10 days in Brazil: itinerary

Brazil is larger than the contiguous United States, so a 10-day trip is a two-region trip. The route below pairs the country's easiest first stop with its most spectacular natural sight, and keeps every leg on a short flight, a shuttle van or a boat.

Rio de Janeiro gets 4 nights because the city rewards a slow pace: one day for Corcovado and Santa Teresa, one for Sugarloaf and the beaches, one for a favela tour or a football match, one spare for rain. Paraty and Ilha Grande get 4 nights between them, which is the minimum for the colonial streets plus one full day on the water. Foz do Iguaçu gets 2 nights, enough for both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the falls.

If your dates fall in July–October and you would rather see wildlife than coastline, swap the Costa Verde for the Pantanal at 3–4 nights and drop Foz do Iguaçu. If you have 14 days, add Salvador or an Amazon lodge instead of cutting Rio short.

The line runs Rio de Janeiro → Paraty → Ilha Grande → back through Rio → fly to Foz do Iguaçu. Everything before the flight is overland along the Costa Verde; the only long leg is the flight west to the falls.

Book the Rio–Foz do Iguaçu flight early. It is the one leg where prices move a lot, and the alternative is a very long bus ride. Flights leave from Galeão (GIG) or Santos Dumont (SDU); Santos Dumont is closer to the beach districts but has fewer direct departures.

Each day lists one anchor activity and one flexible block. Rio's weather decides the order: go up Corcovado on the first clear morning and move the beach days around it.

Fly between regions, always. Domestic flights on the Rio–Foz do Iguaçu and Rio–Salvador corridors run several times a day, and the fares are usually lower than a long-distance bus once you count a lost day. Buses still make sense for the Costa Verde leg, where the road is the point.

In Rio, the metro covers Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo and the centre; use app cars at night and for the hills. In Paraty and Ilha Grande everything is walkable or by boat. In Foz do Iguaçu, local buses reach both national parks cheaply, and app cars are easy to find.

Base yourself once per stop, near transport rather than near a single sight. In Rio, Copacabana and Ipanema put you on the metro and the beach at the same time; Botafogo and Flamengo are cheaper and still central. In Paraty, stay inside or just outside the colonial centre so you can walk to dinner. On Ilha Grande, Vila do Abraão has the guesthouses, restaurants and the boat pier. In Foz do Iguaçu, the town centre is convenient, while the hotels inside the Brazilian park put you at the falls before the day visitors arrive.

The figures below are per person, in Brazilian reais, for a mid-range trip: private room with bathroom, one paid attraction most days, restaurant meals with the occasional cheap lunch. Add 20–30% in high season (December–March and Carnival) and for the falls at weekends.

Flights are the biggest variable. A Rio–Foz do Iguaçu one-way fare booked a month out is often around R$600; booked late in high season it can double. Domestic fares are usually cheaper when bought on Brazilian airline sites in reais than through foreign booking sites.

Swap the Costa Verde for the Pantanal if you travel July–October and want wildlife. Fly Rio → Cuiabá, take the Transpantaneira road to a lodge for 3–4 nights, then fly out via São Paulo. Book jaguar boat trips months ahead.

Swap Foz do Iguaçu for Salvador if you want culture over nature: fly Rio → Salvador for 4 nights, with the Pelourinho, capoeira and the Bahia coast. A 7-day version of this trip is Rio plus one region only; a 14-day version adds Salvador or an Amazon lodge from Manaus.