Custom travel to Brazil

Brazil, a continent-country of 8.5 million km² and 215 million people, is one of Latin America's most extraordinary destinations. Rio de Janeiro, the « cidade maravilhosa », unfolds Copacabana, Ipanema, Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf. Iguaçu Falls line up 275 cascades with four times Niagara's flow. The Amazon holds 60% of the world's rainforest, while the Pantanal remains the world's best jaguar destination, with an 80% chance of sightings in the June-October dry season. Add Salvador de Bahia, Afro-Brazilian cradle of capoeira, the lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses and the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. Allow 14 to 21 days to combine Rio, Iguaçu, Pantanal or Amazon and Bahia.

Highlights

• Rio de Janeiro (Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, beaches)
• UNESCO Iguaçu Falls (275 falls, 2.7 km)
• Pantanal (world top for jaguar observation)
• Brazilian Amazon (60% of world forest)
• UNESCO Salvador de Bahia (Afro-Brazilian heritage)
• Lençóis Maranhenses (dunes and turquoise lagoons)

Sample itineraries

When to go

May-October is the best period (dry season, pleasant temperatures 22-30 °C). PANTANAL JAGUARS: June-October (peak July-September, 80-95% observation chance). LENÇÓIS MARANHENSES: July-September (lagoons maximally filled). RIO and IGUAÇU: year-round (Iguaçu max flow December-March). FERNANDO DE NORONHA: August-November (optimal diving visibility). Avoid January-March (rainy season, strong heat 35-40 °C, flooded Pantanal so difficult for jaguars).

• Cool dry season (ideal) (May – August), Pantanal jaguars, Iguaçu, Rio, Salvador
• Lençóis Maranhenses peak (July – September), Lençóis Maranhenses (unique landscape in world)
• Hot dry season (October – November), Fernando de Noronha diving, end Pantanal season
• Rainy season (Carnival) (December – April), Rio Carnival (February-March), Iguaçu max flow

Practical information

Vigilance Rio and São Paulo (favelas, pickpockets, leave jewelry at hotel, no visible phones in street, taxi-Uber instead of walking at night). Rest of country safe in tourist areas (Iguaçu, Pantanal, Salvador center, Lençóis). No visa for French citizens (90-day stay, passport valid 6 months). RECOMMENDED yellow fever vaccine (mandatory if Amazon/Pantanal trip). Antimalarial for Pantanal and Amazon. Avoid tap water. Cards accepted everywhere in hotels and restaurants. Portuguese omnipresent (limited English outside tourist hotels). Tipping: 10% in restaurants (often included '10% serviço'), $5-$10/day for guides and drivers.

Frequently asked questions

When?

May to October remains the best period, dry season with pleasant temperatures of 22-30 °C. For Pantanal jaguars, aim for June to October, peaking July-September when observation odds climb to 80-95%. For Lençóis Maranhenses, July to September is essential: it's the only window when the temporary lagoons between the white dunes are filled. Rio and Iguaçu Falls can be visited year-round, with Iguaçu's flow at its maximum December-March. For diving at Fernando de Noronha, prefer August to November (best visibility). Avoid January-March: it's rainy season, with heat reaching 35-40 °C and a flooded Pantanal, so poor for jaguar spotting, even though it's when Rio Carnival happens (February-March), an event worth the trip in its own right.

How long?

Allow 12 days for essential Brazil: 4 nights in Rio (Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, beaches), 2 nights at Iguaçu on both sides, 3 nights in UNESCO Salvador de Bahia, 2 nights on the Praia do Forte beaches. To add the Pantanal, allow 14 days, swapping Salvador for 4 nights of jaguar safari at Porto Jofre, possibly rounded out with the Amazon (Manaus), pushing the total to 16-18 days. For the complete grand circuit, 21 days are needed to chain together Rio, Iguaçu, Pantanal, the Lençóis Maranhenses (a landscape unique in the world), and Salvador, with Fernando de Noronha as an optional finale. Under 10 days, it's better to focus on Rio and Iguaçu, since the country is too vast (8.5 million km²) to multiply stops without exhausting the trip in domestic flights.

Budget?

Expect from €4,200 per person for 12 days in the Comfort package (4★ hotels in Rio, Iguaçu and Salvador, LATAM/Gol domestic flights, Iguaçu both sides included), excluding international flights. In Premium, 14 days with the Belmond Copacabana Palace in Rio, the Hotel das Cataratas Belmond at Iguaçu, the only hotel inside the park, and the Onçafari jaguar safari at Caiman Lodge, rates start at €8,500. For the 18-to-21-day Exclusive version including Lençóis Maranhenses and Fernando de Noronha, in a falls-view suite, expect from €14,500 per person. On top come international flights: €800-€1,200 per person for a direct Paris-Rio or Paris-São Paulo round trip.

Visa?

No visa is required for French, Belgian, Swiss, or Canadian nationals for a tourist stay under 90 days. The passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the return date. The yellow fever vaccine is recommended for the whole country and becomes mandatory if your itinerary includes the Amazon or the Pantanal, plan for it at least 10 days before departure. No electronic visa to fill out beforehand: a simple stamp is applied on arrival.

Brazil safety?

Vigilance is warranted in Rio and São Paulo: avoid favelas without a local guide, leave jewelry and valuables at the hotel, don't display your phone openly in the street, and prefer taxi or Uber over walking at night. The rest of the country is safe in tourist areas (Iguaçu, Pantanal, Salvador's historic center, Lençóis Maranhenses). Avoid tap water, prefer bottled water. The yellow fever vaccine is recommended everywhere and mandatory for the Amazon and Pantanal; an antimalarial is advised for those same two regions. Bank cards are accepted everywhere in hotels and restaurants, limiting the need to carry cash in cities.

Family?

Ideal for families (Rio, Iguaçu, Bahia beaches, Pantanal for curious children). Pantanal jaguars from age 10 (concentration needed).

How to get around?

LATAM, Gol, and Azul domestic flights are essential given the enormous distances: Rio-Iguaçu 2 h, Rio-Salvador 2.5 h, Rio-Manaus (Amazon) 4 h, Rio-Cuiabá for the Pantanal 3 h. On the ground, a 4×4 with a Portuguese-English-speaking driver is the most comfortable option in Rio, Salvador, and the Pantanal. Car rental isn't recommended outside major cities, traffic is chaotic in Rio and São Paulo and distances between cities too long to cover alone. Main roads between major cities are paved and in good condition, but secondary highways can still be rough, particularly toward the Pantanal.

Iguaçu: 1 or 2 sides?

BOTH SIDES, complementary. Brazil offers PANORAMIC VIEW (4-5 h), Argentina offers CLOSE-UP EXPERIENCE (6-8 h). Ideally 1 day each.

Combine?

Yes: Brazil + Argentina (common Iguaçu, Patagonia), Brazil + Peru (Cusco), Brazil + Uruguay (Punta del Este), Brazil + Bolivia.

Tips?

10% in restaurants (often included '10% serviço' on bill). $5-$10/day for guides and drivers.

How do I pay in Brazil: card or cash?

Bank cards are accepted almost everywhere in hotels and restaurants, including in the Pantanal and at Iguaçu, which limits the need for cash. Still keep a few reais in cash for small street purchases, tips (10% in restaurants, often already included as '10% serviço', and $5-10/day for guides and drivers), and the more remote areas such as some Amazon or Pantanal villages where ATMs are scarce. Notify your bank before departure to avoid any card blocks.

Do I need to speak Portuguese to travel in Brazil?

English remains limited outside tourist hotels, so it's useful to know a few basics of Portuguese or to travel with a Portuguese-English-speaking driver-guide, systematically arranged in my custom trips. In Pantanal and Amazon lodges, as in upscale hotels in Rio, Iguaçu, or Salvador, staff generally speak English. A French-speaking Brazilian guide remains rare and must be requested well in advance if that matters especially to you.