Beleza
Lidson with a group on a rooftop in Rocinha, the Pedra da Gávea cliff behind them.

Rio de Janeiro · Rocinha, on foot and by moto-taxi

Three hours in Rocinha with Lidson, one of the community's authorized guides.

A small-group walk in Rio, led by a named local guide. You talk to Lidson before you pay anything, and you see exactly where your money goes.

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What the tour is

Three hours on foot and by moto-taxi through Rocinha, Rio's largest community. You see the streets, the shops, the rooftop views and the ordinary daily life the postcard leaves out. Lidson takes you where he is known, at the pace of someone who is not passing through.

How the three hours go

Who your guide is

You are booking a person, not a listing. The guide on this page is the guide who meets you.

Lidson with guests at a viewpoint above Rio, the lagoon and Christ the Redeemer in the distance.

Lidson

Community
Rocinha
Guiding for
2 years
Languages
PT · EN · ES
Authorization
Favelaturismo · Rocinha

Lidson started two years ago working a beach stall on Barra da Tijuca beach, renting chairs and umbrellas. People he met on the sand asked to see where he lived, so he began walking them up into Rocinha in the evening. From there came the trails he already knew, Pedra Bonita, Pedra da Gávea, Dois Irmãos, and guiding became his work. What he wants you to take home is a true picture of Rio: the postcard, and the places and people that are part of daily life here.

What you pay and where it goes

No other listing tells you this. Lidson asked that the tour's costs be shown too, not only his share, so here is all of it.

You pay
R$205about $37 per person: a $10 deposit now, and R$150 to Lidson on the day
Lidson keeps
R$10049% of what you pay
Your tour's costs
R$5024% — R$10 moto-taxi, R$20 rooftop (laje) access, and the R$20 visitor fee every tourist in Rocinha pays through the community's Favelaturismo app, all paid by Lidson while you are with him
Beleza keeps
R$5225% — the deposit, after card fees

The remaining 2% is what the card processor takes. Nobody here keeps it.

What the deposit pays for

Taking your card in your currency, and a person who answers you in English or Spanish before and during your trip. Lidson does the rest.

How payment works

A $10 deposit per person by card holds your date. The remaining R$150 per person goes to Lidson on the day: cash, Wise, Revolut or Pix, or card with a 3% to 5% surcharge. Rate used on this page: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL, so your total moves a little with it.

Is it safe?

Yes.

You are accompanied for the whole route. Lidson stays with the group from start to finish, and he knows the community, its paths and how daily life works there. The experience was built so that you get to know Rocinha calmly, with respect, and in safety.

The practical details, from the moto-taxi rides to the weather plan, we go over with you on WhatsApp before the tour, in your language.

Photographs and consent

  1. No photographs of any person without asking them first. Your guide will ask for you.
  2. Where photos are fine and where they are not, your guide tells you. Follow that without discussion.
  3. No photographs inside homes, shops, or churches unless invited.
  4. Residents are not a backdrop. If someone says no, that is the end of it.

Practical

Meeting point
Exit A, São Conrado metro station, outside the community. Lidson meets you there and walks you back at the end.
Start times
Two fixed departures a day, 9:00 am and 1:30 pm, both from the meeting point. Pick one when you book; the tour takes three hours either way.
Bring
Water, sunscreen, R$150 per person for Lidson, and a little for food and drink, which are not included. Leave large cameras and jewelry at the hotel.
Wear
Comfortable clothes and shoes you can walk uphill in. It is hilly and it is hot.
Group size
Up to 8 people per booking. Larger groups on request; above ten, Lidson brings a second guide.
Weather
Light rain, the tour runs. Heavy rain or storms, Lidson reschedules or refunds your deposit in full.
Cancellation
Cancel 48 hours or more before your tour for a full refund of the deposit. Under 48 hours, the deposit is kept, because Lidson has turned down other work for that time slot. If Lidson cancels for any reason, full refund.

Book

Booking is a conversation, not a form. This is on purpose: you talk to a person before you pay.

  1. Message us on WhatsApp with the tour, the date, the departure time, and how many of you there are.
  2. Your guide confirms availability, usually within a few hours.
  3. We send you a card link for the deposit. Paying it holds your date, and 24 hours before you get a written brief in your language.
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We answer in English or Spanish, usually within a few hours, São Paulo time.

From $37 per person Message us on WhatsApp