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Major city · Brazil

Várzea Grande

Skip as a base: sleep here only if your flight lands late or leaves early at Marechal Rondon (Cuiabá's airport is in this city).

Weather
see forecast
Currency
BRL
Best months
May–Sep (dry, cooler)
avoid Dec–Mar (heavy rain, 30–35 °C)
Airport
CGB
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Brazil ↗US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-visa (about US$81 — check) applied for online at the official VFS portal before travel; EU and UK citizens do not. Check your passport with Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking.
  • Brazil ↗Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for many areas, including the Amazon and Pantanal; check with a travel clinic at least 10 days before travel.
  • Brazil ↗Keep your phone out of sight in the street and on beaches; phone theft is the most common crime against visitors in big cities.
  • Brazil ↗Carnival 2027 runs about 5–10 February (Tuesday 9 February; Salvador from 4 February): book Rio, Salvador and Recife/Olinda months ahead or avoid those dates.

Várzea Grande is Cuiabá's twin across the Cuiabá River and the second-largest municipality in Mato Grosso. Its one real draw for travellers is Marechal Rondon International Airport, which sits inside the city, so a late arrival or a dawn departure is the only reason to sleep here. Everything else — the colonial core, the Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimarães access — is in Cuiabá, 10–20 minutes away.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Várzea Grande, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeR$6–12 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Street or quick mealSet lunch (prato feito)R$25–45 (≈ US$5–9)
  • Beerdraught / can at a shopR$10–18 (≈ US$2–4)R$5–8 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km app rideSurge pricing in rain.R$20–35 (≈ US$4–7)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekR$40–80 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Budget bedHostel bed, a night, per personR$70 (≈ US$13)
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomR$320 (≈ US$60)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomR$650 (≈ US$130)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget R$180 (≈ US$35) · Mid R$320 (≈ US$60) · High R$600 (≈ US$120)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Marechal Rondon International AirportCuiabá River and the Bonsucesso fish restaurantsIgreja de Nossa Senhora da Guia (1892)Expovag agro exhibition
Airports
CGB Marechal Rondon International (Inside Várzea Grande; about 10 km from Cuiabá centre, 15–25 min by car.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Várzea Grande: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

33°C

24°C

17 rd

Feb

33°C

24°C

15 rd

Mar

33°C

24°C

14 rd

Apr

33°C

23°C

9 rd

May

32°C

21°C

4 rd

Jun

32°C

19°C

2 rd

Jul

33°C

18°C

1 rd

Aug

35°C

20°C

2 rd

Sep

35°C

22°C

5 rd

Oct

34°C

23°C

10 rd

Nov

33°C

24°C

14 rd

Dec

33°C

24°C

17 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

No metro or useful city bus network for visitors: use taxis, app rides or a rental car. The airport is 10–15 min from Centro and 15–25 min from Cuiabá centre. Buses to the Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimarães leave from Cuiabá, not here.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Cuiabágo

Door to door: 20–40 min

Car or app ride over the river

The colonial core, markets and riverfront are all here; base in Cuiabá if you have more than one night.

Chapada dos Guimarães

go

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Car via MT-251 from Cuiabá

Waterfalls and canyon viewpoints; a full day, better as an overnight.

Pantanal (Poconé, Transpantaneira)

overnight

Door to door: 2–3 h to Poconé

Car via BR-070 to Poconé, then the Transpantaneira

Lodges are 2–4 h further; arrange pickup through your lodge.

Cáceres

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3 h

Car or bus via BR-174

River town on the Paraguay River; worth a night, not a day return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Jardim Aeroporto (around the airport)

Closest beds to the terminal; pick this for a dawn flight or a one-night layover.

Centro

Cheaper hotels and the André Maggi bus terminal; 10–15 min by car to the airport.

Cuiabá centre

Better food, nightlife and Pantanal pickup points; 15–25 min across the river.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
R$150–250 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
R$250–450 (≈ US$50–85) excl. bed
High
R$450 (≈ US$85)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 1 night × R$320R$320
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × R$320R$640
Airport ↔ hotel taxi or app ride, both ways2 × R$80 · checkR$160
eSIM, about a week of data2 × R$60R$120
Rental car, one day1 × R$180 · checkR$180
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeR$142
Trip total≈ R$781 per person per day, bed includedR$1,562≈ US$300

2026 estimate in reais; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeR$6–12 (≈ US$2–3)
Set lunch (prato feito)R$25–45 (≈ US$5–9)
Fish plate in BonsucessoR$60–120 (≈ US$12–25)
Beer: draught / can at a shopR$10–18 (≈ US$2–4) / R$5–8 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km app rideSurge pricing in rain.R$20–35 (≈ US$4–7)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekR$40–80 (≈ US$8–15)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Várzea Grande is a working city, not a tourist one: violent crime is concentrated in specific bairros and mostly at night. Use app rides or taxis after dark, keep your phone out of sight, and treat the airport–hotel transfer as the only walk you need.
  • Do not plan a walking day here: sights are spread out and pavements are patchy.
  • Cross-river traffic on the Ponte Nova and Av. da FEB jams at 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00.
  • Rainy-season downpours (Dec–Mar) flood low streets and delay flights.
  • Use app rides or a registered taxi at night; avoid unlit streets on foot.

Emergency numbers

Military Police
190
Ambulance (SAMU)
192
Fire
193

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Várzea GrandeVárzea Grande

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Para este endereço, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Military Police190
  • Ambulance (SAMU)192
  • Fire193

Embassy

No embassies here; the US, UK and other consulates sit in São Paulo or Brasília. For lost documents, contact your embassy there (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → Cuiabá centre, taxi: R$60–90 (≈ US$12–17), 15–25 min (check)
  • Airport → Várzea Grande Centro, app ride: R$20–35 (≈ US$4–7), 10–15 min (check)
  • Cuiabá → Poconé (Pantanal), bus: R$40–60 (≈ US$8–12), about 2 h (check)

Say or show

  • Com licença / Desculpe — Excuse me / Sorry (kong lee-SEN-sah / des-KUL-pee)
  • Obrigado / Obrigada — Thank you (oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah)
  • Quanto custa? — How much is it? (KWAN-too KOOS-tah)
  • Posso pagar com cartão? — Can I pay by card? (POH-soo pah-GAR kong kar-TOWNG)
  • Onde fica o banheiro? — Where is the toilet? (ON-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo)
  • Não falo português — I don't speak Portuguese (nowng FAH-loo por-too-GAYS)

Tipping: 10% service charge is usually already on the bill; optional.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Várzea Grande. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep (dry, cooler) · avoid Dec–Mar (heavy rain, 30–35 °C) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CGB: last flight arrivals, taxi and app fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Two walking clusters with rescue anchors: Centro (André Maggi terminal, Praça Aquidabã) and Jardim Aeroporto.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Guia, Casa de Memória de Dona Sinharinha, Engenho Dona Buguela) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wet-season and late-arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Brazil

Sources