Brazil travel guide: 12 essential tips

Traveling to Brazil looms large in the imagination of globetrotters. With its enticing mix of kinetic, lively celebrations like Carnival, world-class cities packed to the brim with dining, shopping, art, and culture, and awe-inspiring natural wonders like the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal wetlands, it's no wonder everyone wants to follow the sound of the samba to uncover Brazil’s charms.

But as the continent’s largest country and the fifth-biggest country in the world—as well as one of the longest—that’s a lot of ground to cover. And with so many things to do and experience in Brazil, it can be hard for first-time travelers to know where to begin. Extraordinary Journeys destination specialists have explored Brazil from top to bottom and everywhere in between, gaining invaluable expertise to make your first trip to Brazil unforgettable. With our top tips for visiting Brazil for the first time, we’re here to work together, and plan a trip you’ll talk about for years to come.

It sounds cliché, but Brazil truly does have a bit of everything. Cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are globally recognized for art and culture, with exceptional dining, refined hotels, and truly cosmopolitan energy. If you’re after wildlife sightings, Brazil is home to many rare and majestic species like jaguars and colorful macaws. The country’s great outdoors is unparalleled, from pristine white-sand beaches for lounging to rugged national parks like Chapada Diamantina where you can hike to your heart’s content. Culture is also everywhere, from historic towns to tasting Brazil’s melting-pot heritage in fusion dishes. 

Before your trip planner can craft your dream Brazil travel itinerary, you need to decide what you want to do. Brazil offers many different types of experiences, so first-time visitors should start by identifying their interests and travel goals to help streamline the planning process. 

Do you want to spend most of your time ensconced in the Brazilian wilderness while searching for rare and elusive wildlife? Are you a design lover who prefers street art-filled neighborhoods, galleries, and museums to the great outdoors? Whatever your interests are, we can tailor-make a trip around them.

Along with identifying your interests, learning more about Brazil’s most popular and best-known places to visit can help you decide where to travel in Brazil. Extraordinary Journeys destination specialists are intimately familiar with all the top spots, from outdoor destinations like the Amazon, Pantanal, and Iguaçu Falls to big cities like Rio and São Paulo to the country’s most charming small towns like Trancoso in Bahia, Paraty on the Costa Verde, and Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais. We’ve also got a few lesser-known gems up our sleeve.

While your trip to Brazil should include some of the country’s greatest hits like Rio and the Amazon, we also recommend looking beyond standard “Top 10” lists. Our Brazil specialists know of some incredible, less-visited destinations and they’re keen to share them with travelers who are willing to veer off the beaten path. (Think: Pousada Trijunção in the Brazilian Cerrado Savannah or the lagoon-filled dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.) We can also recommend cool, unusual activities like taking a capoeira class, learning to cook traditional Brazilian dishes in a culinary workshop, or ending a day in the Pantanal with a sunset canoe ride while sipping a craft beer. Going beyond the ordinary yields unique memories and experiences.

Due to variable factors like weather, seasons, and dates for specific events and festivals, there is no single best time to travel to Brazil. Once you’ve figured out which destinations you want to visit, you can then determine when is the best time of year for each stop. For example, if you want to experience the grand spectacle that is Carnival, let our trip planners know. That way, they can plan your trip around its dates in February and March. Want to swim in the seasonal lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park? The prime time is from June to September, which can be arranged.

If you’re unsure when the best time of year to visit a specific part of Brazil is, ask our destination specialists! That’s what we’re here for. We can tell you the pros and cons of visiting the Amazon in the rainy season versus the dry season, or how to take advantage of shoulder season to avoid the big crowds during summer or winter breaks. With opportunities to explore flooded forests by boat in the rainy season or to see more wildlife in the Pantanal during the dry season when animals congregate at water sources, there are definite benefits to visiting some destinations during different seasons — it simply comes down to your personal preference. Even if you have to sometimes deal with rain showers during the rainy season, the unique experiences you can have far outweigh getting a bit wet.

From luxury hotels to bespoke experiences, your first trip to Brazil should be as unforgettable and extraordinary as possible. Behind the scenes, Extraordinary Journeys Brazil specialists, spend months vetting properties, tour guides, activities (and more) to determine “the best of the best.” We only work with partners who reflect our standard of hospitality and, in many instances, have inspected properties ourselves. When you work with us, you save yourself hours of research, indecision, and the frustrations of planning travel logistics. 

After discussing your travel goals and interests (the fun part!), hang up, and leave the rest to us. We will craft a bespoke itinerary that is as unique as your interests. From transportation to privately guided excursions, all you need to do is show up at the airport with your luggage and passport, follow the itinerary, and have the trip of a lifetime. 

Brazil is one of South America’s most popular travel destinations, especially during peak season (the height of summer; December through February). Planning ahead is essential. We recommend contacting us well in advance of when you want to visit, giving us plenty of time to organize the perfect Brazil itinerary, book rooms at your properties of choice, and arrange your top-pick activities.

Brazil is massive, with so many amazing places worth visiting. it's natural to want to pack as much as possible into a single trip, but we highly recommend pacing yourself and managing expectations.

First-time visitors shouldn’t try to squeeze everything into one visit because doing too much at once can quickly tire you out, diminishing the overall experience. If you’re too busy rushing from place to place, you’ll have less time to enjoy each stop on your Brazil itinerary. We plan our trips to include as much as possible without overloading the itinerary. 

Choose your top destinations and experiences to start and remember that you can always come back in the future.

Even though choosing your travel goals and interests is a great way to focus your trip on top-priority destinations and activities, it's also a good idea to include some different Brazilian experiences to get a full, well-rounded experience. Even if your trip is mainly focused on spending time outdoors and being in nature, you can still discover different sides of Brazil by staying at a wilderness lodge with a great culinary program or spending a night or two in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro to get a taste of big-city life. Incorporating experiences that fall outside the theme of your trip will give you a better sense of everything Brazil has to offer.

By organizing your itinerary to hit all the highlights of a specific region before moving on to the next one, we help you spend less time in the air and more time on the ground, actually enjoying your trip. 

If you’re exploring Rio, we can include a few days at the beaches of Buzios on the Costa Verde or an offshore getaway on Ilha Grande before heading elsewhere. Pair São Paulo with a stop in Paraty or explore northern Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and the western Pantanal wetlands all in one fell swoop.

By prioritizing geographic proximity in your trip planning, we ensure that you spend less time on planes and more time with your toes in the sand or searching for jaguars deep in the wilderness.

Due to Brazil’s breadth, flying between different destinations can take up a lot of time; for example, it takes four hours to fly from Rio to Manaus, the gateway to the Amazon. (Plus time getting to/from the airport.)

While we understand that you want to make the most of your trip, you also want to give yourself plenty of time to fall into the rhythm of a destination. We allocate ample time at each stop to balance out the rigors of transit with rest and experiences. If you’re unsure how long to stay in a specific city or region to get the full “experience,” our destination specialists are more than happy to help. 

With weather that varies by season and region, it's important to pack accordingly for your trip to ensure that you stay comfortable and safe. Thanks to its tropical climate, lightweight daytime clothes and nighttime layers work throughout most of the year in Brazil and for most destinations. But you always want to pack weather-specific items, like rain gear and sun protection including hats and sunscreen. Pre-departure, Extraordinary Journeys will provide packing lists. 

One of the best qualities of travel is joyful spontaneity. But that also means that even the best-laid plans can go awry. When unforeseen issues or hiccups arise in a new, unfamiliar country, it helps to have someone you can contact for assistance. 

When you travel with Extraordinary Journeys, a 24/7 concierge is just a phone call or WhatsApp away. Why? Because our job isn’t done when your boarding pass is printed. From the initial call and throughout your journey, we’re by your side—every step of the way.

Using our Brazil travel guide for first-timers, we ensure that you make the most of your maiden trip to this alluring and exciting South American nation, where city streets are alive with the sashaying rhythms of samba and wildlife lurks in humidity-hugged rainforests. Extraordinary Journeys Brazil experts are here to help you plan an unforgettable trip tailored to your desires, complete with luxury hotel stays, immersive experiences, and the sorts of thoughtful touches and details only the most knowledgeable tour operators can provide.