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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

country

ParaguayParaguái

First trip: Asunción 2 nights, then Encarnación 2–3 for the Jesuit missions; add Ciudad del Este for Iguazú only if you are already crossing to Brazil or Argentina.

Not field-verified

Paraguay is off the main tourist trail, which is its appeal and its challenge: fewer tourist services, little English, and summer heat that regularly passes 35 °C. Trips break on the heat and on long bus legs. Base in Asunción and Encarnación, travel by long-distance bus in the mornings, and treat the Chaco as an expedition that needs a guide and a 4x4.

All regions, cities and parks in Paraguay (Atlas) →

Regions

Asunción and surroundingsplanned

Capital; the historic centre, riverside and nearby craft towns

2–3 nights

Southeast (Encarnación and the missions)planned

Jesuit mission ruins of Trinidad and Jesús; river beaches

2–3 nights

Ciudad del Esteplanned

Border city by the Iguazú Falls and the Itaipú dam

1–2 nights

Arrive

ASU

Silvio Pettirossi International (Asunción)

About 30 minutes to the centre by road

Time math

4 days
Asunción 2 + bus to Encarnación 2 for the missions
6 days
Asunción 2 + Encarnación 2 + Ciudad del Este 2 (Itaipú), continue to Iguazú

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Check entry rules for your passport with Paraguay's migration authority or a Paraguayan consulate; get your passport stamped at land borders, as some crossings let you pass without it.
  • The Chaco is remote with few services; travel with a guide or experienced operator and carry water and fuel.

Etiquette

  • Tereré (cold mate) is shared in groups; it is polite to accept or decline with thanks.
  • Many people speak Guaraní as well as Spanish; a few words are warmly received.
  • Greet with buenos días before asking for anything.
Semana Santa (Easter week)
National holiday; services reduced and buses full.
Summer (December–February)
Extreme heat; afternoon activity drops.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 4/5

  • Currency is the Paraguayan guaraní (PYG, ₲). Cash dominates outside hotels, malls and larger restaurants in Asunción.
  • Carry small notes for buses and markets.
  • US dollars and Brazilian reais are widely exchanged in border cities.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • Heat: plan outdoor visits for mornings and evenings; carry water.
  • Ciudad del Este is busy and chaotic: watch your belongings and be careful with money changers.
  • Parts of the northeast near the Brazilian border have seen organised crime; check your government's advice if travelling off the main routes.
  • Mosquito-borne diseases (dengue, chikungunya) occur: use repellent.

Paraguay connects to Iguazú (Brazil/Argentina) via Ciudad del Este and to northern Argentina via Encarnación–Posadas.

Open Americas

Sources