Best time to visit Brazil
While some of Brazil's attractions can be visited year-round, others are rather more seasonal, the movements of wildlife and people halted by heat or floods.![]()
The best time to visit Brazil is between December and March for most travellers. Although there are regional weather variations, this is the hot, sunny summer season in large parts of the country. The cooler winter months are June to September, with heat and humidity rising the further north you go. This time is popular with families on their school break. We’d also recommend September and October if you want to avoid major (busy) holiday periods, the chilly southern winter and soggy season in the Pantanal – and enjoy cheaper prices. The Amazon is sweltering year-round; the January-May floods just mean you’ll travel by canoe rather than on foot.
When to visit Brazil & when not to
Our Brazil Holidays
Brazil holiday, tailor made
Wildlife & culture roundtrip through Brazil, all tailormade
From
€4795
23 days
ex flights
Brazil holiday, Jaguar spotting & Amazon
Brazil holiday with Jaguar spotting, hiking and snorkeling
From
US $6250
25 days
ex flights
Brazil small group holiday, Pantanal explorer
Explore the biodiverse Pantanal region of Brazil
From
£4385 to £4825
11 days
ex flights
Brazilian Amazon by boat holiday
Explore the Brazilian Amazon, from Belem and Manaus
From
£3549 to £3679
14 days
ex flights
Southern Brazil holidays
Soak up the sights and spot wildlife in Southern Brazil
From
£1725
13 days
ex flights
Brazil wildlife tour, jaguars and waterfalls
Jaguar spotting 100% success rate, Iguacu waterfalls & Rio.
From
£5895
16 days
inc UK flights
Rio de Janeiro Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
21
30
203
FEB
21
30
186
MAR
21
29
183
APR
19
27
146
MAY
17
26
107
JUN
16
25
71
JUL
16
24
66
AUG
16
25
76
SEP
17
25
96
OCT
18
26
129
NOV
19
27
159
DEC
20
28
207
Our top Brazil Holiday
Brazil holiday, tailor made
Wildlife & culture roundtrip through Brazil, all tailormade
From
€4795
23 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
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Best time to visit Brazil
Guy Marks, from our supplier Tribes Travel, shares his best time to see wildlife in Brazil:
“The Pantanal is seasonally flooded so there are islands of dry land where the wildlife concentrates. There’s only one road down there so in the very wet season it’s hard to access – it's certainly more difficult to see jaguars, you can’t drive anywhere, and you’ve got to travel by canoe. You can do horse rides – canters through deep water are fantastic – but you want to go in the dry season really, from July until October.
“The Pantanal is seasonally flooded so there are islands of dry land where the wildlife concentrates. There’s only one road down there so in the very wet season it’s hard to access – it's certainly more difficult to see jaguars, you can’t drive anywhere, and you’ve got to travel by canoe. You can do horse rides – canters through deep water are fantastic – but you want to go in the dry season really, from July until October.
If you want to go to the Amazon it doesn’t really make much difference when you go; it’s the rainforest so it rains all year. There is high water and low water, but there are advantages to both. In low water you get more walks through the forest, and at high water (Jan-May) as much as ten metres of water rise through the forest – which means you’re ten metres higher into the canopy when you’re in a boat. So the animals that live in the canopy are not absolutely miles away – you can see them much closer!”
Festivals & events in Brazil
Carnival
(February or early March)
Carnival – the ‘Celebration of Life’ – is of course Brazil’s biggest annual event (unless the World Cup or Olympic Games are heading this way…) – but with high prices and heaving crowds, we suggest doing it with a twist. Salvador and Paraty also hold carnivals, complete with floats filled with costumed dancers, drummers and singers – but on a much more manageable scale, and with an atmospheric historical backdrop. Do be aware that you may get smothered in mud by revelers in Paraty though…
Carnival – the ‘Celebration of Life’ – is of course Brazil’s biggest annual event (unless the World Cup or Olympic Games are heading this way…) – but with high prices and heaving crowds, we suggest doing it with a twist. Salvador and Paraty also hold carnivals, complete with floats filled with costumed dancers, drummers and singers – but on a much more manageable scale, and with an atmospheric historical backdrop. Do be aware that you may get smothered in mud by revelers in Paraty though…
There are also many pre-carnival events so you can always enjoy the buildup in Rio before heading to a more tranquil spot once the party really kicks off.
More about Brazil
Find out more about what we rate & what we don’t as you samba your way through our comprehensive Brazil travel guide, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to how to travel like a local.
Reading up on travel times in Brazil as well as classic highlights & itineraries is always a great idea before travelling and our interactive Brazil map is an equally advisable option.
Explore Rio de Janeiro, go wildlife crazy in the Pantanal, cruise the Amazon or get soaked at the Iguazu Falls, things to do in Brazil never cease to amaze, enthrall and inspire in equal measure.
Journey into mysterious parts of the Amazon rainforest, usually travelling by boat, to explore complex, beautiful ecosystems with naturalist guides and discover the planet’s richest store of biodiversity.
The Iguazú Falls span the frontier between Argentina and Brazil, and what a sight it is - the largest waterfall system on Earth, a ceaseless spectacle of foaming river plunging over hundreds of cascades.
The open marshland of the Pantanal wildlife reserve is unquestionably the best place for wildlife-spotting in Brazil, with an astonishing variety of flora and fauna to see here, including the elusive jaguars.
Situated on Brazil’s gorgeous Emerald Coast, Paraty is a popular destination for a laidback getaway, home to over 100 beautiful beaches and waters teeming with marine life from whales to penguins.
The Rio Carnival, held every year in the week before Lent, is the world’s biggest party, with millions of revellers taking to the streets to watch as flamboyant dancers parade alongside floats and bands.
Home to iconic landmarks such as the Christ the Redeemer statue, world famous beaches and a legendary nightlife scene that pulsates with rhythm, Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s most popular visitor destination.
Discover activities for families in Brazil and what to do with little ones from experts like Guy Marks and Anna Scrivens who have been travelling in Brazil with kids and would happily return and do it all over again.
This page is packed full of Brazil travel advice and tips from our friends in Brazil so all you have to do is sit back and read all about it as you find out how to travel safely in Brazil.
Responsible tourism in Brazil concerns the important issues affecting the environment, culture and the people living in the favelas within Brazil’s inner cities, and what you can do to travel better in Brazil.
