Name: Hike in Tijuca Forest
Location: Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Nattrip Brasil

Email address verified

8 reviews

Duration: 1 day

Group size: 1 - 25

Hike in Tijuca Forest

Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Book Now

Download Brochure

Nattrip Brasil

Email address verified

8 reviews

Duration: 1 day

Group size: 1 - 25

The Tijuca Forest, Cachoeira das Almas, and Circuit of the Grottos hike is an excellent option for those who want to explore the interior of the Atlantic Forest and one of the most visited locations in Tijuca National Park.

Our Tijuca Forest, Cachoeira das Almas, and Circuit of the Grottos tour is a light hike that begins at the entrance gate of Sector A of Tijuca National Park. It passes through several segments of trails in the Atlantic Forest, featuring various historical remnants of Tijuca Forest and Imperial Brazil. We start the tour by visiting one of the park's main waterfalls, Cascatinha Taunay.

After taking photos at Cachoeira and Cascatinha Taunay, we will continue along a gentle trail to the visitor center and Museum of Tijuca National Park. After visiting the museum, we will head to Cachoeira das Almas, which is one of the waterfalls in Sector A of Tijuca National Park where swimming is permitted. The name Cachoeira das Almas is related to rituals that slaves performed at the site. After swimming in the waterfall, we will continue our hike to explore the secret grottos of Tijuca Forest.

In the option with transportation, the Tijuca Forest hike is done by car or van, depending on the number of participants, with pickups at the main hotels in Barra da Tijuca, the South Zone, and downtown Rio de Janeiro.

Come explore and refresh yourself on the Tijuca Forest and Cachoeira das Almas tour with Nattrip and visit the main attractions of Tijuca National Park.

ATTENTION IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Reservations made for the following day will only be processed if made by 10:00 PM. After this time, the reservations will be rescheduled or canceled.

How is the Tijuca Forest hike?

The Tijuca Forest, Cachoeira das Almas, and Circuit of the Grottos hike is ideal for those who wish to explore the interior of the Atlantic Forest and visit one of the most famous locations in Tijuca National Park.

The tour begins in Sector A of the park and is a light hike that takes you through trails in the lush Atlantic Forest, passing by historical remnants of Tijuca Forest and Imperial Brazil. We start by visiting the impressive Cascatinha Taunay, perfect for photos.

Next, we continue to the visitor center and National Park Museum, where we make a brief stop before heading to Cachoeira das Almas, a place that offers a refreshing waterfall bath and has a history linked to ancient slave rituals. The adventure continues along the trails to the secret grottos of the forest.

$45

Hike in Tijuca Forest
Hike in Tijuca Forest
Hike in Tijuca Forest with Cachoeira das Almas and Circuit of the Grot
Meeting Point

Cascatinha Taunay
Right at the beginning of the park, we will visit the famous Cascatinha Taunay.

Capela Mayrink
Students' Trail + Baroness' Trail – We arrive at Capela Mayrink, a part of the history of Tijuca National Park.

Museum of Tijuca National Park
We will enter the museum to see the history told and learn about the characteristics of our fauna and flora.

Cachoeira das Almas
We continue the trail for a refreshing bath at Cachoeira das Almas.

Circuit of the Grottos
We will return to the main entrance of the park via the Circuit of the Grottos trail.

End of the Activity

Read more

Hike in Tijuca Forest

Hike in Tijuca Forest with Cachoeira das Almas and Circuit of the Grot

Meeting Point

Cascatinha Taunay

Right at the beginning of the park, we will visit the famous Cascatinha Taunay.

Capela Mayrink

Students' Trail + Baroness' Trail – We arrive at Capela Mayrink, a part of the history of Tijuca National Park.

Museum of Tijuca National Park

We will enter the museum to see the history told and learn about the characteristics of our fauna and flora.

Cachoeira das Almas

We continue the trail for a refreshing bath at Cachoeira das Almas.

Circuit of the Grottos

We will return to the main entrance of the park via the Circuit of the Grottos trail.

End of the Activity

Booking with Nattrip was one of the best decisions we made during our recent trip to Brazil. We were coming from the United States and wanted to backpack Petropolis to Teresopolis. Communication with Nattrip was straightforward, efficient, informative, and in fluent English. I paid for the entire trip upfront via a link provided with credit card. Nattrip was able to organize gear rentals for us -- tents, sleeping bag, sleeping pads, and a hiking backpack -- so we didn't have to bring so much gear from the United States. Our guides were Luiz and Leo. Luiz was fluent in English, extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna along the trail, and very competent. His passion for nature was contagious. I left the hike with a renewed appreciation for the Atlantic rainforest. Leo was compassionate and emotionally intelligent; he sensed when my friends' fear of heights was starting to climb and would offer a hand on a difficult scramble. Luiz and Leo carried the food for our meals -- breakfast/dinner were always delicious (especially by camp food standards) and lunch was sandwiches with salami/cheese/peanut butter. Luiz sent us the menu prior to the hike and was able to make small adjustments for us. As for the hike, we hiked in the second to last week of March. It was rainy, but not beyond enjoyment. The first day of the hike involves a lot of ascent, but the trail is nontechnical. The second day of the hike involves primarily scrambling, both ascent and descent, and involves three technical sections, including the use of ropes and harnesses. The third day is a lot of downhill. The views were gorgeous and we had a great time!

By Amanda C for Open Group - Petrópolis x Teresópolis Trekking on Mar 31, 2025

The trip is in general well organised. Communication is very easy. The journey is safe, with various opportunities. However, I have to say that the Trip is overpriced compared to the service level received. 1) Rio: Hotel could be better. The two trips are wonderful, with a private guide. But the second day is relatively empty. There is only one half day tour till noon. Nothing else arranged. 2) Amazon: I was put as the single English speaker to a Portuguese group. The group has 11 people. It is not aligned with my expectation. Firstly, I thought the price paid is for a much smaller group (6-7 people maximal) There are for example a group of 4 English speakers with a guide and a group of 2 German speakers with a guide. I would never join a large group of 11 people if they told me in advance. Too much stress in big groups. Secondly, I have to adjust myself to the majority Portuguese speaker. The tour guide tried his best, but his English is limited. I feel lonely and a bit stupid to be with a group who cannot talk to me. I feel they try to save money on me. Overall, i feel it is not bad, but definitely not worth the money paid. Sorry to say that.