3 Weeks in Brazil Itinerary: Rio, Iguazu, Salvador & Recife

If out-of-this-world beaches, exciting nature, stunning cities, and colorful culture are calling to you, then Brazil is the place for you. I’ve been lucky enough to travel here six times now over the past few years, and there’s always more to see or do.

This 3 weeks in Brazil itinerary covers some of the country’s most amazing places: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Iguazu Falls, Salvador, and Recife, plus a beach stop in Porto de Galinhas, for a mix of popular places and hidden gems.

It’s inspired by my first trip to Brazil — also a three-solo trip — but with some improvements, namely the addition of Recife and Porto de Galinhas (which I didn’t get to visit until a later visit), and some slight re-ordering so that it begins in São Paulo, where most international flights land, so you don’t have to double back through Rio like I did.

To save yourself time and money, I recommend booking a open-jaw airplane ticket — meaning you will fly in and out of Brazil from different airports. (To follow this itinerary, you’ll fly into São Paulo, and out from Recife.)

This itinerary follows a fairly quick pace, so I’ve also included how to slow things down or shorten it to two weeks.

The itinerary at a glance

Days 1 to 3: São Paulo 

Most international flights land at São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), which makes São Paulo a natural place to start. Plan three days so you still have at least two full days after you land, and jet lag doesn’t eat into your sightseeing.

São Paulo is a booming metropolis — the biggest city in the Americas. And while it can easily become overwhelming if you try to tackle too much, part of why I think it’s an essential stop on any Brazil itinerary is become it’s one of the country’s cultural hubs. Its diverse neighborhoods made up of different immigrant communities, impressive culinary and bar scene, and slew of world-class museums and street art, are all things you can easily get a feel for in just a couple days here.

What to do in São Paulo

I lay everything out in this 2-day São Paulo itinerary, but an overview of the sites you’ll want to visit are:

Avenida Paulista is a major street in São Paulo’s business district, and is home to lots of museums, shops and restaurants. On Sundays, the road becomes pedestrian-only, but regardless of which days you end up here, it’s still well worth a walk through.

One of my all-time favorite things to do in São Paulo is exploring its street art, and the epicenter of that is Beco do Batman. Located in the bohemian neighborhood Vila Madalena, is the most popular area for street art, it takes around thirty minutes to walk through, but you’ll find street art scattered throughout the neighborhood.

I’d recommend coming here on a walking tour to get some added insight into the artists and context of some of the murals.

Interestingly, São Paulo is home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. For that reason, not only is there an abundant Japanese food scene, but you can also visit sites like Liberdade, a historic Japanese neighborhood where you can find lots of Japanese restaurants, stores, street vendors, and more. If you’re here on a weekend, there’s a street fair here as well.

São Paulo has a ton of great museums to check out. A few of my favorites from my visit:

This is also where the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo Museum of Art) is located, an extensive art museum with over 8,000 pieces, from classical European art to Brazilian and Latin American art. A must when in Sao Paulo! 

For more of a hidden gem, visit the Instituto Tomie Ohtake. It’s a really interesting cultural center named after a Japanese-Brazilian artist, with a number of cool exhibits. It wasn’t on my radar til someone working at my accommodation recommended it to me, and it became one my highlights.

Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo is considered one of the most important art museums in Brazil. It has is one of the largest collections of Brazilian art. 

In between museum-hopping, definitely also stop in Ibirapuera Park, one of the city’s best places to recharge. Often compared to Central Park, this is the place for some much needed nature-recharging after sightseeing. It’s also one of the largest urban parks in South America.

Where to stay in São Paulo 

I stayed in the cute, walkable neighborhood, Vila Madalena, at a hostel that has sadly closed. I did, however, round up a bunch of affordable, highly rated options for you, not only in Vila Madalena, but in some of the city’s other most tourist-friendly neighborhoods. Find all my top choices in this guide.

🌎 Don’t forget to apply for your Brazil visa! I recommend applying two months before your trip. Get all the visa details here.

Days 4 to 6: Iguazu Falls

After spending some time in the largest city in Brazil, you’re probably in need of some recharging in nature. Not just any nature — it’s Iguazu Falls, or Foz do Iguaçu in Portuguese. With 275 different waterfalls, spanning across both Brazil and Argentina, it’s one of if not the most amazing places I’ve ever experienced, and a stop definitely worth making during your three weeks here.

✈️ To get here from Sao Paulo, you’ll have a quick-ish flight (under 2 hours) into Iguazu Falls – Cataratas International (IGU). For me, this flight came to $90 or so.

What to know about visiting Iguazu Falls 

I share an overview of visiting this Iguazu Falls travel guide.

But two full days here (plus some extra time for travel/down time) allows you to spend one day exploring the Brazil side, and the next day traveling to the Argentina side, Puerto Iguazu. The Argentina side covers about 80% of the falls, meaning you can easily spend a few hours there, so I highly recommend planning to do each side on different days, so you’re not rushed.

Because there are some added logistics by crossing the border, I chose to arrange a tour through my hostel to visit the Argentinian side. It’s not necessary, but it definitely made things easier, especially since I was traveling solo.

However, you don’t have to go by tour — I outline everything you need to know about the Argentina side of Iguazu Falls here.

🚨 Also note that Argentina now requires that you show proof of medical insurance — read my review of World Nomads travel insurance after seven years of travel.

Getting to the Brazil side, on the other hand, is super easy, as you can just hop on a bus from Foz do Iguaçu, the town where you’ll be staying.

All the details you need for planning your visit to Iguazu Falls’ Brazil side is here.

With that all said, some people prioritize just seeing one side over the other. But you absolutely should visit both sides. After all, you came all the way to Brazil, so might as well get the full experience of this world wonder. The Brazil side is much smaller, but you can get right up close with the waterfalls, while getting out-of-this-world panoramic views. It’s really a magical experience.

The costs to enter both sides fluctuate a lot, so check here for info on the Argentinian side, and here for the Brazilian side.

Where to stay in Foz do Iguaçu 

Honestly, I’m not going to recommend the hostel where I stayed because the reviews since my trip have been borderline concerning, sadly.

However, I do have a few great options for you in this Iguazu Falls accommodation guide, ranging from low-budget to more luxurious.

Days 7 to 11: Rio de Janeiro

While Brazil is full of vibrant cities, beautiful nature, and amazing culture, Rio de Janeiro tops the list for me. It’s where I’ve spent the most time during my travels to Brazil (my husband is from there) and it’s a place I could return back to again and again and still find new things about it to love.

You may be familiar with its world-famous beaches, but there’s so much more to Rio. Its surrounding mountains and forests have amazing hiking and add to the incredible landscapes, and there’s great food and nightlife (some of the best in the world). As a giant city, you can expect to find tons of museums, history, and culture at your fingertips.

It’s also home to some of the iconic sites that come to mind when you think of Brazil, like Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer.

✈️ It’s about a 2-hour flight from Iguazu, and you’ll either land in Galeao-Antonio Carlos Jobim International (GIG), or Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), which only has domestic flights. 

More logistics are in this Rio de Janeiro travel guide.