Road Trip from Rio de Janeiro to Iguazu Falls
One of the natural wonders and most majestic falls in the world is the Iguazu Falls. The Iguazu Falls can be seen from two countries, Argentina and Brazil. Both sides offer different views and experiences. The best way to experience the enormity and majestic of the Iguazu Falls is to visit both sides.
You can either fly or drive to Iguazu Falls if you are combining your visit with Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo Brazil. Flight time from Rio de Janeiro to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil is
one hour 59 minutes but if you want to see more of Brazil we recommend a road trip from Rio de Janeiro to the closest town to Iguazu Falls called Foz do Iguaçu.
Buckle your seat belts because your driving time is
15 hours 46 minutes or
914 miles.
Halfway point: Curitiba
For some drivers driving over 15 hours is not a problem, however if you prefer to stop for a night before arriving at your destination, we recommend driving from Rio de Janeiro to Curitiba for
8 hours 25 minutes. Curitiba is a clean and green city in Brazil with about 1.8 million people.
There are many places of interest here as well like the Botanical Garden, Oscar Niemeyer Museum or take a scenic train trip from Curitiba to the port city of Paranaguá which is only
58 miles from the city.
To find out more about the train ride please check out
Sierra Verde Express.
Destination city: Foz do Iguaçu
Foz do Iguaçu is the gateway to Iguaza Falls. Visitors usually spend a night in this town before visiting the Iguazu Falls. Driving time from Curitiba to Foz do Iguaçu is
7 hours 39 minutes.
We recommend two things to do while you are at Foz do Iguaçu:
1. Visit Parque das Aves or the Bird Park. This 12-acre Atlantic rainforest park is located close to the Iguazu Falls. It has over 800 species of birds including toucans, flamingos, bare-throated bellbird and hummingbirds. Snakes and butterflies are among the many other exhibits in this Bird Park started by German couple Dennis and Anna Croukamp in 1994.
2.
Rafain Churrascaria Show at Av. Das Cataratas, Km 6,5, Foz do Iguacu. This is a fun and touristy restaurant and a great way to find out more about the various food in Brazil and the Latin American dances like tango, samba and traditional Paraguayan dance.
The Iguazu Falls: Brazilian and Argentinian
The Iguazu Falls is 262 feet high and about 2 miles wide and spans across Argentina and Brazil. They are made up of many cascades with small and big falls and provide the most spectacular views and waterfalls you will ever see.
For a bird’s eye view of the falls we recommend taking a 10-minute helicopter ride at the Brazilian side of Iguazu falls right across the street from The Bird Park. The helicopter ride will take you to the largest fall in Brazil called the Devil’s Throat and also to the Argentinian side of the falls. You will be able to see the vastness of them all from the helicopter including the Parana River and subtropical wet forest surrounding the falls.
Your helicopter experience will also show you parts of Paraguay. These helicopters either have 4 or 5 seats.
To experience the magnitude and spectacular Devil’s Throat or Garganta do Diabo you must walk on the platforms leading to the front of Devil’s Throat and get soaked from head to toe. Every part of the walking trails (walking platforms) at the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls provides different views of the falls.
To get really close to the falls you must take a boat ride at the Argentinian Iguazu Falls. These powerboats will take you into the falls where you can feel the force of the water, get soaked and are not for the faint-hearted.
Iguazu Falls was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage site and is a must-see for any traveler looking to experience nature at its best.
Tips:
Americans need to apply for a visa to visit Brazil and pay reciprocity fee in advance before crossing the Argentinian border. If you are in Brazil and crossing the border to the Argentinian side of the falls, remember to bring your passport and change your currency to Argentinian pesos.
Use Travelmath’s
currency converter here.
