Back to destinations

Brazil

General Information

Capital City:
Brasilia
Population:
190.73 million
Area:
3,287,597 square miles
Language:
Portuguese
Electricity:
220V AC 60Hz (Brasilia), 110V AC the rest of the country
Direct Dial:
55
Driving:
Driving is on the right. International Driving Permit required
Currency:
Brazilian Real (BRL 1 = 100 Centavos)

Business Hours

Bank:
1000-1600 Mon-Fri
Office:
0900-1800 Mon-Fri
Shops:
0900-1900 Mon-Fri, 0900-1300 Sat, shopping centres 1000-2200 Mon-Sat, 1500-2200 Sun
Public Holidays:
<b>2012</b> 01 Jan : New Year's Day 20 Jan : Founding of Rio de Janeiro* 25 Jan : Founding of S�o Paulo* 17 Feb : Carnival* 06 Apr : Good Friday 21 Apr : Tiradentes 01 May : Labour Day 07 Jun : Corpus Christi 07 Sep : Independence Day 12 Oct : Our Lady Aparecida. Saint of Brazil 02 Nov : All Souls' Day 15 Nov : Republic Day 24 Dec : Christmas Eve 25 Dec : Christmas Day 31 Dec : New Year's Eve Note: * Regional observances only

Business and social hints

General:
Business is conducted in Portuguese or English. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants or clubs, be punctual and dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated
Tipping:
If there is no service charge, tips are around 10%
Clothing:
Light clothes with rainwear suitable for region being visited. Warmer clothing for south during winter season. Appropriate clothing & footwear essential for visits to Amazon Basin
Hotel Classification:
Brazil does not currently have an official system for grading its hotels. Some properties still use their "old" star rating from the now defunct 1-star up to 5-star system. Where still used we have given this "old" rating here although it should not necessarily be taken at face value. Many properties are unclassified. In these cases our usual arbitrary categories of � up to ����� are given based on rack rates, facilities and perceived quality. These equate to the commonly used 1- to 5-star system and serve only to compare relative standards within any given area.

Climate

Brazil is a huge country mostly lying within the tropics which means it is generally hot & humid. The Amazon Basin in the north & centre of Brazil has no real dry season, although there is a wetter period between Dec-Apr, temperatures are tropical throughout the year making this a high humidity region. The Brazilian plateau, to the south & east of the Basin, including Brasilia, has a more distinct wet & dry season where temperatures vary accordingly. Rainfall occurs mainly between Oct-Apr & the rest of the year is almost dry. The narrow Atlantic coastal plain & southern states have a more temperate climate with a distinct cooler season (May-Sep), when frost can occur. Rainfall in the north of the coastal plain, including Recife has its wettest period between Apr-Aug, however Rio de Janeiro in the south is wet throughout the year but with a slightly wetter period between Nov-Apr. Southern states have some rain throughout

Rio de Janeiro

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum Temperature °C 29 29 28 27 25 24 24 24 24 25 26 28
Minimum Temperature °C 23 23 22 21 19 18 17 18 18 19 20 22
Average Humidity (mornings) % 82 84 87 87 87 87 86 84 84 83 82 82
Average Humidity (afternoons) % 70 71 74 73 70 69 68 66 72 72 72 72
Average Rainfall 125 122 130 107 79 53 41 43 66 79 104 137

Customs

Import Allowances:
For persons of 18 years of age or older: a) 400 cigarettes and 250gr of tobacco and 25 cigars b) 2 lit of alcoholic beverages c) Articles bought for passenger's personal use at duty-free shop on arrival, with a total value not exceeding USD 500
Contraband:
Meat and dairy products, fruit, vegetables & plants, all other varieties of animal origin transported from Africa, Asia, Italy, Portugal and Spain

Health

None.

Compulsary Vaccinations
None.
Recommended Immunisations
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, *Yellow Fever. <b>In addition:</b> Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Rabies & Tuberculosis are also recommended to those travelling to Brazil frequently or intending to spend extended time here. <b>*Yellow Fever:</b> Mainly for Western and Amazonian areas and the Iguazu Falls.
Risks
- <b>Malaria</b> - Serious risk is present at all times in forested areas below 900m within the 9 states of Amazonia (Acre, Amape, Amazonas, Maranhao (Western part), Mato Grosso (Northern part), Para (except Belem City), Rondonia, Roraima and Tocantis (Western part). Risk of transmission is highest in the jungle, mining, and agricultural areas and in some peripheral urban areas of Cruzeiro do sol, Manaus and Porto Velho. <b>GENERAL INFO FOR ALL TRAVELLERS:</b> Details listed can occasionally change at very short notice and it's recommended that all travellers seek advice from their Practice Nurse, GP or Travel Clinic when planning a visit to Brazil. It should be noted that some vaccinations and treatments may require one or more visits and should be planned well in advance of travel. Primary courses and boosters should always be up to date as recommended for life in the UK. This should include vaccines given to special groups due to complications or risk exposure such as Hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly etc.

Immigration and Passport

Passports and passport replacing documents must be valid for the period of intended stay. Exempt: a) Nationals of Brazil may enter with expired (no time limit) passports. b) Those residing in Brazil may enter with travel documents valid on arrival.

The following DO NOT require a visa: 1) Nationals of Brazil. 2) For stays up to 90 days by: a) Holders of British passports. b) Nationals of Argentina holding a passport or document listed in "Passports" section 3. c) Nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, & Uruguay holding a passport or document listed in "Passports" section 4. 3) For stays up to 90 days by: a) Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep of), Israel, Italy, Korea (South), Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey & Vatican City. b) Holders of Hong Kong (SAR China passports) c) Holders of Macao (SAR China passports) 4) For tourist stays up to 90 days by: a) Nationals of Andorra, Bahamas, Guatemala, Guyana, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Namibia & Panama. 5) For stays up to 30 days by: a) Nationals of China (Peoples Republic) and Guyana. 6) For stays up to 14 days by: a) Nationals of Indonesia.

Any companion listed in a shared passport, if required must hold an individual visa per person, not per passport.

Useful Contacts

Embassy

Consulate General of Brazil 32 Green Street, London, W1K 7AT Tel: +44 20 7499 0877 fax: +44 20 7399 9100 e-mail: info@consbraslondres.com website: www.brazil.org.uk

Airports

  • Belo Horizonte Pampulha
  • Brasilia International
  • Campinas Viracopos Intl
  • Natal (Augusto Severo)
  • Porto Alegre Salgado Filho Intl
  • Recife Guararapes International
  • Rio Int'l/Galeao-Antonio Carlos Jobim
  • Sao Paulo Guarulhos International
  • Tancredo Neves Int'l
  • Uberlandia

Start Your Search

Now click one of these
options to view your results

Back to categories

You selected:

Question Mark

Tooltip text

Question Mark

Tour pace:

For each itinerary we have created this simple guide to clearly illustrate the nature of your tour from a gentle, leisurely pace to a more lively experience.

Question Mark

Tour experience:

For each itinerary we have created this simple guide to clearly illustrate your touring experience, from the scenic delights of the world's natural wonders to city chic with included excursions and entrances, or a comfortable blend of both.

Trafalgar Tours

Trafalgar Tours:

Trafalgar Tours offer a range of first-class escorted tours including top-class hotels, comprehensive itineraries, luxury transportation, delicious meal plans and knowledgeable tour directors, often joined by experienced local guides.

Insight Vacations

Insight Vacations:

Insight Vacations provides premium-class escorted tours, enabling you to stay in the very best hotels where available, enjoying enhanced meal plans and touring on luxury coaches with fewer seats resulting in extra legroom.

Thompson's Africa

Thompson's Africa:

Thompson's Africa offers excellent first-class escorted tours but with smaller groups ranging from only 2 passengers to 18 per group and touring in air-conditioned micro-buses for a more intimate approach.

AAT Kings

AAT Kings:

AAT Kings, one of Australia's most respected travel companies, provides a range of first-class escorted tours in Australia and New Zealand which include top-class hotels, comprehensive itineraries, luxury transportation, delicious meal plans and knowledgeable tour directors, often joined by experienced local guides.

Brendan Vacations

Brendan Vacations:

When you travel to South America with Brendan, you can expect first class hotels in convenient locations that provide the highest standard of service and the most up-to-date luxurious coaches available

Milestones Tours

Milestones

City and Resort Breaks that allow for a more independent holiday while still matched with Milestones' unrivalled levels of service.

Uniworld River Cruises

Uniworld River Cruises

On board a Uniworld Boutique River Cruise ship, guests can enjoy an intimate, luxurious experience with five-star inclusions. With an average capacity of just over 130 guests and one crew member for every three guests, Uniworld's Premium Class award-winning services are recognised as the world's best.

Question Mark

First Class:

For over 60 years, our award-winning First Class tours have been providing incredible value escorted tours, not only showing you the major sites and attractions that you would expect to see but also surprising you with exclusive Hidden Gems along the way, that only a true expert would know. Enjoy the comfort of first-class hotels, travelling by air-conditioned coach with reclining seats and restroom, included meal plans and the services of our professional Tour Directors.
From exclusive Be My Guest dining experiences to in-depth insights provided by expert local guides, our First Class tours offer an enriching travel experience where you come away with a wealth of local knowledge and a photo album packed with memories.

Question Mark

Premium Class:

On a Premium Class escorted tour you'll be travelling with a smaller, more personal group of like-minded travellers (maximum 40 guests on board) on coaches featuring business-class-like legroom and spacious comfort.
And you'll be staying in superior quality hotels in the heart of every destination. We select only premium brands of major hotel groups. Your expert Tour Director will act as your 'personal concierge' throughout and will be assisted by local guides, passionate on the life and history of their own city. We include many special dining evenings such as authentic local lunches, Highlight Dinners and our unique Dine-Around experiences featuring smallgroup dining at a choice of restaurants.

Question Mark

At Leisure:

At Leisure is an inspiring new style of travel offering the best expertly planned escorted tours combined with more opportunity for in-depth, authentic experiences and more freedom to go your own way than ever before. With average hotel stays of two or three nights, spend minimal time unpacking andmore time soaking up the ambience of each amazing place. You'll also enjoy a leisurely start each day with departures never earlier than 9am on travel days. At Leisure provides free time to explore each destination on your own, including complimentary hop-on/hop-off city sightseeing passes where available. Plus you'll enjoy sightseeing in major cities with a local guide assigned to more intimate groups.

Question Mark

Premium Gold:

Premium Gold is an exclusive collection of deluxe tours, each celebrating the fine art of luxury travel. All of the luxury hotels exude elegance and style, with many being members of the Leading Hotels of the World or other internationally recognised upmarket hotel associations. Premium Gold itineraries are leisurely-paced with relaxed stays in the most sought-after locations and with ample free time for personal exploration.
You will delight in sumptuous, authentic dining with four-course hotel dining and superb a la carte menus in some of the best gourmet restaurants. Premium Gold features smaller group sizes on tour and includes Premium Highlight sightseeing often including private tours with VIP entrances.

Question Mark

Cost Saver:

We have introduced a new collection of touring holidays known as 'Cost Saver', a new and exciting programme of tours offering you fantastic European experiences at an unbeatable price.
The new selection of tours cover destinations such as Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The perfectly balanced itineraries combine plenty of free time to explore along with First Class touches including unique Hidden Treasures.