Favela Tour

Favela Tour is a private tour operator founded in early 1992, which makes it one of the longest-running companies offering visits to Rio's favelas. The Rough Guides, quoted on its website, called it the most insightful and longest-established tour in the favelas, and a New York Times review it cites praised the guides for making a special effort to explain the social and political context of what visitors see.

The tour visits two communities: Rocinha and Vila Canoas. It begins with a hotel pick-up in an air-conditioned minivan, then heads into Rocinha, where the group stops at a local terrace for photographs of the view over the community and a talk about security. The route continues along the Estrada da Gávea and through the commercial area of Rocinha, includes a visit to a community school, and then moves on to Vila Canoas, where there is an optional drink at a local buteco, the neighbourhood bar, before the return to the hotel.

Tours last about three hours and run twice a day, at 09:00 and 14:00. The company says it finances the community schools Para Ti and Saci Sabe Tudo, which visitors see on the tour, so part of what you pay supports local education.

The website is published in English, Spanish and French. For bookings, the company asks visitors to call or message directly on +55 21 99989-0074, which is also its WhatsApp number, or to email [email protected].

The tour suits travellers who want to understand a side of Rio that is not visible from the beaches and viewpoints, and who prefer an organised visit with a guide who can explain the history and social context. Because pick-up is from your hotel, it fits easily into a morning or afternoon, and it can be combined with a beach afternoon or a visit to the city's other sights.

The stop at the terrace in Rocinha is the tour's main photo opportunity, with a view over the community, and the visit to a school gives a sense of the projects the company supports. With more than three decades of operation, the company has long experience of organising these visits, and its website gathers press coverage from international guides and newspapers for those who want to read more before booking.