Rocinha Favela Walking Tour

Great trip. Guide is from the Favella, amazing guy, taught himself excellent English. Learnt so much about the Favella. The food there was great too, bring money for refreshments on route.

Had a great experience exploring the largest favela in Latin America. Alberto was a great guide. He showed us the good parts and the bad parts of the favela, and let us know when not to take pictures.

An amazing tour with someone who lives there. Unbelievable insight into the culture of the people. Best tour guide Rio. Carlos is incredibly knowledgeable and engaging.

Carlos gave an eye opening experience to the minority living on top of Rio. His passionate guide of the favelas gave me an authentic impression of the people and their struggles. It was a tour I can not forget and makes me appreciate what I’m given. I highly recommend Carlos and this tour to anyone looking to learn more about the favelas of Rio!

We had a group of around 14 people all English speaking tour with Carlos. My sister and I from London really wanted to do this tour but didnt book until last minute. A fast easy process to book. We were advised by so many people not to go to Rochina Favela and my sister and I are so glad we didnt listen and went. The most amazing experience, you really get to see how locals live. None of them bothered us or made us feel uncomfortable. A totally safe and fun tour. We didnt buy anything to eat but others did on the tour. However, we did stop for a soft drink before heading back.

I wouldn’t have given this as bad review if we hadn’t then done another tour the next day as part of a longer hike and the difference was incredible Firstly to be greeted on arrival at the favella with someone selling fridge magnets just gives the wrong impression. I am sure our guide gets kick backs but this was all the way through On this your we were given the impression of how safe favellas are and everyone’s got the wrong idea about them. There were also too many in our group so we stood out In contrast on a different tour we were told about how the favellas really operate and by walking past people with ak47s that did ring with a lot more truth The tour guide was very friendly and did tell us lots. I just came away with an impression that I just don’t think is correct

The tour of the rainforest is a very brief 45 minute round trip walk to a beautiful waterfall on an easy trail. The Favela tour was fascinating and something that should be experienced while in Rio. It reveals a completely different life for a large number of the citizens of Rio. The tour was very expensive and the value was very subpar. It was advertised as a 5 hour tour. We were picked up at 10am and returned to our hotel by 1:30, as the operator said the tour was completed. The tour guide is indeed a resident of the are and knows the people and the area very well. That said, I still would suggest you use a different tour operator. Our guide, Alberto, used a great deal of profanity and crude language right from the start. Not really our cup of tea and for some unfathomable reason, he thought I would be interested in his story of “F***ing a 17 year old and the Father be angry”. Caution, I made the mistake of having 1 ounce of coffee for a taste and had terrible consequences for 24 hours!

Thank you, Rafael, for interesting tour!! It was definitely a highlight of our trip! We were a bit late because of the traffic - so thank you for waiting, it would have been so sad if we missed this great tour. Totally recommend it: - Completely safe - Super interesting - Attentive - Well organized.

Great experience with our guide Carlos who offered us with great generosity and clarity an insight into his hometown, its challenges ans its strenghts as a community. Thank you for your commitment ! Mathilde

I partnered with 5 ladies to do this tour! Full consensus amongst the group, this was the best part of our 7 days in Brazil! We went back to this favela twice! The tour guide Alberto KNEW EVERYONE THERE! He was soooo kind and extremely personable which made the tour a valuable experience. Getting to learn about and see the noble people who reside here was extremely rewarding. About the Favela: Let me tell you out the gate, the news and media will tell you this is a bad place. Don't believe the hype! Some will see this and think of it as the "S- word" that rhymes with plum however, they have much more law and order than the entire US! We felt extremely safe and the people were welcoming! They were sooo excited to see Americanos who looked like them! Seeing yourself in the people where you travel makes any trip or experience invaluable! You can not quantify the level of impact it has! It sort of reminded me of the fast paced areas of NY! I love seeing that the community had virtually everything you can imagine, grocery stores with fresh fruits and veggies, hair and nail salons, motor bike dealerships, taxis...EVERYTHING! They provide so much of their resources to their people throughout the community. I loved hearing and seeing that their dollar actually stays within their community and hearing how the people actually pour their talents into this community! Far from what some may see as "crab in a barrel" they actually support and uplift each other and the businesses there! I won't give too much on the ins and out and true experiences from inside... I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER GOING TO SEE FOR YOURSELF! I can tell you it is a lot of walking! You will be climbing a lot of stairs so consider comfortable shoes. If you have mobility issues, I highly encourage you to forgo this excursion. It's not hard, I did it the first time in sandals, but it can be a lot on your knees and joints if you have restrictions. Verdict? Add this to your travel plans while in Brazil. If you get Alberto, you will not be disappointed! When we went back the second time, Alberto showed us so much generosity! You can tell he was excited to see us again! The first time we were with a group of approx 14. The second time it was much smaller and I will say a much more genuine experience. My advice, see if Alberto can host you in a smaller group!