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From sun-drenched beaches to historic cities, thundering waterfalls, and the glories of the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil offers history, culture, wildlife, and relaxation in equal measure. In Rio, you can see the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer, take a cycling tour of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, visit the favelas, or join the exuberant Carnaval celebrations.

You could stay in a stylish Amazon jungle lodge while monkeys hoot and whoop, explore the wildlife-filled wetlands of the Pantanal by canoe, take a buggy ride across the towering sand dunes near Natal, or stand in the mist of the cascading Iguaçu Falls.

The legacy of the Portuguese is everywhere, and a walking tour of one of Brazil’s historic cities brings this period of history to life. Alternatively, you could tour the Maracanã football stadium (which opened in 1950 to host the FIFA world cup), or explore architect Oscar Neimeyer’s crowing glory, the modernist city of Brasília.

Brazil has a wealth of places to stay from luxury hotels to beach resorts, family-run guesthouses, and historic boutique hotels. In the cities, you’ll find chic and stylish urban retreats, historic homes turned into charming small hotels, and boutique hotels set in grand mansions.

Brazil’s pousadas (guesthouses) are often set in historic buildings, but can vary greatly in size and character from sleek and stylish small hotels to waterfront escapes set in lush gardens.

Along the coast, you can stay in a private beachfront villa or an eco-resort offering water sports, riding, and rowing, while in the Amazon or Pantanal, you could stay in a simple floating hotel or opt for an exclusive lodge with just four rooms and individual attention.

For more ideas and to start planning your trip, take a look at our collection of places to stay in Brazil.

Rio, Iguaçu Falls, the Pantanal, Salvador, and the Green Coast are some of Brazil’s key destinations. Brazil, however, is larger than the contiguous United States and you’ll spend a lot of time flying if you’re hoping to see them all in one trip.

Most visitors arrive in Rio de Janeiro and enjoy a few days exploring before heading inland to Iguaçu Falls, the Pantanal, or the Amazon Rainforest, before relaxing on the white-sand beaches and exploring the tropical forests of the Green Coast where you can visit the historic town of Paraty and the sun-kissed shores of Ilha Grande.

To the north, you can explore the wonderfully historic city of Salvador or the Amazonian capital Manaus before discovering the towering sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, relaxing on the beach in Olinda, or snorkelling in crystalline waters in Fernando de Noronha.

The Pantanal is the best place to see wildlife in Brazil. An area of seasonally flooded wetlands, the Pantanal is home to wildlife similar to that of the Amazon basin but it’s much easier to spot than in the dense jungle. Here, you can see capybaras and caimans relaxing in the sun, large jabiru storks surveying the grasslands, and anacondas lurking in the shadows.

Although jaguars are always elusive, there are some specialist lodges here that give you a good chance of spotting these graceful big cats. Meanwhile, monkeys and marmosets swing through the trees, giant anteaters snuffle in the leaves, armadillos amble along, and river otters glide through the water, while brightly hued toucans, macaws, and parrots flit overhead.

It takes around 13 hours to fly from the UK to Brazil, via Paris.

Brazil has four different time zones ranging from UTC-2 hours to UTC-5 hours. Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasilia are all at UTC-3 hours. Daylight Savings Time isn’t observed in Brazil.

The best way to get around in Brazil is by road and by air. The country’s vast size means that distances between sights can be great, and it may be best to try and concentrate on just one part of the country such as the south or northeast, combining road travel with a private driver-guide and one or two internal flights.

If you’re hoping to see as much as possible in one trip and take in highlights such as Rio, Iguaçu, the Amazon, and Salvador, you’ll need to fly between destinations.

Use our travel tool to find up-to-date visa and passport requirements for Brazil. Enter where you’re travelling to and from (including any stopover destinations en route or flight layovers), along with your intended travel dates and passport details, for a full list of requirements.

• Entry requirements travel tool

Speak to your doctor about vaccine advice for Brazil and ensure you’re up to date with routine vaccinations at home. You can also check the suggested vaccinations for Brazil on the .