Favela Tour Rio de Janeiro - Vidigal Walking Tour by Russo Guide

Name: Favela Tour Rio de Janeiro - Vidigal Walking Tour by Russo Guide
Brand: Russo Guia
SKU: 182315P1
Price: 30.32 USD
Rating: 5.0 (214 reviews)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Licensed tour guide

Drinks and Meals

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort
Av. Niemeyer, 121 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22450-220, Brazil
We will contact you with your reservation with more details about the meeting point.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Leblon Beach (Pass By)

Vidigal Beach (Pass By)

Morro Dois Irmaos (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Operated by Russo Guia

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

214 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 214 reviews

Excellent tour and guide

Alina_K, Apr 2024

Russo was an excellent guide around Vidigal. We learned a ton about how people live in this community. Communication and safety wise everything was great, and what Russo told and showed was very interesting. I'd definitely recommend him if you are interested in visiting a favela!

Vidigal 2024

Yessenia_P, Mar 2024

I stayed in Rio for 8 days & all I could talk about is wanting to visit & see one of these community’s. Russo was amazing, best tour guide you can have to experience something like this. He knows vidigal blindfolded, he shares the important details of his life & growing up in this community. Everyone we met was so welcoming; Russo is super popular too lol everyone knows him! The views were breathtaking! There’s a meeting point and you return to the same spot & Russo will sit & wait with you until you order a cab or Uber and it arrives bc this was one of my biggest worry’s just having to find your way back alone but no! Russo made us feel SO safe and comfortable. Don’t think twice and do this tour! 100/10 recommend

Excellent tour

YanZhan_W, Mar 2024

Russo was a great tour guide. He brings a lot of passion and unique perspectives to the tour, as a lifelong resident of Vidigal.

Outstanding Experience

Linton, Feb 2024

As professional tour guides from Europe, we recommend this tour 110%. Russo is amazing and a true local, who grew up and lived in the Favela his entire life. He knows everyone and you feel perfectly safe the entire time. Thank you again Russo - we had an amazing time.

Highly recommend

Jimbo_P, Jan 2024

Going up the favelas on motorcycle and seeing the different viewpoint of Rio de Janeiro is definitely worth it. I felt safe the entire trip. It’s also good to note that the guide that I had lived in the favela his entire life. So he knew what it was from his childhood up until now.

Highlight of Rio!

Angus_W, Jan 2024

Was a great experience with Russo who grew up and still lives in the favela. He provided lots of interesting stories about living there and the history of the area. I would definitely recommend for anyone who wants to see the real Rio!

Great Tour

Nelson_M, Jan 2024

It was a tour. Not to long under 2 hours and got to see the iconic Favela of Rio🇧🇷. Russo was a great host.

Best Favela experience! Very safe and fun

Christian_B, Dec 2023

Russo was very professional and took care of my family all the time. Well known and respected in the community. He provided very interesting details of the history of the favela and took us very deep in the experience. Great pictures and videos! Thank You Russo!!!

Awesome Favela Tour, Worth every penny

Nicolau_F, Aug 2023

This was my first time going into a community (Favela) and I did not know what to expect at all. The most important point I want to make is that I really felt safe with the guide Russo for the fact that he was born and raised in Vidigal thus giving him excellent experience in knowing the whole layout of the neighborhood and having good repour with those that live there. Proof that solidified the fact that he was a local is how everyone would greet him by his name, not just by the older folk but by even the young crowd and this happened everywhere we went. From the interactions of the locals, it was clear to me that I knew I chose the right person to take me on a tour inside Vidigal. The experience is awesome especially the motorbike ride up to the top, the views also were really incredible too. The main street that is located at the entrance of the community has really everything you can find in any other neighborhood plus it is constantly bustling with people and vehicles. Thank you Viator and thank you Russo. Highly recommend this tour.

Super safe and characteristic tour of a favela

Ludovico_O, Jul 2023

Russo is born and raised in Vidigal, so he offered us an authentic tour of one of the most characteristic favelas in Rio. His tour is 100% safe and gives a really interesting insight into the people and the places of the neighbourhood. Russo then is super nice: we had a problem and arrived at our meeting 30 mins late and he welcomed us with a sincere smile. Completely recommended!

Amazing tour experience!

Kenya_M, Jun 2023

I had wonderful experience touring a Favela in Rio and Russo was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable. I felt very safe while walking around Vidigal and it was such a neat opportunity to really experience how locals live in Brazil. Russo was also very accommodating and took fantastic videos and pictures of me while we to some great spots with wonderful views in Vidigal. This tour is great for families, friends or solo travel. 10/10 recommend if you want a more authentic experience of Rio while touring a Favela.

Great hike and favela experience

Helen_K, Jun 2023

A fun experience! Beautiful hike to the lookout over the city and interesting trek back down through the alleys and streets. Highly recommend this tour.

Fascinating tour with a great guide

Bryan_S, May 2023

Russo provided a great experience in the Vidigal favela tour. I was able to interact with many friendly people in the community, eat pastel, and learned a lot about the culture. Highly recommend!

Russo was an amazing...

Kelvan_T, Jun 2022

Russo was an amazing guide; he was friendly, knowledgeable and very pleasant. we had a great time walking around Vidigal with him!

Interesting tour with a true insider from the neighbourhood!

Justus_J, May 2022

Thank you very much for the interesting tour and the unique insights into the history and the current state of the favela Vidigal! Russo, the tour guide, is a local who was born and raised in the neighbourhood and knows the development of and people in the favela inside and out. Almost everyone in the favela appears to know him which made us feel 100% safe and comfortable. Overall, the tour was very comprehensive, available in English and provided us with a new perspective of the favela. Don't miss out on the tour! We highly recommend it not just because it offers a unique opportunity to get to know the neighbourhood but also to get in touch with a true local from here. Our trip to Rio would not have been complete without it! Russo, thank you very much and very best! We are rooting for you!

Save favela tour

heinz_m, Jan 2022

Russo has Excellent local knowledge and good relation with locals. Takes about 2,5 hours and lots of sweating

Amazing Experience!

Beth_P, Nov 2021

The tour was wonderful, Russo gives you the local experience of his neighborhood and history of the favela. All while taking some amazing pictures and videos, with a nice stop at a local place to enjoy refreshments and the view! Thanks for a great afternoon!!

Other Side of Rio - Great Experience

Gene_W, Sep 2021

Tour guide Russo was great. I felt safe. Started at the bottom of Vidigal. Hiked to the top. Great workout. Great beer and Caipirinha with a great view at the top of Vidigal. Ate great Brazilian food at a local favela restaurant halfway down Vidigal.

Authentic tour

J_T, Jul 2021

Great tour! Edmilson (“Russo”) is a local of Vidigal so he gave us a true local view of the community.

Unique experience

ibrahim_o, Dec 2020

I really enjoyed the tour. It is unique experience. I am planning to visit another favela with vidigaltours.