travelers who visit rio de janeiro have a series of choices for exploring and discovering the city and the list includes neighborhood tours, samba schools visits, and trips to sugarloaf mountain or christ redeemer statue - there are a multitude of different ways to enjoy the world's 'marvelous city', and one such option that gained popularity in recent years is the favela tour.

these tours are generally operated by local residents, within the favelas, or by someone who does social work at a community ngo -individuals choosing to go on favela tours should do so in an attempt to experience cultural exchange, where they can give back as much as they are getting from the tour - the tours are intended to be interactive, not solely observational, since the emotions which arise from individuals being watched, instead of understood, can be very uncomfortable.