How to Visit Iguazu Falls: The Most Stunning Waterfalls in South America

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen a waterfall before. But have you ever seen a waterfall that spread over two different countries? How about multiple falls across two countries? Well, if you think that sounds gorgeous, you’ve got to see Iguazu Falls. Iguazu Falls is one of those tourist destinations that is absolutely worth the crowds and the hype. The best part? You get to check two countries off your bucket list when visiting. 

Iguazu (or Iguacu) Falls spans between Brazil and Argentina. If you have extra time, you can even hop right over to Paraguay after. This area of South America is lush, tropical, and an absolute must on everyone’s bucket list.

Because the falls are so well maintained, people of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities can enjoy them. You don’t need to be an outdoor adventure junkie to go. If you are, there will still be enough activities to satisfy your quest for the thrill.

How to Get There

The easiest way to get there is to fly. Iguazu Falls is a major attraction, which puts what would otherwise be an incredibly remote destination, on the very accessible tourist map. You can fly directly into IGR- Cataratas International airport, in Argentina.

I flew in from Buenos Aires, and it was an incredibly cheap flight. It was cheaper to fly in from and to Argentina. It’s typically more expensive to fly into FOZ, The Brazilian airport, even if you’re coming from a Brazilian city. I would recommend choosing IGR.

You can take a taxi directly from the airport to your accommodation on either the Brazilian or Argentinian side. The taxi from IGR to my accommodation in Brazil cost 1400 ARS (roughly $18 USD). They also all took credit card. If you’re staying on the Argentinian side, you can easily take a bus transfer to your accommodation for about $3 USD, or a taxi for $9 USD. 

An Important Note About Border Crossings: 

Crossing the border between Argentina and Brazil is a must when visiting Iguazu Falls. That is, if you want to see everything. Which you do. It’s very easy when it comes to airport transfers. It’s a bit harder when it comes to heading from your accommodation to the parks.

Brazil has Uber service, but Argentina does not. Ubers are only allowed on the Brazil side though, so if you take an uber from your accommodation in hopes of getting to the Argentina park, they won’t be able to do this. They will only take you to the border crossing. You’ll need to get a taxi from there.

You also need to note that the taxi’s are only going to take cash, and probably only in one currency, which you may or may not have if you haven’t crossed the border yet. Getting home will also be a challenge. There is minimal phone service at the pick up points of the parks and you will be facing higher transport costs again.

Your best bet when planning to cross the border to the other park, is to have your hotel or airbnb host organize a driver for you in advance. This will be a much fairer price, they will do your round trip transport and you won’t have to stress. You only need to organize a driver for the day you decide to cross the border. Getting to the park on your side of the border is super easy and a driver would be a waste of money that day. 

Where to Stay

We stayed on the Brazilian side in a lovely little Airbnb in Foz. This was a great location, since it was near town and right by Marco das Tres Fronteras. This is a famous viewpoint where you can see the borders of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina only separated by a little body of water. It’s a must. Overall, I found the accommodation options on the Brazilian side to be superior to the options on the Argentinian side. They were fairer priced and better looking, but you have a lot to choose from either way, especially if you have a bigger budget than I did.

There are several home stay and budget hotel options. There were also glamorous resorts. Finally, there’s trusty Airbnb, which I’m partial to. I will say that the Argentinian side of the falls was honestly more exciting and beautiful than the Brazilian side. So you may want to factor that in when choosing accommodations. 

Everything You Need to Know About Iguazu Falls in Brazil

How to Get There:

You can take a taxi or uber straight to the Brazilian side. As stated before, remember that Uber only operates on the Brazilian side.

Any taxi driver will know how to get straight to the park. The park is set up essentially like a small Disneyland. It is very well organized and clearly marked. 

We did stay until close (6 pm) at the park, and it was really difficult to get an uber to pick up. Most seemed to be busy. We waited close to 40 minutes for one to answer. I would suggest leaving before close, or be prepared to wait or pay for a more expensive taxi home. The taxi’s line the entrance and it’s not hard to find. We were just being stubborn and budgeting. 

The parks provide free wifi when you’re in them, but at the pickup points, service is very spotty. It would be a good idea to have a sim card or to call your ride before you get outside.

How Much Does It Cost:

You can purchase your ticket directly at the counter. They accept both credit card and BRL. It was about $30 USD to get in when I went, which includes access to the entire park. There were additional tours and adventures you can purchase. You can purchase these right at the entrance as well, as each tour operator has their own booth and accepts credit cards. 

You absolutely do not need to pay for a tour when going to Iguacu falls. If you’re researching before you go, you’ll notice tons of different tours available for purchase. While that makes it seem like a guide is necessary- it is not. It will cost you so much more, for little reward.

What to Do:

While there are multiple options of additional activities you can do, the one I would recommend paying for is the boat ride. Rafting under the falls was an absolute must. It cost an additional $40 USD, and it was worth it.

We chose to do this on the Brazilian side for two reasons: The boats are nicer, and the Brazilian side has less things to see, so you have more time to kill. The tour includes a jungle safari tour, an optional small hike and a boat ride/raft that goes directly under Iguazu falls. It’s exhilarating to say the least. They also kept the group relatively small, so it was really nice. Prepare to get soaked. 

During the day, you take a nice double decker bus throughout the entire park. We took it to the first stop, and walked the rest of the way. They have lovely walking trails lining all the nature and falls, filled with some wild animals, and tourists. 

They have one restaurant- a gorgeous, lake facing indoor and outdoor buffet. The buffets in Brazil were actually a treat. Don’t forget to try the caipirinha. They also have several little food stands for a cheaper, fast food option. 

Everything You Need to Know About Iguazu Falls in Argentina

How to Get there:

This is very easy if you’re staying on the Argentina side. You can just get your hotel to help arrange a taxi, or take a bus there. Just like the Brazil side, there will be taxis waiting for you when you finish. There were far more taxi’s on the Argentina side, as the park is much larger.

How Much Does It Cost:

The Argentina side was slightly more expensive if I remember correctly. I believe it was $35 USD to get in when we went in 2019. They do only take cash on this side, in their own currency, as is the case with most of Argentina.

There are plenty of ATM’s available at the park if you don’t have any cash ahead of time. You can also purchase any additional adventures at the entrance here. 

What to Do:

This park was huge, so you’ll need to use the map they provide. You will walk a little ways to the train station in the park and you can take the train to each stop. You’ll need to get a (Free) train ticket each time you want to board and they will cap it at a certain amount of people per train. So you may have to wait up to 30 or 40 minutes until you’re ticket is allowed to board. 

Food on this side was pretty awful. Just a few fast food type stands. There is a cute coffee shop and one sit down restaurant near the main entrance, with a mediocre buffet. 

You’ll definitely want to allow all day for this side. There is so much to see, it’s more crowded, and per the train station above, things move a bit slower. There are many different hikes you can take, and you’ll want to see just about everything- including the famous Devil’s Throat. Bring your walking shoes and follow the map.