Tijuca Waterfalls, Wildlife And Caves Hike

Overview

Explore Rio’s wild side on a half-day adventure through Tijuca Forest, the world’s largest urban rainforest. Hike jungle trails, take in panoramic views, discover hidden waterfalls and caves, and spot wildlife with a passionate local guide.

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What You’ll Experience

Meeting Point: Pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, São Conrado only)

Difficulty: Moderate

Languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish

Age Suitability: 7+ years old

Departure Time: Morning: 7:00–8:00 AM | Afternoon: 12:30–1:30 PM

Return Time: Morning: ~12:30 PM | Afternoon: ~6:00 PM

Traveler-approved reviews

					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Great Experience with Memorable Pictures Samuel was an amazing tour guide and very knowledgeable. You definitely know he’s very passionate about nature and the animals. We loved the waterfalls and exploring the bat cave. Sam took tons of great pictures for the group. Will highly recommend this activity				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/1a/f6/f2/eb/default-avatar-2020-27.jpg" alt="Sederick G Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Sederick G
6/13/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Great way to spend the morning. Beautiful park and great tour guide. Rafael was the perfect guide! Very knowledgeable and obviously loves nature and this park. Absolutely would recommend him and this tour!				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-f/01/2e/70/a6/avatar077.jpg" alt="Marie N Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Marie N
6/13/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Loved it - might even do it again soon! Absolutely loved this trip. My guide was Pedro, who was very patient and knowledgeable and accommodated my bad foot. Saw a lot of monkeys and some great views.				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
Vinnie S
6/13/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Awesome experience Our guide, Pedro, was extremely knowledgeable and took great care of us. He helped us through the difficult portions of the hikes, took great pictures of our family and even suggested the best places to eat after the tour				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/1a/f6/ec/a2/default-avatar-2020-3.jpg" alt="Ankit D Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Ankit D
6/11/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Wonderful tour, awesome guide! Our guide Eduardo was amazing! It was so nice not having to think about it, just allowing him to take us to all the best spots. The kids really enjoyed him & his energy, too! It was a wonderful tour, getting to see waterfalls and the cave were definitely the highlight! We shared with our guide that the kids had a wish to see some specific animals, and Eduardo found all the animals on their wish list! Monkeys, Toucans, Parrots, and even a wild Sloth! We are so grateful that we got Eduardo and would 10 out of 10 recommend. He was a great photographer also				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/1a/f6/ec/3d/default-avatar-2020-1.jpg" alt="Shannon A Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Shannon A
6/11/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Exploring Tijuca Rainforest with an Amazing Guide I had an incredible time on the eco tour through the rainforest! Our guide, Yan, was fantastic—super friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. He shared fascinating stories about the forest’s history and its deep connection to Rio, as well as insights into the region’s biodiversity, which made the hike a truly enriching experience.The rainforest itself was stunning and offered a refreshing escape from the city heat. Highlights included beautiful views, waterfalls, unique wildlife sightings, and exploring cool caves along the way. The whole tour was the perfect mix of nature, learning, and adventure. Highly recommend it for anyone looking to experience a different side of Rio!				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-m/1280/2d/0a/fa/c7/caption.jpg" alt="Roxana P Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Roxana P
6/10/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Amazing guide amazing hike This was an amazing sight seeing tour! I give it 5 stars. 6 if I could. Samuel was an amazing guide he was very polite, funny, and full of knowledge! He was very patient and helpful with my grandma making sure she didn’t fall. He also took TONS of amazing photos of us throughout the hike, very cool and memorable. If you go on this tour, which you should, I hope you get Samuel as a guide!!				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
Skye R
6/06/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Great tour well worth an early start Fantastic tour with Eric who is a very knowledgeable guide, clearly very passionate about the local ecosystem. Really enjoyed the caves and saw a great variety of animals including a sloth, large snake (optional viewing!!) several monkeys and a variety of birds. This tour has something for everyone highly recommended.				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/1a/f6/ec/a2/default-avatar-2020-3.jpg" alt="ruth s Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />ruth s
6/04/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Great tour Eric was a great and very knowledgeable guide. We were picked up on time and hiked through the beautiful tijuca forest where we saw waterfalls, caves, and at the end even a capuchin monkey.				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/1a/f6/ee/68/default-avatar-2020-9.jpg" alt="Margarethe Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Margarethe
6/02/2025
					<img width="100" height="22" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_stars_5.png" alt="5 star rating" class="wprevpro_t1_star_img_file">Would go it again! Great time with Sam! He was very informative about the history and culture of Brazil, lots of fun and friendly. As an added bonus, he took wonderful pics of us throughout the tour. We saw plenty of native wildlife and fruit. So glad we did it!				
<img width="32" height="32" src="https://itawayecotours.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-slider-pro/public/partials/imgs/tripadvisor_small_icon.svg" alt="TripAdvisor Logo" class="wprevpro_t1_site_logo wprevsiteicon ">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/1a/f6/ed/00/default-avatar-2020-4.jpg" alt="Shanita W Avatar" class="wprevpro_t1_IMG_4 wprevpro_avatarimg" />Shanita W
6/02/2025

Itinerary

Pickup locations

Group Tour: Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, São Conrado only | Private Tour: Throughout the city of Rio de Janeiro (municipality)

Transfer

(45 minutes)

Taunay Waterfall

Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (20 minutes)

Mayrink Chapel

Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (10 minutes)

Painters’ Retreat

Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Wildlife viewing (15 minutes)

Tijuca National Park Visitor Center

Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (15 minutes)

Bernardo de Oliveira's Cave