Apr 7, 2025
A unique chance to see the favela through the eyes of someone truly loved by the community - I visited Rio de Janeiro with a tourism company in January. I was excited to see the favela, even though our tour guide had warned us not to visit due to safety concerns. But after reading the reviews about this tour (or, more accurately, this "hangout" as it’s described), I convinced myself to give it a shot.
I booked the tour, and Mirela contacted me via WhatsApp right after booking. She gave me information about the meeting point and told me how much cash I should bring for public transportation during the visit.
I met Mirela at the Sheraton Hotel and turned out to be the only person on the tour. We had two options: a van or a motorcycle taxi. I chose the moto-taxi. The ride was thrilling and full of adrenaline for me!
When we got to the top of the favela, the view was absolutely stunning. We walked back down to the starting point while Mirela shared insights about the cultural and historical background of the neighborhood. We even stopped for a local beer at a bar on our way back.
The best part of the experience was that Mirela was clearly a well-known and beloved person in the community. She kept running into people who greeted her warmly or stopped for a quick chat. That’s why I felt super safe during the entire trip.
Thank you, Mirela, for offering such a meaningful perspective on disadvantaged lives and organizing this tour even just for one person.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 16, 2024
Safe, fun, and informative! - Amazing tour! The guide Mirela was very kind, friendly, and knowledgeable. She shared a mix of personal stories and facts about art, culture, and history. We had beautiful views, I felt very safe and she spoke English very well! Would definitely recommend this tour when visiting Rio.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 19, 2024
Informative and fun I definitely recommend ! - Mirela is a top notch guide. She has a ton of information on Vidigal to share and she is very friendly. I really got to know and love Vidigal because of her and I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 26, 2024
Unique moment - We loved our experience with Mirela, who knows the favela and its inhabitants very well. She shared a lot with us. The visit was very interesting and with all respect to the community that lives there. The tour was done only with Mirela and our family, much better than in large groups. We spoke with several residents and were very well received. It was a unique experience and we never felt in danger, quite the opposite. If you want to live this experience with Mirela you must do it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 16, 2024
Incredible experience in RJ - The Favela Tour Vidigal provides a genuine opportunity for interaction and immersion in the daily life of the Vidigal community, highlighting its culture, music and gastronomy.
The experience provided by guide Mirela goes beyond the conventional tourist aspect, offering visitors an authentic and respectful perspective of Rio de Janeiro's favelas.
The tour is educational and exciting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 9, 2020
Wow, what a day... mind changing - The tour was amazing. Mirela took us by foot around the favela that she lives in. We went to the real top to enjoy the fantastic view and made our way down. She knows a lot about her neighborhood ( the favela) from history to current things. We felt more then safe the entire time. Having seen this wonderful neighborhood with it's great people living there changed my opinion about favelas in total. Also one really feels like being right in the moment, right in the place. Not at all as it might have been from a Jeep, just watching at it, one is in it. I just really really recommend it to everyone. It's a personal experience, a good and happy atmosphere and we just had an amazing day. I can't stress that enough!!! Thank you Mirela!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 2, 2020
Amazing tour of the Vidigal Favela! - We would highly encourage everyone to take part in this tour with Mirela. It was a wonderful experience seeing inside the favela. We felt perfectly safe the entire time. Many people in the community know Mirela and it was fun watching her interact with the kids and other people that live there. She was extremely knowledgeable about the favela and about Rio in general. This tour gives a good mixture of nice views from the top of the favela and also a firm understanding of what the inside of the favela looks like. My boyfriend and I ended being the only ones on the tour, which was nice. Mirela limits the tours to only 5 people so it always feels very personable. I would highly recommend this tour over any other tour of the favela- it’s much better to do a small tour with a local than a larger tour with tons of tourists.
Mirela- Thank you so much for everything! It was lovely meeting you! Abrigada!
- Anna and Kole
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 29, 2020
MUST TRY this Vidigal Hangout Tour - Thank you, Mirela! Your introduction to Vidigal was educational, interesting, fun & most importantly authentic. Riding on a motorcycle taxi through the hilly & narrow streets up to the top felt like a scene from the movies. It was a fascinating experience and the scenery up top was stunning. Mirela is friendly, knowledgeable and warm as she introduced her friends & neighbours to me in her close knit community. Learning about their daily lives and living conditions was truly an eye opener. This hangout included a few drinks at 2 bars (1 catered to tourists & the other one for locals). Both were very enjoyable as you felt safe there and welcomed by everyone. I highly recommend Mirela as she has many great stories to share and her passion for contributing to her favela truly stands out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 29, 2020
Must try this Vidigal Hangout Tour - Thank you, Mirela! I didn’t know what to expect on this private tour. Your introduction to Vidigal was educational, interesting, fun & most importantly authentic. Riding on a motorcycle taxi through the hilly & narrow streets up to the top felt like a scene from the movies. It was a fascinating experience and the scenery up top was stunning. Mirela is friendly, knowledgeable and warm as she introduced her friends & neighbours to me in her close knit community. Learning about their daily lives and living conditions was truly an eye opener. This hangout included a few drinks at 2 bars (1 catered to tourists & the other one for locals). Both places were equally enjoyable as you felt safe and welcomed by everyone. I highly recommend Mirela as she has many great stories to share and her passion in contributing to the Vidigal community truly stands out.
Review provided by Viator
Feb 28, 2020
Excellent human experience - What a great experience ! At the begining, I was sceptical about visiting a favela in Rio because of what local people and tourists say about the danger in there. But Mirela showed us the social part of the favela : we discovered a world full of kind people, good food and nice views. You have to see it to believe it !
Mirela is such a lovely person ! She speaks perfect english, is very invested in the social life of the favela and wisely guides you in interesting spots. The second day, she even helped us to find a ride to Ilha Grande !
We definetly recommend this experience !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
