Brazil Travel Itinerary and Expenses: 6 Days, 3 Cities, Countless Memories

If you're given a week to travel to another continent, where would you go? 

Ed and I were caught up in this situation last year. We wanted to go somewhere we have never been, preferably to a visa-free country for us Filipinos. Given the short amount of travel time, Brazil which is a long airplane ride away from our current home base - Dubai, UAE - was a crazy idea... but we felt it would be crazy fun to finally set foot in South America. 

So we went!

And now, I am happy to share three things:

1. Visiting 3 cities in less than 1 week is tiring. But it's possible!

2. We made countless memories; zero travel horror story!

3. Brazil is MARVELOUS! Go if you have the chance! 

Here are some travel tips to help you plan for your trip:

Visa
Philippine passport holders do not need a visa to travel in Brazil as a tourist for 90 days.

Money
Brazil's official currency is Brazilian Real, also called Reias. As of this writing, 1 USD is equivalent to 4.30 BRL. For UAE-based readers, 1 AED is 1.17 BRL.

Money exchange counters and ATMs are available at the airport. We withdrew a few Reias, just enough money for street food and for places where we can't pay by card, from the red-colored ATM in GRU Sao Paulo Airport's arrival area. For safety, we opted to use Credit Card while traveling around Brazil. Let's talk more about safety later. 

Language
Portuguese is the official and the dominant language in Brazil. Communicating was a tad difficult as only a few can speak English.

Basic and nice-to-learn phrases that you can use while exploring the country are:

• Bom dia: Good morning
• Olá: Hello
• Tchau: Bye
• Obrigado: Thank you
• Por favor: Please
• Nao: No
• Sim: Yes

Flights

Airfare can take up a huge chunk of your travel budget, especially for international flights to The Americas. For Brazil, it is best to plan ahead and watch out for seat sales.

From Dubai, only Emirates fly direct to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Take note of the flight duration (15 hours from Dubai to Sao Paulo) and do consider the long plane ride in your travel plans. Hello, jetlag! If travel time is not an issue, flight with stopovers can be a cheaper option.

For our domestic transfers, we flew via LATAM airlines. Our flights from Sao Paulo to Iguazu and from Iguazu to Rio were good. We departed and arrived on time. Seats are comfortable and light snacks were served on board. Other airlines to consider when traveling around Brazil by plane are Azul Brazilian Airlines and GOL.    

Transportation

We relied on Uber for land transfer most of the time, except in Iguazu where we took the public bus. We found it safe, convenient and affordable. Compared to the fare rate here in the UAE, Uber rides in Brazil cost a lot cheaper.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro can also be explored by train and bus. We were not able to try though due to time constraints and safety concerns. But I know a lot of people who took the subway in both cities and it turned out to be a good local experience for them.   

Food

I got hooked to local specialties and I have to say that you must indulge while you're in there! Brazilian restaurants in Dubai are pricey!

Here are five dishes that you shouldn't miss:

• Pão de queijo: Local cheese buns, best eaten warm!
• Coxinha: Drumstick-shaped snack, savory dough with shredded chicken meat filling.
• Feijoada: Traditional black bean stew with pork and beef, considered as Brazil's national dish.
• Picanha: Watch out for this prized cut of meat when dining in churrascarias. It's the BEST!
• Açaí: A superfruit that is so perfect for smoothie bowls topped with fruits and granola. 

Safety

"Don't listen to what they say, go see." This quote was constantly running in my head while I was planning for our trip. Basically, our desire to push through with the trip was stronger than the fear of experiencing an unpleasant incident which is most likely not to happen. So yeah, we were brave but we were so vigilant. 

Here are the basic do's and don'ts when traveling in Brazil:

• Don't wear flashy jewelry. 
• Don't leave anything unattended.
• Don't visibly hold your phone and camera on the street. 
• Know where you are going before you leave the hotel. 
• Keep your valuables in the safe box in your hotel room.
• Do not go out during the wee hours.
• Do not bring all your travel money; only have enough for the day. Or use a credit card that you can easily block when lost or stolen. 

Brazil Travel Itinerary and Expenses

Day 1: Travel Day!
Time	Activity	Expenses
09:05	Flight from Dubai, UAE to Sao Paulo, Brazil via Emirates
17:00	Arrival in GRU airport in Sao Paulo
18:00	Uber from GRU to Mercure Sao Paulo Paulista Hotel	68 BRL
20:00	Check-in at Mercure Sao Paulo Paulista Hotel	Pre-booked: 464 BRL for 2 nights
	Dinner: ordered from the hotel’s in-room dining menu	Pizza: 28 BRL Water: 5 BRL each
	Rest

Day 2: Lazy Day in Sao Paulo
Time	Activity	Expenses
9:00	Breakfast in a local bakery: 2 coffee, 1 pao de queijo, 1 coxinha, 1 yogurt, 1 water 1.5L	35 BRL
10:00	Walk to Mirante Sesc Paulista and enjoy the view from the terrace	Free
	Sightseeing in Avenida Paulista
	Walk to Fogo de Chao Jardins
12:00	Full Churrasco lunch in Fogo de Chao	152 BRL per person
14:00	Uber to Edificio Italia	12 BRL
14:15	Visit Edificio Italia viewing deck	30 BRL per person inclusive of 1 alcoholic beverage or juice
15:30	Uber to Catedral da Se	9 BRL
15:45	Visit Catedral da Se	Free
16:00	Uber to hotel	10 BRL
18:00	Dinner: Hotel’s complimentary fruit platter
	Pack up and rest for the next day’s early flight to Iguazu

Hello, Sao Paulo!

Casually twirling around in Avenida Paulista :)

Soaking up the views at Edificio Italia

Need more details on our Sao Paulo itinerary?

READ: Sao Paulo: A 1-day Lazy Travel Itinerary

Day 3: To a Wonder of the World
Time	Activity	Expenses
04:30	Uber from Mercure Sao Paulo Paulista Hotel to GRU Sao Paulo Airport	78 BRL
	Breakfast in the airport: 1 empanada and 1 coxinha from a pastry stall near the boarding gate	20 BRL
07:20	Flight from Sao Paulo to IGU Iguazu Airport via LATAM
09:00	Arrival in IGU airport
	Ride the Bus #120 from airport to the main bus terminal in the city (The hotel we booked is just along the way.)	Fare: 4 BRL per person
10:00	Check-in at CLH Suites	Pre-booked: 100 BRL for 1 night
11:00	Leave bags and lunch in an eatery nearby: 2 pastel (fried meat pie) and 2 cola	20 BRL
	Walk to the main bus terminal
	Ride the Bus #120 from terminal to Iguacu National Park	Fare: 4 BRL per person
12:00	Visit Iguacu National Park	Ticket: 70 BRL per adult
	Light snacks inside the park	28 BRL
17:00	Ride the Bus #120 from Iguacu National Park to the city	Fare: 4 BRL per person
19:00	Dinner in an eatery nearby: All-you-can-eat pizza and pasta	70 BRL for 2
	Rest

Hello, Iguazu!

One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!

Hands down, this the highlight of our Brazil trip! 

Planning for a trip to Iguazu?

I shared a quick travel guide here: Visiting Iguazu Falls in Brazil

Day 4: Ola, Rio!
Time	Activity	Expenses
07:30	Breakfast in CLH Suites: Not included in hotel rate	35 BRL for 2
08:30	Uber from hotel to IGU airport	20 BRL
11:55	Flight from IGU to GIG Rio de Janeiro airport
13:55	Arrival in GIG airport
	Uber from GIG to B&B Hotel Copacabana	45 BRL
15:00	Check-in at B&B Hotel	Pre-booked: 284 BRL for 2 nights
15:30	Lunch in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant	2 rice meals: 40 BRL 1.5L Water: 8 BRL
16:30	Uber to Pao de Azucar	13 BRL
	Visit Pao de Azucar	Ticket: 104 BRL each
19:00	Uber to hotel	15 BRL
20:00	Dinner delivery: acai bowls via Uber Eats	Acai Tradi: 16 BRL Acai Tropical: 20 BRL
	Rest

Day 5: Highlights of Rio
Time	Activity	Expenses
08:00	Breakfast in B&B Hotel: Not included in hotel rate	25 BRL each
09:00	Uber from hotel to Rio2Fly Helipad	60 BRL
10:00	Helicopter Ride at 10:30: Arrived 30 minutes before the flight to sign up and settle payment	499 BRL per person 150 BRL for video footage (more like a dashboard video)
11:30	Uber to Trem do Corcovado in Cosme Velho	60 BRL
13:00	Visit Christ the Redeemer	Entrance: 70 BRL each
13:30	Light snacks in a small cafeteria: 2 coxinha, 2 water, 1 chocolate bar	28 BRL
16:00	Uber to hotel	20 BRL
16:30	Rest and head out to the beach
17:00	Stroll in Copacabana Beach
	Sunset in Ipanema Beach
	Walk back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner
20:00	Uber to Havaianas shop in Ipanema	Uber ride: 10 BRL Havaianas price range: 20 to 60 BRL
	Walk to Churrascaria Carretao
20:30	Full Churrasco dinner in Carretao	277 BRL for 2
22:00	Uber to hotel	10 BRL
	Rest

Hello, Rio de Janeiro!

Sugarloaf Mountain: A must-visit in Rio

Immensely grateful for this trip! 

Day 6: Tchau, Brasil!
Time	Activity	Expenses
04:00	Uber from B&B Hotel Copacabana to GIG airport	45 BRL
	Breakfast in the airport: 1 rice meal, 1 bread basket, 2 coffee at Mania de Churrasco restaurant	45 BRL
08:10	Flight from GIG Rio de Janeiro airport to DXB Dubai International Airport           Travel tip: Flight arrival is at 5 AM the next day. Make sure to have enough rest days before going back to work because jet lag really really kicks!

Read more about our short trip to Rio and some recommendations if you're spending more days in the city:
Highlights of Rio de Janeiro


Estimated Budget for this Brazil itinerary

Details	Expenses
	In Brazilian Real	In UAE Dirhams
Flights I couldn’t give an actual amount as we were flying on discounted airfares, but here's a rough estimation of prices during off-peak season: Dubai to Sao Paulo: approximately 5,000 AED/person for a roundtrip direct flight and 4,500 AED/person for a roundtrip flight with a stopover Sao Paulo to Foz do Iguacu: 300 AED/person for a one-way flight Foz do Iguacu to Rio de Janeiro: 300 AED/person for a one-way flight		5,600 AED
Accommodation 2 nights in Sao Paulo: 464 BRL 1 night in Iguazu: 100 BRL 2 nights in Rio de Janeiro: 284 BRL	848 BRL for 2 people	713 AED for 2 people
Activities (prices per person) Edificio Italia: 30 BRL Iguazu Falls: 70 BRL Pao de Azucar: 104 BRL Helicopter Ride: 499 BRL Christ the Redeemer: 70 BRL	773 BRL/person	650 AED/person
Transportation within the city Uber and Bus rides	500 BRL for 2 people	420 AED for 2 people
Food and Drinks Basic breakfast, 1 light meal, 1 fancy meal per day	1000 BRL for 2 people	841 AED for 2 people
Total Please note that we traveled in September 2019 and these prices are a rough estimation of rates during off-peak season in Brazil. Expect prices to shoot up on the high season, especially during Carnival.		7,300 AED/person