What should I do in Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, and Buenos Aires?
March 26, 2017 8:46 PM Subscribe
I'm going to be in Rio de Janeiro for 4 days, at Iguazu falls for 2 days, and then in Buenos Aires for 6 days. What are your recommendations for things to do, places to eat/drink/dance, and any tips for getting the most out of my experience?
I'm flying to Rio on Saturday (Foz do Iguaçu and Buenos Aires after) with one friend and am woefully unprepared. We have our Brazilian visas, relevant vaccines, flights and hostel bookings, but that's about it -- I could really use the help in terms of what to include on our itineraries.
For what it's worth, we're in our mid-twenties, both queer, and would like to experience some (gay) night life while we're visiting, in addition to the more typical tourist things. If it's helpful, in Rio we're staying near Ipanema Beach and in Buenos Aires we'll be in Palermo. Any recommendations or advice you have would be much appreciated!
I'm flying to Rio on Saturday (Foz do Iguaçu and Buenos Aires after) with one friend and am woefully unprepared. We have our Brazilian visas, relevant vaccines, flights and hostel bookings, but that's about it -- I could really use the help in terms of what to include on our itineraries.
For what it's worth, we're in our mid-twenties, both queer, and would like to experience some (gay) night life while we're visiting, in addition to the more typical tourist things. If it's helpful, in Rio we're staying near Ipanema Beach and in Buenos Aires we'll be in Palermo. Any recommendations or advice you have would be much appreciated!
Rio de Janeiro for 4 days
- Visit Copacabana because everybody does
- Take the beatuful 1 h bus ride to Bara da Tijuca Beach, Swim there (0.5-1 day)
- Take the Bondinho tram to Santa Teresa, walk there have a beer there (0.5 d)
- Have a coffee in the center in Cafe Colombia
- Visit the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum
- Party at the weekend nights at Lapa
- Based on your age: If you KNOW SOMEBODY you could, in theory, visit a baile funk
> at Iguazu falls for 2
- Visit the Falls
- There is also a bird park that I did not visit
- Take the US$ 100 boat ride at the falls, it is worth it
- Go one day to Ciudad del Este Shopping if bored
Brazil is tricky if you don't speak Portuguese.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 12:38 AM on March 27, 2017
- Visit Copacabana because everybody does
- Take the beatuful 1 h bus ride to Bara da Tijuca Beach, Swim there (0.5-1 day)
- Take the Bondinho tram to Santa Teresa, walk there have a beer there (0.5 d)
- Have a coffee in the center in Cafe Colombia
- Visit the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum
- Party at the weekend nights at Lapa
- Based on your age: If you KNOW SOMEBODY you could, in theory, visit a baile funk
> at Iguazu falls for 2
- Visit the Falls
- There is also a bird park that I did not visit
- Take the US$ 100 boat ride at the falls, it is worth it
- Go one day to Ciudad del Este Shopping if bored
Brazil is tricky if you don't speak Portuguese.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 12:38 AM on March 27, 2017
If you have time in Foz do Iguaçu, take a tour of Itaipu Dam — English-language tours are available. But yes, per JimN2TAW the main thing is to see the falls from both sides. Don't sacrifice that for anything else.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:27 AM on March 27, 2017
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:27 AM on March 27, 2017
On Buenos Aires: Can't help you on night life other than to mention that night life is _night_ life - supper in BsAs is at 11:00 or so.
On the food side (oh god, the food!), look into Casa Saltshaker, an in-home private dining experience with a communal table of 10 people (mostly travellers) and a 5 course tasting menu. Dan, the cook, also has a good general website with lots of local restaurant reviews. Don Julio steakhouse is an excellent and classic steak choice, and it's in Palermo. I hope you're not vegetarian - Argentina on two steaks a day is a (somewhat) exaggerated look at the cuisine.
Things to do: I'd definitely recommend Recoleta cemetary, MALBA for modern art, and checking out Teatro Colon - if you can catch a performance of something that interests you, so much the better!
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:16 AM on March 27, 2017
On the food side (oh god, the food!), look into Casa Saltshaker, an in-home private dining experience with a communal table of 10 people (mostly travellers) and a 5 course tasting menu. Dan, the cook, also has a good general website with lots of local restaurant reviews. Don Julio steakhouse is an excellent and classic steak choice, and it's in Palermo. I hope you're not vegetarian - Argentina on two steaks a day is a (somewhat) exaggerated look at the cuisine.
Things to do: I'd definitely recommend Recoleta cemetary, MALBA for modern art, and checking out Teatro Colon - if you can catch a performance of something that interests you, so much the better!
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:16 AM on March 27, 2017
I can highly recommend the bird park in Foz do Iguazu. I've been there a couple of times, and it's fantastic. There are a couple of optional things you can do at Iguazu park as well - taking the boat to the falls is really great and worth the money. I haven't seen Itiapu dam but I've heard good things about it.
When I was in the Peace Corps, I lived pretty close to Ciudad del Este - I never quite understood the desire to shop there - it's a lot of cheap-by-local-standards electronics and mass-produced trinkets. If you want to take some Terere/mate souvenirs home, it may be worth it. I think there are some jewelery shops as well? Not my thing.
There is a great little Japanese place in Foz called Miyako, if you like authentic japanese. There are tons of Churresquerias, but I'd imagine the ones in Rio are far superior.
In Buenos Aires, if you're there on a Saturday the street market in San Telmo is great. The Recoleta cemetery/street market is solid as well. Buenos Aires has great nightlife and restaurants and shopping, there is a ton to do. Steak is a must-have, but if you're into street food be sure to try some of the empanadas. There are also a ton of interesting cured meats that you can't find in America. Jamon Crudo is delicious, as are dulce-de-leche dessert empanadas.
I haven't been to Rio, but if you have more questions about Foz/Buenos Aires, I have lived in both places.
posted by zug at 1:29 PM on March 27, 2017
When I was in the Peace Corps, I lived pretty close to Ciudad del Este - I never quite understood the desire to shop there - it's a lot of cheap-by-local-standards electronics and mass-produced trinkets. If you want to take some Terere/mate souvenirs home, it may be worth it. I think there are some jewelery shops as well? Not my thing.
There is a great little Japanese place in Foz called Miyako, if you like authentic japanese. There are tons of Churresquerias, but I'd imagine the ones in Rio are far superior.
In Buenos Aires, if you're there on a Saturday the street market in San Telmo is great. The Recoleta cemetery/street market is solid as well. Buenos Aires has great nightlife and restaurants and shopping, there is a ton to do. Steak is a must-have, but if you're into street food be sure to try some of the empanadas. There are also a ton of interesting cured meats that you can't find in America. Jamon Crudo is delicious, as are dulce-de-leche dessert empanadas.
I haven't been to Rio, but if you have more questions about Foz/Buenos Aires, I have lived in both places.
posted by zug at 1:29 PM on March 27, 2017
In Iguazu I would strongly recommend that you stay at the Sheraton on the Argentinian side. It's expensive but it's the only one inside the natural reservation (which otherwise opens to the public at 8am). Being there you can sneak out of the hotel at 4am and experience the sunrise at the falls. Of course this is not allowed so don't blame me if you encounter a jaguar...
Also, a helicopter ride over the falls is an experience you will not forget easily.
Here is a link to my Flickr album for Iguazu: https://flic.kr/s/aHsiN87bzD
posted by Parsnip at 12:47 PM on March 28, 2017
Also, a helicopter ride over the falls is an experience you will not forget easily.
Here is a link to my Flickr album for Iguazu: https://flic.kr/s/aHsiN87bzD
posted by Parsnip at 12:47 PM on March 28, 2017
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posted by JimN2TAW at 9:22 PM on March 26, 2017 [1 favorite]