Rio Favela Tour: Exploring Vibrant Communities and Authentic Brazilian Culture
5.0
4 Ratings
Catete
Experience the vibrant communities and authentic Brazilian culture on a Rio Favela tour. Explore the hidden side of Rio, challenge your perspective, and broaden your cultural horizons.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Tavares Bastos - What are favelas?

Favelas, also known as comunidades, are informal settlements that are typically located on the outskirts of urban areas. They are often characterized by poverty, overcrowding, and lack of basic infrastructure such as running water and sewage systems. Favelas emerged in Brazil in the late 19th century, as rural migrants moved to cities in search of work.

Over time, favelas became a permanent fixture of Brazil’s urban landscape, and today they are home to millions of people across the country.

History of favelas in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is home to some of the largest and most well-known favelas in Brazil. The first favela in Rio, Morro da Providência, was established in the late 19th century by soldiers returning from the Canudos War.

Over time, other favelas emerged in Rio as rural migrants and others seeking housing moved to the city.

Today, Rio is home to over 700 favelas, many of which are located in the hills overlooking the city.

You will be visiting and interacting with local favelas’ entrepreneurs.

What's Included
  • Public transportation from Catete neighborhood to the favela entrance (15 min.)
  • Entrance ticket to The Maze - The Favela Art and Architecture Gallery.
  • Guided tour.
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
Additional Information

If you’re seeking a distinct travel adventure, one that shakes up your worldview and enriches your understanding of diverse cultures, you must consider the Rio Favela tour as a top priority.

Despite the infamous reputation of favelas (informal settlements) in Rio de Janeiro being hazardous and poverty-stricken, they are pulsating neighborhoods overflowing with vitality, rhythm, and cultural richness.

Embarking on a favela tour provides an exceptional chance to dive deep into Brazil’s intricate socio-economic fabric and meet the heartwarmingly hospitable and tenacious inhabitants of these districts.

The tour promises captivating cityscapes, tantalizing street cuisine, and local art, offering a genuinely original and memorable journey.

Therefore, if you’re prepared to venture beyond the familiar and witness a facet of Rio largely unseen by the regular traveler, reserve your spot in this tour. Discover for yourself why a favela tour merits a place on every travel bucket list.

Location
R. Bento Lisboa, 79
Rua Bento Lisboa
Nosso Guia estará à sua espera na entrada do "Nosso Drink Catete", um shopping de bebidas bem descolado. Endereço: Rua Bento Lisboa N°79, Catete.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(4 Ratings)
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639lashellem
Dec 6, 2022
Educational and Fun - Favorite tour of our entire trip. A favela is not at all what you think it is. So much history learned!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sari012767
Nov 3, 2022
Very good and the tour guide is very friendly. - I really enjoybtye trip especially understanding the history… visiting little africa, santa theresa, and walk around the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charlotteff6091rh
Oct 29, 2022
A fantastic 6-hour customised day tour with Damiana and Marcello from Florencios - We had a wonderful day tour with Damiana and Marcello who allowed us to customize the tour as we wanted. We started with a tour of Little Africa, followed by a visit to Parque Das Ruinas in Santa Teresa where we had beautiful views of the city. They then took us to a place with wonderful views over Rio for lunch. As it was Saturday we couldn't resist the Feijoada. Finally, we ended our 6-hour trip with a visit to Tavares Bastos Favela & The MAZE, a superb building decorated with dozens of mosaics and great views. We were initially unsure about Damiana's proposal to visit a favela, feeling uncomfortable with potentially objectifying the resident who live there or taking advantage of their misfortune for our own enjoyment but she convinced us that the purpose of the tour was to change people's perception about life in favellas and celebrate the strong and resilient communities that live there. She was right. After the tour, she sent us a very nice pdf with pictures and stories of the tour, for us to remember this very special day. I would 100% recommend this tour. You will learn a lot and have a wonderful experience with a fantastic carioca!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mtomo82
Dec 22, 2021
Santa Teresa & lapa Samba food crawl Tour - I took this tour with a friend.. Our guide was Damiana a super friendly happy lady from Brazil. She speaks very good English and has a lot of knowledge about Brazil and the area of Santa Teresa especially. She took us from the top of the mountain where we had amazing views of the city. Then down to the small streets where we ate fantastic local food in local places. This area is full of history, great architecture, street art, live music and fantastic street food. We always felt safe had lots of time to take pictures. We ended the tour in a famous bar called 'Beco do Rato' where we watched and listened to an amazing group of female samba singers..... Incredible! From start to finish the tour was amazing, good price, safe, friendly, interesting and fun. I cannot recommend more. Thankyou to the team and especially to Damiana. Obrigado xx
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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May 2024
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