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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Brasilia
Brasília
Give Brasilia 2 nights if you like modernist architecture, 1 if you don't: the sights sit 5–10 km apart and you need wheels or rides.
Brasilia is Brazil's purpose-built capital, inaugurated in 1960 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its modernist plan by Lúcio Costa and buildings by Oscar Niemeyer. The Monumental Axis holds the government and museums; the residential wings hold hotels and food. Sights are spread out and the city was designed for cars, so plan on taxis, ride-hailing or a rental rather than walking.
- Country
- Brazil
- Local name
- Brasília
- Best months
- May–Sep (dry season)
- Avoid
- Aug–Sep (peak drought, humidity under 20%), Nov–Jan (heaviest rain)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$180–300 excl. bed · Mid R$300–550 excl. bed · High R$550+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | R$8–15 |
| Prato feito lunch | R$25–45 |
| Beer, draught / can | R$10–18 / R$5–8 |
| Ride-hailing across the axis | R$15–35 |
| Metro ride | R$5.50 (check) |
| Museum entry | Free–R$30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BSB · Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport
- About 11 km from the centre; most flights are domestic, so international arrivals usually connect through São Paulo or Rio.About 6.8 mi from the centre; most flights are domestic, so international arrivals usually connect through São Paulo or Rio.
Typical fares
- BSB airport → hotel sector, taxi
- R$60–90, about 20 min (check)
- BSB airport → central area, executive bus
- about R$10 (check)
- Local bus single fare
- R$3.80–5.50 (check)
Get around
Do not plan to walk between sights: the city was designed around cars and the axis is long. Use Uber, 99 or TeLevo, or taxis from stands (they are not hailed on the street). The metro runs along the south wing and is of limited use for the main monuments. Buses start at the Rodoviária and serve the wings and the axis; flag them down and board at the front.
See and do
Known for
- Oscar Niemeyer modernist architecture
- UNESCO World Heritage city plan
- Three Powers Square and the National Congress
- Cathedral of Brasília
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pirenópolis | Car or bus west into Goiás, about 150 kmCar or bus west into Goiás, about 93 mi | 2–2.5 h |
| Chapada dos Veadeiros (Alto Paraíso) | Bus or car north into Goiás | 3.5–4.5 h |
| Goiânia | Bus from the rodoferroviária, about 3 h | 3–3.5 h |
Sleep
- Setor Hoteleiro Norte/Sul (SHN/SHS)
- Hotel sector on the Monumental Axis; closest to the sights and the metro, best for a short first visit.
- Setor Comercial Sul (SCS)
- Commercial core near the Rodoviária and metro; cheaper business hotels, walkable to the axis.
- North Wing superquadras (SQN/CLN)
- Residential blocks with local commerce; quieter, needs a car or rides to reach sights.
- South Wing superquadras (SQS/CLS)
- Same logic south of the axis; metro along the wing, good for longer stays.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabohn DEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / -dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAHN-too KOOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kohn kar-TOWN |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?OHN-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo |
| To this address, please | Para este endereço, por favorPAH-rah ESH-tee en-deh-REH-soo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Dry-season air (Aug–Sep) causes dehydration, nose bleeds and eye irritation: carry water and use sunscreen, UV is high year-round.
- Pedestrian crossings are few and drivers expect you to signal before crossing; police fine drivers who ignore crossings.
- Parking 'watchers' may ask for R$2–5 to mind your car; refusing can risk scratches.
- The metro takes cash only and will not give change above R$20.
- Addresses are acronyms (SHN, SCS, SQN); save the full block code before you ride.
Brasilia is calmer than Rio or São Paulo, but the central bus station and hotel sectors see bag snatching after dark; use ride-hailing at night and keep phones out of sight on the axis.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Brasilia yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Oscar Niemeyer modernist architecture
- UNESCO World Heritage city plan
- Three Powers Square and the National Congress
- Cathedral of Brasília
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- National Institute of Meteorology (INMET): portal.inmet.gov.br/
- Wikivoyage: Brasilia, revision 5236253 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236253
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BrasiliaBrasília
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies sit in the Setor de Embaixadas (SES/SEN) south and north; check your country's listing before you go.
Metro takes cash only; keep small bills.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/brasilia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.