Rocinha
Cousins

The REAL Rocinha Experience

Small private groups, guided by two cousins born and raised in Rocinha. Not a van of thirty. Not a guide from somewhere else.

English · Español · Português spoken

Born in Rocinha, not from somewhere else Your group only, never more than 8 No vans, no jeeps, no crowds The cousin who answers is the cousin who walks

Choose your experience

Small, private and led by us. Never a van full of strangers. Tell us which one you want and we'll sort out the rest by message.

Experience 01Morning or afternoon · 2 to 3½ hours

Private Rocinha Tour

A private, immersive walk through the largest favela in Latin America with two local cousins. Real culture, real people, real Rio.

From R$ 260 per person

  1. São Conrado metro, Exit A We meet you here
  2. Up the hill by moto-taxi Included · you ride, we ride beside you
  3. Laboriaux viewpoint Sugarloaf, the ocean, the whole South Zone
  4. Rocinha's football pitch Three minutes downhill. Jump into the game if you want
  5. Acorda Capoeira Live capoeira with Mestre Manel, teaching here for 20+ years
  6. Rua 1 The market street, on foot, at your pace
  7. Vista Show rooftop Where we stop and just look
  8. And plenty more, depending on the day

On foot By moto-taxi

Add-ons: drone video, haircut, rooftop barbecue

Things we can set up for your day. Tell us which one you want when you book.

  • Drone video The drone goes up over the hill with you in the frame. Not a shot you can get from the ground, and the video is yours the same day.
  • Haircut at the barbershop The same chair we sit in. Fade, line-up, and the blond dye if you want the cut you see all over the hill.
  • Dia de cria We close the day on our own rooftop, grill lit, city below. Dia de cria is what we call a day lived like someone who grew up here.
Message us to book Full details of this tour
Experience 02After dark · All night with us

Favela Party: Baile Funk

Experience Rio's real nightlife from the inside. We safely take you into an authentic baile funk in Rocinha or Vidigal, the party locals actually go to. Dance, feel the energy and live the culture with trusted local guides by your side all night.

R$ 200 per person

Message us to book Full details of this night
Experience 03At sunrise · About 4 hours

Two Brothers (Dois Irmãos) Hike

Hike up the iconic Dois Irmãos mountain from Vidigal for the most breathtaking panoramic view in all of Rio: Ipanema, Leblon, the ocean and the favela below. Guided every step by a local cousin. Unforgettable at sunrise.

R$ 250 per person

Message us to book Full details of this hike
The two Rocinha Cousins guides on a rooftop overlooking the favela and Dois Irmãos mountain

Two cousins.
One favela.
Your Rio.

We are Herbert and Jonathan. We were born here, we grew up here, and we still live here. Rocinha isn't a stop on our route. It's home, and everyone in the alleyways knows us by name.

That's why we only take one group at a time. No vans, no headsets, no crowd of thirty people photographing rooftops from a jeep. Just you and us, walking at your pace, stopping where you want, eating where we eat, meeting the people we grew up with.

You'll meet Mestre Manel at Acorda Capoeira, the project that has taught capoeira to kids in Rocinha for over twenty years. If you want to support it, you give to them directly, right there.

Reviews

Straight from our guests

Every one of these is from someone who actually did the tour. We cut them for length, never for content: the full text is on Google and on GetYourGuide.

5.0 on Google · 7 reviews 5.0 on GetYourGuide · 2 reviews

We were in two minds about doing a favela tour, but knowing that we were being showed around by two people who grew up in Rocinha and still live there [...] put our minds at ease. [...] We watched a traditional capoeira performance as part of a social project, got to play a basket ball game, share a beer on a local rooftop trying Rochinq special beer and even got a favela hair cut! [...] We felt we were hanging out with friends for the day.

Ed O'Connor · Google

Una experiencia increíble y totalmente recomendable. Pudimos conocer de cerca la vida en la favela, sus orígenes y su realidad, mientras reíamos, bailábamos y disfrutábamos muchísimo. [...] Además, que sean grupos reducidos hace que la experiencia sea mucho más cercana y auténtica. Sin duda merece la pena vivir esta experiencia con ellos.

Carla Navarro · Spain · GetYourGuide

Great individuals, both of the cousins are genuinely kind and compassionate humans. I witnessed many instances of this on our tour, they picked stuff up for an elderly lady, high fives the kids and gave them a trinket, talked with and hugged many people. [...] I came away with many thoughts, and it was a 10/10 tour! We at no time felt unsafe, the cousins walked one in front one behind us the whole time.

John Morris · Google

We had an amazing time on our Rocinha tour! Our guides were two cousins who were born and raised there, and they were incredibly friendly, funny, open, and welcoming. They explained everything really well, answered all our questions, and made the whole experience feel authentic and personal. We learned a lot and got a great insight into life in Rocinha. We definitely recommend this tour! thank you both for a great experience!

Timm Kalesse · Google

Amazing tour, would definetely recommend! Two very nice guys who know everything about Rocinha and it's history. They also speak English very well and take the time for you. Obrigado!

Timo Verheijen · Google

What you actually get

No small print, no surprise add-ons at the meeting point. This is what every booking includes.

Questions

Is it safe?

Yes. We live in Rocinha and we know every corner and every person on the way. You walk with locals who are respected here, we go only where and when it's calm, and we stay with you the whole time.

How do I book?

Message us on Instagram or WhatsApp. Tell us which experience you want, your dates and how many people. We'll answer with everything you need to know and confirm your spot in the same conversation.

Where do we meet?

At São Conrado metro station, Exit A, right next to the Rocinha street market. It's easy to reach from Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, and we'll send you the exact pin when you book.

Which languages do you speak?

English, Spanish and Portuguese. We grew up switching between the three. This page is also translated into French so you can read it comfortably, but the tour itself is guided in English, Spanish or Portuguese. Write to us in whichever of those three works best for you.

How much does it cost?

The private Rocinha tour is R$ 300 for one person and R$ 260 each from two to five people. Above five, message us and we work out a group price. The baile funk night is R$ 200 per person and the Dois Irmãos sunrise hike is R$ 250 per person. Every price is per person and already includes the moto-taxi rides, so there is nothing to pay at the meeting point.

How do I pay?

However suits you. We take cash in reais, credit and debit cards, Revolut transfers and Bitcoin. Tell us which one works for you when you book and we sort it out in the same conversation.

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