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Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide
Picture 16 for Activity Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide
Picture 17 for Activity Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide
Picture 20 for Activity Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide
Picture 25 for Activity Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide

Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide

By Favela Santa Marta Tour
9.8 out of 10
Free cancellation available
Price is CA $44 per adult
See tickets
Features
  • Free cancellation available
  • 3h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Multiple languages
Overview
  • Visit the favela with one of the most beautiful views in Rio de Janeiro
  • award in 2019 as one of the best walking tours in Latin America.
  • See places with amazing views to take great pictures
  • The most visited tour by celebrities and famous people in the favela.
  • Visit the guide's house, meet his family and get a free drink

Activity location

    • Rio de Janeiro
    • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Meeting/Redemption Point

    • R. São Clemente, 307 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22260-001, Brazil | Meet at the Shell Gas Station located at the corner of Rua São Clemente 307, Botafogo. You will meet the group in front of the gas station convenience store called “Select”. You don't need to bring a passport. Just the tour voucher on your cell phone is enough. Please be mindful that if you are more than 10 minutes late, the tour has to leave and you will not be given a refund.
    • Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Multiple meeting/redemption points available, see location information for full list

Check availability

Tour in Spanish
  • Activity duration is 3 hours3h
    3h
  • Spanish
Language options: Spanish
Starting time: 2:00pm
Price details
CA $43.78 x 2 AdultsCA $87.56
Total
Price is CA $87.56
Tour in English
  • Activity duration is 3 hours3h
    3h
  • English
Language options: English
Price details
CA $43.78 x 2 AdultsCA $87.56
Total
Price is CA $87.56

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's includedFavela walking tour
  • What's includedWhat's included Welcome drink
  • What's includedWhat's included Local resident guide
  • What's includedWhat's included Visit to the guide's house
  • What's includedWhat's included Visit to the community daycare centre
  • What's includedWhat's included Visit to craft stores
  • What's includedWhat's included Visit to the Residents' Association and social projects
  • What's includedWhat's included Percussion show with young people from the favela
  • What's includedWhat's included Visit to the Michael Jackson Statue
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedFood (available to purchase at a pub)
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded Private car pickup is 180 BRL (request on Whatsapp)

Know before you book

  • Not suitable for: People with altitude sickness, People with heart problems, People with mobility impairments, Wheelchair users

What you can expect

Take the opportunity to glimpse life in the favelas on this guided tour. Your guide is a Santa Marta resident who will be able to share with you an authentic perspective of the beautiful favela they call home.

Using the Santa Marta cable car, your guide will take you to the top of the favela. From here you will be able to witness one of the best panoramic views of the city. Discover Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Botafogo Beach, Lagoa Rodrigues de Freitas and the entire area of Botafogo.

Then, explore the streets and alleys enjoyed by both residents and Favela Santa Marta's many famous visitors, from Queen Elizabeth II to Michael Jackson. Stroll through the favela, seeing the best tourist attractions and stopping at several local craft shops along the way.

Discover the guide's home, his family and the projects that Thiago carries out in the favela for children and adults. A tour that really helps the favela with activities. Beware of fake tours.
Is it better to invest a little more in a quality experience, knowing it will have a positive impact on the favela and offer you a potentially transformative experience, or save a little by choosing a “superficial” tour?

An important detail. In addition to other awards we have already won, our tour was chosen in the awards in 2019 as one of the best walking tours in Latin America and in April 2024 it won the Gentle and Responsible Tourism Awards for the greatest tourism achievement in Latin America.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    • Rio de Janeiro
    • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • R. São Clemente, 307 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22260-001, Brazil | Meet at the Shell Gas Station located at the corner of Rua São Clemente 307, Botafogo. You will meet the group in front of the gas station convenience store called “Select”. You don't need to bring a passport. Just the tour voucher on your cell phone is enough. Please be mindful that if you are more than 10 minutes late, the tour has to leave and you will not be given a refund.
    • Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • R. São Clemente, 307 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22260-001, Brazil | Meet at the Shell Gas Station located at the corner of Rua São Clemente 307, Botafogo. You will meet the group in front of the gas station convenience store called “Select”. You don't need to bring a passport. Just the tour voucher on your cell phone is enough. Please be mindful that if you are more than 10 minutes late, the tour has to leave and you will not be given a refund.
    • Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Reviews

9.8 out of 10

Sort reviews by

10.0 out of 10

Igor U

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
13 Mar 2025
Britain
The best trip in Rio so far and our guide Pedro was fantastic. He should be nominated for Oscar best guide in the world.
10.0 out of 10

Stephanie C

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
13 Mar 2025
United States
The Guide was great!! The tour was great. Loved it!!
10.0 out of 10

Steph J

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
12 Mar 2025
Britain
The tour was really good. We went up to the top of Santa Marta favela using the cable car (it was broken so we walked the last two stops which was fine). Our guide gave us some interesting information about this favela, as well as more broadly the history of favelas in Rio. Felt safe throughout, though definitely wouldn’t venture in on my own! Well worth it - I’d recommend.
8.0 out of 10

Carolin M

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
12 Mar 2025
Germany
This tour was so interesting to better understand the Favela communities. I also felt safe the whole time which would definitely not be the case if doing it on my own. Everything was well organized, the knly improvement I would have at the beginning. Much time is on waiting for the cable car so it was a bit boring for some parts, maybe this time could be used to already introduce the Favela and have first questions. Otherwise the tour guides did a great job and it is super inspiring how mony social projects take place because of their initiatives. Highly recommended!
10.0 out of 10

Simon T

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
11 Mar 2025
Britain
Tour was amazing, Peter the tour guide kept the tour interesting and taught us all a lot. One of the highlights of the trip
10.0 out of 10

Calvin T

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
11 Mar 2025
United States
Great tour! My favorite favela tour out of all the ones I did! Owner/tour guides were very passionate giving back to the favela's. The owner was so passionate/giving that he was invited to carry the torch in the 2020 Olympics! It didn't feel like a tourist trap and it was a very humbling experience. The locals welcomed us. It is NOTHING like the media portrays. Just understand that it's like any "foreign" community and respect their rules/traditions. Absolutely great experience. 10/10 would recommend.
10.0 out of 10

Matthew C

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
10 Mar 2025
Britain
Pedro and Liz were both exceptional hosts, so informative and helpful. The community was inspiring and the overall experience priceless, couldn't recommend more, if you are looking for the heart of Rio this is it!
10.0 out of 10

Tatsiana B

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
10 Mar 2025
Russia
Tour guide was great
10.0 out of 10

Barbara S

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
8 Mar 2025
Britain
The tour was excellent, we were concerned about going on the tour in case people thought we were disrespecting them but our guide allayed our fears. It was great to find out about the way of life in a favela and the initiatives to improve kids lives. Really fascinating tour.
10.0 out of 10

Lucy G

Reviewed on GetYourGuide
8 Mar 2025
Britain
This tour is the absolute best way to visit a favela, it was perfect. You see a lot of loud people online talking about “poverty tourism” and how it’s disgusting to visit a favela and “treat it like a zoo”. These people have never been for starters, but they also have a deeply skewed view of what a tour like this is about. We were taken around with Julia, and Thiago, the company owner who was born and raised in the favela. Thiago is a local hero for what his business gives back to the community, and the kids and families there. We were advised on the politics of the favela that keep both us and the residents safe. We were told when to take pictures and when not to, and we were encouraged to spend at local businesses, which is vital on this kind of tour. Give more than you take. We were made to feel comfortable and welcome by locals, even stopping by Thaigo’s mother’s home. Favelas are culturally rich and a testament to human ingenuity, and this tour was a privilege to visit with.
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