Favela Tour Rio de Janeiro - Vidigal Walking Tour by Russo Guide
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience a different side to Rio de Janeiro—one that few travelers experience—and gain a deeper appreciation for life in the Brazilian city, with a small-group tour of the Vidigal favela. In the company of a guide who has decades of experience working in Vidigal, see work by local graffiti artists, visit community projects, and take in panoramic views of the city.
- See a side to Rio de Janeiro that many tourists miss
- Benefit from your guide's deep insights into local life
- A small group means more opportunity to ask your guide questions
- Soak in views of Rio you won't find anywhere else
What's Included
- Licensed tour guide
- Drinks and Meals
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & ResortAv. Niemeyer, 121 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22450-220, Brazil
We will contact you with your reservation with more details about the meeting point.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Praia do Leblon (Pass By)
Vidigal Beach (Pass By)
Morro Dois Irmaos (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 418 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Zaynab_G, Jul 2026
I had a lovely tour of Vidigal with Russo. I ended up being the only traveler, and Russo was very pleasant and attentive and made sure I truly enjoyed the experience.
Samuel_P, Jul 2026
Russo was our tour guide, as advertised. This is a good tour to take if you plan to visit a favela in Rio. Russo was born and raised in Vidigal. He knows the locals very well, and everyone knows him there. We felt 100% safe walking around the favela with him. Russo was very informative with the history and the changes that Vidigal has seen over the years, and in his own lifetime. He took us up the steep hill in a public transport minivan, and we walked down slowly through the winding streets and alleyways of the favela. We had a stop about halfway for a rest at a restaurant - you can order a drink (self pay) and sit for a little while to enjoy the view, watch local life, even part of a football game on TV - the World Cup was on. It was a wonderful tour to see a less glamorous side of Rio, but filled with just as much culture and history. Expect almost 2 hours of walking downhill, with a nice break in between.
Shaan_P, Jul 2026
One of the most fun experiences we had in Rio; Russo was incredibly welcoming, funny, and made us feel very comfortable/safe in Vidigal. He showed us throughout the favela, including a school, his home area, and a terrace cafe/bar with incredible views!
Andy_R, Jul 2026
Russo's tour of the Vidigal Favela was superb and it was a privilege to explore the area with him. His detailed explanation and many stories of his childhood growing up in Vidigal along with our visits to his friend's social projects and seeing their houses first hand really brought everything to life. Thanks Russo, this was a real highlight of our Brazilian Family Adventure!
Highly recommended if you are looking for an authentic tour of a Rio de Janeiro Favela
Paulette_J, May 2026
Great walking tour with Russo, we really enjoyed our walk through the favelas. Russo is very knowledgeable about the area and knows his stuff. Thank you very much
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Nathalie_B, May 2026
Safe to enter Favela with a known Guide or Person in that neighborhood. The motor taxi ride experience was unforgettable and the view at the top is one in a million.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Gary_S, May 2026
Great tour . Russo is very personable. He knows a lot of people along the tour. We had a great time. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Paulo_A, Apr 2026
Fantastic guide! Russo is charming and super loved by his community! We felt very safe and was taken care of well … I highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Antoine_J, Apr 2026
Great tour! Very informative and Russo was extremely accommodating with our request. Loved the tour would do it again and again!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Svetlana_L, Apr 2026
It was a very interesting tour with a fantastic guide Russo. He showed me this different world of Favellas with respect and knowledge. If you want to learn about other non-touristic sides of Brazil, I would highly recommend this tour .
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Chad_E, Mar 2026
This was an excellent tour. Never felt unsafe at all. Russo is a local and showed us where he lives. He did a great job and speaks English well. The tour is fairly strenuous with walking. We booked the sunset Dois Irmaos tour after. Unfortunately the tour didn't happen but had it, it would have been a lot. Our legs were shot. The favela is it's own city with two schools and a ton of stores. I highly recommend this tour. We were a family of 5.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Ethan_D, Mar 2026
Russo is hands down the best tour guide I’ve had. He doesn’t just walk you through Vidigal, he really dives deep into the history, culture, and daily life of the community. You can tell he has real relationships with the people there and truly respects the favela. The tour felt authentic, educational, and safe the entire time. I learned so much about Rio that you would never get from just visiting the beaches or tourist spots. If you want to understand the real Rio and see a different perspective of the city, I highly recommend this tour with Russo. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my trip to Brazil. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shivan_P, Feb 2026
The favela tour with Russo was incredible, I highly recommend! At no point did it feel unsafe, and as a resident of the favela Russo was able to give us insight into living conditions. We opted for the later 3PM tour, which was fortitous because after the tour of Vidigal ended, Russo offered to take us to the Rocinha favela. We ended up staying out until past midnight in Rocinha before going home.
Ayo_F, Jan 2026
This favela tour exceeded my expectations through and through!!! Our tour guide Usso was so knowledgeable, accommodating, and compassionate! He grew up in this favela and knew everything about it. We felt very safe and well taken care of. I would highly recommend this tour. We really enjoyed ourselves and plus he takes the best pictures and videos of you!!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your visit and for trusting in my work. Come back anytime; it will always be a pleasure to have you.
Hannah_C, Jan 2026
Our walking tour through Vidigal favela led by Ninho was amazing. Ninho is so knowledgeable and you can tell he has so much passion for the area. Tip: wear tennis shoes!!
Frances_L, Dec 2025
Russo was an extremely informative and engaging tour guide. Having lived in the favela for most of his life, he shared firsthand stories and insights that made the experience authentic and meaningful. You could truly feel his deep connection to the community and history of the area.
He was also very accommodating and flexible—especially when one person in our group wanted to stop and get a haircut. Russo handled it with ease and made sure everyone still felt comfortable and included. Overall, it was a well-organized, respectful, and eye-opening tour that I highly recommend for anyone wanting a genuine local perspective.
Amit_P, Dec 2025
A great experience to see the other side of the Rio. A must do.
The guide Robinson was amazing, made us feel comfortable, and touched all great area of the Favela
SHANE_M, Nov 2025
Russo very informative and having lived there all his life everybody lol.Arrived early at meeting point Would definitely recommend this tour with Russo.
Louise_L, Nov 2025
A very interesting and informative experience walking through the Favela, learning how young people grow up there now
Suzanne_A, Oct 2025
This was a great experience visiting the favelas! We are so pleased with our experience with Russo as our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the neighborhood and made us feel very safe and welcome. He took amazing photos and videos of us as well. I would definitely recommend this tour to all!
Marcel_L, Sep 2025
Be very humble. Beautiful city with beautiful people. You cant beat the breath taking views. I highly reccomend Roussou as a tour guide and camera man.
HeleneWingard_S, Aug 2025
Such an amazing experience. Russo is a great guide who knows everyone. He made us feel safe when walking around in Vidigal. Would recommend this to everyone going to Rio.
Susanne_B, Jul 2025
The tour was an interesting experience in the sense that we got to walk through Vidigal with Russo, who lives there and clearly knows the community well. It felt authentic to be guided by a local, and we appreciated the chance to see a part of Rio that many visitors don’t usually get to explore.
That said, the tour didn’t quite live up to our expectations. Russo was kind and welcoming, but his English was unfortunately very limited, which made it difficult to understand what we were seeing or to ask questions.
What we really missed was context. There was very little explanation about the history of Vidigal, how the favela developed, what daily life is like, or the social and economic challenges people face. We were hoping to learn more about the political and structural issues surrounding favelas, hear some personal stories, and get a broader understanding of the community beyond just walking through it.
In the end, it felt more like a stroll than a proper guided tour.
Christopher_L, Jun 2025
Fun riding to the top with bike and nice walking through neighborhood. Nice view from the bar on top!
MARIA_B, Jun 2025
Very nice favella with amazing views! Russo was extremely friendly and knew every detail about the favella!
Adebodurin_O, Jun 2025
Truly an amazing and life changing experience! Our tour guide was lively, fun and engaging! Anyone who is looking for an exciting adventure should definitely book this tour! Thank you for allowing us a little peak into Brazilian way of life!
john_G, Apr 2025
Russo was the perfect guide, sharing stories of his 52 years living in the Favela, so well respected in the community, and we were always greeted cheerfully during the tour, just book it, you won't be sorry.
Cornell_M, Apr 2025
The Vidigal tour was an interesting and insightful experience if I must say. My tour guide Russo who is one of the coolest tour guides showed me a great time in Vidigal. Russo who is lifetime Vidigal resident gave the history and background of the favela to me. I got to meet a lot of the local residents in Vidigal who were very nice and welcoming. I saw a lot of the houses, shops, and schools where people live, work, and learn. Also, Russo got some great pics and videos from the top of the mountainside overlooking Lapa and Ipanema Beach. It was Easter Sunday so we got to see some of the bar crowds as well. Additionally, I rode on the back of a motorcycle for the first time to the top of the favela which was an exhilarating experience. I would highly recommend to anybody visiting Rio De Janeiro to sign up for the Vidigal Tour with Russo. You won't regret it.
Claire_G, Apr 2025
Very interesting tour. Russo was a great guide he shared his experiences living in the Favelas. We felt really looked after by Russo during our trip, he told us when it was ok and not to take photographs. He took some great photos of us whilst on the tour.
Krista_M, Apr 2025
Russo was a great tour guide. He shared with us the changes he has seen in his community over the years. It was a great way to spend a morning learning more about life in Rio.
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