Vidigal Favela Tour: Experience Real Rio with Local Guide Russo
5.0
214 Ratings
Leblon
Embark on a Vidigal Favela Tour with local guide Russo and experience the real Rio. Explore the Sitiê Ecological Park, Vidigal Olympic Village, Arvrão viewpoint, Pope's Chapel, and vibrant graffiti art.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Leblon Beach - Venue Location: Sheraton Hotel
- Vidigal Beach - Venue: Sheraton Hotel
- Morro Dois Irmaos - The Favela where the tour will be held is located at Morro Dois Irmãos
What's Included
- Licensed tour guide
What's Not Included
- Drinks and Meals
Additional Information
Get a genuine taste of the past and present Favela!
With two decades of experience rooted in Vidigal, Russo Guia spent 17 years operating a local business and has been a guide for over two years now. With him, you get a unique perspective only a local can offer, while also contributing to appreciating local culture.
Equipped with training from the National Institute of Human Development, he’s well qualified to be your guide. In fact, he’s currently taking another tour guide course with Protur. Russo Guia is well-known and integrated within the Vidigal community.
Itinerary:
- Sitiê Ecological Park, which was once a landfill, but is now a venue for environmental education and agriculture!
- The Vidigal Olympic Village and its above-ground graffiti court!
- Arvrão: the spot boasting the best panoramic view and popular bars such as Bar da Laje, Mirante do Arvrão, and Alto Vidigal
- Pope’s Chapel: visited by Pope John Paul II in 1980!
- Arts shortcut: a graffiti wall featuring work by local artist @ tarm1 on Instagram and other artists from around the world!
Location
Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort
Avenida Niemeyer
We will contact you with your reservation with more details about the meeting point.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(214 Ratings)
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Rsst1
Mar 23, 2024
Great tour with Russo! - Great experience! Vidigal is a beautiful place and Russo is fun and had a lot of stories about the community. Really nice to hear and experience all that!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yessenia_p
Mar 22, 2024
Vidigal 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
Review provided by Viator
Yanzhan_w
Mar 14, 2024
Excellent tour - Russo was a great tour guide. He brings a lot of passion and unique perspectives to the tour, as a lifelong resident of Vidigal.
Review provided by Viator
Emefelsou
Mar 6, 2024
Vidigal experience - The tour is a must once in Rio to see the real life through a local resident of Vidigal. Russo has been living there for his whole life and knows all about Vidigal and its changes. I’d recommend to wear comfortable clothes and shoes as you go up the hill and there are loads of flights of stairs and inclined streets. The view from the top of Vidigal is breathtaking and experiencing that is amazing. You have the chance to visit a few stores/bars on the way up to buy water, drinks or food and Russo explains the social reality of local residents, charities in the community and how Vidigal was built. You must do it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eli_kas2024
Feb 9, 2024
Local experience, do this! - We totally recommend this tour! With the local guide Russo, it gives you the real and respectful insight of the life in favela. Russo was a great guide, it felt like hanging out with a friend. We felt safe and enjoyed the whole experience very much! Thank you Russo e até próxima!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linton
Feb 9, 2024
Outstanding Experience - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Sarajtdk
Feb 3, 2024
Recommended - Interesting tour with Russo! Especially appreciated the fact and history of the area. Recommended for the curious minds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jimbo_p
Jan 17, 2024
Highly recommend - 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.
Review provided by Viator
E8322heclaudioc
Jan 13, 2024
Look no further! - Russo is simply amazing. My expectations were very high for this tour, after reading his reviews, but he went above and beyond. Very knowledgeable about the favela, its people and its delicate dynamics. Incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about his job, with the innate ability to make you part of his world for the duration of the tour. Icing on the cake, a great company and talented photographer!! Keep up the great work Russo :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angus_w
Jan 5, 2024
Highlight of Rio! - 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!
Review provided by Viator