Brazil Itinerary: 7 Days in Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu, Salvador
Brazil is a continent posing as a country, so a first week works best as a triangle rather than a line: the mountains-meet-sea drama of Rio, the thundering border falls at Iguaçu, and the Afro-Brazilian heart of Salvador. Each leg is a domestic flight, and each city trades on something the others cannot fake, which keeps the week varied instead of repetitive.
Brazil had 5.9 million international arrivals (2023, Brazil Ministry of Tourism (Embratur) international visitor arrivals). Last reviewed 2026-08-21.
Brazil · 7 days Rio de Janeiro → Foz do Iguaçu → Salvador
Best time: May to September is the drier, milder stretch across all three stops, with lower humidity in Rio and Salvador and comfortable falls viewing at Iguaçu.
Rio de Janeiro: Christ the RedeemerDay 1
🏛️9:00 AMChrist the Redeemer
The 38-metre Art Deco statue on Corcovado, reached by cog railway through the forest.
🚗 ~16 min · 4.4 mi
🖼️1:30 PMMuseum of Tomorrow
A science-and-sustainability museum in a dramatic cantilevered building on the revitalized waterfront.
🚶 ~47 min · 🚗 ~6 min · 1.7 mi
🌆6:00 PMSanta Teresa
A hilltop neighborhood of cobbled lanes, artist studios, and colonial mansions reached by a restored yellow tram.
Rio de Janeiro: Sugarloaf MountainDay 2
🏛️9:00 AMSugarloaf Mountain
A pair of granite peaks linked by cable car for sweeping bay-and-city panoramas.
🚗 ~31 min · 8.9 mi
🥾1:30 PMTijuca National Park
One of the world's largest urban rainforests, with waterfalls and trails hemming the city.
🚋 Santa Teresa tram hop
🎟️6:00 PMFavela community walk
A guided, resident-led walk through a hillside community for context beyond the beaches.
Rio de Janeiro: Selarón StepsDay 3
🏛️9:00 AMSelarón Steps
A public stairway between Lapa and Santa Teresa clad in thousands of donated tiles from around the world.
🚶 ~35 min · 🚗 ~5 min · 1.3 mi
🖼️1:30 PMMuseu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
A port-district art museum pairing a historic palace with a modern wave-roofed wing.
🚶 ~31 min · 🚗 ~4 min · 1.1 mi
🌆6:00 PMLapa
The nightlife and samba district below Santa Teresa, framed by the white Carioca Aqueduct arches.
Arrive in Foz do IguaçuDay 4
✈️8:30 AMFlight to Foz do Iguaçu
Rio de Janeiro (GIG) to Foz do Iguaçu (IGU), usually direct
✈️ ≈2h by flight · 730 mi
🚌 Park shuttle hop
🏛️2:00 PMItaipu Dam
A binational hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River, among the largest power producers on Earth.
🚗 ~77 min · 22 mi
🌆6:00 PMIguaçu National Park (Brazil)
The Brazilian protected area whose single walkway trail frames the panoramic wall of falls.
Foz do Iguaçu: Devil's Throat viewpointDay 5
🏛️9:00 AMDevil's Throat viewpoint
A catwalk pushing out over the largest and loudest cataract of the whole falls system.
🚗 ~71 min · 20 mi
🖼️1:30 PMEcomuseu de Itaipu
A museum on the dam's construction, regional geology, and the flooded valley's natural history.
🚌 Park shuttle hop
🎟️6:00 PMBoat ride under the falls
A high-powered inflatable run that pushes into the spray at the base of the cataracts.
Arrive in SalvadorDay 6
✈️8:30 AMFlight to Salvador
Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) to Salvador (SSA), via a São Paulo or Rio connection
✈️ ≈3h total with connection
🛗 Lacerda elevator hop
🏛️2:00 PMElevador Lacerda
A 1873 public elevator linking the upper and lower towns across a 72-metre cliff.
🚶 ~9 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.3 mi
🌆6:00 PMPelourinho
A UNESCO-listed hilltop quarter of pastel colonial facades, baroque churches, and cobbled squares.
Salvador: Church of São FranciscoDay 7
🏛️9:00 AMChurch of São Francisco
A baroque church whose interior is smothered in gilded wood carving and blue-and-white tiles.
🚶 ~15 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.6 mi
🖼️1:30 PMAfro-Brazilian Museum (MAFRO)
A collection on African heritage, religion, and its imprint on Bahian identity.
🛗 Lacerda elevator hop
🎟️6:00 PMCapoeira roda
A session watching or joining the martial-art-and-dance circle that was born in Bahia.
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Best time to goMay to September is the drier, milder stretch across all three stops, with lower humidity in Rio and Salvador and comfortable falls viewing at Iguaçu. Carnival season (usually February) is spectacular in Rio and Salvador but means crowds, peak prices, and booking months ahead.
Recommended splitRio de Janeiro 3d · Foz do Iguaçu 2d · Salvador 2d
Local tip: Distances are huge, so book the two internal flights early and treat travel days as half-days. Bring a light rain layer for Iguaçu even in dry season, because the spray off the falls soaks the walkways regardless of the forecast.
Rio de Janeiro, 3 days
Rio earns three days because its landscape refuses to be rushed: granite peaks rise straight out of the sea, the beaches double as public living rooms, and the historic hillside neighborhoods hold a slower, artier city above the sand. Beyond the postcard summits, this stop leans into the bohemian hill quarters, the botanical and forest greenery, and the reborn port district, so it complements rather than repeats the headline sights.
Neighborhoods to base yourself inSanta Teresa. A hilltop neighborhood of cobbled lanes, artist studios, and colonial mansions reached by a restored yellow tram.Lapa. The nightlife and samba district below Santa Teresa, framed by the white Carioca Aqueduct arches.Botafogo. A bayside residential district with the classic framed view of Sugarloaf across the water.Ipanema. An upscale beach neighborhood whose sands are informally divided into social zones marked by lifeguard posts.
LandmarksChrist the Redeemer. The 38-metre Art Deco statue on Corcovado, reached by cog railway through the forest.Sugarloaf Mountain. A pair of granite peaks linked by cable car for sweeping bay-and-city panoramas.Selarón Steps. A public stairway between Lapa and Santa Teresa clad in thousands of donated tiles from around the world.Maracanã Stadium. Brazil's most storied football ground, host to two World Cup finals and an Olympic ceremony.
Nature and outdoorsTijuca National Park. One of the world's largest urban rainforests, with waterfalls and trails hemming the city.Rio Botanical Garden. A 19th-century garden famous for its avenue of towering royal palms and resident toucans.Parque Lage. A mansion-and-jungle park at the foot of Corcovado with a photogenic courtyard pool.Pedra da Gávea. A demanding hiking summit whose flat-topped rock face looms over the western beaches.
MuseumsMuseum of Tomorrow. A science-and-sustainability museum in a dramatic cantilevered building on the revitalized waterfront.Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR). A port-district art museum pairing a historic palace with a modern wave-roofed wing.National Museum of Fine Arts. The country's premier collection of Brazilian painting housed in a Belle Epoque palace downtown.
Worth a guided tourFavela community walk. A guided, resident-led walk through a hillside community for context beyond the beaches.Guanabara Bay boat trip. A catamaran or schooner cruise for the coastline profile from the water.Samba night. An evening in Lapa built around live samba and street bars.Tandem hang-gliding. A launch from the Pedra Bonita ramp gliding down to São Conrado beach.
Getting around Rio de JaneiroThe metro links the south-zone beaches with downtown quickly and cheaply, and ride-hailing fills the gaps to hillside spots the trains miss. Save Corcovado and Sugarloaf for clear mornings, and buy timed tickets ahead to skip long queues.
Foz do Iguaçu, 2 days
Getting here: Flight, Rio de Janeiro (GIG) to Foz do Iguaçu (IGU), usually direct
Two days lets you see the falls from both national parks without rushing the border crossing. The Brazilian side delivers the wide panoramic sweep in a couple of hours, while the extra day leaves room for the catwalks, the bird park, and the engineering spectacle of one of the planet's largest dams next door.
Neighborhoods to base yourself inIguaçu National Park (Brazil). The Brazilian protected area whose single walkway trail frames the panoramic wall of falls.Foz do Iguaçu town. The workaday border city that serves as the base for both the falls and the dam.Marco das Três Fronteiras. A riverside obelisk marking where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay meet.
LandmarksItaipu Dam. A binational hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River, among the largest power producers on Earth.Devil's Throat viewpoint. A catwalk pushing out over the largest and loudest cataract of the whole falls system.
Nature and outdoorsIguaçu Falls (Brazilian side). The sweeping frontal panorama of some 275 individual drops across the river gorge.Parque das Aves. A rainforest bird park beside the falls entrance with walk-through toucan and macaw aviaries.Poço Preto trail. A quieter forest and river track inside the park for wildlife spotting away from the crowds.
MuseumsEcomuseu de Itaipu. A museum on the dam's construction, regional geology, and the flooded valley's natural history.
Worth a guided tourBoat ride under the falls. A high-powered inflatable run that pushes into the spray at the base of the cataracts.Helicopter overflight. A short aerial loop for the full horseshoe shape of the falls from above.Argentine side day trip. A cross-border excursion to walk the longer Argentine circuits and the upper Devil's Throat.
Getting around Foz do IguaçuA public park bus runs from the Brazilian visitor center along the falls trail, and taxis or transfers handle the dam and the border. Carry your passport at all times, since seeing both sides means crossing an international frontier.
Salvador, 2 days
Getting here: Flight, Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) to Salvador (SSA), via a São Paulo or Rio connection
Salvador is the cradle of Afro-Brazilian culture, and two days lets the old town, the seafront, and the living traditions of capoeira, candomblé, and Bahian cooking come through. The colonial upper town and the beaches below the cliff give the stop a rhythm all its own, a fitting close to a week that started in the southeast.
Neighborhoods to base yourself inPelourinho. A UNESCO-listed hilltop quarter of pastel colonial facades, baroque churches, and cobbled squares.Barra. A seaside district wrapped around the lighthouse point where the bay meets the open Atlantic.Rio Vermelho. A bohemian coastal neighborhood known for its nightlife and its street-vendor acarajé stalls.Comércio. The lower-town commercial waterfront reached from the old town by a landmark elevator.
LandmarksElevador Lacerda. A 1873 public elevator linking the upper and lower towns across a 72-metre cliff.Church of São Francisco. A baroque church whose interior is smothered in gilded wood carving and blue-and-white tiles.Barra Lighthouse. A whitewashed fort-and-lighthouse on the point, best at sunset over the water.Mercado Modelo. A historic waterfront market hall for crafts, instruments, and Bahian souvenirs.
Nature and outdoorsPorto da Barra beach. A calm, bay-facing city beach framed by two forts and popular for sunset swims.Dique do Tororó. An urban lagoon ringed by giant sculptures of the orixá deities on the water.Ilha de Itaparica. The large island across the Bay of All Saints, reached by ferry for quieter beaches.
MuseumsAfro-Brazilian Museum (MAFRO). A collection on African heritage, religion, and its imprint on Bahian identity.Casa do Carnaval. An interactive museum on Salvador's carnival, its music, and its costumes.Museu de Arte da Bahia. A state art museum with colonial furniture, painting, and decorative arts.
Worth a guided tourCapoeira roda. A session watching or joining the martial-art-and-dance circle that was born in Bahia.Bahian food walk. A tasting route through acarajé, moqueca, and other Afro-Brazilian street dishes.Bay of All Saints schooner. A sailing trip across the bay with island stops.Candomblé cultural evening. A respectful, guided introduction to the Afro-Brazilian religion and its music.
Getting around SalvadorThe old town is compact and walkable, with the Lacerda elevator and a funicular linking it to the lower town, while taxis reach Barra and the beaches. Keep valuables low-key and stick to busy, lit streets after dark in the historic center.
The full plan as text
The same day-by-day plan, expandable day by day. Times are starting points, not homework.
Day 1: Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer
9:00 AMChrist the Redeemer
The 38-metre Art Deco statue on Corcovado, reached by cog railway through the forest.
1:30 PMMuseum of Tomorrow
A science-and-sustainability museum in a dramatic cantilevered building on the revitalized waterfront.
6:00 PMSanta Teresa
A hilltop neighborhood of cobbled lanes, artist studios, and colonial mansions reached by a restored yellow tram.
Day 2: Rio de Janeiro: Sugarloaf Mountain
9:00 AMSugarloaf Mountain
A pair of granite peaks linked by cable car for sweeping bay-and-city panoramas.
1:30 PMTijuca National Park
One of the world's largest urban rainforests, with waterfalls and trails hemming the city.
6:00 PMFavela community walk
A guided, resident-led walk through a hillside community for context beyond the beaches.
Day 3: Rio de Janeiro: Selarón Steps
9:00 AMSelarón Steps
A public stairway between Lapa and Santa Teresa clad in thousands of donated tiles from around the world.
1:30 PMMuseu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
A port-district art museum pairing a historic palace with a modern wave-roofed wing.
6:00 PMLapa
The nightlife and samba district below Santa Teresa, framed by the white Carioca Aqueduct arches.
Day 4: Arrive in Foz do Iguaçu
8:30 AMFlight to Foz do Iguaçu
Rio de Janeiro (GIG) to Foz do Iguaçu (IGU), usually direct
2:00 PMItaipu Dam
A binational hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River, among the largest power producers on Earth.
6:00 PMIguaçu National Park (Brazil)
The Brazilian protected area whose single walkway trail frames the panoramic wall of falls.
Day 5: Foz do Iguaçu: Devil's Throat viewpoint
9:00 AMDevil's Throat viewpoint
A catwalk pushing out over the largest and loudest cataract of the whole falls system.
1:30 PMEcomuseu de Itaipu
A museum on the dam's construction, regional geology, and the flooded valley's natural history.
6:00 PMBoat ride under the falls
A high-powered inflatable run that pushes into the spray at the base of the cataracts.
Day 6: Arrive in Salvador
8:30 AMFlight to Salvador
Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) to Salvador (SSA), via a São Paulo or Rio connection
2:00 PMElevador Lacerda
A 1873 public elevator linking the upper and lower towns across a 72-metre cliff.
6:00 PMPelourinho
A UNESCO-listed hilltop quarter of pastel colonial facades, baroque churches, and cobbled squares.
Day 7: Salvador: Church of São Francisco
9:00 AMChurch of São Francisco
A baroque church whose interior is smothered in gilded wood carving and blue-and-white tiles.
1:30 PMAfro-Brazilian Museum (MAFRO)
A collection on African heritage, religion, and its imprint on Bahian identity.
6:00 PMCapoeira roda
A session watching or joining the martial-art-and-dance circle that was born in Bahia.
Make this Brazil trip yours
Forward your real booking confirmations to Petrel and it builds this exact day-by-day view for you: flights, hotels, reservations, live flight status, and the travel time between stops. Under a minute.
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