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Destinations › Latin America › Brazil
Country guide · Latin America
Brazil
Brazil Travel Guide: Rio, São Paulo, Salvador & Where to Go 2026
Your Brazil guide, curated by Locals Insider
Brazil, by Locals Insider
Brazil is the continent-sized country built on contradictions — Rio's beach culture versus São Paulo's financial-district intensity, Salvador's Afro-Brazilian heritage versus the Amazon's vast emptiness.
Rio is the postcard: Christ the Redeemer above, Copacabana below, the Belmond Copacabana Palace anchoring the beachfront since 1923. São Paulo is the megacity that quietly has Latin America's best food scene — D.O.M.'s two Michelin stars introduced Amazonian ingredients to global gastronomy.
Beyond the two megacities: Iguaçu Falls, Inhotim's contemporary art park outside Belo Horizonte, Trancoso's barefoot luxury in Bahia, the Amazon proper.
Our Brazil coverage focuses on Rio neighborhoods, São Paulo's restaurant scene, and the boutique hotels (UXUA, Fasano, Rosewood) that have transformed Brazilian luxury hospitality.
Cities to explore
Where to go in Brazil
Cities with a full guide are marked “City guide”.
Rio de Janeiro
Iconic skyline, Copacabana, samba, mountains-meet-sea
São Paulo
Megacity, world-class dining, art, nightlife
City guide · 2 stories
Salvador (Bahia)
Afro-Brazilian heart, Pelourinho old town, music
The Amazon (Manaus)
Jungle lodges, river cruises, wildlife
Stories · updated as we publish
Latest from Brazil
All 4 stories
Recommended in our stories
Places in Brazil our authors recommend
Place · Rio de Janeiro
Rua Barão de São Francisco 54, Andaraí, Rio de Janeiro 20560-032
One of the last urban quilombos in Rio, the Renascença hosts musician and composer Moacyr Luz every Monday afternoon for the most traditional samba circle in…
Open in Google Maps ↗In Vitor’s story · Hidden Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Vitor’s Guide to Neighborhoods, Beaches and Culture Beyond Copacabana
Place · São Paulo
Rodovia SP-79 (Rod. Ten
One of Brazil's best-known birdwatching lodges — a private 70-hectare reserve in the Paranapiacaba mountain range, three hours from São Paulo.
Open in Google Maps ↗In Alef Felipe’s story · Birdwatching in Brazil | Top Lodges in the Atlantic Forest by Local Guide Alef Felipe
Place
Under the Viaduto Negrão de Lima (Viaduto de Madureira), Rua Carvalho de Souza s/n, Madureira, Zona Norte
Founded in 1990 and declared intangible cultural heritage of Rio in 2013, the Baile Charme is one of the most significant Black music events in Brazil — shar…
Open in Google Maps ↗In Vitor’s story · Hidden Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Vitor’s Guide to Neighborhoods, Beaches and Culture Beyond Copacabana
Place
Estrada da CBA Km 12 / Estrada TPRM Km 12, 18180-000, Tapiraí
A quieter German-Brazilian ecolodge in the same region.
Open in Google Maps ↗In Alef Felipe’s story · Birdwatching in Brazil | Top Lodges in the Atlantic Forest by Local Guide Alef Felipe
Place · Rio de Janeiro
Praça Tiradentes, Centro (downtown Rio)
A weekly roda that keeps the downtown samba scene alive on a night when most of the city is quiet.
Open in Google Maps ↗In Vitor’s story · Hidden Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Vitor’s Guide to Neighborhoods, Beaches and Culture Beyond Copacabana
Place
Rodovia SP-79 Km 168 (+200m), Quatro Barras, Tapiraí
A smaller ecological retreat five kilometers along the same road as Trilha dos Tucanos.
Open in Google Maps ↗In Alef Felipe’s story · Birdwatching in Brazil | Top Lodges in the Atlantic Forest by Local Guide Alef Felipe
Don’t miss
Don’t miss in Brazil
Must visit · Rio de Janeiro
Cristo Redentor at Sugarloaf sunset
The iconic combination — take the Trem do Corcovado up to the Christ the Redeemer statue early morning when the clouds clear, then end the day on Sugarloaf Mountain's cable car for sunset over Guanabara Bay. Rio's two best views, bookending one day.
Buy Cristo train tickets ahead. Cable car Pão de Açúcar can queue 1+ hour.
Waterfall system
Iguaçu Falls
275 individual falls along a 2.7km curve on the Brazil-Argentina border — wider than Victoria, taller than Niagara, with the Devil's Throat U-shaped chasm at the center. The Brazilian side gives the panoramic view; Argentine side gives the close walks.
Fly to Foz do Iguaçu. Visit both sides over 2 days. Best May-September.
Experiences
Experiences in Brazil locals love
- Carnival in Rio or Salvador (February–March)
- Christ the Redeemer at sunset
- Iguazú Falls from the Brazilian side
- Lençóis Maranhenses — sand dune lagoons
- Pantanal wetlands wildlife (better jaguar viewing than Amazon)
Insider tips
Insider tips for Brazil
- Fernando de Noronha island — Brazil's best beaches
- Chapada Diamantina — waterfall hiking in Bahia
- Ouro Preto — colonial mining town in Minas Gerais
- Florianópolis — surf island in the south
- Trancoso and Caraíva — chic Bahia beach villages
- Jericoacoara — wind-and-kite paradise
Our picks
Brazil’s best restaurants, hotels and museums
Checked against Michelin, the venue or Google.
D.O.M. (São Paulo)
Michelin
$$$$ (BRL 1,500+ tasting menu)
Chef Alex Atala's two-Michelin-star Brazilian — World's 50 Best top 10 for years. The Amazonian ingredients (priprioca, jambu, pirarucu) introduced to global gastronomy here.
R. Barão de Capanema 549, Cerqueira César, São PauloWebsite ↗
Oteque (Rio)
Michelin
$$$$ (BRL 850+ tasting menu)
Two-Michelin-star — chef Alberto Landgraf's Brazilian seafood tasting menus from an open kitchen counter. Latin America's 50 Best top 10.
R. Cons. Lafayette 51, Botafogo, Rio de JaneiroWebsite ↗
Mocotó (São Paulo)
Traditional
$$ (BRL 200-400 per person)
Chef Rodrigo Oliveira's Northeastern Brazilian cooking in a working-class São Paulo neighborhood — the dadinhos de tapioca, the carne de sol. Latin America's 50 Best regular.
Av. Nossa Senhora do Loreto 1100, Vila Medeiros, São PauloWebsite ↗
Aprazível (Rio)
Traditional
$$$ (BRL 350-700 per person)
Tree-house dining in Santa Teresa — the terrace looks across Guanabara Bay to Sugarloaf. Brazilian-Mediterranean menu, the Sunday feijoada lunch.
R. Aprazível 62, Santa Teresa, Rio de JaneiroWebsite ↗
Belmond Copacabana Palace
Luxury
BRL 4,500-15,000
Rio's most legendary hotel since 1923 — the white art deco façade on Copacabana Beach, the rooftop pool, the Cipriani Italian restaurant. Where royalty and rock stars stay in Rio.
Av. Atlântica 1702, Copacabana, Rio de JaneiroWebsite ↗
Rosewood São Paulo
Luxury
BRL 2,800-7,500
Jean Nouvel-designed in the Cidade Matarazzo complex — opened 2022. The Brazilian rainforest-inspired tower with vertical gardens, six restaurants, the gallery of contemporary Brazilian art.
R. Itapeva 435, Bela Vista, São PauloWebsite ↗
UXUA Casa Hotel (Trancoso)
Boutique
BRL 2,500-6,000
Eleven restored fisherman's houses (casas) around the Quadrado square in Trancoso — designed by Wilbert Das (Diesel co-founder). The barefoot luxury that put Trancoso on the map.
Praça São João 3, Trancoso, BahiaWebsite ↗
Fasano Rio de Janeiro
Luxury
BRL 3,500-9,000
Philippe Starck-designed beachfront on Ipanema — the rooftop pool with Two Brothers mountain view. The Fasano restaurant a Rio institution.
Av. Vieira Souto 80, Ipanema, Rio de JaneiroWebsite ↗
MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art)
Modern art
Lina Bo Bardi's red-suspended modernist building on Avenida Paulista — Latin America's most important art museum. The famous glass-suspended paintings let you see both sides.
Av. Paulista 1578, Bela Vista, São PauloWebsite ↗
Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
Brazilian art
Two contrasting buildings (palace + modernist) connected by a wave-shaped roof — Rio's contemporary art museum on the regenerated Praça Mauá waterfront.
Praça Mauá 5, Rio de JaneiroWebsite ↗
Inhotim (Brumadinho)
Contemporary art park
Possibly the world's largest open-air contemporary art museum — 5,000 acres of gardens with permanent pavilions by Olafur Eliasson, Yayoi Kusama, Cildo Meireles. Two-day visit minimum.
Rua B, 20, Brumadinho, Minas GeraisWebsite ↗
On the world lists
Editor’s picks for Brazil
A few picks the headline-makers (Copacabana Palace, Rosewood São Paulo) deserve to share the page with:
Lasai, Rio de Janeiro
Chef Rafa Costa e Silva's intimate Botafogo restaurant sources from its own farm — Brazil's most quietly serious tasting menu.Cristalino Lodge, Amazon
A serious birding lodge in private rainforest reserve in Mato Grosso — canopy towers, river floats, and a research-grade naturalist team.Belmond Copacabana Palace ranked #11 on the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025
And named Best Hotel in South America. The grande dame since 1923 keeps earning the title.Rosewood São Paulo ranked #24 on the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025
Inside Cidade Matarazzo — a restored 1920s maternity hospital reimagined by Jean Nouvel and Philippe Starck, with a tropical forest of 200+ tree species.
Through the year
Brazil festivals and what’s on
February or March
Rio Carnival
The world's most famous carnival — samba schools, sambodromo parades, week-long street parties
June
Festa Junina
Country-style June festival — bonfires, square dancing, traditional food, nationwide
December 31
Reveillon
New Year on Copacabana — millions in white, fireworks over the beach
Questions
Brazil FAQ
Do I need a visa to visit Brazil?
It depends on your nationality,