Favela Tour In Rio De Janeiro

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!!!

<p>Just do it. It's safe, and an eye opening experience.</p>

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

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>We received a great history lesson about the favela .</p>

<p>What a wonderful experience, it is a must see when in Rio.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Driver never arrived to pick us up. Very disappointing.</p>

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

<p>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.</p> <p>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!</p>

<p>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.</p>

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

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

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.<br/> The company itself is poorly run, sent us on the wrong tour originally, then the truck sent for the correct tour barely run. <br/> Still would reccomend.</p>

<p>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!</p>

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

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

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

<p>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!</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Great guide. Beautiful views and very informative.</p>

<p>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 !</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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!</p>

<p>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.</p>

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

<p>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.</p>

<p>The company did not arrive the time the tour was booked. When I called and was told there was no tour at time of my booking and will arrive at 915. They arrived at 930 only. We had to wait 15 minutes for some of the guest. This was also an open Jeep tour and due to the time delay we burnt in sun</p>

<p>This was supposed to be a very exotic and exciting tour. But guess what, our guide did not show up. As a consequence, we could not get down from the vehicle to get a closer look at the Favela. The driver who became our erstwhile tour guide, was too afraid to leave his vehicle unguarded inside the Favela.</p> <p>The driver tried his best and that is the only reason why there is even a single star.</p>

<p>Interesting to see how Favela life and the communities have developed</p>

<p>This tour proided the genuine up close and personal experience of insight into the "pacified" favella. Our guide was informative and clearly in personal touch with the residents, who didn't seem at all resentful of our small group of 10 visitors. Travelers should be warned that this tour is moderately strenuous. You are driven to the top of the favela and led down through the narrow stairway alleyways for about 1 and a half hours. The steps are steep in some places, and footing is not always very very good. Wear sturdy walking shoes. Carry water and Reais in small notes or coins to buy more as you walk. Stay hydrated at all costs. You do not want to get dehydrated during this tour. A suggested test: If you can't comfortably walk 4 miles on level ground in 30 degree (Celsius) heat, this tour isn't for you. Hat and sunscreen recommended.</p>

<p>Great day! <br/> Our guide was Dominic and she was fantastic.</p>

<p>Interesting to see, if the local guide had had his way though it would have been over and done with in half an hour. The only interaction with the local community was at a very small street market when you first get to the favela, purposfully set up to sell goods to tourists, we were just hurried through one neighbourbood whilst the guide was constantley looking at his watch and he never waited for the group to come together before explaining things ...... its ok but could have been a lot better.</p>

<p>What a fantastic tour - it was very interesting to see the local community. The guide was very knowledgeable and the views were some of the best Rio has to offer. Probably the best tour of the holiday.</p>

<p>It was really interesting to see and know more about the favela. It was relatively safe and lots of walking involved . Overall the tour guide Paulo was knowledgeable and the whole crew was friendly. For a maximum of only 12 tourists, it made it better that it was only good for a small group!</p>

<p>Probably the BEST tour in Rio. Very interesting to find out how over 30% of the Brazilian population live. The guide was well versed about the history of his country and additionally was able to speak several languages properly. Not so common in Brazil.</p>

<p>Due to events in Rio, we could not visit the Favela we were supposed to. I don't know was that the reason or the lack of English skills of our tour guide, that the tour didn't feel that great. Our guide could not answer our basic questions and the tour was not really that structured. It would have been great to be able to visit someone's home to see how they really live and not just look at the homes outside. (I've been able to visit homes in various countries including Mexico, Thailand, Kenya, and China)</p>

<p>The tour took us to Rocinha Favela, as opposed to Santa Marta advertised in the website; but not that I know the difference between the two.</p> <p>Nevertheless, it was a very good experience to see the conditions of living in the favela. We were taken up to the top of the hill in a open-top jeep, and walked our way down through the small narrow rugged footpaths. The footpaths / streets were relatively clean, although not tidy, but not smelly like the Rio city area.</p> <p>The locals there genuinely looked friendly. The tour guide told us it was quite safe there, with police stationed at strategic locations. I was carrying my SLR camera around my neck taking pictures frequently which is something I couldn’t do in the Rio city area. </p> <p>The jeep picked us up at the bottom, and then drove us pass Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana beaches before dropping us off back at the hotel.</p> <p>Overall it was great. If there is any improvement needed, it’s the tour guide who should probably wear a coloured cap to distinct himself so that we could spot him easier. It was difficult at times to spot him in the crowd.</p>

<p>i signed up for a tour of the Santa Marta favela and they took us to the Rocinha favela. Also, the reservation said we would bed picked up at 8AM but they didnt arrive until 8:45 AM. So, they were almost an hour late to pick us up and we were the first to be picked up. we made about 4 more stops before we began the tour of the favela that only lasted about an hour. this tour is not really worth 60 dollars. if you want to see a favela you can just walk into the Vidigal or the Rocinha favela during the day and see for yourself. you can also take a moto taxi or a cambi (little white vans at the bottom of the favela) to take you to the top to see the views.</p>

<p>Amazing experience. The Guide was knowledgeable and helped us learn a great piece of history. The tour was safe and very unique. This was definitely the best moment of my Rio de Janeiro visit. Highly recommended 5/5</p>

<p>Visiting the favelas is a must - a great experience! This tour however was disappointing in the quality - started 90 minutes late, and only lasted two hours... Undersold I'm afraid to say.</p>

<p>Well worth a visit, just for the views. If you like cats there are plenty to see here. Totally different to the rest of Rio.</p>

<p>The best part of our trip to Rio! And a good balance to the sometimes artificial glamour of the beach life. We were touched by the creativity, art and especially the self-reliance we saw walking through the narrow alleys and up Rocinha's warren-like steps. We passed all kinds of small shops, tiny cafes, markets, seamstresses, even a karate school! The favela was a bee-hive of work and activity. And the views are some of the best we saw in Rio. Our guide Fabio was fabulous, informative and not naive about what it takes to survive in the favela. We were impressed with him and with the people we saw. We will never forget them. A tour not to be missed!</p>

<p>The Favela Tour was definitely one of the highlights of my recent vacation in Rio. Our tour guide, Augosto was awesome! It was very interesting to see the disparity between the touristy areas and nearby favelas, but also nice to see that they aren't as bad as it might be perceived.</p>

<p>Sergio was amazing. Would highly recommend doing this to get another view of the city. The views from the top were breathtaking. Did not feel unsafe at anytime.</p>

<p>Funtastic tour! the guide spoke excellent English. He was very patint and very knowledgeable</p>