Rio de Janeiro · WALKING TOURS
Downtown, Santa Teresa, the port district: the parts of Rio that only work on foot. These 15 walks are priced by length, with a note on the ones that involve a real climb.
Walk Rocinha with a local guide, learn about daily life in Rio's largest favela, and see the city from a thoughtful community-focused viewpoint.
“I liked everything. Ray is an excellent guide, showed us the place as it is and it seems I understood it. The tour was well organized. Powerful impression. I will recommend Ray to my friends.”
Walk through Rio’s Rocinha favela with local guides, meet residents, learn its history, enjoy city views, and see capoeira in a respectful way.
“Wellington was very informative, friendly and had great energy. It was really nice to experience this with him as our Guide.”
Watch Rio wake from Two Brothers Hill on a guided sunrise hike through Vidigal, with local transport, forest trails, and sweeping beach views.
“Early start but well worth it, the views were spectacular in the clear night sky and into the morning sunset. Our guide Robinson was very helpful throughout, I’d highly recommend.”
Explore Rio’s Little Africa, from Mauá Square and Pedra do Sal to Valongo, on a moving 150-minute heritage walk led by local guides.
“Eddie was an excellent guide - he went above and beyond our expectations.”
Explore Rio’s historic center on a private three-hour walk from Cinelândia to Paço Imperial, with lively local history and classic sights.
“Although we saw some great sites, the guide made us feel like he needed to be somewhere else, and our 2 1/2-hour tour ended after 1 1/2 hours. It was not an inexpensive tour so we left feeling taken advantage of (and perhaps not seeing everything we were supposed to see?). Perhaps a price adjustment is in order.......”
Explore old Rio on foot, from Candelária and São Bento to Imperial Palace, Mauá Square, Colombo Bakery, and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
“On this tour your will visit several churches along with other places of interest. Melanie was an excellent tour ambassador for, Rio de Janerio! She shared history of the city and allowed us time to make our way through the sites. I recommend, shopping at the local market near Rio Cathedral and taking in linch at places less touristy as the line ups are shorter and the snacks and meals overall throughout Rio are of European standard. I recommend doing this tour on your first or second day of your visit as it provided you with an understanding of the cities layout and identifies places you may which to spend…”
Explore Santa Teresa and Lapa by vintage tram and on foot, with art, history, city views, Selarón Steps, and local guides.
“Lorena our guide made this walking tour very enjoyable and informative. From the meet and greet from our hotel, the subway and tram plus the walking tour, we felt in good hands safe and relaxed. I’m n was a super fun half day and we highly recommend it as part of overall view of Rio.”
Review the Telegraph Stone hike in Rio, with optical illusion photos, forest views, shared transport, timing concerns, and practical booking advice.
“Fabiane was an excellent and beautiful tour guide! The views were worth all the effort getting up there!”
Walk through Ipanema and Copacabana with a guitarist, learning how Tom Jobim, Vinicius, and Bossa Nova shaped Rio.
“Our guide Gui was delightful. As he taught us the history of Bossa Nova, he accompanied his songs with his fabulous guitar made in Grenada, Spain.”
Walk through Ipanema and Copacabana with a singing guitarist, hearing live Bossa Nova and stories tied to Rio’s famous music scene.
“Learned more about the history of bossa nova from our knowledgeable guide Guilherme. Very personable guy to be with! Enjoyed it!”
Explore Rio’s Centro, Santa Teresa, and Lapa on a full-day walking tour with churches, street art, tram views, and local history.
“Superbe découverte du centre ville. Yvan nous a fait découvrir l’histoire de Rio pendant une journée. Merci encore à lui pour toutes ces explications. Je recommande vivement”
Walk Rio’s historic center and Lapa with a lively guide, from the National Library to Selarón Steps, with history, photos, and local tips.
“Disappointed that our tours booked in English were cancelled due to a minimum of 3 people needed in order to conduct the tours. The fine print does state that a minimum of 3 are needed but we would have been happy to tip more to meet the minimum. Both tours were cancelled a few hours before the scheduled start time. Our time in Rio was limited and thus it was impossible to find an alternative at the last minute. Wish we had had some warning a few days in advance and we could have prepared a backup plan.”
Explore Rio’s Santa Marta favela with a local guide, street art, community projects, Michael Jackson’s viewpoint, and mountain views.
“C était vraiment superbe, très interessant on a adorer avec ma fille Et encore un grand merci à Marco notre guide ☺️”
Walk through Rio’s historic center, from XV de Novembro Square to Cinelandia, with a multilingual guide and four hours of city history.
“Renato el guía local fue muy amable, correcto calificado en sus aportes históricos, arquitectonicos y culturales excelente manejo del idioma español. Fue puntual en su llegada.”
Explore Rocinha with a local guide, ride a moto-taxi to hilltop views, meet artists, and see Rio from Brazil’s largest favela.
“My 73-year-old mother and I went on this tour today and was a day we will never forget!! Two women from the US completely out of our element, yet we were never concerned for our safety, The tour guide spoke very good English, and was extremely knowledgeable about the area because grew up there and still lives there. He treated us like family introducing us to his sister and many friends as we passed by. I have no words to describe how grateful we are to be able to go all the way to the top, be welcomed into actual homes, and learn so much along the way. Absolutely amazing…”
Pick a summit, a stretch of sand or a night out.
