Experience Rio de Janeiro beyond the postcards on this private favela tour in Tavares Bastos, one of the city’s most fascinating hillside communities.

Designed for travelers who want a deeper, safer, and more personal connection with the real Rio, this private experience brings together local culture, football, street art, social impact, and breathtaking views over Guanabara Bay.

Unlike a typical sightseeing favela tour, this private experience is built around meaningful encounters, local storytelling, and a more respectful pace. You will explore Tavares Bastos with the support of local hosts connected to the community, offering a responsible and thoughtful way to understand daily life, creativity, and resilience in one of Rio’s most unique favelas.

The tour begins at the iconic The Maze, a unique artistic construction created by British artist and former journalist Bob Nadkarni. Known for its colorful mosaics, curved architecture, terraces, and viewpoints, The Maze feels like a living artwork overlooking one of Rio’s most beautiful landscapes.

From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of Sugarloaf Mountain, Guanabara Bay, and the city’s dramatic natural scenery — part of the landscape that helped Rio de Janeiro receive its UNESCO World Heritage recognition as a cultural landscape.

Next, you will visit the community’s football court, a powerful symbol of local life, identity, and passion. Surrounded by homes and daily movement, this space reveals how football is much more than a sport in Brazil — it is culture, gathering, memory, and emotion. With its striking architecture and unique setting among the houses, the court is said to have inspired the popular FIFA Street video game, becoming one of the most iconic symbols of Tavares Bastos.

Along the way, you will discover the Living Museum NAMI, an open-air street art route featuring murals created by women artists and connected to messages of human rights, female empowerment, and the fight against domestic violence. One of the most symbolic moments is the reference to Malala Yousafzai, who visited Tavares Bastos in 2018 during an initiative with Rede NAMI, bringing global visibility to art as a tool for transformation.

As the experience comes to an end, you will have time to take in the views, reflect on the stories shared throughout the tour, and appreciate the creative energy that makes Tavares Bastos such a unique community in Rio de Janeiro. More than a private favela tour, this is a cultural immersion led with care, respect, and purpose — combining urban art, football, powerful stories, and unforgettable views. By joining this experience, you support a more conscious way to visit Rio, one that values the community from within and contributes to local initiatives.

As part of our ongoing commitment to responsible tourism and community empowerment, a portion of every tour is directed back to Tavares Bastos through financial donations to local initiatives and social projects. By joining this experience, you are not only discovering a unique side of Rio de Janeiro — you are also helping support the community that welcomes you.