Experiment the joy and blast of a samba school in Rio and understand quite a bit of what the samba culture means to us and will mean to you!
Discover Brazilian African heritage through soulful experiences shared by an incredible network of tour guides fascinated by their African traditions on the mixed grounds of South America. Storytellers who make up for their legacy and cultural assets through a program filled with live music, dances, natural life, and delicious gastronomy. Visit historic sites and learn about the transatlantic slave trade through port cities, the Tijuca rain forest, and plantation farms, where the bitter sweet history of sugar mills and coffee farms blend with the struggles and resilience of people. A history shared by local tour guides who acknowledge the struggles and bequests of afro descendants by themselves.  Come with us for a fun tour and learn some samba steps while you tour!
 
Day 1 _ 8h duration 
Little Africa and Great madureira and/or Oswaldo Cruz 
Day 1 – Discover Rio de Janeiro through the Legacy of Little Africa to Great Madureira.
Explore the city’s history from its foundation in the Little Africa historic center to its former peripheral markets. Afternoon shift: Great Madureira and Black Neighborhoods along the Rail Road to the North Zone. Understand how Rio’s Afro-diasporic population settled along the train lines. Learn how the suburbs and samba schools emerged from the port area, giving rise to the traditions of samba and its cultural institutions along the city’s suburbs in the Black neighborhoods of Great Madureira in the North Zone.
 
Day 2 – 5h duration
 
The Healing Powers of the Tijuca Forest
 
After a day along the Samba Routes, we’ll head into the mountains of the city’s north zone.
The diversity of the diasporic experience is revealed through an urban, peripheral, and rural triad, tracing the paths of Afro-Brazilian history through the trails of the Tijuca Forest. This region, once home to coffee plantations, now holds one of the largest urban forests in the world. We’ll experience spirituality in connection with nature, through a hike rich in Afro-Indigenous references, allowing us to engage with ecology in practice and understand the archaeology, history, and importance of this great forest for our health and well-being—through its people, waterfalls, and ecosystems.
 
Note: If you want to book a 1 -Day experience which can be tailored according to your interests we recommend the following combinations: the Little Africa + Samba Routes, Little Africa + Tijuca Forest or SAmba Routes from Tijuca Forest Trails to Great Madureira Rails.