Free walking tours Neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro

If you're thinking about doing a favela tour in Rio, I can highly recommend Friendly Culture Tour! Elisabete and Vinicius are amazing guides who offer a truly unique perspective on life in the favela, especially because they live there themselves. The tour was incredibly interesting and insightful, and they shared so many fascinating facts and personal experiences along the way. You can really see how passionate they are about their community and how deeply connected they are to the people who live there. It was a wonderful experience that gave us a much better understanding of the community and everyday life in the favela. If you're visiting Rio, this is definitely a tour worth doing!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Gregor

1 Review

This Tour was amazing. The guides grew up in the favela and brought us to great locatins with views over the city. There is even a cable car inside the Favela we used to get up. I felt super safe the whole time.

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Eine schöne Möglichkeit, Rio von einer anderen Seite kennenzulernen! Die 2,5 Stunden waren genau richtig, um einen guten Eindruck von Santa Teresa zu bekommen. Die Informationen waren vielseitig und interessant, ohne zu überfordern. Die Tour hat neugierig gemacht und Lust geweckt, das Viertel noch einmal auf eigene Faust zu erkunden. Eine rundum empfehlenswerte Tour, um eine besonders schöne Seite von Rio kennenzulernen!

Santa Teresa: Unveiling Rio's Historic Hilltop

I’m a fan of walking tours but this one was beyond any expectations! Was absolutely beautiful, real, full of amazing histories, they told us a lot about their culture, challenges and strengths, the cherry of the cake: incredible landscapes! Absolutely worthy! 100% recommend

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

So happy we chose to do a favela tour with Elisabete and Vinicius, who were both so friendly and shared a lot of interesting facts about favelas. It was extra special as they have a personal connection to PPG, and we are so grateful to learn about a very misunderstood part of Rio. Highly recommend!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

alexis

2 Reviews

Amazing tour with Elizabete & Vinicius, a must-do when you are in Rio😎. They made us feel part of the history of the favela, and Thanks to them, we were able to understand the challenges they must face everyday. The tour is really about the history, the culture ans life in the favela, to fight the stereotypes about the danger and narco traffic, and we strongly recommend it, we loved it 🥰

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Excelente el guía! Muy atento

Rio in Every Step: Experience the City's Pulse on our Free Walking Tour

alexis

2 Reviews

Amazing tour, I highly recommend it, we discovered this neighborhood and it history with Fernanda

Santa Teresa: Unveiling Rio's Historic Hilltop

Excelente conocer mucha historia de cada lugar

Rio's Little Africa: Heritage and Soul

Marcus nos explicó todo muy bien, tiene muchos conocimientos.

Rio's Little Africa: Heritage and Soul

Lisa

2 Reviews

We absolutely loved this tour! ❤️ Eizabete and Vinicius were incredible guides who took so much time to explain everything and give us a genuine insight into life in a Brazilian favela. They showed us how the community is structured, introduced us to the people who live there, and shared the amazing projects they support. One of the highlights was meeting so many locals, all of whom were incredibly warm, welcoming, and kind. It was such a special experience that went far beyond a typical walking tour. We left feeling deeply impressed by everything Eizabete and Vinicius do for their community and by the passion, dedication, and heart they put into their work. The entire experience was perfect from start to finish, and we couldn’t recommend this tour highly enough. If you’re in Rio, do yourself a favour and book this tour with Friendly Culture! You won’t regret it. Thank you both for such a memorable and meaningful experience! ❤️

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

We had an amazing time on this tour. Our guides shared so much interesting information and personal insight, giving us a different perspective on Rio. We felt safe, engaged, and grateful for the experience. Highly recommended!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Absolutamente imprescindible en tu visita a Rio. Uno de los mejores tours que hice en mi vida. RECOMENDADISiMO

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Joseph

10 Reviews

I loved the passion of the guide. They would answer any questions and the information they provided was very interesting! Nothing better than exploring a favela with a local who is also very passionate toabout share! Highly recommended!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Laszlo

12 Reviews

An absolutely fantastic and meaningful experience! What made this tour particularly special was the combination of an authentic local experience, thought-provoking stories, and a genuine social benefit for the community. You don't just see a place — you gain a much deeper understanding of the people who live there. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to explore Rio beyond the typical tourist attractions while supporting a meaningful initiative. The adjacent Museu de Favela is also well worth a visit and complements the tour perfectly. P.S. I finally know the rooster who is responsible for waking me up every morning from across the street🐓 P.P.S. Kids, please keep learning English. A huge thank you to Elizabete and Vinicius for such a wonderful experience. Absolutely recommended!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Harvey

2 Reviews

My wife and I absolutely loved this tour and would highly recommend joining this great team if you are interested in truly understanding more about the culture and dynamics within the favela. It is important to remember that you will be walking through an area where people live and work, so being respectful is key. The way the tour was set up was brilliant, explaining the ‘why’ behind the tour which came across with huge passion. The tour is a respectful insight to life in a favela from a couple who are part of the community. They explained from the outset that we should put away phones, cameras and sunglasses and should not take photos without asking the guides noting the privacy of those who live in the community. Elizabeth continually provided excellent insight into the area, life in the favela and how the community genuinely look out for one another. Throughout the tour we felt totally safe, knowing that Elizabeth and her partner were known to the community. As we entered we passed ‘security’ - a couple of men from the favela who monitor those entering. This is why you should absolutely go with a guide. We can’t recommend Elizabeth enough! We learnt a lot, felt safe and well informed. This is a favela where people may be selling illegal substances and as such you may see some people carrying weapons. We did, but at no time did we feel threatened or uncomfortable. Everyone we met were respectful of each other. Be prepared for steps and lots of them as you navigate your way through the community up the hill to a bar with amazing views of Copacabana. Elizabeth has done a lot for her community which is a credit to her. Everyone was friendly knowing we were with her. Her English was excellent too. Thank you for a brilliant five star rated tour!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

MA

1 Review

Great tour. I felt welcome, safe, and well-informed. Indeed, the local tour guides are friendly and inspiring. This tour and the place allowed me to see the best view in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Visiting the city centre with Bruno was absolutely fantastic! I learned so much about the city and its history, and I felt completely safe throughout the tour. The walk was well-organized, and Bruno did a great job showing me interesting sights. I highly recommend taking a tour with him!

Rio Like a Local: History, Hidden Gems & Real Carioca Stories

Visiting the Cantagalo favela with Elizabeth and Vinicio was absolutely fantastic! Given that they live there, they have a deep understanding of the area, and I felt completely safe throughout the tour. It ended with an amazing view of Copacabana. I highly recommend touring with these two local guides!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Espectacular tour por el centro de Río. Bruno da una clase magistral sobre la historia de la ciudad y además explica los detalles que sólo quién ha vivido en ella mucho tiempo conoce. Sin duda una actividad obligatoria en Río de Janeiro.

Rio Like a Local: History, Hidden Gems & Real Carioca Stories

vinayak

2 Reviews

There won’t be much better guide than Liz and Vinicio for this favela tour. They had deep knowledge and understanding of the favela. The information and inside dynamics of the favela shared by Liz has changed my perceptions of the people in favela. Would surely recommend the travellers in Rio to have this tour with Liz and Vinicio. Cheers to Elizabeth and Vinicio!!! Well done and keep doing the good work.

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

非常推荐参加这种由当地人策划的参观，能深入了解当地的生活和文化。Liz和她的丈夫在这里出生和长大，参观过程中也能看到他们跟熟人们打招呼，这让我们也觉得亲切和安全。

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Very good tour, we learnt a lot about the history of the African people in Rio and Brazil. Marco was excellent, very knowledgeable and experienced.

Rio's Little Africa: Heritage and Soul

Tiffany

2 Reviews

Both guides were friendly, passionate and kind. Muito obrigado Elizabete and Vinicius for today, it was a great experience beyond my expectations.

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema

Mouhamed

2 Reviews

What a fantastic tour with an amazing guide! We learned so much about the history of the favelas and had the opportunity to interact with the local community. Our guide, Elizabete, was extremely knowledgeable and clearly well respected and well known in the community. She and her companion made the entire experience feel safe, welcoming, and cordial. Highly recommended!

Rio de Janeiro: Special Favela Tour Between Copacabana and Ipanema