Brazil · WALKING TOURS IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 walking tours in Rio de Janeiro justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Explore Rio’s Rocinha favela with a local guide, learn about daily life, and see the city from a more grounded perspective.
“I want to thank our tour guide Ray She was really nice and very helpful Her English was great, all the information she gave us was really clear”
Walk Rocinha with local guides, hear real stories, visit a capoeira school, and enjoy sweeping Rio views on this respectful 3-hour tour.
“Amazing Tour! Wellington was a great Guide, perfect english and never made us feel unsave! 10/10 would recommend”
Hike Two Brothers before dawn with a local Vidigal guide, motor taxi, forest trail, and sweeping sunrise views over Rio.
“This was amazing! Although early, the view were impeccable! Our hike guide was knowledgeable and so helpful! Most definitely worth the money!!”
Walk Rio’s Little Africa with a passionate guide, tracing Afro-Brazilian history, samba, food, art, and the Valongo Wharf for $40.
“Tour was amazing our guide was Larissa very down to earth! Tour was very informative definitely recommend it if coming to Brazil and you’d like to learn more about Afro Brazilian history!”
Explore Rio’s historic center on a private three-hour walk from Cinelandia to Paço Imperial, with local stories, grand buildings, and street life.
“Amazing tour in Centro! Danielle was a super guide who took us through Rio’s exciting history and architechture over the past 200 years. Highly recommended!”
Explore Rio’s old center on foot, from Candelária and São Bento to Paço Imperial, Confeitaria Colombo, and the Olympic-era port.
“our tour guide was absolutely wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and took us to interesting places. I am not very good at names, but I believe her name was Malenia. I would recommend this tour.”
Ride Rio’s yellow tram through Santa Teresa, see Selarón Steps and Lapa’s arches, and explore historic Cinelândia with a local guide.
“We had a great time on this tour. It was just my husband and I alongside our guide Lorena. We especially enjoyed Santa Teresa and selaron steps. Metro and tram tickets included in the price of the tour and we also enjoyed a Caipirinha. Lorena was very friendly and knowledgeable and answered questions we had about rio. I would definitely recommend this tour.”
Review of Rio’s Telegraph Stone hike, covering the optical illusion photo, trail effort, guides, transport, timing, value, and 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 Bossa Nova through live songs, local landmarks, and Brazilian music history.
“What an amazing journey we had! Guilhermo brought us through the history of Bossa Nova through music and participation. We brought us along with him in the journey instead of giving us a lecture about it. Excellent!”
Follow Bossa Nova through Ipanema and Copacabana with live music, local history, scenic stops, and a three-hour guided walk.
“Gui was an amazing guide, full of knowledge. Who would not fall in love with Bossa Nova !!!”
Explore Rio’s old center, Santa Teresa, Lapa, churches, street art, the yellow tram, and city views on a full-day guided walk.
“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”
Rio’s 3-hour walking tour links historic downtown, Lapa, Selarón Steps, and Praça XV with lively history and practical 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.”
Walk Santa Marta with a local guide, ride uphill, see Michael Jackson’s viewpoint, meet community projects, and learn about daily life in Rio.
“pas de visite d école de musique, pourtant on entendaient des percussions, on nous a dit que c étais l après midi, après l école”
Walk through Rio’s historic center, from XV de Novembro Square to Cinelandia, with a multilingual guide and a taste at Colombo Bakery.
“Tuve la oportunidad de participar en una excursión guiada por el centro histórico con Antonio, y fue una experiencia excepcional de principio a fin. Desde el primer momento, Antonio demostró un profundo conocimiento del patrimonio cultural e histórico de la ciudad. Lo que más me impresionó fue su capacidad para transmitir pasión por la historia y su habilidad para conectar. Mantuvo un ambiente cercano y acogedor, respondiendo cada pregunta con paciencia y entusiasmo. Además, cuidó cada detalle del recorrido, asegurándose de que estuviera cómodo y disfrutando del paseo. Visitamos lugares emblemáticos y también rincones menos conocidos que, gracias a sus explicaciones, cobraron un nuevo signif...”
Explore Rocinha with a local guide, ride a moto-taxi to hilltop views, meet artists, visit homes, and see Rio beyond the postcard.
“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 city, a waterfall or a stretch of sand.
