Travel in Brazil: when to go, places and advice

A continent of a country with contagious energy: Rio and its Christ opening his arms between beaches and sugarloaf peaks, the Iguaçu falls thundering over three kilometres, the endless Amazon, the dunes and lagoons of the Lençóis Maranhenses, the jaguar country of the Pantanal and the old colonial cities of Salvador and Ouro Preto. Add samba, caipirinhas and the warmest people there are: Brazil is not visited, it is embraced.

Capital: Brasília
Currency: Real (BRL)
Language: Portuguese
Direct flight: ≈ 11 hr 30 to Rio or São Paulo
Time difference: -4 hr in winter, -5 hr in summer

Itineraries

Our trip ideas in Brazil

The itineraries in Brazil are in the works: the day-by-day programme, named hotels, tickets to book flagged in advance. Leave your address to be notified when they come out.

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The right season

When to go in Brazil?

Brazil can be visited all year round, region by region: Rio and the South shine from December to March (southern summer, beaches and carnival), the Pantanal is best seen in the dry season from June to September, the Lençóis fill with lagoons from June to August and the Amazon alternates high waters and trails with the months. April-May and September-October offer an excellent compromise everywhere.

January : Ideal
February : Ideal
March : Pleasant
April : Pleasant
May : Pleasant
June : Ideal
July : Ideal
August : Ideal
September : Ideal
October : Pleasant
November : Pleasant
December : Ideal

Ideal
Pleasant
In-between
Avoid

Quick guide

Understanding Brazil

Getting around

The distances demand flying: LATAM, GOL and Azul criss-cross the country at fair prices when booked early. In town, Uber is everywhere and cheap; the long-distance buses are excellent for medium legs.

Money

The real (BRL). Cards and contactless dominate, including with the beach vendors. Pix, the local instant transfer, has replaced cash at many businesses.

Language

Brazilian Portuguese, lilting and approachable. Spanish helps, English remains limited outside tourist areas: ten words of Portuguese trigger instant smiles.

Useful apps

Uber and 99 for all urban rides, the Cataratas park app for Iguaçu, and Moovit in the megacities. A local eSIM makes everything simpler.

Accommodation

Characterful pousadas in the colonial towns, lodges of the Pantanal and the Amazon, flats facing the beaches of Rio. Carnival and New Year book out six months ahead.

Etiquette

Greet with a kiss on the cheek or a frank hug, share your table gladly and keep valuables discreet in the city: the party yes, carelessness no.

The iconic places

Christ the Redeemer

Rio de Janeiro

38 m of open arms on the summit of Corcovado, the most beautiful urban view in the world: bay, Sugarloaf and beaches below.

Iguaçu Falls

Paraná

275 waterfalls over 3 km on the Argentine border, including the Devil's Throat that swallows the river. Walkways skimming the spray.

Lençóis Maranhenses

Maranhão

A desert of white dunes studded with turquoise lagoons after the rains: one of the most unreal landscapes on the planet.

Pelourinho

Salvador

The Afro-Brazilian heart: pastel façades, capoeira drums and the gilded churches of the country's first capital, UNESCO.

Pantanal

Mato Grosso

The largest wetland in the world and the best place on the continent to see jaguars, caimans and macaws in the wild.

Ouro Preto

Minas Gerais

The baroque pearl of the gold rush: cobbled lanes on the hillsides and the masterpieces of Aleijadinho, UNESCO.

Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.

Christ the Redeemer : Rio from the Corcovado
Sugarloaf : The cable car of Rio's bay
Iguaçu Falls : 275 waterfalls, UNESCO
Pelourinho : The Afro-Brazilian heart of Salvador
Lençóis Maranhenses : White dunes and turquoise lagoons
Manaus : The gateway to the Amazon
Pantanal : Jaguars and caimans
Ouro Preto : The baroque of the gold rush, UNESCO
Jericoacoara : Dunes, hammocks in the water and kitesurfing
Brasília : The capital designed by Niemeyer