Top Rio de Janeiro Walking Tours

Skip the gridlocked city traffic and the crowded tour buses. Just 40 minutes from Rio's famous beaches lies a protected UNESCO World Heritage wilderness where the dense jungle canopy blocks out the city chaos. This is a paced, small-group journey designed to show you Rio’s wild side without the crowds.

Explore the best of Rio de Janeiro's Historical Center, the city's oldest neighborhood—and discover sights and stories you'd otherwise miss—on this guided walking tour. Pick between morning and afternoon start times, and meet your guide and group in the neighborhood. Then, set off to discover a wide range of highlights, from the Selaron Steps and the Metropolitan Cathedral to the Municipal Theater and much more.

Explore Rocinha Favela, the largest favela in Latin America, during this 4-hour guided educational tour. Walk through the local community with your guide to learn about what life is like there. Interact with members of the community, learn about the history of Rocinha and gain a deeper understanding of the economic and political factors that shape Rio society.

Visit some of the most avoided areas of Rio de Janeiro with a guide who knows the areas well and knows how to keep you safe during this Rio de Janeiro Rocinha Favela Walking Tour. You’ll visit a few favelas within just a few hours as your guide tells you about the communities and their culture. Follow paths locals walk every day to see the slums and take in hilltop views of the city.

Explore two of Rio’s neighborhoods—the Historic Center and the artsy district of Santa Teresa—in one morning or afternoon on this compact tour. Start by admiring the early colorful buildings and 19th-century tramline of Santa Teresa, then head to the Historic Center to visit sites such as Cinelandia, the Arcos da Lapa, Teles Arches, and Praça XV.

Discover the vibrant flavors of Rio de Janeiro with Secret Food Tours! Your local expert guides will take you through the heart of Copacabana, where golden sands meet a lively bohemian spirit, and every corner tells a story of music, culture, and flavor. Stroll along the famous beachfront and side streets, where bossa nova was born and Rio’s laid-back lifestyle comes alive. Beyond the postcard views, you’ll uncover hidden spots loved by locals, sampling authentic dishes that define the city’s unique culinary identity. From savory street food classics to refreshing tropical bites, every stop celebrates the rhythm and taste of Rio. Join us for a journey that blends food, music, stunning sites and culture in one of the world’s most iconic neighborhoods. Come hungry, and leave with a deeper connection to the soul of Rio de Janeiro.

Favela da Rocinha is the largest favela in Rio, located in the South Zone. With this tour, join a local family-run tour to experience the rich history, culture, and heritage of Rio as you learn about life in the favelas. Explore the alleys of the favela on a guided walking tour, peek inside the shops and restaurants, and learn about local cultural projects

Delve deeper into the history of Little Africa in Rio de Janeiro, and learn more than you would if exploring solo, with this group walking tour around the city’s Saúde neighborhood. Follow your guide as you learn about Brazil's slave trade history and the roots of carnival, samba, the city's food scene, and more. Enjoy a route that passes the Mercedes Baptista Statue, Pedra do Sal, and Cais do Valongo.

Combine three of Rio’s top attractions on this flexible-length visit to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue and the Selaron Steps, plus an optional trip to Sugarloaf Mountain. Enjoy the panoramic city views from the platform of Rio’s most iconic statue, then pass through historic Santa Teresa to visit the ceramic-clad Selaron Steps. Finish with an optional cable car ride up Sugarloaf.

Explore the parts of Rio de Janeiro that interest you—and skip the ones that don’t—on a private customized tour. This bespoke excursion is perfect for discerning travelers who want to maximize every moment of their vacation time without a humdrum highlights tour. Whether you decide to observe wildlife at Tijuca Forest or uncover the city’s hidden corners, your guide will organize the perfect itinerary.

Visit Rio's highlights and landmarks on foot during a small-group sightseeing tour. Ride the subway downtown and follow your 'carioca' (Rio native) guide on a walk that includes Rio's most important historical and cultural sites. Visit National Museum of Fine Arts, Theatro Municipal, the Monastery Church of Santo Antônio, Ordem Terceira de São Francisco da Penitência and several other important landmarks.

The Favela Tour Rocinha is a guided cultural tour inside Rocinha, the largest favela in Brazil, starting at Metrô São Conrado – Exit A. The experience starts with a motorcycle ride to the top of the community, panoramic viewpoints overlooking São Conrado, Christ the Redeemer, and the surrounding hills, as well as a drone video session capturing the landscape. Led by a local guide, the tour provides insight into daily life, history, social dynamics, and community projects within Rocinha, with opportunities for respectful cultural interaction, and concludes with a return by walking or moto-taxi. by @rioexplore

Learn about life inside Rocinha, one of Rio de Janeiro's largest favelas. You're driven to the top of the slum community, located on a hillside that overlooks the city, before you descend on foot. Your guide offers insight on Rocinha's socioeconomic issues and the lives of its inhabitants during your walk.

Get an in-depth local experience with this walking tour of one of Rio's "favelas," Rocinha. Follow your resident guide through the slum to get an insider's perspective on daily life and learn about the challenges these communities face. Upgrade your experience to a 2-day tour that includes a visit to Tijuca Forest.

The Lapa district of Rio de Janeiro is renowned for its buzzing nightlife and live music scene. With this evening pub crawl, discover the neighborhood at its most atmospheric as you visit popular local pubs and bars, sip a free shot of cachaça, and listen to live samba or forró music. Accompanied by your guide and group of party-seeking travelers, enjoy a fun night out with VIP admission and special offers on drinks.

Rio de Janeiro has spent decades convincing the world it's all beaches, and caipirinhas. But after sunset, another side of the city comes alive. Join us for an evening of feasting through Ipanema and Copacabana, two of Rio's most iconic neighbourhoods. Along the way, you'll uncover the immigrant communities, neighbourhood bars, and local institutions that have quietly shaped the city. Sample crisp Bahian acarajé fritters, creamy crab gratin, buttery cassava, Lebanese kibe and esfiha, warm cheese breads, and one of Rio's most legendary sandwiches: slow-roasted pork paired with sweet pineapple. Wash it all down with an ice-cold chopp beer before finishing with silky Brazilian caramel custard. Between bites, you'll stroll the streets that inspired The Girl From Ipanema, ride the Metro between neighbourhoods like a local, and experience a lively botequin. This isn't a tour of postcard Rio. It's a journey through the stories, flavours, and communities that most visitors never discover.

Explore Brazil’s largest favela in the company of a local—and head off the tourist trail to talk to community members, and discover how residents live—on this small-group tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Rocinha Favela. With your local guide, you’ll see areas of the city most tourists miss, will visit a craft fair and street markets, will admire capoeira performances, and will finish with a moto-taxi trip straight Rocinha’s highest viewpoint.

We're a specialized incoming travel operator in Rio de Janeiro, offering the most immersive Afrotourism experiences that bring to light key sites of Black history, a legacy once erased and silenced. Our tours provide a decolonial narrative, visiting essential places like Valongo Wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage Menu publisher-the largest slave port in the Americas, and Pedra do Sal, the birthplace of Samba. From this point, the Black community reshaped their identity, profoundly influencing Brazil's national culture and values. What you'll experience? Afro-Brazilian Heritage | Afro-Brazilian Art | Afro Cuisine | Black Heritage Sites | Black Cultural Icons Little Africa is part of UNESCO's Global African Diaspora Project. Why choose us? - Black owned company - Trusted partner for Embratur and Black Travel Summit - Specialists in international Black events - Small groups for meaningful connections Ideal for travelers seeking authentic Afro-Brazilian culture. Don’t wait - book your tour today!

Make the most of a stopover in Rio de Janeiro with a sightseeing shore excursion from Cruise Terminal Pier Mauá. A great way to squeeze in visits to some of Rio’s best sights, you’ll first head out to see the towering Christ the Redeemer Statue—one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. You’ll then explore the historic hub of Santa Teresa before ending with a cable car ride up to Sugarloaf Mountain.

Explore the world's largest urban rainforest, Tijuca National Park, during this 3-hour tour in Rio de Janeiro. With a nature guide, discover the swaths of verdant foliage and abundance of local wildlife within the confines of this vibrant city. A bio-diverse hot spot, the fragile ecosystem is home to several waterfalls and many endangered species. Enjoy views of Pedra da Gávea and the Christ the Redeemer statue and stop at the Emperor's Table and the Chinese View. Round-trip transportation from Rio hotels is included.

We will take you on a ride in one of the oldest tramways of the world: The Santa Teresa tram. The tour connects the city center to Santa Teresa, passing on top of the Lapa Arches (Arcos da Lapa), where we can have a view of Lapa from above. In Santa Teresa we will alight at Largo do Guimarães, the gastronomic area of the neighborhood. There, you can try the local cuisine in the neighborhood's trendy restaurants and bars. After, we'll explore the neighborhood on foot, walking around its cobblestone streets, observing its colonial houses and hidden views. We will visit its cultural centers, museums, and local artists' ateliers, including one of the 6 best viewpoints of the city and then walk to Lapa, passing by the colorful Selarón steps, that connect the two neighborhoods. In Lapa, we will finish admiring the Arcos da Lapa (the Carioca aqueduct) at a hidden rooftop that only locals know.

Avoid the tourist traps and explore Brazil through its cuisine on this food tour through Rio de Janeiro. Follow a local guide through the streets and learn how Brazilian gastronomy is a multicultural melting pot of flavors—with influences from Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. Sample multiple dishes, plus a sweet treat at the end, for a well-rounded meal.

It’s hard to beat the crowds in Rio de Janeiro entirely, but trekking the challenging Pedra da Gavea gives you access to viewpoints with far fewer people, so that you can soak up views of Rio’s iconic coastline in more peace. This hiking tour helps you navigate the moderate-difficult route, ensuring you stay safe and don’t get lost along the way.