Brazil travel advice
Pantanal tips
Guy Marks, from our supplier Tribes Travel, shares his Brazil travel advice:“People are often a bit put out when they discover that the Pantanal is actually an agricultural area with vast cattle ranches. If people haven’t been made aware that they’re going to an area that’s agricultural, they arrive and go ‘what have I been brought to a ranch for?’ But if you think about wildlife in the UK – you’re going to see it on farmland. There is no real conflict between agriculture and conservation if it’s properly managed. You could be stood there looking at a massive herd of cattle, but they’ve got capybaras walking round their feet. That’s not uncommon; you shouldn’t be put off by the fact that it’s agricultural land. 20 percent of it is put aside for conservation by law.”
Our Brazil Holidays
Brazil wildlife tour, jaguars and waterfalls
Jaguar spotting 100% success rate, Iguacu waterfalls & Rio.
From
£4795
16 days
inc UK flights
Brazil wildlife holiday, Amazon and Pantanal
Thrilling wildlife safari combining Pantanal and the Amazon
From
£5575
11 days
ex flights
Small group tour in Brazil
An in depth discovery tour of Brazil including the Amazon
From
£4585 to £4899
15 days
inc UK flights
Rio to Iguazu Falls tour in Brazil
Fully escorted group journey of natural southern Brazil
From
£2694
12 days
ex flights
Wildlife holidays in Brazil, tailormade
From macaws to jaguars in the Pantanal and Amazon, plus Rio
From
£4520
13 days
ex flights
Iguazu Falls tour, self guided
Discover Iguazu Falls at your own pace.
From
US $220 to US $580
3 days
ex flights
Rio to Buenos Aires holiday
Venture off in Brazil Argentina & Uruguay
From
£1530 to £1545
19 days
ex flights
Amazon river cruise, small group
Explore an ecosystem teaming with wildlife
From
£2429
7 days
ex flights
Pantanal tour in Brazil, Caiman EcoLodge
Explore Pantanal with a stay at the Caiman Ecological Refuge
From
US $1260 to US $1695
4 days
ex flights
Buenos Aires to Rio via Iguazu Falls holiday
Fast paced adventure of Argentina and Brazil.
From
£1696 to £2110
7 days
ex flights
Rio Carnival holiday, Brazil
Join the the greatest party on earth at the Rio Carnaval
From
£1590 to £1740
6 days
ex flights
Jaguar spotting holiday in Brazil
Jaguar spotting in the Pantanal of Brazil
From
£4599 to £5249
11 days
inc UK flights
Brazil wildlife holiday, Pantanal & Rio
Wildlife & culture for couples or families, Private tour
From
£3375
14 days
inc UK flights
Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires tour, Iguazu Falls
South American spirit & dizzying heights of Iguazu Falls
From
£1275 to £1619
17 days
ex flights
South America tour, coast to coast
Epic discovery journey across South America
From
£3233
19 days
ex flights
Brazil walking holiday, tailormade
Peaceful hiking through stunning mountains in eastern Brazil
From
£2745 to £2805
11 days
ex flights
Southern Brazil holidays
Soak up the sights and spot wildlife in Southen Brazil.
From
£1725
13 days
ex flights
Lima to Rio tour by overland truck
An epic overland expedition across South America
From
£3355 to £3555
60 days
ex flights
Amazon jaguar research expedition, Brazil
Help wildlife researchers track unique tree-dwelling jaguars
From
£5500
10 days
ex flights
Brazil family holiday
Rio de Janeiro, Copacabana beach, TAMAR sea turtle project
From
£4360
14 days
inc UK flights
South America coast to coast tour
A varied and adventurous tour across South America
From
£1745
7 weeks
ex flights
Brazil nature tour, tailor made
Wild biodiversity: Iguacu, Pantanal, the Amazon rainforest
From
US $5010
12 days
ex flights
Argentina & Brazil holiday, 12 day itinerary
Travel to Argentina's newest and best hidden hotspot
From
US $2850 to US $3365
12 days
ex flights
Argentina tour, Iguazu Falls full moon & culture
This trip is dynamic immersion into Argentina’s culture
From
US $1475 to US $1680
7 days
ex flights
Highlights of Brazil and Peru holiday
14 Days: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Iguazu, Rio
From
£2695
14 days
ex flights
Maned wolf watching holiday in Brazil
Track and observe the wonderful Maned Wolf in Brazil
From
£4395
14 days
ex flights
South America highlights tour, Peru, Argentina & Brazil
Explore South America in an amazing 12 day journey
From
US $1955 to US $2855
12 days
ex flights
Brazil beach hopping holiday, tailor made
Discover the spectacular beaches of Brazil's north east coastline
From
£2215
12 days
ex flights
Brazil classic tour
Experience the vibrant energy and natural beauty of Brazil
From
£1850
8 days
ex flights
Planning tips
Anna Scrivens, from our supplier Audley Travel, shares her Brazil travel advice:“It's difficult to plan a holiday to Brazil because there is so much and you can’t see it all. People want to go to the big highlights so they end up flying all over the place. I really like staying around the Green Coast which is just south of Rio – but a lot of people fly around a lot on their trips rather than just focusing on one area. So my advice is to plan early! That’s the only way you can coordinate all the different flights – especially if you want to be travelling across a lot of the country.”
Beach tips
Guy Marks, from our supplier Tribes Travel, explains where to take a beach break, in his Brazil travel advice: “Copacabana is a city beach, and that’s what people forget. It’s a bit like New York’s Central Park; great for locals, but if you want countryside, you wouldn’t go there. So if you want a beach, don’t go to the beach in the middle of Rio. For a beach holiday, head south – around Paraty and Ilha Grande, or to the northeast around Bahia and Salvador. But Copacabana Beach and Ipanema are still such iconic places. As you walk down you see different things going on; the different classes and social structures hang out on different parts of the beaches. So they’re great for people watching!”Wildlife watching tips
Anna Scrivens, from our supplier Audley Travel, shares her Brazil travel advice:"We’re very careful with how we describe the Amazon because some people go there expecting to see a lot of wildlife. But really you don’t because the rainforest is so dense. So people can be disappointed if they have the wrong expectations. The Amazon is not really about the wildlife; it’s more of a jungle experience. If it’s wildlife you’re interested in then you need to go to the Pantanal. It’s not as famous as the Amazon, but the wildlife is much better. It feels much less like a jungle because the vegetation is so dense - but that’s why you see more wildlife."
Our top Brazil Holiday
Brazil wildlife tour, jaguars and waterfalls
Jaguar spotting 100% success rate, Iguacu waterfalls & Rio.
From
£4795
16 days
inc UK 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
If you'd like to chat about Brazil or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Health & safety in Brazil
HEALTH
SAFETY
Zika virus in Brazil
Zika virus remains a threat for anyone travelling to Brazil. However, the main travel warnings are for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, and anyone with severe, chronic medical conditions or weakened immune systems. These people are being advised to reconsider their travel plans.For most adults, Zika virus is not dangerous, and hospitalisation is extremely rare. Most people who are infected will not go on to develop any symptoms; those that do become ill (around one in five) may experience a fever, joint pain and headaches, similar to dengue fever, and lasting up to a week. There is no specific medication for Zika, only to relieve the symptoms.
For more information on symptoms, treatment and avoiding further infection, refer to the CDC website.
Brazil tips from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Brazil travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Brazil travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
The whole holiday was amazing, but if I had to name the top three things I would say Iguazu Falls (especially the boat ride under the falls!), the boat ride in Paraty and just being in Rio.
- Carol Clutton
If you don’t know any Spanish or Portuguese, take a phrase book. Also, you tend to get your feet wet and so some decent walking sandals that dry out quickly are better than trainers. Going to a Samba club in Rio is fantastic. - Rachel Newnes
When taking the boat trip at Iguazu Falls you're going to be wet all over. Nobody told us and we didn't have any changing clothes with us. So the rest of the tour we had to proceed in wet clothes which made it a little awkward. Also if you go to Paraty: prepare yourself for mosquitos!!! - Nadja Weidmann
If you want to see Rio then make sure you book some extra days before or after the tour. If you don't, you'll get virtually no time in this amazing place. - Carol Clutton
Travelling in the Amazon, unfortunately they had the worst floods in 60 years which made getting ashore more difficult but exciting!! - Clive Pagett
When taking the boat trip at Iguazu Falls you're going to be wet all over. Nobody told us and we didn't have any changing clothes with us. So the rest of the tour we had to proceed in wet clothes which made it a little awkward. Also if you go to Paraty: prepare yourself for mosquitos!!! - Nadja Weidmann
If you want to see Rio then make sure you book some extra days before or after the tour. If you don't, you'll get virtually no time in this amazing place. - Carol Clutton
Travelling in the Amazon, unfortunately they had the worst floods in 60 years which made getting ashore more difficult but exciting!! - Clive Pagett
Every part of the holiday was amazing - especially staying at Las Cataratas hotel overlooking Iguazu Falls waking up to the sound of the rushing water and wild toucans playing outside our window, and watching the sunset over Rio from the top of Sugar Loaf mountain!
- Richard Wright
The entire trip was extremely memorable, but, the most exciting part was swimming in the Amazon River System. - Matthew Fitzgerald
(Porto de Pedras trip) An unexpected but totally delightful encounter with a sea cow in the shallows off the beach. He nibbled my toes and allowed me to stroke him. Magical! - Beverley Whatford
The whole experience of Brazil, the colours the beaches, the food, the people, the weather. It was all magnificent and thoroughly enjoyable was superb accommodation and the hosts could not have been more friendly. - Donald Dunlop
(Porto de Pedras trip) An unexpected but totally delightful encounter with a sea cow in the shallows off the beach. He nibbled my toes and allowed me to stroke him. Magical! - Beverley Whatford
The whole experience of Brazil, the colours the beaches, the food, the people, the weather. It was all magnificent and thoroughly enjoyable was superb accommodation and the hosts could not have been more friendly. - Donald Dunlop
More about Brazil
The best time to visit Brazil may well be swayed by the carnival in Rio or temperature & rainfall with the Pantanal and Manaus both experiencing varying conditions as displayed in our easy to use chart.
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.
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.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Tambako The Jaguar] [Pantanal - pasture: dany13]
[Copacabana: Nico Kaiser]
[Amazon: A C Moraes]
[Iguazu Falls: mariordo59]
[Toucan: Fernando dos Anjos]
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