Favela Walking Tour — Local services in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

I had a great experience on this tour with Martin & his team. I booked last minute, only an hour or so before the tour commenced, & when I messaged Bruno to confirm the pickup point, he responded promptly & professionally.

The tour had about 15 attendees, almost all from Europe (I am from New Zealand). Tour guide Martin's communication was clear & concise - the Rocinha Tour has rules that must be followed & most attendees did not speak English as a first language, so at times Martin was blunt but always courteous.

He & his 2 assistants made sure everyone was informed & safe (shout-out to Deniz who was really a genuine & friendly young guy).

The views of the city along the way are also fantastic.

Wear comfortable footwear, & I recommend going on a day without rain as a a lot of the backstreets could get pretty slippery in the wet weather, based on the tour guides' stories.

Highly recommend for those who want to scratch beyond the surface of the beaches & bars- my only regret is that l waited for my second visit to Rio to...

The favela walking through experience is something that I always wanted to do. I did it twice in a week and it was absolutely incredible. Daniel and Alberto were our group guides (2 different times) and it gave me a different perspective of the place. They both have a lot of experience and they give you a lot of information and explain many details about the favelas that otherwise you would get unnoticed. Bring shorts or flexible clothes so you can be comfortable when walking and don't forget a good pair of sneakers. You can bring your own water or you can purchase from the many stores that you'll see. You can also buy snacks or buy street food from the many vendors that you'll see on the street. You should ask your guides which ones they recommend. Also make sure you eat or drink something light before your tour because you will get tired; it is a decent amount of walking. I usually start my tours with a cup of coffee and some fruit in the morning. It's worth it and i'll go a long way.

Thank you for...

Booked this tour with just a little apprehension given the general ‘safety’ reputation of favelas, however Carlos our tour guide quickly put our minds completely at ease, explaining the formation of the favelas and the lives of the inhabitants.

It was really interesting to hear Carlos’ views on the country’s poverty imbalance and his hopes for the people living in the Favelas in the future generations.

We felt completely safe throughout the tour, seeing some spectacular views as well as experiencing the small, tight, cramped conditions in parts of the Favela, and getting the chance to interact with sone of the locals. To be honest, I felt safer during this tour than on the streets of much more famous parts of Rio! I’d...