Rio de Janeiro

The culture

Why we bridge here

Rio is one of the few cities that looks better in person than in its own postcards: granite peaks dropping straight into the Atlantic, beaches in the middle of the city, and a music culture that starts on street corners and never really stops.

Samba was born in the hillside communities of Rio before it conquered the world, and those communities — the favelas — are creative hubs with art, dance and food that most visitors never see. Your guide will take you with a local host, so you meet the neighbourhood rather than photograph it.