Wondering how to get the most out of your trip to Brazil? First, it's essential to determine how many days you want to travel. If you are passing through, you can take short trips up to three days—think Rio, a mini hiking trek, or a quick beach escape. However, with added time, you can visit two or more completely different regions that combine the best city sights, beaches, rainforests, waterfalls, and hiking Brazil has on offer.
A five-day trip to Brazil can focus on one or two nearby cities, time in nature—whether tangled jungle or a sandy beach—or a couple of locales separated by a short flight. Explore Rio de Janeiro intimately or divide your time between Rio and Foz do Iguaçu to hike to Iguaçu Falls. Alternatively, discover the Amazon and its ecosystems with a tour of its waterways, wildlife, and people, cook like a local and lie out on the beaches of Bahia, or enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling in the waters of the private beaches of Fernando de Noronha.
If you have a week to spend in Brazil, you can cover the country's highlights, from lively Rio de Janeiro to Manaus and the Amazon. Alternatively, head directly to your Amazon lodging, followed by time spent in historic Salvador and its beaches. Other itinerary options include an urban break that focuses on Rio alone, sticking to the Afro-Brazilian Bahia coast, or flying to the tropical wetlands of the Pantanal instead of the Amazon for a different kind of natural experience.
Spending 10 days in Brazil will give you a good overview of up to three distinct areas. You can check out the country's highlights, like Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu Falls, and the Amazon rainforest. More adventurous travelers may enjoy seeing Rio, taking dune buggy tours, and engaging in watersports in Jericoara or Afro-Brazilian culture in Manaus. For the more active traveler, there's an itinerary full of hiking National Parks, scaling mountains, and swimming in lagoons. Read on to see which one is right for you.
Two weeks in Brazil affords plenty of time to combine active sightseeing with relaxation. Soak up the culture in cities like Rio or unwind on the idyllic beaches of Ilha Grande and Jericoacoara. Immerse yourself in the natural wonders of the Amazon rainforest, learn how to dance the samba, and discover the history behind Brazil's Indigenous tribes. Seek a culinary-inspired itinerary and revel in the local cuisine in Fortaleza, or embark on a wildlife tour in Morro do Pai Inácio.
