Tijuca Rainforest Waterfalls, Wildlife, Caves and Rio Scenic View
Description
Explore this natural reserve, a true ecological paradise located in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. During the tour, you will observe the rich biodiversity of the area while admiring stunning landscapes, crystal-clear waterfalls, and fascinating caves. Along the way, it is possible to spot various species of wildlife, such as monkeys, sloths, toucans, coatis, and colorful butterflies, among others. After walking through the park's trails, you can cool off in the beautiful waterfalls that make up this paradisiacal setting. Come and experience a unique connection with nature right in the middle of the city!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The first stop is at Canoas Overlook, a breathtaking viewpoint where you can admire iconic landmarks such as São Conrado Beach, Pedra da Gávea, Pedra Bonita, and the Hang Gliding Ramp. After a brief stop, we will head directly to Tijuca National Park, just 10 minutes away.
Tijuca National Park is considered the world's largest urban tropical forest, covering 39 square kilometers. It is home to a vast variety of plants and animals, including: • Over 300 bird species • 2,500 species of trees and plants • About 60 species of amphibians and reptiles • Several mammals, including capuchin monkeys and sloths During this tour, we will explore the park’s most remarkable spots—a perfect place for nature observation.
The first stop inside the park is to observe this impressive waterfall, standing about 40 meters high—the tallest in the region.
You will explore the mysterious beauty of the Bat Cave, a 100-meter-long and 30-meter-high cavern—the most visited cave in the park.
Após a caminhada você poderá se refrescar nas águas cristalinas das Cachoeiras do Parque Nacional. É o momento ideal para relaxar em meio a natureza local.
The final stop is at the famous Chinese View lookout point, where you can admire the full beauty of Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy stunning views of the city, including Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Ipanema Beach, and Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup will be at the lobby of your hotel, where your driver-guide will be waiting with a sign displaying your name. The pickup window is between 7:00 am and 8:00 am. Your exact pickup time will be confirmed via email through the Viator platform one day prior to the tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(25)
Pedro was an exceptional tour guide. He was kind, knowledgeable and really wanted to make sure our experience was great! He took time to personalize our experience when he could and definitely went above and beyond. If you can request Pedro I would highly recommend you do!
5/5 Pedro took such great care of us. We saw beautiful sites and lots of wildlife! He was fantastic
Tijuca forest is one of the biggest urban forests in the world. We started our forest drive on Rio lookout, then we stopped at waterfall, then there was 1.5 hour hike finishing next to another waterfall. We should finish at Chinese house, but it is closed on Sundays. We managed to see capuchin monkeys from the far and Brazilian coati from up close. Our guide / driver Samuel was kind and very knowledgeable and told us a lot about Tijuca forest, but also about Rio city and life.
Tijuca forest is one of the biggest urban forests in the world. We started our forest drive on Rio lookout, then we stopped at waterfall, then there was 1.5 hour hike finishing next to another waterfall. We should finish at Chinese house, but it is closed on Sundays. We managed to see capuchin monkeys from the far and Brazilian coati from up close. Our guide / driver Samuel was kind and very knowledgeable and told us a lot about Tijuca forest, but also about Rio city and life.
Great experience with fantastic nature and scenery. Pedro was a helpful and knowledgeable guide and ensured the day was memorable.
Cascata da Baronessa was so refreshing in the Tijuca National Park in Sao Conrado Brazil. My Guide Eduardo of Itaway EcoTours was The Best! Highly Recommend him!!!
Understandably, tour was adapted due to having kids, but it felt like little was seen. The waterfalls were underwhelming, the cave was poorer than others explored and I feel like snacks should be offered given the price, particularly due to entry fees in this part of Tijuca being non existent. No wildlife, which was a real shame. Pedro explained things well, and was accommodating, but the tour itself would not be something I would recommend.
Our guide Pedro gave us a great animal/nature experience. We would recommend the tour to anyone as must! Also very good to escape the heat. We did the tour at 32 degrees.
I’m Brazilian living in the U.S. and my girlfriend is Ukranian/American. Despite being familiar to the area, I chose the tour for convenience and safety. Sergio was a great guide and showed us caves, waterfalls and spectacular views. The tour took about 5 hours. He picked us up in Ipanema at 7am and dropped us off by noon. Highly recommend it if you want a taste of a true rain forrest.
The tour was good, pick up happened on time, the tour guide, Pedro was very clear with communication and explaining everything to us about what we were seeing, what to expect and called out unique plants/trees while also giving us some information about the history of the trail. I do wish the tour involved a bit more walking than driving. My friend and I joined a different member on the tour to walk through the Chinese gate portion of the park (it was closed to cars this day) and hiking this additional stretch felt like it made the overall experience more worth it. I guess I expected more hiking given the description of the activity but it’s more of a nature walk. Either way, walking through the rain forest in Brazil and hearing the sounds of the birds was great and getting to go into the waterfall, was amazing!
