Tour operator
Eat Rio Food Tours
A Rio food tour company running since 2011, with a five-hour daytime tasting walk, an evening bar and samba tour and a Brazilian wine experience.
Free Walker Tours
A Rio walking tour company founded in 2013, running tip-based tours of downtown Rio and its African heritage, plus a Lapa pub crawl and food tour.
At a glance
- Type
- Walking tours
- Area
- Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Official site
- freewalkertours.com
Good to know
- Tip-based walking tours
- Paid pub crawl and food tour
- Private tours
- Online booking
Why we recommend it
Free Walker Tours is a Rio de Janeiro tour company founded in July 2013 by three friends who had studied business together, and it says it ran the very first free walking tour in the city. It now has a team of more than 15 guides, which it calls Walkers, and also operates in Paraty. Its stated aim is to run high-quality tours in a fun, interactive and informal way.
The best-known tour is the Free Walking Tour of Downtown Rio. It meets at the clock tower on Largo da Carioca, close to Exit C of Carioca metro station, and runs from Monday to Friday at 10:30 and 15:00, and on Saturday at 10:30. There are no tours on public holidays. The walk lasts about two and a half to three hours and is 100 per cent tip-based, so you decide what to pay at the end.
The route is a good introduction to the historic centre. Stops include Confeitaria Colombo, the Belle Époque café founded in 1894; Casa Tucum; the Travessa do Comércio; Praça XV and the Paço Imperial; and Cinelândia, with the Theatro Municipal and the National Library. Booking is free and done online through the company's website.
A second free walk explores the Olympic Boulevard and the African heritage of the port area, also lasting two to three hours. For an evening out, the company runs a four-hour Pub Crawl in Lapa at a fixed price, and there is also a four-hour Food Tour of Rio. Private tours can be arranged and customised to your interests through WhatsApp.
The tours suit budget travellers, solo visitors and anyone arriving in Rio who wants a quick orientation before exploring on their own. The tip-based model makes the downtown walk an easy first-day activity.
The company's WhatsApp line, +55 21 99533-8278, is staffed from 09:00 to 19:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays and from 09:00 to 21:00 from Wednesday to Saturday, and its email is [email protected].
After the downtown tour, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura and the Santa Teresa tram, whose terminus is also near Largo da Carioca, are easy next steps, and the Museu do Amanhã on Praça Mauá is a short ride away on the VLT light rail.
Free Walker Tours FAQs
Where does the free downtown tour start?
At the clock tower on Largo da Carioca, close to Exit C of Carioca metro station.
When does it run?
Monday to Friday at 10:30 and 15:00, and Saturday at 10:30; there are no tours on public holidays.
How much does it cost?
The downtown tour is 100 per cent tip-based, so you decide what to pay.
How long is the tour?
About two and a half to three hours.
What does the route include?
Confeitaria Colombo, Travessa do Comércio, Praça XV, the Paço Imperial, Cinelândia, the Theatro Municipal and the National Library.
Are there other tours?
Yes. A free African heritage walk, a paid Lapa pub crawl, a food tour and private tours.
Do you need to book?
Booking is free and done online through the company's website.
How do you contact the company?
By WhatsApp on +55 21 99533-8278 or email at [email protected].