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
£4895
16 days
inc UK flights
Pantanal wildlife holiday in Brazil
Wildlife safari in Brazil's stunning Northern Pantanal
From
£3855 to £3995
10 days
ex flights
Tailor made holiday in Brazil
Green Coast, the Pantanal, and Iguaçu Falls
From
£5780
15 days
inc UK flights
Brazil holiday, tailor made
Wildlife & culture roundtrip through Brazil, all tailormade
From
€3495
23 days
ex flights
Brazil wildlife holiday, Amazon and Pantanal
Thrilling wildlife safari combining Pantanal and the Amazon
From
£5575
11 days
ex flights
Rio to Iguazu Falls tour in Brazil
Fully escorted group journey of natural southern Brazil
From
£2964
12 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
£4895
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
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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.
