Rio's favelas become hot tourist destination as visitors seek cultural immersion

RIO DE JANEIRO — As record numbers of tourists descend upon Rio de Janeiro, many are looking beyond the city's iconic landmarks, seeking instead local tours in the city's favelas to learn more about the often-stigmatized territories that are also beacons of urban culture and art.

The influx of curious visitors has inspired residents of the low-income communities to turn to tourism to generate cash, among them local guide Vitor Oliveira.

Oliveira, formerly a motorcycle taxi driver in Rocinha — Rio's most populated favela — said he started to offer tours after noticing an increase in international visitors. Tourism, he said, is now his main source of income.

Rio welcomed 12.5 million tourists in 2025, including 2.1 million international visitors, according to Rio City Hall. The number of international tourists jumped by 44.8% compared to 2024, generating 7.8 billion reais ($1.5 billion) for Rio's economy.

On a busy weekday in late January, Rocinha was teeming with tourists from Chile and France. Amid the crowds, Oliveira guided Oscar Jara, a Paraguayan, and his nephew, José Martínez, through the favela's narrow streets.

''To come to Rio and only visit Copacabana Beach, the statue of Christ and Sugar Loaf Mountain, you're not really visiting Rio. You're visiting a posh and expensive side of Rio," said Oliveira. ''But Rio's essence comes from the favelas.''

Rocinha is sprayed across a hill that overlooks many of Rio's major landmarks. Oliveira typically starts his tour with viewpoints, then takes tourists to cultural spots, such as capoeira presentations and artists' galleries. Clients can even choose to end the tour by having a Brazilian barbecue on his own balcony.

As visitors increase, new bars with balconies and houses with open slabs are now open for tourists to take selfies, with some even offering scenic drone video recording services.

Some of these videos, taken by influencers, have gone viral on social media and are part of the reason for the growth in visitors. Oliveira said he was approached by hundreds of tourists after appearing in a YouTube video by a Spanish tourist that received thousands of views.

Jara, the Paraguayan tourist, noted that some of those viral videos give people confidence to visit without fear. He himself sought out Oliveira after seeing one of his videos. ''It's very authentic tourism...not tidied up for tourists, not arranged to show something superficial,'' Jara said.

Jara is hardly the only one to have succumbed to Rocinha's charm. Global superstar Rosalía spent the last days of 2025 in Rio, and her stay included a trip to Rocinha where video footage shows her learning the famed passinho dance step.

Cosme Felippsen, a tour guide who works in his home favela of Morro da Providencia as well as in Rocinha, says that many guides specifically tailor their tours to go beyond simply drinking a caipirinha in a favela.

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