Experience Rio in the flow of nature.
Olhar do Rio is an adventure tour operator based in Rio de Janeiro. We take visitors into the city's mountains, forests, waters and streets with guides who know every trail and every story.
Why “Olhar do Rio”
The name has two meanings in Portuguese. The first is the river (rio) as a symbol of time and movement: no one steps in the same river twice, and no two outings are alike. The second is a look (olhar) at Rio de Janeiro, the city where mountains, forest and sea meet.
We want you to see the city from its viewpoints, trails, rock walls and waters, places many visitors never get to.
“No one steps in the same river twice.”
Contemplation
Time to look, take photos and feel the landscape, not just pass through it.
The right challenge
Activities matched to your fitness, showing you what you're capable of without pushing past your limits.
Flow
Routes that follow the seasons, the tides and the daylight.
The Olhar do Rio moment
A guided pause at a special spot on every route, with a chat about the landscape, its history and time.
Small groups
No more than 8 to 10 people per guide on hikes, and smaller ratios for climbing.
Local guides
We work with guides and residents from the communities next to the trails, creating local income and stories told by the people who live there.
English, Portuguese and Spanish
From booking to guiding, with other languages on request.
Tailor-made trips
Private and corporate outings adapted to the group's profile and fitness.
Safety and care for the places we visit
- Safety briefing before every activity and an emergency plan for each route.
- Health form and risk acknowledgement completed before the outing.
- Personal accident insurance for participants.
- Guides trained in wilderness first aid and specialist leaders for each activity.
- Leave No Trace principles, group size limits and support for conservation work in the parks we visit.
- Preference for suppliers and businesses from local communities.
The founder
Born in Pará and raised in Rio de Janeiro, the agency's founder has built an unusual career, shaped by adventure, resilience and a deep ability to adapt. A professional climber for decades, he has worked on some of Brazil's most iconic mountains and rock walls, and has climbed in Scotland, England, Spain and Portugal.
His experience goes beyond the sport. He has worked as a consultant and rope-access specialist for film producers, documentaries and reality shows, combining technical knowledge, risk management and logistics in demanding environments.
In the Amazon, he took part in major scientific expeditions, including the Dos Andes ao Mar (From the Andes to the Sea) journey, which crossed Bolivia, Peru and the Amazon basin to the Atlantic Ocean. He worked alongside researchers and scientists from Brazilian and international institutions, climbing trees for real-time biodiversity monitoring projects. Along the way he travelled the great tributaries of the Amazon, crossed protected areas, lived alongside Indigenous peoples and riverside and traditional communities, and faced the challenges of one of the most complex and fascinating regions on the planet.
This mix of international experience, work in extreme environments, film production, science, conservation and human relationships shaped his approach to business: finding solutions where others see obstacles.
Mission
To welcome visitors to Rio de Janeiro with safe, authentic and sustainable adventure experiences that spark a new way of seeing nature, local culture and themselves.
Vision
To be a benchmark for adventure tourism in Rio de Janeiro state, known for safety, care for the environment and the quality of the experience.
Values
Safety first; respect for nature and communities; carioca hospitality; authenticity; responsibility; wonder.