Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Brazil

A photograph of Brazil
Photograph · Tet · CC BY 4.0

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest on earth, with over 213 million people, 26 states and a Federal District built to hold the capital, Brasília. Its Atlantic coastline runs 7,491 kilometres and it borders every country on the continent except Ecuador and Chile. Most of the Amazon basin is Brazilian, including the world's largest river system and the most extensive virgin tropical forest left standing; the same country also holds wetlands, savanna, plateau and low mountains. São Paulo is the most populous city and Rio de Janeiro the second. The distance between any two of these is the planning problem.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Portuguese
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+55
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Brazilian real (BRL)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
190 police · 192 ambulance · 193 fire
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type N · 127 or 220 V by location
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Voltage and water guidance must be checked for the destination

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Cine Roxy
    04 2 hours

    Cine Roxy

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  2. Cinesesc
    07 2 hours

    Cinesesc

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  3. Parque Shanghai
    09 2 hours

    Parque Shanghai

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  4. CineSala
    11 2 hours

    CineSala

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  5. Kinoplex Tijuca
    15 2 hours

    Kinoplex Tijuca

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  6. Aquario
    30 2 hours

    Aquario

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  7. Big Jump Usa
    31 2 hours

    Big Jump Usa

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  8. Cine Araújo
    33 2 hours

    Cine Araújo

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  9. Cineclube
    35 2 hours

    Cineclube

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  10. Cine Eldorado
    36 2 hours

    Cine Eldorado

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  11. CineHebraica
    37 2 hours

    CineHebraica

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  12. Cine Hot
    38 2 hours

    Cine Hot

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  13. Cine Joia
    40 2 hours

    Cine Joia

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  14. Cinema Carioca
    41 2 hours

    Cinema Carioca

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  15. Cinemark
    42 2 hours

    Cinemark

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  16. Cinemark
    43 2 hours

    Cinemark

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  17. Cinemark
    44 2 hours

    Cinemark

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  18. Cinemark
    45 2 hours

    Cinemark

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  19. Cinepolis
    49 2 hours

    Cinepolis

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  20. Cinepolis
    50 2 hours

    Cinepolis

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  21. Cinepolis
    51 2 hours

    Cinepolis

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  22. Cinépolis
    52 2 hours

    Cinépolis

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  23. Cinesystem
    54 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  24. Cinesystem
    55 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  25. Cinesystem
    56 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  26. Cinesystem
    57 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  27. Cinesystem
    58 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  28. Cinesystem
    59 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  29. Cinesystem
    60 2 hours

    Cinesystem

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  30. DISCO
    62 2 hours

    DISCO

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  31. Estação
    66 2 hours

    Estação

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  32. Estação NET
    67 2 hours

    Estação NET

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  33. Hotzone
    69 2 hours

    Hotzone

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  34. Hot Zone
    70 2 hours

    Hot Zone

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  35. HotZone
    71 2 hours

    HotZone

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  36. HotZone
    72 2 hours

    HotZone

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  37. IMAX
    73 2 hours

    IMAX

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  38. Kinoplex
    74 2 hours

    Kinoplex

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  39. KINOPLEX
    75 2 hours

    KINOPLEX

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  40. Kinoplex Leblon
    77 2 hours

    Kinoplex Leblon

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  41. Marquise
    81 2 hours

    Marquise

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  42. Morumbi Park
    82 2 hours

    Morumbi Park

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  43. Moviecom
    83 2 hours

    Moviecom

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  44. Moviecon Penha
    84 2 hours

    Moviecon Penha

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  45. Parque Marisa
    88 2 hours

    Parque Marisa

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  46. Play Art
    89 2 hours

    Play Art

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  47. Popular
    91 2 hours

    Popular

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • São Paulo
  48. T-Rex Park
    93 2 hours

    T-Rex Park

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro
  49. UCI
    94 2 hours

    UCI

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Rio de Janeiro

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Brazil be?

Brazil’s scale makes 10–16 days appropriate for one region rather than a national circuit. Build around a single gateway such as Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, then add one coherent coastal, nature or cultural extension.

What entry documents are needed for Brazil?

Visa information is maintained by Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its consular portal. Eligibility depends on nationality and visit purpose; use the ministry’s current table instead of relying on a past visa waiver.

What is the best way to travel around Brazil?

São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro handle major international and domestic connections. Flights bridge the country’s long distances, coaches cover many regional corridors, and national passenger rail is not a general substitute for either.

When is a practical time to visit Brazil?

Brazil has no single best month because Amazon, northeast-coast, Pantanal and southern conditions differ. April–June and August–October are broad shoulder periods, but the chosen region’s rainfall and access cycle should decide the dates.

What money and payment basics apply in Brazil?

The Brazilian real (BRL) is the unit used for prices. This guide does not record current bank fees or acceptance patterns; check the displayed total and conversion currency before authorising a card or cash transaction.

What practical safety details should I save for Brazil?

Brazil separates emergency services: 190 police, 192 ambulance and 193 fire. Type N sockets operate at either 127 or 220 V depending on location, and national tap-water suitability is Not recorded.