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 and raised in Rocinha Just your group, up to 10 people No vans, no jeeps The cousin who answers is the cousin who walks

Pick your tour

Small private groups, and we guide every one ourselves. Tell us which one you want and we'll sort out the rest by message.

Tour 01Morning or afternoon · 2 to 3½ hours

Private Rocinha Tour

A private walk through the largest favela in Latin America, on foot and by moto-taxi, with two cousins who live there. You see Rocinha the way we live it.

R$ 300 per person R$ 260 from 2 people · R$ 240 from 5

  1. São Conrado metro, Exit A We meet you here
  2. Up the hill by moto-taxi Included. You ride on the back of a moto-taxi, we ride alongside
  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 whatever else comes up that 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. You can't get that shot from the ground, and the video is yours the same day.
  • Haircut at the barbershop The same chair we get our own cuts in. Fade, line-up, and the blond dye if you want the look 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.
Book online Message us Full details of this tour
Tour 02Friday to Sunday, after dark · All night with us

Favela Party: Baile Funk

The real baile, the one people from here go to on weekends, in Rocinha or Vidigal. We take you in and stay next to you until you head home.

R$ 200 per person

Book online Message us Full details of this night
Tour 03Sunrise at 3am or morning at 8am · About 4 hours

Two Brothers (Dois Irmãos) Hike

The trail starts in Vidigal and ends at the best view in Rio: Ipanema, Leblon, the ocean and the favela below. One of us walks with you the whole way. Leave at 3am and you watch the sun come up from the top.

R$ 250 per person

Book online Message us 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.

So we take one group at a time. You won't be in a van with a headset, or in a jeep with thirty people photographing rooftops. It's you and us, at your pace, stopping where you want, eating where we eat and 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.

Filmed on the tour

Clips from our own tours, filmed by us. Nobody in them is an actor.

Meeting the group
Up the hill by moto-taxi
Dancing in the street
Rocinha's football pitch
Acorda Capoeira
An art stop on the way
Vista Show rooftop
Haircut at the barbershop
Learning the moves
Drone video
Golden hour over the hill
Sunrise from the top
Reviews

Straight from our guests

Every review here is from someone who did the tour. We shorten some, without changing what they said. The full versions are on Google and GetYourGuide.

5.0 on Google · 7 reviews 5.0 on GetYourGuide · 3 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

¡La visita a Rocinha fue excelente! Los guías hicieron que nos sintiéramos cómodos durante todo el recorrido. Nos contaron sobre la historia y la vida cotidiana del lugar, respondieron todas nuestras preguntas y nos ayudaron a conocer Rocinha con más profundidad. Fue una experiencia muy interesante, inolvidable, y la disfrutamos muchísimo. ¡Gracias por acompañarnos con tanta calidez! Los super recomendamos.

Lucia · Uruguay · GetYourGuide

What's included

Nothing extra to pay at the meeting point. Every booking includes all of this.

Questions

Is it safe?

Yes. We live in Rocinha and know every corner and the people along the way. You're walking with locals who are respected here. We only go where and when it's calm, and we don't leave your side.

The full answer
How do I book?

Book online right here: pick the tour, the day and how many you are, and pay by card. If you'd rather talk first, message us on Instagram or WhatsApp and we 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 them, and we can guide the tour in any of the three.

How much does it cost?

The private Rocinha tour is R$ 300 for one person, R$ 260 each for two to four people and R$ 240 each for five to ten. For more than ten, message us. The baile funk night is R$ 200 per person and the Dois Irmãos hike is R$ 250 per person. The moto-taxi rides are already in the price, so there's nothing to pay at the meeting point.

How do I pay?

Booking online, you pay by card, credit or debit. Booking by message, whatever's easiest for you: cash in reais, card, Revolut transfer or Bitcoin.

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