Why it matters: Marcelo Armstrong pioneered favela tourism in Rio in 1992, and roughly a quarter of every tour’s price still goes to fund two community schools with no government support – Para Ti and Saci Sabe Tudo – which teach local kids computer skills, English, music and capoeira. The three-hour minivan-and-walking tour (departing 9am and 2pm from hotel pickups) moves through Rocinha, Latin America’s largest favela, and the smaller community of Vila Canoas, stopping at a handcraft center, a hillside viewpoint over the city, and one of the schools it funds. Book directly through the operator’s own site or WhatsApp rather than a generic reseller, and bring small bills for the handcraft stalls.
Good to know
Hotel pickup by minivan · 3-hour community-based favela tour · daily at 9am & 2pm