Rio de Janeiro

Top Rio de Janeiro landmarks

Rio's Best Hike: Pedra da Gavea Trek - Full-Day Adventure

Name: Rio's Best Hike: Pedra da Gavea Trek - Full-Day Adventure
Brand: Itaway Ecotours
SKU: 107130P2
Price: 79.80 USD
Rating: 5.0 (184 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceRio de Janeiro, Brazil

From $79.80

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

8 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Take a challenging hike to one of Rio de Janeiro’s most scenic viewpoints during this small-group excursion. Trek through Tijuca Rainforest to reach the famous Pedra da Gavea for stunning views of the city. Discover local wildlife, refresh yourself in a waterfall, learn about the history of Rio, and rock climb up a small section to reach the famous rock. This tour is recommended for those with strong physical fitness.

Hike through Tijuca Forest to Pedra da Gavea
Enjoy stunning views of Rio de Janeiro from the top and take a dip in a waterfall
Discover the regions extensive diversity of flora and fauna
Small-group tour of no more than six people ensures a more personalized experience

What's Included

Trilingual Guiding Services (EN, ES, PT)
Individual Safety Equipment
Hotel Pick Up and Drop Off (if option selected)

Food, Beverages, Tips and Extras

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Bar do Oswaldo
Estr. do Joá, 3896 - Joá, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22611-022, Brazil
The exact meeting point option will be shared up to 24 hours before the tour start.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Pick up covered area: Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Botafogo, Flamengo, São Conrado. Pickups in Centro, Santa Teresa & Lapa (SDU Airport Included): +US$ 25 Pickups in Barra da Tijuca: +US$ 35

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
Recommended (individually): bring a a bagpack, light clothes, windbreaker / rainjacket, 2L of water, snacks, sunglasses, bug repellent, sunblock, plastic bag for garbage, extra money and your camera!
Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to your late arrival (10 min. of tolerance)
No sandals; sport or hiking shoes only

Tour duration may vary depending on city traffic, group size, week day, etc.
Minimum age is 10 years; minors must be accompanied by an adult
All guides are experienced and licensed for rock climbing. All safety equipment provided is UIAA certified
Itaway Ecotours shall not be responsible for any kind of loss, accident, incident, sickness, or injury. It is advisable that the traveler should avail of travel insurance as there can be chances of potential risks and hazards. Also, by booking this tour the traveler declares that him/her and/or his/her group is/are mentally and physically able to participate. No refund is applicable after starting the tour.
In case of unfavorable weather conditions on the day of the hike, we reserve the right to propose an alternative itinerary for safety reasons. The decision will be made by the Itaway Agent.
Not recommended for individuals who suffer from acrophobia (fear of heights).
Booking Tips: If possible, try booking on a weekday (Mon to Fri)
This hike requires a high level of physical fitness. If you're not in adequate physical condition, please choose another tour. We reserve the right to modify the itinerary or exclude individuals from the hike if it could compromise the group's safety. No refunds will be provided.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Heather_M

Excellent hike. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made an excellent experience. The views from the top of the hike/mountain were incredible! Communication was very clear both beforehand and afterwards and it was a very smooth logistical process. Highly recommend this experience to others visiting Rio

Reviews

5.0

184 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 184 reviews

Amazing experience in rio

Alyssa_J, Apr 2024

AMAZING!!!! This was my favorite tour in Rio and victor was the best guide and was fun to hike with as a safe climber that made me feel comfortable with something I’ve never done. Would recommend to anyone who loves to hike!

Amazing experience!

Katherine_L, Mar 2024

This hike was challenging and amazing! Jalmin was an awesome guide and the views were unbelievable. Highly recommend!

Fantastic views

John_B, Mar 2024

I was a great hike. The views were fantastic. The most challenging part was go up and down the rock face with ropes. It’s definitely well worth it.

Excellent - Highly recommend!

Heather_M, Jan 2024

Thiago was the best!

Kyle_S, Dec 2023

Thiago was the best. Our safety was his top priority. It is obvious that he loves helping others conquer the mountain. Would highly recommend!

Challenging and exhilarating

Tina_C, Aug 2023

Challenging but wonderful hike. Best part was overcoming my fears when rock climbing. Guide, Eduardo was very patient and professional.

Short walk but very...

Arkadiusz_B, Jul 2023

Short walk but very difficult. 2/3 hours climbing up and 2 hours come back. Dont go without instructor.

Eduardo was an amazing...

Sally_G, May 2023

Eduardo was an amazing guide. We were the only English speakers in our group and he made every effort to make sure we knew what was going on. Also, he is a fantastic part time photographer :-). The hike was very challenging. If you are shorter than 5'4ft, get ready for some big steps that you may need help navigating. Overall, an amazing day!

Memorable experience

Paul_U, May 2023

A strenuous hike. Going with a guide is a must, and best with a small group like we had with this experience. Paulo with Itaway Ecotours was well versed in English and Portuguese and we could tell was one of the more experienced guides that day on the mountain. Our tips are bring plenty of water and light weight hiking or gardening gloves to help grip moist rocks. Going down was more challenging than going up.

Great experience

Kostiantyn_V, Apr 2023

What a great experience! The view from the top is spectacular. The hike is challenging so be ready physically! Highly recommend this tour!

Wowow thank you Paolo!

Emily_D, Apr 2023

What a once in a lifetime experience! Paolo was our guide and he was well informed of the forest and made sure my husband and I were taking safe steps throughout our hike. He has been climbing for years so he had all the gear to ensure we were safe while we saw some other groups not using ropes during some dangerous parts of the climb. We are so grateful we had Paolo, there is no other way in my opinion to do this unless you have a guide. Be prepared to sweat and be prepared for one of the most epic views of your life.

Dream come true…

Jeffrey_W, Jan 2023

The experience of a lifetime made possible because of my guide Thiago. The views on top took some work/sweat to get but was 10/10 worth it. An amazing day I will never forget. Everyone we met along the way were kind and gracious. The rappelling back down the cliff on return was a first for me. Just an incredible hike from start to finish.

Rafael is an amazing...

Christopher_W, Jan 2023

Rafael is an amazing guide. I highly recommend. The hike is difficult if you are not in shape. Bring lots of water and snacks

Breathtaking

Veena_H, Jan 2023

Best thing we did in Rio. What a gem in the middle of a major metropolis. The hike is challenging, rugged, and exhausting but when you reach the top (800m+) the views are breathtaking, and makes it all worth it. Our guide, Thiago was a skilled guide who knows the trail like the back of his hand, a skilled climber, and a absolute joy to talk to. Would highly recommend going up this massive monolith with him. A must do while in Rio.

Challenging and scary hike

brian_m, Dec 2022

Both challenging and scary at times, my favourite combination! Not for the faint hearted but a great day hiking in an urban jungle. Eduardo was a fantastic guide, friendly, patient and helpful. He knew all the great photo spots and assisted with taking pictures along the route. Would do this again

Do this hike with Thiago

Georgie_K, Nov 2022

One of the best hikes and tours I’ve ever done! Thiago was such a great tour guide. He made it fun and interesting, and also challenging!

Thiago was an amazing...

Katja_S, Aug 2022

Thiago was an amazing tour guide! He was funny, had great stories and showed us the best spots and made sure we fully enjoyed our experience! Would absolutely recommend taking this tour with him!!

Hard hike but awesome experience

DARLENE_B, May 2022

Awesome experience with Thiago! Hard hike, but the view was worth it. Fun experience with the rock climbing and felt safe. Two thumbs up

Incredible

Valerio_G, Mar 2022

We were guided by a gentleman, Paulo, who ensured our safety and pointed out the best way to climb certain spots. While physically changeling (and I say this as an active man who is in shape) the rewards make this hike completely worth it. The forest around the Pedra and the view at the end alone is breathtaking. Will definitely do again on my next trip to Brazil. Thank you Paulo!

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Thank you for sharing this 5-star review with us, Valerio! It makes us so happy to learn that you had a great time with Paulo! I'll let him know about your kind words. We couldn't agree more: the view is really breathtaking. By far our favorite spot in Rio! Thank you for your confidence and we look forward to your next trip to Brazil! Take care, Alexis VQM

Find another more honest tour operator. Charging more and doing nothing.

Syeda_M, Jan 2022

Do NOT use this tour. This company and Thiago (the guide) is a complete scam. Despite the 3-hour hike description that is written on this tour (and various articles on Pedra da Gavea online), Thiago claimed that this hike was extremely challenging and would take >8 hours to do the hike. In addition, he further claimed that this hike was for experienced climbers (even though the description says that no rock climbing experience is necessary). Unfortunately, we trusted Thiago and he took us to hike Pedra da Bonita (which took less than 30 minutes to reach the top) and no guide is necessary for that trail. Since we had the rest of the day free, we discussed to go parasailing and agreed to pay the difference for this alternative (since it wouldn't be fair to pay for the Pedra Gavea hike and do a baby alternative). Thiago said we needed to pay the full amount for parasailing (since this was a separate activity) and we could get a partial refund for the Pedra da Gavea hike. At this point, we agreed thinking that we could trust Thiago and the tour company.. However, immediately after parasailing, Thiago insisted on paying HIM cash directly (rather than paying the tour company) and further insisted on driving us to the ATM to pull the cash out. At this point, it made us feel very uncomfortable. We were able to agree to pay on Paypal (so that we could maintain a copy). At this time we felt it was very unusual that he asked us to pay him (rather than the tour company) directly on Paypal. Later, he also said that since drop off is not included in the parasailing (since that was a separate activity with which we ended with), that we take an Uber or Taxi back to our hotel (Copacabana/Ipanema area). He was only willing to give us a ride to Barra da Tijuca (where he lived) if we were headed that way as well. But since we finished at well before 4pm, we were able to convince him to drop us off at the hotel and he did. Now, when I am trying to obtain a partial refund (not even a full refund), Viator has refused my claim stating the following: "According to the local tour operator, the tour took place successfully. You are unprepared for an 8-hours hike and did not want to extend the alternative hike that they have proposed to you. Please note that this experience requires a strong physical fitness level from all participants." The above is a completely false statement from the tour operator. We clearly were ready and met the tour guide in the morning. We were ready to hike (in complete hiking gear) and naively trusted the tour guide who completely misrepresented the Pedra da Gavea hike. In addition, there was no way to "extend the alternative hike" that Thiago took us to. He chose to take us to the easiest hike while we were under the impression that we could get a partial refund. In addition, we paid separately for the "additional" activity of parasailing and have proof of that. Thiago took advantage of the situation and of our trust. Lastly, we were able to do the Pedra da Gavea (with another tour company) and also did the various other hikes around the Rio area. So we have proof (pictures and payment documentation) to provide to clearly rebut the tour company's false statement that we were "unprepared" and did not want to do the hike. Unfortunately, clear and obvious proof is not enough for Viator.

Response from Host, Feb 2022

Hi Syeda, I am sorry to hear that things did not go as expected, and we wish that things went smoother. That said, I believe there was a misunderstanding. We decided to change the itinerary out of concern for your health and well-being. We take safety and security very seriously. As soon as you entered Thiago's car, your husband asked if it was okay for him to do the hike, given that he had just recently had back surgery. It was professional of Thiago to provide honest advice given the challenging nature of this hike. We do our best to be as transparent as possible in our online communications to avoid surprises and situations like this. Under "Additional Information", you can find the following details: - "Not recommended for travelers with back problems." - "No heart problems or other serious medical conditions." Additionally, it is not correct that this is only a 3-hour hike. The description explicitly states that it takes 3 hours to reach the summit and 3 hours to get down, 6 hours total. It takes a whole day, and we communicate that ahead of time. Our services are inclusive, and if we had information about your husband's physical condition ahead of time, we would have recommended a much more suitable tour. We welcome all travelers (kids, teenagers, adults, elderly) and offer a large variety of tour options for different interests and profiles. After learning about his condition at the last minute, we adapted the tour to yours. We proposed a moderate hike with the same duration, but you decided not to do it until the end. Instead, you chose to go paragliding (parasailing is over water). Paragliding is an activity that is highly accessible for people with disabilities. There is no minimum or maximum age. Any person from 20kg – 120kg can fly, including the disabled, no matter the disability. We asked you to pay cash so we could pay the pilots right after the flight. Before this review, our Pedra da Gávea product had 100% of customer satisfaction, with 80 reviews giving us a 5-star rating. As a leading company in the active travel industry, safety is our #1 priority, and we must consider the best interest of our customers. Outdoor activities and expeditions must not be taken lightly. We appreciate your comprehension. Regards, Alexis VQM