Brazil & Iguazu Highlights — Self-Launched (Rio to Foz do Iguaçu)
10 days · Brazil
Travel Chasers charges £1,700
No-markup version: ~£1,015 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day reworking of Travel Chasers (formerly Expat Explore)'s "Brazil & Iguazu Highlights" group tour — same route (Rio de Janeiro → Paraty → Foz do Iguaçu), same headline experiences, booked independently. You'll ride the Corcovado tram up to Christ the Redeemer, wander Lapa's Selarón Steps and the Maracanã, take a coastal bus to colonial Paraty for schooner island beaches, then fly via São Paulo to the falls and see both the Brazilian and Argentine sides. Compared with the £1,700+ per-person group price, this comes in around £1,000 including domestic flights, with total flexibility on dates and pace. All costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rio de Janeiro — Lapa & feijoada night
Rio de Janeiro
Land at Galeão or Santos Dumont and take the cheap local bus or app taxi (Uber/99, roughly £5-8) to a hostel in Botafogo, Lapa or Santa Teresa. Settle in, then head to Lapa in the evening for live samba spilling out of the bars and a plate of feijoada — Brazil's national black-bean stew — at a casual local boteco (around £8-12 with a beer).
🚌Airport bus or Uber from Galeão (~£6)
🛏Hostel dorm in Botafogo/Lapa (£12-18/night)
- →Evening wander through Lapa's samba bars
- →Feijoada dinner at a local boteco
Christ the Redeemer, Santa Teresa, Lapa & Maracanã
Rio de Janeiro
Book a Corcovado entry + tram ticket in advance on GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with Trem do Corcovado (around £22-28 including van transfer up) and go early — queues build fast after 9am. After descending, walk down through Santa Teresa, then explore Lapa: the Selarón tiled staircase (free), the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian (free) and the Candelária Church. Optionally take the metro to Maracanã for a stadium exterior visit or, if you time it right, a match ticket (£15-30).
🚌Metro + tram to Corcovado (~£5); metro day pass ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm in Botafogo/Lapa (£12-18/night)
- →Corcovado tram + Christ the Redeemer entry (~£25)
- →Selarón Steps
- →Metropolitan Cathedral
- →Maracanã Stadium exterior or match
- →Santa Teresa streets
Sugarloaf, Ipanema & Museum of Tomorrow
Rio de Janeiro
Do the free-ish morning walk along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, then take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain (two-stage Pão de Açúcar cable car, roughly £20 booked online — cheaper than the group tour's optional add-on). In the afternoon visit the Museum of Tomorrow in the revitalised Porto Maravilha district (entry ~£5) and, if time allows, the Kobra graffiti mural nearby. Finish with an evening Carioca bar-hopping dinner in Botafogo (boteco feast ~£10-12).
🚌Metro + local buses (~£4)
🛏Hostel dorm in Botafogo/Lapa (£12-18/night)
- →Sugarloaf cable car (~£20)
- →Ipanema & Copacabana beach walk
- →Museum of Tomorrow (~£5)
- →Kobra graffiti wall
Bus to Paraty — colonial old town
Paraty
Take the coastal bus from Rio's Novo Rio rodoviária to Paraty (Costa Verde line, ~4.5-5 hours, roughly £15-20). Check into a pousada or hostel in or near the UNESCO-listed historic centre, then do a self-paced orientation walk: cobbled car-free streets, the Igreja de Santa Rita, the waterfront and the old fort. Evening caipirinhas and seafood on the quay (~£10-14).
🚌Rio–Paraty intercity bus (~£17)
🛏Hostel/pousada in Paraty historic centre (£14-20/night)
- →Self-guided walk of Paraty UNESCO historic centre
- →Waterfront sunset & caipirinhas
Schooner island tour & Serra da Bocaina
Paraty
Book a schooner (escuna) boat trip through your hostel or at the port — full-day island hopping with snorkelling stops and lunch, roughly £25-35. Alternatively, join a guided hike or 4WD day into Serra da Bocaina National Park for waterfalls and Atlantic rainforest trails (~£30-40). Back in the evening, eat at a cheap kilo buffet (~£7).
🚌Walk to port; boat tour included in ticket
🛏Hostel/pousada in Paraty historic centre (£14-20/night)
- →Full-day schooner island tour (~£30)
- →Optional Serra da Bocaina NP hike (~£35)
- →Snorkelling stops
Paraty → São Paulo → flight to Foz do Iguaçu
Foz do Iguaçu
Bus back toward Rio or onward to São Paulo (Paraty–São Paulo ~6 hours direct, ~£20; or Paraty–Rio then a cheap domestic connection). Fly São Paulo (GRU/CGH) to Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) — book 3-6 weeks ahead on LATAM/Gol/Azul for roughly £55-85 one way. Check into a hostel near the falls and grab a churrasco dinner at a local grill house (~£10-14).
🚌Bus Paraty–São Paulo (~£20) + domestic flight to Foz (~£70)
🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu centre (£12-18/night)
- →Travel day
- →Churrasco dinner in Foz do Iguaçu
Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls
Foz do Iguaçu
Take the local 120 bus to Iguaçu National Park (entry ~£14-18, bus ~£1) and walk the panoramic Trilha das Cataratas trail with its close-up views of Devil's Throat. Add the Macuco Safari boat ride if you want to get soaked (optional, ~£35, book via GetYourGuide). On the way back, stop at the Parque das Aves bird sanctuary (~£9) to see toucans and macaws. Evening Brazilian barbecue at a local rodízio (~£12-15).
🚌Local bus 120 to park and back (~£2)
🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu centre (£12-18/night)
- →Iguaçu National Park Brazilian side (~£16)
- →Trilha das Cataratas & Devil's Throat viewpoint
- →Optional Macuco Safari boat (~£35)
- →Parque das Aves (~£9)
Argentine side of the falls — Devil's Throat & boat cruise
Foz do Iguaçu / Puerto Iguazú
Cross the border by local bus (Foz → Puerto Iguazú, ~1 hour, ~£2-4 including border stop) and spend the day in Parque Nacional Iguazú on the Argentine side. Pay the Argentine entry (~£20-25) and ride the ecological train to the Garganta del Diablo walkway, then take the Gran Aventura boat cruise past Salto Tres Mosqueteros to the base of Devil's Throat (~£35-45, book ahead on GetYourGuide). Return to Foz by bus in the evening; bring your passport and check visa/entry rules for both countries.
🚌Local bus Foz ↔ Puerto Iguazú (~£6 return)
🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu centre (£12-18/night)
- →Argentine Iguazu National Park entry (~£22)
- →Ecological train to Devil's Throat
- →Gran Aventura boat cruise (~£40)
Paraguay day trip to Ciudad del Este & Itaipú Dam
Ciudad del Este / Foz do Iguaçu
Take a local bus across the Paraná River to Ciudad del Este, Paraguay (free-ish entry, just carry ID) — browse the electronics and bargain markets, then hop a taxi to the Itaipú Dam visitor centre for the panoramic tour (~£8-12). If you have energy left, ask about the Monday Falls (Saltos del Monday) nature park (~£3). Return to Foz for a final dinner; alternatively swap this day for the Rafain Latin American music-and-dance dinner show (~£35).
🚌Local buses & shared taxi to Ciudad del Este (~£5)
🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu centre (£12-18/night)
- →Ciudad del Este markets
- →Itaipú Dam visitor tour (~£10)
- →Optional Monday Waterfalls (~£3)
- →Optional Rafain dinner show (~£35)
Departure from Foz do Iguaçu
Foz do Iguaçu
Final breakfast at the hostel and a last morning swim or park stroll. Local bus or Uber to Foz do Iguaçu airport (~£2-5) for onward flights — many travellers continue to Argentina, the Pantanal or back to Rio. If your flight is late, the hostel will usually store bags for free.
🚌Local bus/Uber to IGU airport (~£4)
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. Travel Chasers
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Chasers | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,015 | £1,700 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £685 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Chasers-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,015
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Brazil & Iguazu Highlights — Self-Launched (Rio to Foz do Iguaçu) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,015 per person for 10 days in Brazil. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Travel Chasers?+
Yes — Travel Chasers charges around £1,700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,015 — a saving of roughly £685 (40%) per person.
How long is the Brazil trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Brazil.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, beaches trip through Brazil, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.