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A group of people posing in front of a mural with 'Santa Maria' and '37 USA' text. 1
A group of people standing on a street with a staircase leading up to a building. 2
A group of people standing in a narrow alley with brick walls and wooden structures. 3
A group of people standing on a stone staircase in a narrow alleyway with graffiti and posters on the walls. 4
A group of people gathered around a mural with colorful illustrations and a person with a backpack. 5

Rio de Janeiro: Santa Marta Favela Tour with a Local Guide

By Favela tour Santa Marta Turismo Comunitário e Social
8.6 out of 10
Excellent
Free cancellation available
Price is ฿906 per adult
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 2h 30m
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Multiple languages

Overview

  • Participate in a tour guide tour born in the Santa Marta favela
  • understand about the social and cultural and economic development of the favela.
  • Participate in an excursion with social
  • cultural and environmental purpose
  • visit cultural projects that promote inclusion and sustainability

Activity location

    • Rio de Janeiro
    • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Meeting/Redemption Point

    • Praça Corumbá - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22260-120, Brazil | The meeting point is at the tourist information stand located at Corumbá Square. To facilitate identification, present your reservation at the scheduled time. The waiting time is 15 minutes!
    • Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Multiple meeting/redemption points available, see location information for full list

Check availability

Rio de Janeiro: Santa Marta Favela Tour with a Local Guide

  • Activity duration is 2 hours and 30 minutes2h 30m
    2h 30m
  • English
Starting time: 10:00
Price details
฿905.87 x 2 Adults฿1,811.74
Total
Price is ฿1,811.74
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What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's included
    Local guide
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Bottled water

Know before you book

  • Not suitable for: People with mobility impairments, Wheelchair users

What you can expect

A REAL AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE… More than a simple hike, a responsible and purposeful immersion that creates a real impact for the people and the favela.

Favela Tour Santa Marta Turismo Social e Comunitário is a tourism agency developed by residents, born in 2010 from a TOURISM PROJECT in the favela. Led by Gilson Fumaça, who was born and raised here, we know every corner, every place, and every resident. We know our challenges, but we also celebrate our achievements. The favela is a place of struggle and resistance.

Fumaça, as he is affectionately called by all residents, is a true COMMUNITY LEADER — the first tour guide accredited by the Ministry of Tourism — and has been active in social and community projects for over 30 years.

Gilson Fumaça will not only show you sights, but take you on an immersive journey of what it's like to live inside a favela in Rio. He will share his storey from childhood to youth to adulthood — a storey of struggle and overcoming worth knowing.

You will also learn about Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1968 and the recording of Michael Jackson's music video for “They Don't Care About Us” in 1996. Gilson Fumaça not only closely witnessed that unique day for the favela — you can spot him in the video itself.

Gilson is a local guide and producer with an impressive track record:

Welcomed Joe Biden as part of the delegation of guides in 2013
Hosted Cara Delevingne in 2013 for a Vogue Brasil photoshoot
Produced with Seu Jorge, directed by Spike Lee, for LG's Festa Brasileira music video
Hosted Italian rapper Emis Killa in 2014 for the music video of the song Maracanã
Hosted Italian rapper BRESH in 2023 for the music video of the song “Torcida”
Hosted Tito Jackson (Michael Jackson's brother) for the music video of “Winning by Giving” in 2016
Don't just explore the alleys and side streets. Get involved in daily leisure activities — a football game on top of the hill, spinning a top, playing marbles, flying kites, or a drum session on the rooftop.

You are also more than welcome to visit Gilson's house and meet his mother, Maria Helena, who collects watches — over 400 throughout the house. Learn about construction and architecture too: the house has 3 floors, a home-stay system on the second floor, and a rooftop social dining space with cold drinks, tasty snacks, and a stunning view of Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf.

Learn about the educational, linguistic, and environmental projects developed by us, the guides and residents of Favela Santa Marta.

You too can live this experience.

Every visit matters deeply to us — and yours helps build our dream:
Our Educational Space, the GILSON FUMAÇA INSTITUTE.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    • Rio de Janeiro
    • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • Praça Corumbá - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22260-120, Brazil | The meeting point is at the tourist information stand located at Corumbá Square. To facilitate identification, present your reservation at the scheduled time. The waiting time is 15 minutes!
    • Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • Praça Corumbá - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22260-120, Brazil | The meeting point is at the tourist information stand located at Corumbá Square. To facilitate identification, present your reservation at the scheduled time. The waiting time is 15 minutes!
    • Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil