Favela & Santa Teresa Cultural Tour

Tavares Bastos, The Maze Art Gallery & Santa Teresa | 6 Hours

Discover another side of Rio de Janeiro on a private cultural tour through Tavares Bastos Favela and Santa Teresa, combining community life, contemporary art, panoramic views, local history, and one of the city’s most creative neighborhoods.

Travel with a local guide and explore Rio beyond its traditional landmarks, from the hillside community of Tavares Bastos and the remarkable The Maze Art Gallery to the cobblestone streets, studios, restaurants, and bohemian atmosphere of Santa Teresa.

Tour Highlights

Tavares Bastos Favela

Experience everyday life in Tavares Bastos, a hillside community in Rio’s Catete neighborhood known for its distinctive urban landscape, local businesses, street art, and sweeping views of the city.

Walk through the community with your guide while learning about favela history, social transformation, local entrepreneurship, and the realities of life in Rio’s hillside neighborhoods.

Tavares Bastos has also attracted international film productions and was used as a filming location for The Incredible Hulk (2008).

The Maze Art Gallery

Visit one of Tavares Bastos’ most unusual cultural landmarks.

Founded in the early 1980s, The Maze became known for its striking mosaic-covered architecture, panoramic views, art, and long association with Rio’s jazz scene.

Its colorful, maze-like spaces reflect decades of artistic collaboration and make this one of the most distinctive cultural settings in Rio.

At The Maze, pause for a welcome drink while enjoying one of the experience’s most memorable viewpoints, overlooking Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain.

Santa Teresa

Continue to Santa Teresa, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most atmospheric and artistic neighborhoods.

Explore its winding streets, historic architecture, local galleries, ateliers, cafés, bars, and restaurants while discovering how the neighborhood developed from the 18th century onward and became an important center of Rio’s cultural and artistic life.

Largo dos Guimarães

Spend time around Largo dos Guimarães, the lively heart of Santa Teresa and an excellent area to experience the neighborhood’s creative energy.

There will also be time for lunch during the tour. Meal expenses are not included.

Why Take This Tour?

This 6-hour cultural experience brings together two very different yet interconnected sides of Rio.

Instead of focusing only on the city’s traditional landmarks, you will discover community life, independent art, architecture, local history, and contemporary Carioca culture in places that many visitors never explore.

Because the experience is private, your guide can provide more personal attention and adapt the pace of the visit to the group.

The visit to Tavares Bastos is conducted with respect for the community and its residents. We encourage responsible tourism that approaches Rio’s favelas as living communities rather than tourist attractions.