Getting to and Around Brazil

Most trips to Brazil begin in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport (GRU) is the best-served airport in Brazil for international flights, and Rio’s Galeão (GIG) is the first choice for many travelers. Getting there is the straightforward part. Getting around Brazil takes more thought, because the distances are long and many flights between regions connect through São Paulo or Brasília.

Our co-founder Juergen Keller puts it simply: “South-America is big.” Brazil alone covers more ground than the lower 48 United States, so the order of your stops matters as much as the stops themselves.

Flying to Brazil: São Paulo or Rio?

São Paulo is Brazil’s business center, and its airport has flights to most corners of the world: in September 2026, according to Brazil’s civil aviation agency, ANAC, Guarulhos received more than twice as many international flights as Rio. From São Paulo it is a short hop of about an hour to Rio de Janeiro, which is also well served.

Non-stop flights from the US

As of September 2026, São Paulo has non-stops from Miami, New York (JFK and Newark), Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Washington DC (Dulles) and Orlando, most of them daily, plus a few flights a week from Boston and Los Angeles. Rio de Janeiro has daily non-stops from Miami and Houston, about four a week from Atlanta and three from New York (JFK); Dallas adds a seasonal one.

Elsewhere, Azul flies from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando to Campinas (VCP), in São Paulo state, and GOL from Miami and Orlando to Brasília. In September, Fortaleza had a weekly flight from Miami and another from Orlando. Manaus, the starting point for Amazon adventures, had Miami non-stops in January and July 2026 but none in September, Recife only a seasonal one from Orlando, and Salvador none. For those three, plan on connecting in São Paulo, Rio or Brasília.

From Canada, Europe and beyond

Air Canada flies non-stop from Toronto and Montreal to São Paulo. From Europe, both São Paulo and Rio have non-stops from London Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome and Lisbon. São Paulo also has non-stops from Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Johannesburg and Cape Town, and Ethiopian Airlines links Addis Ababa with São Paulo via Lagos.

TAP Air Portugal flies from Lisbon to a dozen Brazilian cities, among them Fortaleza, Recife, Natal, Salvador, Belém, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre, so a trip to the Northeast can start without a domestic connection. Lisbon to Fortaleza or Recife takes about 7 h 45 m. Air France also flies from Paris to Fortaleza and Salvador.

Getting Around Brazil by Air

LATAM, GOL and Azul operated more than 98 percent of domestic flights in September 2026, and many routes between regions need a change of plane in São Paulo or Brasília. Don’t underestimate the size of Brazil, or you may spend more time in airports than exploring the country. This is where our Destination Consultants come in.

The domestic legs on our itineraries

These are the flights behind our suggested itineraries, with typical times from ANAC’s September 2026 records.

Two airports in Rio and São Paulo

Both cities have more than one airport, and the city airport is often more convenient. In São Paulo, Congonhas flies only within Brazil, including the one-hour shuttle to Rio. In Rio, Santos Dumont sits on Guanabara Bay beside downtown, only a short drive from Copacabana, and you get great views on take-off and landing too.

There is a catch. In September 2026, Santos Dumont’s flights went only to São Paulo, Campinas, Brasília and Belo Horizonte. The longer legs on our itineraries, to Manaus, Salvador, Foz do Iguaçu, Cuiabá and Fortaleza, all leave from Galeão.

Leave slack in your trip

Some of those legs run only a few days a week, like Rio to Cuiabá in September, the flight into the Pantanal on our Pantanal Wetlands & Rio de Janeiro Tour. As Juergen tells first-timers: “Do not plan a very tight schedule! Some routes are flown only 3 times a week and easily canceled due to bad weather and bad airport infrastructure. Leave slack in your trip!” Our Brazil weather page covers the regional seasons.

How We Route a Brazil Trip

Brazil has many international airports, and depending on your itinerary it may well make sense to fly into one and out of another.

In one city, out of another

The Lencois Maranhenses Luxury Adventure Tour arrives in Fortaleza and leaves from São Luís, with no flights in between: the route follows the coast through Jericoacoara, the Parnaíba Delta and Barreirinhas, the gateway to the dunes. With less time, fly straight into Jericoacoara, skip Fortaleza and Guajirú, and save three days.

The Brazil Amazon & Salvador Bahia Tour does it on a bigger map: Rio first, then Manaus and a jungle lodge, then Salvador, where you fly home. The Rio, Ouro Preto and Brazil Amazon Tour also ends far from where it starts: Paraty, Tiradentes and Ouro Preto by road from Rio, then a flight north to Manaus.

Amazon, Pantanal and Iguazú in one trip

Juergen’s rule of thumb for choosing between the Amazon and the Pantanal is “Amazon for flora, Pantanal for Fauna.” Our Amazon, Pantanal & Iguazu Falls Tour skips the choice and adds the falls in ten days. The flights are its skeleton: Manaus to Cuiabá, then Cuiabá to Foz do Iguaçu, each a travel day with a connection. More ways in are on our Pantanal tours and Manaus Amazon tours pages.

Iguazú from both sides, and on to Argentina

Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) in Brazil has non-stops from Rio, São Paulo, Campinas and Brasília, and a few a week from Santiago de Chile. Puerto Iguazú (IGR), on the Argentine side, has the flights to Buenos Aires. Our Brazil itinerary stays in Foz and crosses the Tancredo Neves Bridge for a day in Argentina’s Iguazú National Park, while our Tango & Nature itinerary in Argentina stays in Puerto Iguazú and visits the Brazilian side.

In Juergen’s words: “Rio you can always include in the trip, Iguazu is ideal for combinations with Argentina.” The Argentine side of that plan is on our Argentina getting-there page.

How Flights Fit Your Trip

Our suggested itineraries are priced without flights. International flights are not included; your Destination Consultant quotes the domestic legs separately, in the order the trip needs them. Every itinerary can be custom designed around your dates, which matters when a key leg flies only three days a week. Start with a custom Brazil trip or the Brazil hub, and check the best time to visit Brazil before you fix dates.

One entry note: check whether you need an e-Visa before you fly. Our Brazil visa requirements page has the current rules.

Getting to and Around Brazil: FAQ

Which airport should I fly into for Brazil?

São Paulo (GRU) for the widest choice of flights, or Rio (GIG) if your trip starts there. For the Northeast, Lisbon has non-stops to Fortaleza, Recife, Natal and Salvador. For the Amazon, fly to Manaus, connecting through São Paulo, Rio, Brasília or Panama City; our Amazon getting-there page covers the other gateways.

How long is the flight to Brazil from the US?

About 8 h 30 m non-stop from Miami to São Paulo or Rio, 9 h 30 m from Atlanta, 9 h 30 m to 10 h from New York, 10 h from Houston or Chicago, and 11 h 30 m from Los Angeles to São Paulo.

Are there direct flights to Brazil from the US?

Yes. In September 2026, São Paulo had non-stops from eleven US airports and Rio from four, and Campinas, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza and Belém had some too. Manaus, Salvador and Recife had none that month.

How do I get around Brazil?

By air, on LATAM, GOL or Azul, often connecting in São Paulo or Brasília. Some legs run only a few days a week, so build the trip around the flights and leave slack. In Rio, those longer flights leave from Galeão, not Santos Dumont.