The 15 Best Tijuca Forest Tours in Rio de Janeiro

1.Christ, Selaron Steps, and Tijuca Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 857 reviews · 7 hours · from $68Our pick

Cover Rio’s essential sights in seven hours with an English, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide. Visit Christ the Redeemer early, explore Parque Lage and Tijuca Park, stop for lunch, then see Maracanã, the Cathedral, Municipal Theater, Selarón Steps, and Santa Teresa. Finish at Sugarloaf or your hotel.

“The tour was well organized, little bit rushed but we visited everything on time. Joao has a lot of knowledge and he answered all our questions in details”

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2.Guided Jeep Tour through Tijuca Rainforest

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 740 reviews · 4 hours · from $90

Ride an open-top jeep from select Rio hotels into Tijuca National Park. Guides such as Jorge, Roberta, Everton, and Andre explain the forest, wildlife, and reforestation before an easy one-hour walk past waterfalls, chapels, and city viewpoints.

“I liked the history provided by the our tour guide Roberta and the scenic views were amazing!”

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3.Jeep Adventure: Guided Tour through Tijuca Rain Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 554 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $88

Spend about four hours touring Tijuca National Park in an open-top Jeep, with an easy 15 to 30-minute forest walk to waterfalls. Your multilingual guide may be someone like Everton, George, Lucy, or Eddie. Expect city viewpoints, Mata Atlântica ecology, and hotel pickup, but not a wildlife safari.

“The trip through the national park was informative and educational. Our guide was informative and also amusing.”

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4.Tijuca Forest Small Group Hike to Caves and Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 536 reviews · 6 hours · from $69

Spend six hours exploring Tijuca Forest with guides such as Vini, Riccardo, Tito, or Luiza. Walk 6.2 kilometers past a cave, chapel, coffee-era ruins, suspension bridge, and waterfalls, then cool off beneath Baronesa Cascade.

“Pietro was our guide.He was professional and very passionate about what he is doing. His English was very good.The half day tour was very nice,we had a sunny day and almost no other people around the trek.The history and other information told by Pietro were very interesting and nice to listen to.Thank you very much.”

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5.Half-Day Jeep Tour at Floresta da Tijuca

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 353 reviews · 4 hours · from $60

Ride from your Rio hotel in a restored open-air military Jeep through Tijuca National Forest. With guides such as Dario, Thais, Gustavo, and Luciano, you’ll visit Vista Chinesa, Cascatinha Taunay, Mayrink Chapel, and easy forest trails, with time for wildlife, views, and a possible waterfall swim.

“The trip was excellent! Tour guide was informative and patient.”

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6.4-Hour Botanical Garden & Tijuca Forest Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 275 reviews · 4 hours · from $51Best value

Spend four hours exploring Rio’s Botanical Garden and Tijuca National Forest with a live English, Spanish, or Portuguese guide. See Brazilwood, orchids, giant water lilies, Taunay Waterfall, and views from Vista Chinesa. Hotel pickup is included from Rio’s South Zone, though weekend trips skip Vista Chinesa.

“At the Boatanical garden all area looks dry and some plants weren’ t good maintenance. At the forest there are only few spots,”

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7.Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden & Tijuca Forest Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 168 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $55

Spend an afternoon among Brazil’s plants at Rio’s Botanical Garden, then ride into Tijuca National Park for forest views, Taunay Waterfall, and Capela Mayrink. Guides such as Newton, João, and Alexia have earned praise for clear history and plant explanations. Pickup covers major South Zone hotels.

“The tijuka forest and the botanical gardens were wonderful.this that made me very angry were the guide who told me that he can not pick me up from Hotel Nacional and go to hotel Sol Ipanema.so I took a taxi and I went there.he came and took me.but what a surprise,he took back the same road and passed outside my hotel!!!!also he stopped and said the history of my hotel!!!and when I asked him why you didn't take me from here,he started to say foolish things!!!I am very angry with him and the company C2rio.”

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8.Tijuca Forest Challenge Hike Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 163 reviews · 9 hours · from $86

Spend up to nine hours exploring Tijuca Forest with guides such as Gustavo, Ricardo, Pietro, or Tito. Hike 10.4 km over rough, steep trails to Taquara Hill, caves, coffee-farm ruins, viewpoints, and a waterfall. Pickup is offered in Rio’s South Zone.

“Super! I had a great time on the hike and I'm so happy that I included it in my itinerary. Riccardo was a great tour guide and expanded my appreciation for the Mata Atlantica.”

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9.Jeep Tour in the Tijuca Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 108 reviews · 4 hours · from $82

Spend four hours in an open-top Jeep exploring Tijuca Forest with an English, Portuguese, or Spanish-speaking guide. Expect Vista Chinesa, Alto da Boa Vista, short nature walks, city views, possible monkeys and sloths, plus a brief swim stop in a natural pool.

“An excellent trip. Knowledgeable guide and would recommend doing as early as possible on your visit to Rio.”

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10.Tijuca Forest & Horto Waterfalls Circuit Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 99 reviews · from $56

Follow Rio’s Horto Waterfall Trail and Secret Waterfall Circuit to Jequitibá Waterfall and Cachoeira do Chuveiro. Expect a moderate hike with rocks, roots, climbing, and natural showers. Guides may include Marius, Didi Star, Pedro, Pietro, or Thales. Hotel pickup is optional.

“Fantastic trek. Really enjoyed it, though a few parts are a little tricky. Our guide Pedro talked us through them and gave good insights into various parts of the forest. Definitely recommend, and would be more than happy to do it again!”

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11.Rio de Janeiro Jeep Tour : Tijuca Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 96 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $83

Ride an open-air jeep through Tijuca National Park with a guide, stopping at Cachoeira dos Macacos, Cascatinha Taunay, and weekday-only Vista Chinesa. Expect light walking, waterfalls, forest history, possible monkeys and birds, and a four-hour outing from Rio.

“Good tour, the guide very knowledgeable. He was easy to understand and made the experience good for me”

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12.Tijuca National Park and all its wonders

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $68Top rated

Join an early morning, small-group hike through Tijuca National Park with guides such as Thomas or Lucas. See 35-meter Cascatinha Taunay, visit at least two bathing waterfalls, and learn about Rio’s rainforest, history, plants, and conservation work. Moderate fitness is needed.

“Our tour & hike through the Tijuca National Park was such a great experience! Thomas, our tour guide, helped us gain an overall understanding of the park's greatness and scale while still allowing us to focus on the small, beautiful details that set this park apart from any other. Thomas adapted the hike to our skill level and we enjoyed plenty of waterfalls. He was also a fantastic photographer! I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to explore the hidden beauty of this park!”

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13.Tijuca National Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 85 reviews · 4h 30m · from $79

Start with hotel pickup around 7:30 AM and ride into Tijuca National Park with a bilingual guide such as Thalles, Samuel, Dudu, or Sylvio. Walk to waterfalls, caves, viewpoints, and forest sites while learning about local plants and wildlife. The hike is usually manageable, with a few more demanding sections.

“Wonderful and knowledgeable guide who had a ton of information to share about the area!”

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14.Tijuca National Park Small-Group Hike to Pedra Bonita

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 79 reviews · 5 hours · from $63

Spend five hours with a bilingual guide hiking through Tijuca National Park to Pedra Bonita, a 696-meter summit with views toward Pedra da Gávea, Rio, and the coast. The small group holds up to six people, with South Zone hotel pickup, rainforest stories, and a stop at Vista Chinesa.

“Alex our tour guide was great at his job! You can see how he loves his job and he explained the history of Rio for us which was informative. He also was very polite, professional and brilliant! Thank you Alex! And getyourguide for a great experience! Took lots of great pics too”

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15.Hiking in the Tijuca Forest : Waterfalls and Caves

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $62

Spend about five hours in Tijuca National Park with a multilingual guide such as Eduardo, Victor, or Julio. Visit Canoas Lookout, Taunay Waterfall, forest cascades, the Bat Cave, Emperor’s Table, and Chinese View, with hotel pickup from Rio’s South Zone.

“This tour was my absolute favourite highlight of my entire visit to Brazil (and there were many highlights). From beginning to end the experience was efficient and fun. I booked very last minute and still received prompt and comprehensive communication and were picked up at my doorstep punctually early the next morning. Eduardo is an unforgettable and magnificent guide who clearly loves sharing the ins and outs of not only the Tijuca forest, but the whole of Rio. His energy and enthusiasm is very contagious. And - as other reviews certainly mention - his photography skills are second to none. He managed to make everyone feel comfortable, taking into consideration…”

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