WHAT TO SEE
Brazil highlights
Sugarloaf Mountain
Take the cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain for sunset views over Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara Bay
The Amazon
Spend a night at a jungle lodge in the Amazon and listen to the rainforest come alive after dark
Iguazu Falls
Stand on the walkway over Iguazu Falls and feel the spray from 275 separate cascades
Carnival in Rio
Watch a Carnival bloco parade through the streets of Rio in February
Pink river dolphins
See pink river dolphins from a boat on the Rio Negro near Manaus, with sightings as nature allows
Florianópolis
Surf, swim, and eat fresh oysters on the beaches of Florianópolis in southern Brazil
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When to go
The best time to visit Brazil
December to March
Summer in Rio and the south-east, and the warmest time there. Carnival is in February, and Iguazu Falls has the most water from November to March.
June to November
Roughly the dry season in the Amazon, with lower water and easier trails.
All year
The north-east coast is warm and sunny in every month. The south is cooler, with mild winters from June to August.
Where to go
The best places to visit in Brazil
Brazil is the fifth-largest country on Earth, and it sometimes feels like it contains five countries' worth of variety. Rio de Janeiro has a setting that no other city can match: mountains, tropical forest, and ocean all tangled together. The Amazon is home to a huge share of the world's species. The northeast coast has fishing villages and sand dunes that most international tourists have never heard of. And then there is the food: acai bowls, feijoada, churrasco, fresh tropical fruit at every meal. British Airways flies non-stop from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and LATAM flies non-stop to São Paulo, in about 11 to 12 hours, subject to availability. This is a country that rewards curiosity and a willingness to go beyond the postcard images.
Holidays to Brazil from the UK, built around your dates. We book your flights with the trip, so the whole holiday is ATOL protected. Our Amazon and Iguazu holiday takes eleven days from Copacabana to a jungle lodge near Manaus and on to both sides of Iguazu Falls, with the internal flights between them included. Brazil is huge, so if you would like more beach, more rainforest or a slower pace, tell us what you have in mind and we will build it with you.
THE MARVELLOUS CITY
Beaches, samba and the Marvellous City
Rio de Janeiro is wedged spectacularly between mountain and sea. Granite peaks rise straight out of the bay, Christ the Redeemer watches over it all from Corcovado, and the cable car to Sugarloaf delivers one of the great urban views on Earth.
Down at sea level, the sands of Copacabana and Ipanema are a way of life, football, beach volleyball, fresh coconut water and the slow build toward sunset. Come evening, the bars of Lapa and Santa Teresa fill with the sound of samba.
Few cities pack so much beauty, energy and music into one place. Rio is Brazil at full volume.
INTO THE AMAZON
Into the green ocean
Almost half of Brazil is Amazon rainforest. From Manaus, riverboats slip out onto the Rio Negro and the Amazon proper, a labyrinth of channels, flooded forest and sandbank beaches stretching beyond the horizon.
Stay at a jungle lodge and the days fill with canoe trips through the igapó, dawn walks among giant kapok trees, piranha fishing and night excursions to spot caiman. Pink river dolphins, sloths, macaws and howler monkeys are all part of the cast.
It is the largest rainforest on the planet, and there is no more vivid way to feel its scale than from the water.
THE GREAT FALLS
The panorama of Iguaçu
Where Brazil meets Argentina, the Iguazu Falls spread across nearly three kilometres of jungle, a wall of water taller than Niagara and far wider. The Brazilian side gives the grand panorama: a sweeping front-on view of the whole cataract, with walkways out over the spray of the Devil's Throat.
The surrounding national park is rich Atlantic rainforest, alive with toucans, coatis and butterflies, and the city of Foz do Iguaçu makes an easy base.
Paired with Rio and the Amazon, the falls complete a Brazil that runs from beach to jungle to one of the natural wonders of the world.
BETWEEN PLACES
Further afield
One country, three worlds
Rio’s beaches, Iguazu Falls and the depth of the Amazon sit far apart on the map but pair beautifully in a single trip. Tell us which draw you most and we’ll build one seamless Brazilian journey.
Practical answers
Know before you go to Brazil
Getting there
Non-stop, 11 to 12 hours
British Airways flies non-stop from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro and to São Paulo, and LATAM flies non-stop from Heathrow to São Paulo, subject to availability. Flights take about 11 to 12 hours. Rio and São Paulo are the usual gateways for trips that continue to the Amazon or Iguazu Falls. We book your flights with the trip, so the whole holiday is ATOL protected.
Language
Portuguese, not Spanish
Portuguese. Spanish is not widely spoken, though it is often understood. English is spoken in hotels and by guides in the main tourist areas, and much less in small towns, so a few words of Portuguese go a long way.
Money
Reais, and cards work
The Brazilian real (BRL, plural reais). Cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops in cities and towns. Carry some cash for small cafes, markets, taxis and tips, especially in smaller places.
Plugs
Type N and C, 127 V or 220 V
Brazil uses type N plugs (three round pins) and type C (two round pins). Both 127 V and 220 V are in use, at 60 Hz. It changes from city to city, and sometimes from hotel to hotel, so check the label by the socket. UK devices need an adapter. Most phone and laptop chargers take either voltage, but a UK hairdryer is made for 230 V and may not work properly at 127 V, so check its label.
Phone and internet
An eSIM is easiest
Buy an eSIM before you leave or a local SIM from Vivo, Claro or TIM with your passport. Signal is good in cities and towns, and it drops away in the Amazon and on long rural roads. Hotels have wifi.
Time zone
3 hours behind the UK
Most of the places visitors go, including Rio, São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu, use Brasília time, UTC minus 3, which is 3 hours behind the UK in winter and 4 hours behind in British Summer Time. Manaus and the Amazon are one hour further behind, UTC minus 4. Brazil has had no daylight saving since 2019.
Tap water
Bottled or filtered is the norm
Most visitors drink bottled or filtered water, and we suggest you do the same. Tap water in big cities is treated, but it is not generally recommended for visitors, and bottled water is cheap and everywhere. Hotels and lodges usually provide it.
Tipping
10 percent is usually on the bill
Restaurants usually add a 10 percent service charge to the bill, which is optional, so you do not need to add more. Where it is not included, leave around 10 percent. Guides and drivers are usually tipped a little at the end of the trip.
Visa and entry
No visa for up to 90 days
UK passport holders can currently visit Brazil for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days, with a passport valid for at least 6 months after the day you arrive. Yellow fever is one of the health risks gov.uk lists, and TravelHealthPro recommends vaccination for most of the places visitors go, including Rio, São Paulo, the Amazon and Iguazu, so ask your GP or a travel clinic at least 8 weeks before you go. If your flights connect through the US you also need a US ESTA. Check gov.uk before you book and again before you fly.
These answers are a guide as of 2026. Entry rules change, so check the UK government travel advice for Brazil before you book and again before you fly.
Which eSIM should I buy for Brazil?
An eSIM gets your phone online as soon as you land. You buy it online, install it at home on wifi and switch it on when you arrive. Most phones from the last few years take one: if yours does, its settings will offer "Add eSIM". All three below work in Brazil; where they differ is how you pay for data.
Best for set data
Airalo
Airalo has the widest choice of plan sizes and a Latin America plan if you are visiting more than one country. When we checked, it was usually the cheapest for a set amount of data, such as 10 GB.
Best for a laptop
Saily
Saily is priced close to Airalo, the app is simple, and it puts no limit on hotspot use, so it is a good pick if you need to connect a laptop.
Best for unlimited
Holafly
Holafly sells unlimited data only, priced by the number of days, so you never have to keep an eye on it. Sharing it as a hotspot is capped at 1 GB a day. Our code TRAVELFAB takes 5 percent off.
For maps, WhatsApp and photos, 5 GB is plenty for two weeks, and a set amount of data is the cheaper way to buy it. For video calls or working on the road, go unlimited.
We may earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It never adds to your price, and it does not change which one we suggest.
Before you book
Your Brazil holiday questions
UK citizens do not need a visa for tourist visits to Brazil lasting up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your entry date. No vaccinations are compulsory for entry, but yellow fever vaccination is strongly recommended if visiting the Amazon region or Iguazu Falls area. Check the FCDO and NHS Fit for Travel websites before departure.
Real reviews
What our customers say
From travellers who visited Brazil with us
I was very impressed with Fabian's dedication, patience and professionalism in organising our trip. The whole experience has been a very positive one. Despite having to relocate to another hotel at the last minute, that change over went very smoothly. Our accommodations were excellent. We will definitely book with Travelfab again. Thank you!
Yvette T.
Excellent service. Fabian responded to all our queries promptly and efficiently and was always willing to spend time talking to us. The itinerary was well-considered and well-organised with an adequate amount of time in each location. Locations were varied and interesting. Thanks, Travelfab!
David H.
Thanks to Fabian's passion, advice and great organisation we had an amazing holiday. Travelfab listened to what we wanted and tailored an experience to match. We would recommend Travelfab to anyone wanting a memorable Latin America adventure. Thanks Fabian.
Madeleine & David
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