Country guide
Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest on earth, with over 213 million people, 26 states and a Federal District built to hold the...
Photograph · Tet · CC BY 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest on earth, with over 213 million people, 26 states and a Federal District built to hold the capital, Brasília. Its Atlantic coastline runs 7,491 kilometres and it borders every country on the continent except Ecuador and Chile.
Most of the Amazon basin is Brazilian, including the world's largest river system and the most extensive virgin tropical forest left standing; the same country also holds wetlands, savanna, plateau and low mountains. São Paulo is the most populous city and Rio de Janeiro the second. The distance between any two of these is the planning problem.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Thomas Hobbs · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photograph · Rafael Rabello de Barros · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
38 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
The National Museum of Fine Arts, locally known as Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, stands as Brazil's premier institution for visual arts. Located in Cinelândia, central Rio de Janeiro, it occupies a monumental building that anchors this historic cultural square.
Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo
The Pinacoteca de São Paulo stands as the city's oldest major art museum, housed within the restored Luz building. This institution holds nationally important significance for Brazilian art, serving as a cornerstone of São Paulo's cultural landscape.
Museu Histórico Nacional
The National Historical Museum, locally known as Museu Histórico Nacional, occupies a former colonial fort and arsenal complex in central Rio de Janeiro. Its buildings represent layered military and imperial history spanning several centuries.
Museu do Amanhã
The Museum of Tomorrow, known locally as Museu do Amanhã, is a science museum situated on the Mauá waterfront in Rio de Janeiro's Porto Maravilha district.
Paço Imperial is a historic palace in Rio de Janeiro's Centro district, facing Praça XV de Novembro. It served as the colonial vice-regal residence, later becoming the seat of the Portuguese royal court and the Brazilian imperial family.
Real Gabinete Português de Leitura
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is a neo-Manueline library in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 1837 by Portuguese immigrants, the institution preserves cultural ties between Brazil and Portugal.
Brazil’s scale makes 10–16 days appropriate for one region rather than a national circuit. Build around a single gateway such as Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, then add one coherent coastal, nature or cultural extension.
Visa information is maintained by Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its consular portal. Eligibility depends on nationality and visit purpose; use the ministry’s current table instead of relying on a past visa waiver.
São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro handle major international and domestic connections. Flights bridge the country’s long distances, coaches cover many regional corridors, and national passenger rail is not a general substitute for either.
Brazil has no single best month because Amazon, northeast-coast, Pantanal and southern conditions differ. April–June and August–October are broad shoulder periods, but the chosen region’s rainfall and access cycle should decide the dates.
The Brazilian real (BRL) is the unit used for prices. This guide does not record current bank fees or acceptance patterns; check the displayed total and conversion currency before authorising a card or cash transaction.
Brazil separates emergency services: 190 police, 192 ambulance and 193 fire. Type N sockets operate at either 127 or 220 V depending on location, and national tap-water suitability is Not recorded.
