Two days are enough to see Iguazú Falls from both countries; a third lets you slow down and add something else. What separates a good plan from a rushed one is not the number of sights but the margin you leave for heat, rain and the border. Here is a sensible way to divide the time.
Day one: the Argentine side
Parque Nacional Iguazú, near the town of Puerto Iguazú, has the most ground to cover on foot. There are several walkway circuits, some above the falls and some below, plus the walkway to the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), reached on the park’s internal train. It takes most of the day. Arrive early and bring water, comfortable shoes and something for the rain. After floods some walkways may be closed, so check the park’s status before you go.
Day two: the Brazilian side
Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, on the Foz do Iguaçu side, is visited along one main trail with wide views of the whole set of falls. It takes about half a day, which is why many people add the Parque das Aves bird park next to the entrance.
Getting there means crossing the international bridge. This is a border: Argentine exit control, Brazilian entry control and queues that change with the day and the season. Every passenger needs their own travel document. Which one is accepted depends on nationality and must be checked with the official migration authority of each country.
With a third day
- Go back to the Argentine side for what you missed, or take the boat ride sold by the park’s concession operator.
- Visit the Itaipú dam, shared by Brazil and Paraguay.
- Watch the sunset from the Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint in Puerto Iguazú.
- Take a trip within Misiones province: the Wanda mines or, further away, the San Ignacio ruins.
More ideas are in the Triple Frontier guide.
Getting around
Public buses run from Puerto Iguazú to the Argentine park, and there are taxis, remises (cars with a driver booked through an agency) and agency tours. For the Brazilian side, tours handle the crossing as a group. The bus between the two towns costs less, but you depend on its times and on the wait at the border. With a hire car, ask first whether you may cross.
A vehicle with a driver for your group alone helps when you are several people, travel with children or older relatives, or want to link the park and the airport on the same day. Availability of the crossing and the conditions are confirmed when you book, and we do not promise a border time. The two parks have separate tickets, bought by each visitor. If you are still working out the journey, see Buenos Aires to Iguazú Falls.