Favela Tour in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

3 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See what daily life is like in one of Rio's favelas, or shanty towns, on this educational half-day tour. Rocinha, the tour's destination, is one of many densely-populated favelas in Rio, most of which are underdeveloped and overpopulated. With a local guide, explore the cultural and commercial centers of this favela and interact with the residents. A portion of the proceeds go to back to the community. Round-trip transportation from Rio hotels is included.

Guided educational tour of the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro
Walk through a favela and interact with the local community
Complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off included

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Explore Rocinha with a local guide and support the favela through your visit.

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional multilingual guide
Immersive lecture about the favela
Panoramic jeep tour

Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Please stay at the hotel lobby 10 minutes before scheduled time.

Itinerary

Following pickup at your hotel in Rio, board a comfortable vehicle and travel to Rocinho, one of the 500 favelas, or shanty towns, built around the edge of the city. Many of these settlements are underdeveloped and overcrowded.
Visit the hillside favela of Rocinha, located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Upon arrival, you'll travel on foot to a craftsmanship store and walk through a cultural center. This will allow you to interact with the locals and give you an up-close look at living conditions, lifestyles and day-to-day life inside a Brazilian favela.
A third of the city’s population live in these towns, and the socio-economic differences between the favelas and the sleek city of Rio are stark. Rio's favelas have become more urbanized in recent years; some permanent houses have been built, and electricity, running water and sewage systems have been installed.

We are sensitive to the issues and concerns surrounding favelas and we understand that this tour may not be suitable for everyone. The purpose of this tour is educational; it allows visitors a better understanding of Brazilian life. A portion of the proceeds from the tour goes back to the community.

At the conclusion of your 4-hour favela tour, return to your Rio hotel for drop-off.

Estrada da Gávea (Pass By)

Novo Visual Restaurante - Rocinha

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Salocin Tour

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Praia de Sao Conrado

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate

Available languages: english, spanish, german, italian, french and portuguese
Use light clothes and comfortable walking shoes
Bring sunscreen, a bottle of water and hat in case it's hot
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.8

based on 63 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Fantastic tour of the favelas

Curtis_P, Dec 2025

As a world traveler, Gabriel, my tour guide, was fantastic. Not only did he provide precise history and background, but he was compassionate and professional enough to answer questions and share his personal experiences of life in the Rio de Janeiro favelas. I would recommend him over and over. Gabriel was the best!!!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Dear Customer. Thanks a lot for the review. We are glad that you liked the tour. Please count on us on future trips. Thanks. Att, Giovanna Maldonado.

Just do it. It's safe, and an eye...

Daryl N, Feb 2018

Just do it. It's safe, and an eye opening experience.

Our guide was ammaazzing!! She was...

enp2108, May 2017

Our guide was ammaazzing!! She was honest yet passionate about the culture/current situation in the favela's. Felt safe and would go again

This is a great tour and recommend to...

Katty G, Mar 2017

This is a great tour and recommend to everyone. Everyone talks about how great Brazil and beautiful Brazil and that's because they don't visit the surrounds of Brazil and their own people. Visitors usually stay in Rio. I'm glad I took this tour with my mom so she can really see both sides of the country.

This tour was very disappointing. It is...

Dean G, Feb 2017

This tour was very disappointing. It is advertised as a 4-hour tour of Rocinha Favela, however, I was picked up at my hotel at 9:00am, we drove to the favela...walked through Rocinha for one hour from 9:30-10:30am...and after waiting for the driver for 30 minutes in the blistering sun, was dropped off at my hotel at 11:30am...Not fairly priced as there are tours advertised as 2-hours favela tours for less than half the price of this one. The tour guide Carlos was a nice guy. Avoid this one and choose another Rio favela tour.

We received a great history lesson...

Robbert W, Aug 2016

We received a great history lesson about the favela .

What a wonderful experience, it is a...

M l, Aug 2016

What a wonderful experience, it is a must see when in Rio.

The tour guide was amazing! Everything...

jtorres_md, Aug 2016

The tour guide was amazing! Everything went excellent. Cariocas are friendly and open to tourists. I definitely recommend this tour. I'm happy that I did it, it change your mind because isn't a tour to see the poorest is a tour to share the diversity and the community spirit built out.

Driver never arrived to pick us up...

Gil M, Aug 2016

Driver never arrived to pick us up. Very disappointing.

Quite and education! The people who...

Sheila D, May 2016

Quite and education! The people who live in the favela seem to have created a community that works well for them.

This tour allows for amazing vistas of...

AIsha J, May 2016

This tour allows for amazing vistas of Rio and it's a great look into the favela and the ingenuity of the people living there. Best time to go- Sunday morning- because that's the only day when there's a market in the favela. We were able to walk through a large markets and shop a bit. Only negative- my tour voucher said 8AM pick up. At 8:30 I asked the hotel to call the tour I don't speak Portruguese and I was told the tour was actually 9:10AM start. I'm not sure why the voucher was incorrect, but I'd rather have slept in that extra hour!

We were really looking forward to the...

Jeannie M, Apr 2016

We were really looking forward to the Favela tour and were thriller when we realized that we were the only ones going that morning. Our guide and driver were very personable. We were disappointed that the actual tour was just one hour and 10 minutes, the guide did not live in the favela and we did not see very much of it.

Enjoyed the tour and guide. SAME TOUR...

annette v, Apr 2016

Enjoyed the tour and guide. SAME TOUR, booked through the hotel instead of your company was HALF the price! Upsetting!

This tour was great and it was nice...

Katty G, Feb 2016

This tour was great and it was nice seeing both sides of Brazil. The rich and clean side vs the poor side.

The favela tour was fantastic. Guide...

Ross, Feb 2016

The favela tour was fantastic. Guide Filipe was brilliant with his non-stop historical information. A great history lesson, as well as an education on how the underprivileged section of Rio society live. In addition we visited the replanted forest area that used to be a coffee plantaion, which showed how nature can be restored by visionary leaders. This tour is a must do.

The tour itself was great, our...

Max H, Feb 2016

The tour itself was great, our tourguide for the favela tour was very well spoken, and was able to switch languages instantly to accommodate the group. The company itself is poorly run, sent us on the wrong tour originally, then the truck sent for the correct tour barely run. Still would reccomend.

I wish the tour guide knew more...

Helis L, Dec 2015

I wish the tour guide knew more interesting facts, otherwise it was just a quick walk through it. We also didn't go to anyones house or talk to the locals as it said it will. The tour was a bit too short as well. Favela itself is great though!

Great tour by Jeep to an interesting...

MURDOCH S, Nov 2015

Great tour by Jeep to an interesting part of town. A place where working people can afford to live

Booked this and unexpectedly we had a...

Louise A, Nov 2015

Booked this and unexpectedly we had a jeep turn up to take us on the favela and Tijuca park tour. It was very good despite this and our guide was very informative. It was a great combination with town then beautiful waterfalls etc.

An interesting tour. Seeing how the...

Peter C, Aug 2015

An interesting tour. Seeing how the housing was constructed, sometimes with shipping containers was fascinating. I would like to have had more contact with the residents, though.

This tour was fantastic! Learning...

Courtney Chandler, Aug 2015

This tour was fantastic! Learning about the Favela was very interesting and seeing it firsthand was even more amazing!

I absolutely loved it! Ian was great...

Chetuan M, Jul 2015

I absolutely loved it! Ian was great, he knew everyone in the favelas, which made us feel very comfortable. Very friendly people and they even let us come into their house to get a great view on the roof. I recommend it!

Everyone who goes to Rio should take...

Margaret D, May 2015

Everyone who goes to Rio should take this tour. You can't understand Rio without visiting a favela. Our tour guide was absolutely great. Only be aware that there are many uneven steps without rails to go down. My tour guide helped me down them.

Great guide. Beautiful views and very...

Peter O, Apr 2015

Great guide. Beautiful views and very informative.

I'm so upset with this booking! The...

Dalal T, Apr 2015

I'm so upset with this booking! The website said that the favela tour would be in Santa Marta, we actually went to favela rocinha area ! And when o asked the tour guid about it she said that they only go to rocinha ! Moreover our guide didn't speak English very well so we missed out a lot of facts !

This gives you insight into the other...

Gary Joseph H, Mar 2015

This gives you insight into the other side of Rio. Some sad sights but the favela has a vibrant culture of its own. One really needs to see a favela. Our guide David was great.

This was a window to the world of Rio...

Natalie C. B, Mar 2015

This was a window to the world of Rio one would not know if the traveller did not take this tour. What an experience! Somewhat arduous due to the steep hills and multple, rough climbs and steps. But well worth the effort. Views are wonderful!

Great way to see the "other side" of...

JIMMY C, Mar 2015

Great way to see the "other side" of Rio. We were warned that it was very scary. However it was not that bad. The guide took us to the top of a house where you have an excellent view of the favela with the skyscrapers in the back ground. Overall, it was worthwhile and a good experience.

Really enjoyed the trip service and...

Maki G, Feb 2015

Really enjoyed the trip service and guide were very good will definitely use this people again

Fantastic tour guide, very...

miss j m C, Feb 2015

Fantastic tour guide, very knowledgeable, answered any questions, learnt a lot about the history of the favela and about the locals. An important experience during our visit.