Brazil guide
Brazil travel guide
This Brazil travel guide collects our pages on the country beyond Rio de Janeiro: regions and cities, the best time to go month by month, and what to prepare before you fly. Each page is built on official sources, and we can turn any of it into a private trip for your dates.
Updated:
How to use this Brazil travel guide
Start with what you want to see, check the season for your dates, then read the preparation pages. If you want a ready shape for the trip, see the 2-week Brazil itinerary or the overview of Brazil attractions. For trips that stay in and around Rio, go to private trips in Rio.
Destinations in Brazil
Nature and wildlife:
Islands and beaches:
The north-east coast:
Cities and history:
Best time to visit Brazil
Seasons differ by region, so a trip to two regions often needs a compromise. The overview is on best time to visit Brazil. Month by month:
| First half of the year | Second half of the year |
|---|---|
| January | July |
| February | August |
| March | September |
| April | October |
| May | November |
| June | December |
Planning a trip across Brazil
Brazil is large, and most trips that leave Rio combine the city with one or two regions reached by domestic flight. A few rules shape how we put the days together.
- Rio first or last. The city needs four or five days, and we keep one of them open so that Corcovado and Sugarloaf can move if the tops are in cloud. INMET normals put the driest months in Rio in July and August and the wettest in December.
- One remote region per two weeks. Fernando de Noronha sits about 340 km off the coast, and the Pantanal and the Lençóis Maranhenses also take most of a day to reach from Rio. On a 14-day trip we would choose one of them.
- Match the seasons. The UK Foreign Office gives November to March as the rainy season in the south and south-east. ICMBio advises the Pantanal from May to September and warns that from December the Transpantaneira road is close to impassable. July can work for both Rio and the Pantanal.
- Plan a full day for each side of Iguaçu Falls, which the Brazilian and Argentine parks share.
- Add a travel day for every flight between regions, and do not stack early flights after late nights.
If you have only a week, stay in Rio and add day trips from the city: day trips from Rio. If you have two weeks or more, start from the 2-week Brazil itinerary and we will adjust it to your dates.
Before you go
- Brazil packing list
- Brazil time zone
- Money in Brazil
- SIM card and eSIM in Brazil
- Health tips for Brazil
- Portuguese phrases for Brazil
- Brazil souvenirs
Entry rules change, so check entry requirements on official websites.
How we help
We plan trips across Brazil for couples, families, friends and solo travelers. We line up a guide who speaks your language, transfers between airports and hotels, and stays in each region, timed to your domestic flights. You book the flights; we check seasons, park rules and opening days for your dates. Our team answers in English, Spanish and Portuguese and stays your one contact for the whole trip. Price on request, proposal within 24 hours. How it works: how we work.
Frequently asked questions
When is the rainy season in Brazil?
It depends on the region. The UK Foreign Office gives November to March for the south and south-east, including Rio, and ICMBio advises visiting the Pantanal from May to September.
How many days do I need to combine Rio with another region?
We plan 10 days for Rio and one region and about 14 days for Rio and two. Rio itself needs four or five days with a spare day for weather.
What are the main attractions in Brazil?
Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf in Rio, Iguaçu Falls, the Amazon around Manaus, the Pantanal, the Lençóis Maranhenses dunes, Fernando de Noronha and historic Salvador. Brazil has 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Can you plan a trip to several regions of Brazil?
Yes. We match guides, transfers and stays in each region to your domestic flights, which you book yourself, and stay your single contact for the whole trip.
See also
- Brazil attractions: the main landmarks by regionBrazil's best-known attraction is Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders on 7 July 2007. For nature, people travel to Iguaçu Falls, the Amazon, the Pantanal, the Lençóis Maranhenses dunes and Fernando de Noronha; for history, to Salvador, Ouro Preto, Paraty and Brasília.
- Brazil itinerary for 2 weeks: three routes from RioIn 10 to 15 days you can pair Rio de Janeiro with one or two other regions: 4 to 5 days in Rio, two full days at Iguazu Falls, three or four days in a third place, and one day for each domestic flight. Below are three routes we plan for couples, families and friends: Rio, Iguazu and Salvador; Rio, Iguazu and the Amazon; Rio with the Pantanal or Lençóis Maranhenses.
- Best time to visit BrazilThere is no single best time to visit Brazil: it depends on the region. Rio and the south-east are wettest from November to March, the north-east coast from April to July, and the Pantanal and the centre are dry from May to September. December to February brings beaches, New Year and Carnival; June to August is dry and mild in Rio.
- Iguazu Falls from Rio de JaneiroIguazu Falls is a flight away from Rio: you fly to Foz do Iguaçu, spend a day in the Brazilian national park and, if you like, a second day on the Argentine side as an excursion. We plan the trip around your flights, with transfers, park tickets and a guide who speaks your language.
- Private trips in Rio de Janeiro and BrazilFor couples, families and friends we plan a private trip in Rio and across Brazil and stay your one contact before and during it. Tell us your dates and what you like, and we send a priced proposal within 24 hours.
Sources
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Brazil, safety and security (rainy season), 29.09.2026, checked 21.10.2026
- ICMBio: Parna do Pantanal Matogrossense, informações sobre visitação, checked 21.10.2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Brazil, checked 21.10.2026
- WMO World Weather Information Service: Rio de Janeiro, INMET climate normals 1961-1990, checked 21.10.2026
- UNESCO: Iguaçu National Park, checked 21.10.2026
- UNESCO: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas, checked 21.10.2026