Rio's Copacabana and Christ the Redeemer, São Paulo's food scene, Salvador's African soul, Iguaçu Falls and the Amazon. The biggest country in South America, a long flight but worth it.
Brazil is the UK's top South American destination but still far less visited than the USA or Mexico — around 120,000 UK visitors annually. It's a bucket-list trip: vast scale (bigger than Western Europe combined), wildly varied culture, and some of the world's most iconic sights in Rio de Janeiro.
Most trips centre on Rio (2–4 days for Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana, Ipanema) then pick: beach add-on in Buzios/Paraty, Iguaçu Falls on the Argentinian border, Salvador for Afro-Brazilian culture, Lençóis Maranhenses dunes, or Amazon cruise from Manaus.
Brazil is excellent value with the weak real. A caipirinha is £2–3, a rodízio steakhouse £15, a beach bungalow in Paraty £30. But distances are vast — internal flights are essential for multi-region trips.
Direct flights only from London. Other UK cities connect via Lisbon, Madrid, Paris or Amsterdam.
| Visa (UK passport) | No visa required. UK passport holders get up to 90 days visa-free. Passport valid 6+ months. |
|---|---|
| Currency | Brazilian Real (BRL, R$). 1 GBP ≈ 7.5 BRL. Cards accepted in cities; cash for markets, beaches, small towns. ATMs after dark have higher fees. |
| Time zone | BRT (UTC-3) — 4 hours behind UK winter, 3 hours behind UK summer. Brazil doesn't observe DST. Amazon states are UTC-4. |
| Language | Portuguese (Brazilian dialect — different from European Portuguese). English limited — learn basic phrases. Spanish gets you nowhere. |
| Best months | April–June and September–October. Rio Carnival is February/March (huge but chaos). |
| Flight times from UK | GIG 11h 30m direct · GRU 11h 30m direct · SSA via GRU · IGU via GRU/GIG |
| Plug type | Type N (new Brazilian standard) or Type C. Bring a universal adaptor — UK plugs don't fit. |
| Health | Yellow fever vaccine strongly recommended (required for entry if you've visited a yellow-fever risk country within 10 days). Dengue risk — use repellent. |
Brazil is south of the equator, so seasons are flipped. Dec–March is Rio summer (32°C+, humid, rainy afternoons, peak tourist season with Carnival in late Feb). April–June is perfect — warm, dry, cheaper. July–September is cooler (20–25°C in Rio) and excellent for Iguaçu and the Pantanal wetlands. October is perfect for beaches.
Warm, dry, low crowds, best prices.
Rio cooler (20°C). Perfect for Pantanal + Iguaçu.
Hot, crowded, prices 2–3x higher. Carnival epic but mad.
No. UK passport holders get 90 days visa-free on arrival. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from entry date. You'll be asked about yellow fever on the immigration form.
Brazilian Real (BRL, R$). 1 GBP ≈ 7.5 BRL. Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets but bring cash for markets, beach bars, small towns and taxis outside airport zones. ATMs at banks (Banco do Brasil, Itaú, Santander) are safer than street-facing ones — withdraw during daylight.
Yellow fever is strongly recommended — free on NHS for travel to Brazil if your GP travel clinic does it. Required for entry if you've visited a yellow-fever-risk country in the past 10 days (e.g. Peru, Colombia). Hepatitis A and Typhoid also recommended. Dengue is year-round — use DEET repellent.
April–June and September–October for most of the country. Rio Carnival is late February / early March — massive crowds and prices 2–3x higher. July–August is cooler (20–25°C Rio) and perfect for wildlife in the Pantanal.
11 hours 30 minutes direct with BA from Heathrow. São Paulo is the same. Return flights are usually 10–30 minutes shorter.
Brazil has higher street-crime rates than most tourist destinations. Rio especially: don't flash phones/jewellery on beaches, use Uber/99 instead of street taxis after dark, avoid favelas unless on an organised tour. Tourist areas (Ipanema, Leblon, Copacabana south-zone) are fine in daylight. Stay alert around ATMs. Comprehensive travel insurance essential.