9 Waterfall Tours in Rio de Janeiro to Build a Day Around

1.Tijuca Forest Small Group Hike to Caves and Waterfalls

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

Join a bilingual guide such as Vini, Riccardo, Tito, or Renata for a 6.2-kilometer Tijuca Forest hike. Expect Cascatinha Taunay, Mayrink Chapel, coffee-farm ruins, a gneiss cave, suspension bridge, rainforest lessons, and a cooling waterfall stop.

“So easy to say what I liked most about the park. As we were driving out, but still in the park, we saw a sloth. I was so excited. Made my day and my entire trip. Other than that the rest of the hike was great. Gustavo went at a good pace for me and explained so many things about trees, plants, animals, et cetera. There was a steep uphill but if you are an experienced hiker it’s not too bad. Loved the bat grotto. All the bats were hibernating, so we didn’t actually see any and I certainly was not going to disturb them. Much better to leave animals…”

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2.Tijuca Forest & Horto Waterfalls Circuit Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 99 reviews · from $56

Leave Rio’s beaches for a four-hour guided hike through Horto’s waterfalls. You’ll bathe at Jequitibá and Cachoeira do Chuveiro, climb rocky sections and tree roots, and may spot monkeys. Guides such as Marius, Didi Star, Pedro, Pietro, and Thales lead private or small groups in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

“The trip was very rewarding, there was a little climbing but nothing to worry about. Highly recommended for getting out of the city for couple of hours”

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3.Hiking in the Tijuca Forest : Waterfalls and Caves

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

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

“This was a great tour. Our guide, Julio was the best. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and was quick to point out many interesting things to us. Lots of beautiful scenery and views.”

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4.Garganta do Céu and Waterfall hike in Pedra da Gávea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $58

Meet your accredited guide at Point da Meire in Barra da Tijuca for a roughly four-hour hike through Tijuca National Park. Expect a challenging two-hour climb to Garganta do Céu, views of Christ the Redeemer and Rio’s beaches, plus time at Sorimã Waterfall. Photos and videos are included.

“This was a very challenging hike for me. Took me 2hrs going up. Rugged terrain with lots of rocks. Ron Beulah is an excellent guide and truly helped to make sure that I got up and down without incident. There were 3 tourists & 1 guide. If you have any major health issues or are out of shape do not do this hike! You need at least 2 liters of water and snacks. It was very rewarding and satisfying to see the monkeys and tropical forests. I’d do it again since I’m aware of the level of difficulty.”

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5.Tijuca Forest Hike – Waterfalls & Caves, Nature & Wild Life!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $69

Explore Tijuca National Park with guides such as Alli, Sergio, Lucas, or Juliana on a 4.5-hour, 5.5-mile hike. See Taunay Waterfall, Mayrink Chapel, caves, and several falls, with time to cool off in natural water. Small groups are capped at 10 people.

“Heel fijne ervaring. De gids Lucas was heel vriendelijk, sprak goed engels, wist heel veel over het park en de planten. Het tempo is goed doenbaar voor iemand met een basis conditie. Zeker een aanrader!”

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6.Tijuca Forest w/ Chinese View,cascatinha Taunay,horto waterfall and parque laje

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 29 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $88

Spend about four hours exploring Rio’s Tijuca Forest by car or Jeep with a guide. Visit Vista Chinesa, Emperor’s Table, Cascatinha Taunay, Horto Waterfall, and Parque Lage. Guides associated with the experience include Ederson, Jael, and Jabier. The tour accepts up to 14 people.

“Ended up being the only one on the tour which gave a much more personal experience. This is definitely a must do for anyone interested in nature and history - despite being in the middle of the city, you feel a million miles away”

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7.Tijuca Forest Waterfall of Souls Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 3h 30m · from $60

Join guide Kelly for a 210-minute Tijuca Forest walk combining gentle stretches, breathing exercises, forest lore, wildlife spotting, and a swim at Waterfall of Souls. You will also see Taunay Waterfall, Mayrink Chapel, a lake, and an artists’ garden. English, Spanish, and Portuguese are available.

“I liked the vibes of the experience thanks for the guide. but maybe I wanted to visit more the forest for see a cave for example.”

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8.Tijuca Rain Forest – Adventure through Waterfalls & Caves

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 13 reviews · from $60

Join Samuel or Samuca for a five-hour Tijuca Forest outing with hotel pickup, Taunay and Baronesa waterfalls, Chinese-style lookouts, caves, forest history, photos, videos, water, and English, Portuguese, or Spanish guidance. The cave walk can be adjusted for children and older adults.

“Samuca was the best of the best! Kind knowledgeable, very patient, and professional! Don’t miss an opportunity to tour with this guide. You will not be sorry. The tour was incredible, we saw toucans, monkeys, Couti, caves, waterfalls, amazing foliage, a wonderful hike all while having an interactive guide.”

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9.Tijuca Forest´s hike: caves, waterfalls and great views

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 4 hours · from $40Best value

Meet Lucas or another bilingual guide at Praça Afonso Viseu for a four-hour Tijuca Forest hike. Visit 35-meter Cascatinha Taunay, caves, ruins, Cachoeira das Almas, and quiet waterfalls where you can swim. Small groups of up to eight keep the pace personal.

“The hike was excellent and Lucas took such a great care of us! Highly recommend Lucas for a day trip to the forest!”

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