Foz do Iguaçu in 2 days
Two days and two borders: the Brazilian side gives the panorama in three hours, the Argentine one takes a whole day and walks you in among the falls.
- How long
- 2 days
- Getting around
- Park buses from the entrance
- Book ahead
- The room and the Brazilian ticket
Two days in Foz do Iguaçu go in this order: the Brazilian side on the first morning, the Argentine side all of the second day. The panorama sets the scale and the Argentine walkways take it apart from close up; the other way round, you are up close to something whose size you have not yet seen.
The Brazilian side and the bird park
Iguaçu National Park, Brazilian side, at opening. A bus runs from the entrance to the trailhead and is included in the €22 ticket.
A path of about a kilometre descends along the canyon and ends on a platform beneath the falls.
Lunch and drying out; plan a break here, not the next item.
The bird park opposite the national park entrance. Ninety minutes.
Dinner in town and an early night: tomorrow you leave for the border at eight.
The Argentine side, a full day
Cross the border, by taxi or organised transfer, with your passport.
The upper circuit — walkways above the falls, looking over the lips. Shorter and less wet than the lower one. Entry is €34, and half that on a second consecutive day.
The lower circuit — down among the cascades. Here your kit gets soaked, not just you.
The little train to the Devil's Throat, then the walkway across the river to a platform on the lip — the last item of the day, and the reason the Argentine side is not cut short.
Back into Brazil; dinner in Foz.
If there is a third day
- Itaipu in the morning, then lunch in town.
- The triple frontier before sunset: from the viewpoint you watch the Iguaçu run into the Paraná, with the banks of three countries in one frame.
- Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, over the Friendship Bridge, only if duty-free shopping is the point; otherwise skip it.
Two things that wreck the plan
- A poncho as the solution. Under the falls you get soaked in it anyway. A waterproof phone pouch and a spare shirt do the job.
- The Argentine side in half a day. Three circuits and the train need seven hours; cut it short and you drop the Devil's Throat, which is the point.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which side of Iguaçu is better?
Neither on its own, which is why this plan has two days. The Brazilian side is done by lunch; the Argentine one, with three circuits of walkway and the Devil's Throat, takes a day from eight in the morning to half past five.
Do you need a visa to cross into Argentina?
That depends on your passport — check the rules for both Brazil and Argentina before you book. Either way, carry your passport and take the stamp on both sides — the crossing is routine and takes about fifteen minutes each way.
What does entry cost?
The Brazilian side is €22 for a foreign visitor, park bus included. The Argentine side is €34, and if you go back the next day, the second day is half price.
Ready for Foz do Iguaçu?
Where to next
Foz do Iguaçu
→Falls seen from two countries, and it is not the same experience — Brazil gives you the view, Argentina the proximity
São Paulo · 834 km
→A city with no postcard and the best restaurants on the continent — you come for the table, not the view
How well does Foz do Iguaçu suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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