3 Hour Rocinha Favela Walking Tour with a Local Guide
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+44
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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.
- Enjoy a guided Rocinha favela walking tour
- Learn about the challenges of life in Rio's slums
- Gain insight into the community from a resident favela guide
- Price of tour includes monetary contribution to the community
What's Included
- Local guide
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (select hotels only)
- Access Contribution to community
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
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End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Begin your experience with convenient pickup at your Rio hotel, then transfer to Rocinha, Brazil's largest favela.
Meet your local guide, a favela resident, and set off through community on foot. Learn about daily life in the favela and the challenges that residents face. Hear about the history of the favela and how these communities have become a large part of the culture of Rio.
The price of your tour includes a monetary contribution to the community.
Please note: We are sensitive to the issues and concerns surrounding favelas; we understand that this tour may not be suitable for everyone. The purpose of this tour is for educational reasons alone and allows for a better understanding of local life.
Meet your local guide, a favela resident, and set off through community on foot. Learn about daily life in the favela and the challenges that residents face. Hear about the history of the favela and how these communities have become a large part of the culture of Rio.
The price of your tour includes a monetary contribution to the community.
Please note: We are sensitive to the issues and concerns surrounding favelas; we understand that this tour may not be suitable for everyone. The purpose of this tour is for educational reasons alone and allows for a better understanding of local life.
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Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multilingual guide
- Be aware of uneven steps
- For the privacy and comfort of all participants, we do not allow sunglasses equipped with cameras on our tours.
- You must be fit or in good condition to walk at least 5 km
- Our walking tour is around 3km downhill
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 45 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
4.8
based on 963 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Great walking tour with Ray. The only way to experience this interesting and eclectic area. Safety was not an issue at all.
My Wife & I are in our mid 60's & we decided we had to do this tour so we could see first-hand what living in a favela was like.
Bruno was our guide & because he had grown up in the Rocinha favela he had a lot of interesting information.
It was a noisey, all go few hours we spent there, but we never felt threatened or in any danger. Obviously there would be rougher parts we probably didn't go to. There were areas that we weren't allowed to take pics or video, due to drug sales etc.
It was amazing that there is everything there you have anywhere else really. But with approx 200,000 people living there, you have too.
The people we saw on the streets seemed happy, the kids seemed happy, but I'm sure there would be some tragic tales as well.
We highly recommend taking this tour to see how people in different circumstances survive.
An amazing and authentic experience! Our guide, Macedo, who lives in Rocinha, gave us a unique insight into everyday life in the favela, sharing his personal experiences and helping us understand the community beyond the usual tourist perspective. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about showing us his home with pride and honesty.
One of the absolute highlights was the unique and truly WOW experience of riding scooters all the way from the bottom to the top of the favela! The scooter drivers were incredibly skilled, navigating the narrow, steep, and busy streets with amazing confidence and precision. It was an unforgettable adventure in itself!
The tour was very interesting, eye-opening, and gave us a much deeper understanding of the local culture and people. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rio de Janeiro who wants an authentic experience with a local guide!
Brilliant visit. Martin our guide was excellent and gave good background to the visit. One of our favourite trips on the holiday.
In incredible tour with great stories and a fascinating insight into the favella and its workings. Easy bus trip with hotel collection. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and recommendation!
We’re delighted that you enjoyed the tour and gained a fascinating insight into Rocinha, its history, daily life, and community. Our local guides are passionate about sharing their knowledge and personal stories to offer an authentic experience beyond the usual tourist attractions.
We’re also glad you found the hotel pickup convenient. We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future! 🇧🇷
The Favela Walking Tour Team
It was very cool and very safe, would recommend this as a great way to see a different and authentic side of Rio.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the experience and found it insightful to learn more about daily life in the community.
Kind regards
Favela Walking Tour
Local guide was wonderful and its clearly an eye opener into their daily life . Taking this tour supports their local community and gives the guide a job
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the experience and found it insightful to learn more about daily life in the community. We truly appreciate you recognizing the importance of local guides and the positive impact tourism can have on the community.
Thank you for joining us and for your support!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
I keep talking about how epic this Favela tour was. My sister and I booked this tour and were lucky to have Daniel as our tour guide. He was outstanding. He gave us a lot of information about the history of the favelas, fun facts about Rio and much more.
This was definitely unlike any other experience I’ve done while traveling.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you and your sister had such an unforgettable experience with us. It’s fantastic to know that Daniel made the tour special by sharing the history of the favelas, interesting facts about Rio, and so much more.
We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted that the experience stood out as something unique during your travels. We hope to welcome you back to Rio someday!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
The tour was super interesting and eye-opening. It was a great opportunity to immerse ourselves in the local community, hear personal stories, and learn about everyday life in the favela. Our guide was excellent and made the experience truly meaningful. I highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you found the tour interesting and eye-opening, and that you enjoyed learning about everyday life in the community and hearing personal stories. We’re especially happy that your guide made the experience meaningful. Thank you for your kind recommendation!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
Going to a favela with a guide is not dangerous in the slittiest. The people are very welcoming and governed by very strict rules which they will not break. It was a great Experience and I’d highly recommend it.
Are guide Martin was was very matter of fact which added to the experience!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you very much for sharing your experience! We’re happy to hear that you felt comfortable and welcomed during your visit to Rocinha. We’re also glad that Martin’s straightforward and informative approach added to the experience. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again in Rio!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
Martin was an amazing guide. He provided a lot of education about the favela and is very passionate about the community he lives in. This was a great experience and I definitely would recommend to anyone interested in learning about the community.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that Martin made your experience special and that you enjoyed learning more about Rocinha and the community. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in Rio de Janeiro!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
I'm sad i cant remember my guides name because he was incredible. You can tell he not only cared for the area but talked with locals to give their narrative when giving the tour. Would absolutely recommend this tour when in Medellín!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! ❤️
We’re truly happy to hear that you had such a great experience with your guide. It means a lot to us that you noticed his genuine care for the community and his effort to share the stories and perspectives of local residents. That authentic connection is exactly what we want our tours to provide.
We’re sorry you can’t remember his name, but we’ll make sure the whole team knows how much you appreciated his work! 😊
Thank you for recommending us to other travelers visiting Rio. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back again someday!
Thank you to Martin for opening up his home to me and my daughter. We learned that residents of the community are like everyone else. We loved seeing all the colors and all the activity. We felt safe the whole time. Thanks again.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! ❤️ We’re delighted that you and your daughter enjoyed the experience with Martin and got to see the authentic colors, energy, and everyday life of Rocinha.
We’re especially happy to hear you felt safe and welcomed throughout the tour. Thank you for trusting us and sharing your experience!
Kind regards
Favela Walking Tour
Really felt like i got the authentic experience which is what i wanted, our tour guide was so insightful and nice.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re really happy to hear that you got the authentic experience you were looking for and enjoyed the tour with your guide.
Sharing the real history, culture, and everyday life of Rocinha is exactly what we aim to do. Thank you for joining us and for sharing your experience!
Kind regards
Favela Walking Tour
Stunning views and friendly guide. Great experience. A little bit hot walking down the road so stay hydrated.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thanks for supporting our local business. You are the reason for our success. Have a lovely day
Very interesting tour. We enjoyed it. Local guide who lives on Favela so good to hear first hand experiences.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thanks for supporting our local business. You are the reason for our success. Have a lovely day
This was a great tour. We had Ray as our guide, and I would go again in a heartbeat. I learned a lot from Ray and also from looking around while walking. My only regret is losing all my photos from that day. If anyone else toured Rocinha with Ray the last week of July 2026 and would be willing to share some photos with me, please contact me (kejordan@gmail.com)!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Ray and that you would do it again in a heartbeat.
We’re sorry to hear that you lost your photos. We will do our best to see if we can find some pictures from your tour and help you recover those special memories. We’ll also keep an eye out in case any of the other guests from your tour have photos to share.
Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back to Rocinha in the future!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
Daniel, our guide knows first hand the life of the Fravelo and it was obvious that he shared insights that were genuine without sugar coating the reality. I enjoyed it very much although there are probably too many tours running at the same time.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you very much for your thoughtful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Daniel and appreciated his honest and genuine insights into life in Rocinha. We believe that hearing directly from local guides is an important part of understanding the community and its reality.
We also appreciate your comment about the number of tours taking place at the same time. We’re always looking for ways to improve the experience and make our tours as comfortable and meaningful as possible.
Thank you again for joining us!
Kind regards,
Favela Walking Tour
Best trip in Rio. Our guide is from the favela community and he speaks excellent English, very passionate, engaging and knowledgeable. I like how the tour is organized and designed. We spend time with children who teach us capoeira, and boys who can play football with us. I really enjoy it and I hope everyone can come and support the community.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We’re delighted to hear that your Favela Tour was one of the best experiences of your time in Rio. It means a lot to us that you enjoyed the way the tour is organized and that you had the chance to interact with members of the community.
We’ll be sure to share your kind words with your guide. Our local guides are passionate about showing the real Rocinha, and it’s fantastic to know their knowledge and enthusiasm made such a positive impact.
We’re especially happy that you enjoyed the capoeira and football activities with the local children. These moments help create meaningful cultural exchanges while supporting community projects.
Thank you for recommending the tour and for encouraging others to visit and support the community. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you back to Rio in the future!
Visit the favella with a knowledgeable guide who knows what it means to live there. A superb insight into an interesting community
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
Clear communication from tour orgnaisers. Met our guide Ray and travelled to the favela on a minibus.
Ray was great throughout the whole tour, really friendly, answered loads of questions and gave us lots of info about the Favela and the people within. We had some great opportunities for photos and even got to play basketball against the locals.
We felt safe throughout the tour, would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
The experience was amazing. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, kind smart, and very intuitive toward our surroundings. Bruno was the best many thanks to him and his services that he’s rendered by giving these tours.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
This experience is really eye opening for me. Our guide Ray is doing a really good job explaining how the Fevela operates. I feel safe on this tour so if you come to Rio please don’t hesitate to book.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
What an experience!! See the real Favela life first hand!! Get all the info from a local guide who actually lives there!! Felt safer there than in copacabana streets!! Do not miss!!!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
Martin was a gem of a guide, navigating conversations in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese to meet the needs of a diverse group. He helped us safely navigate the favela, took us to great vantage points and through tight alleyways. We got to interact with some residents, play some soccer, meet some artists, and come to appreciate all that the favelas are, while also learning about how they operate and their history. Thanks for a wonderful, eye-opening tour, Martin!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
Great tour by an experienced and caring guide who took great care of us. From crossing busy roads to knowing feet placement - yes, cobbled streets are not for everyone. We had an informatiive glance into another society.
It was an eye opener to how marginalized groups survive.
Notwithstanding do the tour if you desire an up close and personal review. Just be respectful.
Also when you are haggling for Nickle, dimes, euros etc…just remember who you are most impacting because we get to return to our comfortable lives.
Buy local if you can on the tour. Its supporting the community 😊
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
The guide can actually make a big difference and so she did, my guide was just perfect she took us throughout a lot of places I never thought of… amazing experience.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
It was an intresting experience, safety, to a famous favela Rocinha. Our local guide, Johnny, grew up in the favela and knew all the best location. Becouse of late time scheduled tour (after 17), we couldnt see any capoeira dance, but next time one must think about that also. I strongly recomand it, its giving you the possibility to think out of the box.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
Great tour and chance to see the favela. We felt safer here than copacabana. Funny and welcoming guide, would strongly recommend
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Rocinha.
Our goal is to provide an authentic, safe, and respectful experience while supporting the local community, so it's wonderful to know that your tour met your expectations.
We hope to welcome you back to Rio de Janeiro in the future. If you do, we'd love to show you another side of the city with one of our other experiences!
Kind regards,
The Favela Walking Tour Team
This was the best tour I’ve taken!! She was so informative and transparent. It was safe and absolutely eye opening and amazing.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you very much for your feedback. It was so nice to hear from you - it makes so happy!
Our goal is to offer an authentic and respectful perspective of the community, so we're very happy that this came across during your visit. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and hope to welcome you again in the future!
Kind regards
Favela Walking Tour
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per personWas $45.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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3 Hour Rocinha Favela Walking Tour with a Local Guide
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