could not see a lot up there because it was cloudy. The walk through the favelas of Vidigal was an impressive experience and Eduardo took us to a nice bar with e amazing view. We definitely would recommend the tour :)”

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7.Favela Tour The Original, Rocinha & Vila Canoas since 1992

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 113 reviews · 3 hours · from $33

Spend three hours walking through Rocinha and Vila Canoas with a multilingual guide. Expect local history, panoramic Rio views, commercial lanes, a handcraft center, and a visit to a community school financed by Favela Tour. Pickup is offered from hotels in Rio’s South Zone.

“Det var en rigtig god oplevelse. Guiden talte perfekt engelsk og jeg fik mulighed for at tale med andre i gruppen. Der kunne godt have været flere informationer om farvelaerne, men guiden skulle oversætte til flere sprog, så måske derfor der ikke var tid til det.”

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8.2h30 circuit in the Vidigal Favela

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $50Top rated

Spend 2 hours 30 minutes exploring Vidigal and Morro Dois Irmaos with Jean-Christophe, a guide who lives in the favela. Ride by motorbike to the Olympic stadium, hike for about an hour, pause at a local home with a wide Rio view, then walk the alleys and Ecological Park before returning to Praça do Vidigal.

“Jean gave us a breathtaking tour of Vidigal and hike up Two Brothers mountain. He really looked after us the whole time and we felt incredibly safe in his company. He was very knowledgable about the area, full of information - I would highly recommend his tours!”

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9.Sunrise at Morro 2 Irmãos – Vidigal – Rio de Janeiro

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $57

Meet guide Christian or Junior at 4 a.m. in Praça do Vidigal for a motorbike taxi ride through Vidigal, then hike about an hour to Morro Dois Irmãos. Enjoy sunrise views over Rio, learn about the community, and walk back with a local guide. The tour lasts about 3.5 hours and accepts up to 15 people.

“Christian ensured we arrived first at the top of Dois Irmäos. The 30 minutes of peace before the Insta army arrived was well worth it. The view is amazing .”

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10.Half Day Hiking Tour Morro Dois Irmaos and Favela Vidigal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $53

Join Fernando and the Marca na Agenda team for a 4 to 5-hour hike from Vidigal to Morro Dois Irmaos. Ride a local motorcycle taxi, walk through the reserve, see Rocinha and Rio’s famous peaks, then descend through Vidigal’s streets. Sunrise departures are available, with photos included and food and drinks extra.

“Fernando is a Star. This is the best tour in South America that I have done thus far (travelled ~5 months over multiple years throughout South America). My partner and I took this tour for the sunrise option and the views are absolutely stunRead more”

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11.Rio Favela Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $35

Spend about three hours exploring Vidigal with Rodrigo or Henry, local guides who explain the favela’s history, politics, daily life, and community spirit. Walk its alleys, reach high lookouts, visit Eco Park, see local artwork, and enjoy some of Rio’s finest views. Groups are limited to eight people.

“This was an exceptional tour and Rodrigo was a wonderful teacher, not just a guide. Mindblowing experience”

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12.Guided Tour to Favela Santa Marta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $35

Spend about three hours in Santa Marta with a local resident guide such as Mario, Marco, or Luis. See Michael Jackson Square, community projects, the neighborhood association, local art, the favela transport system, and the steps from his music video. The tour includes a tram ride and caipirinha workshop, and returns to Botafogo.

“great experience with a guide willing to show everything and make everything very simple. He was able to visit the whole fabela and had answers for everything.Auto-translated”

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13.Favela Santa Marta: Walking Tour with local guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 41 reviews · 2h 30m · from $34

Spend 150 minutes walking through Santa Marta with a local resident guide in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Ride the funicular to the upper streets, visit art and social projects, browse handicrafts, and stop at the Michael Jackson viewpoint. Small and private groups are available, though the route includes steep streets and is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.

“C était vraiment superbe, très interessant on a adorer avec ma fille Et encore un grand merci à Marco notre guide ☺️”

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14.A Walk in the Rocinha Favela: Women Leading the Way

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 2 hours · from $42

Join a bilingual local guide such as Gabriela, Larissa, or Malux for a small-group walk through Rocinha. Ride a moto-taxi uphill, visit art spaces and local shops, meet residents, enjoy Rio views, and hear about life in the community. The tour runs in English, Portuguese, or Spanish and usually takes about two to two and a half hours.

“Love the small group format. Gabi was our guide, she grew up in the favelas and could see her care and passion for the people there. Great picture opportunities + visit to a cool local art store. Felt safe the entire time”

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15.AVenturismo 2 Irmãos hill + Vidigal Favela

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7 reviews · 4 hours · from $48

Walk through Vidigal’s alleys with an English, Portuguese, or Spanish-speaking guide, stop at local bars and food spots, then hike about 50 minutes through forest to the higher Dois Irmãos summit. Rafael is one guide praised for patient support and clear explanations. Return by moto taxi. Bring water, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, and repellent.

“Raphael was AMAZING! So informative, fun and supportive. He motivated me when the hike was challenging and gave a lot of information about the history of Brazil and the favelas of Rio. The view and the end of the hike was breathtaking I would recommend this to anyone and everyone so worth it!”

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