Chapters
“There are moments in South America, in Brazil, where you look out, and there are literally thirty, forty thousand people jumping up and down at the same time.” - Mike McCready
Since Brazil is 35 times the size of the UK, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to places to go to. Brazil leads South America in terms of tourism with 6.6 million visitors each year. A lot of Europeans visit Brazil. Visiting Brazil isn’t like going to Spain or Portugal so here’s our advice for visiting Brazil, the attractions you should see, and where you should stay. In this article, we'll be covering what you should visit in Brazil, the ideal time to visit the country, the cost of travelling there, and where you can stay when you go.
What Should You Visit in Brazil?
With over 2,000 attractions listed and recommended on Tripadvisor, you’re not going to run out of things to do across Brazil. Since Brazil has a long coastline and covers a large area, there’s a lot of variety in terms of what you can visit. 
- Santuario Don Bosco de Brasilia
- Brasilia Botanic Gardens
- Cathedral of Brasília
- Brasilia Digital TV Tower
- Temple of Good Will
- Planalto Palace
- Banco Central do Brasil Museum
- Christ the Redeemer
- The Frédéric Chopin Statue
- Boulevard Olímpico
- Escadaria Selarón
- Sao Salvador Park
- Obelisco da Avenida Rio Branco
- Cais do Valongo
- Igreja Sao Jose
- Praça Quinze de Novembro
- São Paulo Museum of Art
- São Paulo Cathedral
- Ibirapuera Park
- Parque Trianon
- Latin America Memorial
- Mirante Do Arvrao viewpoint in Rio de Janeiro
- Mirante Do Caete, also in Rio
- The Amazon Rainforest
- Iguazu Falls
Did you know that while Rio de Janeiro isn’t Brazil’s capital, it was for 200 years? To make the most of the monuments in Brazil, make sure you check the opening times of these monuments and how much they cost to visit. Generally speaking, large families can enjoy discounts and children won’t have to pay very much to visit tourist attractions. Brazil is also a great country for surfers. How could we do an article on Brazil and everything you have to visit without mentioning Copacabana? With its beautiful beaches, it’s the ideal place for relaxing holidays with a caipirinha in hand. For party animals, we recommend heading to the beach resorts like Belem, Ipanema, Guanabara, or Canoa Quebrada. There are no better places to party than in Brazil. Of course, there are other places to visit like Recife, Minas, Salvador de Bahia, Manaus, Ilha Grande, Noronha, or Olinda.
When Is the Ideal Time to Travel to Brazil?
To make the most of a trip to Brazil, you have to go at the right time. The same dates aren’t recommended for every destination so you need to think about where you’re going and where. You shouldn’t go to Brasilia at the same time as you would Porto Alegre. Rainy seasons, cold temperatures, not much going on, etc. Depending on the time of year, some towns can completely change. If you want to do touristy things, you might want to visit in the low season when it’s quieter, but if you’re looking for high temperatures, then you’ll want to visit during the high season. Search for Portuguese lessons here. 
- Surfers and divers
- History or architecture lovers
- Party animals
- Cultural tourists
When should you travel to Brazil? It depends on where you’re going as Brazil has various different climates:
- An equatorial climate in the northeast
- A monsoon climate in the Amazon
- A savannah climate in the southeast
- A semi-arid climate in the centre
- A humid sub-tropical climate in the southeast, too
- A temperate climate in the south
To make the most of the climate, it’s recommended that you go during the winter, which is from June to August or September in the southern hemisphere. If you want to enjoy the local events in Brazil, you should check the calendar. Here are a few of Brazil's most popular events that you won’t want to miss:
- Carnival in the big cities in February or March.
- Carnival in Natal, June-July.
- Gay Pride, Sao Paulo, June.
- Winter Festival in Ouro Preto, July.
- Gramado Film Festival, August.
- Independence Day of Brazil, 7 September.
- Blumenau Beer Festival, October.
- São Paulo International Film Festival.
- Salvador Summer Fest, December.
So when are you going to go?
How Much Does it Cost to Travel to Brazil?
When it comes to travelling to Latin America and Brazil, in particular, you have to think about how much you’re going to spend. 
- Transport costs including your tickets to Brazil
- Food and drink
- Travel insurance
- Accommodation
- Preparation costs before you go.
The Brazilian Real is the currency used: 1 Real ≈ £0.22 The advantage is that the cost of living in Brazil is much cheaper than in the UK. This means you should have a good amount of money for visiting various attractions. This is also good because Brazil has plenty of things to visit like Copacabana, Ipanema, Ilha Grande national park, or the Iguaçu falls. Your budget will depend on where you’re going, too. For example:
- If you’re visiting Recife, you might want to budget for diving, etc.
- Large cities like Brasilia are home to colonial Brazilian architectural and UNESCO world heritage sites to visit.
- Natural wonders like the Iguaçu falls are perfect for enjoying Brazilian nature.
According to Budget Your Trip, you should expect to pay around £400 per week in Brazil. Don’t hesitate to do your research and budget accordingly.
Where Can You Stay During Your Time in Brazil?
Accommodation is one of the first things you need to ask yourself about when planning your trip. So where can you stay? For example, if you are heading to Brazil with your family, your accommodation will be different to a trip with your partner or going on a road trip. Here are the main types of accommodation available in Brazil:
- Traditional Hotels
- Pousadas or Luxury Hotels
- Holiday Apartments
- Unusual Accommodation
- Youth Hostels
- Local modern hotels
- Charming little hotels
- Large hotel chains
- Budget hotels
The average cost per night is around £40. Try to book ahead, especially during the busy period. However, if you want to try something different and stay somewhere out of the ordinary, you could always try:
- Seaside wooden cabins
- Furnished holiday homes
- Seasonal rents
- Holiday villages
- Holiday residences
- Campsites and bungalows
If you’re on a tight budget, focus on youth hotels. For as little as a few quid per night, they’re great if you want to stay close to the sea or a city centre. Of course, if you want peace and quiet, you probably don't want to be sharing a dormitory with a dozen other backpackers. So when are you going to Brazil? Would you like to learn some Portuguese before you go? You can always get a bit of help from one of the many talented tutors on Superprof. There are three main types of tutorial available on the site: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials. There are pros and cons to each and the best one for you really depends on your situation. Face-to-face tutorials are the most personal and have you and your tutor working together for the whole session. Of course, this bespoke service comes at a cost, making it the most costly type of tutorial available. If shyness has been getting in the way of your language learning, this is probably the best option. Additionally, the tutor can tailor each lesson to exactly what you need to learn or what you've been struggling with. Online tutorials are similar to face-to-face tutorials with the main difference being that the tutor isn't physically in the room with you and you're more likely to find native Portuguese speakers as you can broaden your search to anywhere in the world! Finally, there are group tutorials. In these types of tutorials, there are several students and just one tutor. With all the students sharing the cost of the tutor's time, these tutorials are usually the cheapest per person per hour but each student won't get the bespoke tutoring or one-on-one time that they would in the other types of tutorials. However, you will get plenty of opportunities to practise your language skills with the other students in the class. Find good Portuguese classes here on Superprof.
The platform that connects tutors and students
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating.
Loading...
