Best tours to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro

Favelas, similar to shantytowns or Hoovervilles, are informal neighbourhoods built mainly on the hillsides of Rio de Janeiro as a result of the gentrification of the city. These neighbourhoods, which form part of the characteristic landscape of the former capital of Brazil, are one of the great attractions of this destination and one of the best ways to discover them is to take guided tours of some of the most populated ones.

Some of the best things to do in Rio de Janeiro include a tour of the Vidigal favela, a walking tour of the Santa Marta colony, a visit to Rocinha, which is the best known of the city's informal settlements, a tour of the Santa Teresa neighbourhood and an exploration of Pereira da Silva, one of the most densely populated favelas in Brazil.

Exploring the Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro on a guided tour is an experience that will allow you to discover the daily life in one of the most popular settlements in Brazil. This neighbourhood is famous for the number of people who live there, but also for its proximity to Dos Hermanos Hill, which you can also explore on a hiking tour.

Touring Vidigal is one of the best things to do in Rio de Janeiro, where you will discover the essence of Rio's culture through its winding streets, brightly painted houses and the warm hospitality of its inhabitants.

On these tours you will have the opportunity to visit local artists' workshops, listen to live music and sample the local cuisine. The distinguishing feature of Vidigal is its relative accessibility and openness to tourism, which sets it apart from many other favelas in Rio de Janeiro and makes it a much safer place.

If you opt for the excursions that also offer a hiking tour on Dos Hermanos hill , you can reach the top of the hill on pedestrian paths surrounded by vegetation. At the top of this site you can access a panoramic view of the city that will also allow you to discover the extension of Vidigal to measure the impact that this settlement has on the culture of the city.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately 51 euros per person.
• Duration: about 5 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to see not only the favela but also a hill that will give you a panoramic view of the city and the extension of the settlement.
• Disadvantages of these tours: the walk up the hill and through the winding streets of Vidigal is physically demanding.

If you want to get to know one of the most traditional favelas in Brazil, you can't miss Santa Marta. This settlement is one of the oldest in the city and its distinctive feature is that in recent years it has managed to become an urbanised and peaceful area, unlike in the past, when it was considered one of the most dangerous areas of the city centre.

In Santa Marta you can also learn the story behind Michael Jackson's song They Don't Care About Us. The music video for this track was filmed in Santa Marta in 1996, which led to greater international visibility for the favela and made it the most visited site in Rio de Janeiro during 1997, surpassing even the tours to Christ the Redeemer.

During the visit, you will learn about the impact this experience had on the community and how it has become a symbol of resilience and hope for its inhabitants. You can also tour the murals in the favela that were dedicated to the singer after his death, as well as have your photo taken with the bronze statue of the artist that was unveiled at the top of the favela.

In addition to its connection to global music, Santa Marta is a place where Carioca culture flourishes. There you can interact with local residents and visit artisan workshops, as it is a neighbourhood with a strong artistic influence. In any case, these excursions, which are part of the best tours in Rio de Janeiro, will give you the opportunity to better understand the complex and fascinating reality of these settlements.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately 31 euros.
• Duration: about 2 and a half hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will visit the first favela to be pacified and urbanised in Rio de Janeiro and you will learn about its relationship with the figure of Michael Jackson.
• Disadvantages of these tours: they are less than three hours long, so you'll find the pace very intense, as Santa Marta is one of the largest favelas in the city.

The Rocinha walking tour is an experience that will take you into the daily life of the city's most famous favela. Rocinha sprawls across the hills of Rio de Janeiro, so from the heart of this settlement you will get a complete view of this destination from a place that has forged its own identity over the years.

During these walking tours, you will have the opportunity to stroll through the narrow streets that characterise this site, learn first-hand about the reality of Rocinha and receive information from your expert local guide to understand the cultural and social impact that this neighbourhood has on Rio de Janeiro. Nearly 60,000 people live there, making it the most densely populated favela in Brazil.

The irregular layout of Rocinha also makes it an unmistakable luminous volcano at night in Rio de Janeiro. From the highest points of the city you can distinguish its location by its distinctive skeleton and discover the hectic routine that assaults the favela at any time of the day.

In addition to the walking tours, you can also opt for jeep tours of the Rocinha. These experiences will take you through the steep streets of the settlement and give you a panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro from the top of the hills.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately 35 euros.
• Duration: about 3 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: it is the best alternative to get to know the biggest and most famous favela in Brazil.
• Disadvantages of these tours: the walking tours can be tiring due to the size of the favela, but the vehicle tours cannot go through all the internal streets.

The Pereira da Silva favela is home to one of Rio de Janeiro's lesser known communities but is no less fascinating for that. Unlike Rio's larger and more famous favelas, this settlement offers a more intimate and authentic experience. On tours of this community, you can soak up local life and get to know the neighbourhood with the assistance of a local guide who lives here, making it one of the best activities to discover the city.

On your tour of Pereira da Silva you can explore the narrow cobblestone streets and colourful houses that adorn the favela. You will encounter a population that has preserved its cultural traditions over the years and you can buy gifts and handicrafts that will serve as souvenirs of the city.

You can also enjoy Brazilian cuisine in the local restaurants and food stalls. There you can try typical dishes such as feijoada or acarajé, and experience the authentic flavours of Brazil in a native experience unlike any other.

Interesting details

• Price: approximately 28 euros.
• Duration: about 3 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will get to know a favela in an alternative way, with a guide from the local community who can show you first-hand what daily life is like in these places.
• Disadvantages of these tours: There are far fewer guided tours available than in other settlements, so you'll need to book in advance to secure your place on the tours.

The Santa Teresa tour in Rio de Janeiro is an alternative that will allow you to discover one of the most picturesque and bohemian places in the city. Unlike the favelas, Santa Teresa is a traditional neighbourhood with a rich history and distinctive personality, but it is surrounded by settlements and its community has a close relationship with them.

Located in the hills of Rio, this corner offers a completely different perspective of the city compared to nearby favelas, such as Pereira da Silva. Santa Teresa is known for its cobblestone streets, crumbling old mansions and the relaxed, artistic atmosphere it exudes. This neighbourhood is home to many emerging painters, sculptors and writers.

During the tour, you can admire the colonial architecture, visit small art galleries and explore local craft shops. The bondinho, Brazil's last electric train, is one of the distinctive features of the neighbourhood, which is known as the Montmartre carioca. You can also visit the Chácara do Céu Museum, which is considered one of the best museums in Rio de Janeiro.

In any case, a tour of Santa Teresa will allow you to discover the interrelationship between informal settlements and traditional neighbourhoods in the most vulnerable areas of Rio de Janeiro.

Interesting details

• Price: approximately 37 euros.
• Duration: about 4 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to understand how favela communities relate to traditional neighbourhoods.
• Disadvantages of these tours: if you plan to visit Rio de Janeiro during the high season you will find that this is an area that tends to be very crowded with tourists.

Rio de Janeiro's favelas are often portrayed as some of the most dangerous areas of the city. Criminal gangs often operate there and police presence is often notorious, although over time this part of Brazil has managed to urbanise and pacify many of these settlements, so touring these places has become a safe experience.

On the other hand, in many cases these tours are guided by the favela residents and tourism is one of the main sources of income for the community, which helps to ensure the safety of visitors. If you are planning to visit Rio de Janeiro in December or during the summer months I advise you to book these experiences in advance, which will not only allow you to secure your spot but also to get to know the tour provider, which will make the excursion even safer.

However, if you want to experience a favela in Rio de Janeiro but are concerned about safety during the walking tours, you can opt to visit these sites in jeep tours or other vehicles. Note that these options are usually only available in the most populous and largest favelas, such as Rocinha and Vidigal.

You can choose to book the tours in advance online, which will be particularly useful if you plan to visit Rio de Janeiro during the high season, or if you are planning a short stay in the city and want to put together a detailed itinerary to optimise your time in this destination. If that is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Rio in 3 days.

However, if you decide to do these experiences at the last minute or you prefer to book them on the spot, you can also choose to book these tours once you are in the city. In that case, try to combine a visit to a favela with a tour of some of Rio's best museums or main attractions, such as the Sugarloaf Rock, Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Hill or the Selarón Staircase to make the most of the geographical location of these settlements.

On the Rio de Janeiro favela tours you will get to know some of the most interesting places in the city, not only for their particular beauty and cultural influence, but also because through them you will get to know the contrasts of Brazil. You will be able to understand the complexities of one of the most visited and populated cities in the country, and discover a different profile of this destination.

You will also have the opportunity to see some of the city's most iconic sites, such as the interior of the Rocinha, and Santa Marta, the settlement made famous by the Michael Jackson video clip. During your tour you will also learn about Brazil's history, such as in Santa Teresa, where you can take the last electric train operating in the country, which runs through the urban layout of one of Rio de Janeiro's most bohemian neighbourhoods.

For safety reasons, it is not advisable to enter the favelas of Rio de Janeiro without the accompaniment of a guide or a person who knows the dynamics of these settlements. On the other hand, the particular urban layout of these places will make the tour difficult and you won't be able to distinguish the most outstanding places in each neighbourhood if you don't have specific information, since the signage is usually precarious.

If you opt for one of the best guided tours in Rio de Janeiro, not only will you gain peace of mind and be able to relax during your tour, but you will also be able to make the most of the tour, save time and optimise your experience.