How much a trip to Foz do Iguaçu costs: the ticket maths

Direct answer: The predictable part of the budget is tickets. The classic itinerary, with the Falls (R$ 134), Itaipu Panoramic (R$ 63), Parque das Aves (~R$ 110) and the Three Borders Landmark (R$ 60), comes to R$ 367 per person. Without Parque das Aves, R$ 257. Public transport costs R$ 5 per trip. What blows the budget are the optional tours.

The ticket table

On the Argentine side, Iguazú National Park charges in pesos: $ 60,000 for foreigners, with 50% off a second consecutive day if the ticket is validated on the way out and used within 72 hours. Since the peso moves fast, do the sum with the day's exchange rate.

The optionals, where the budget slips

Look at the proportion: a 10-minute helicopter flight costs more than the entire basic ticket itinerary. That is not an argument against it, it is an argument for deciding with eyes open. Details in Macuco Safari and helicopter flight.

Transport

Line 120 stops at the airport and ends at the park gate, which solves the most expensive leg of the itinerary for R$ 5. Detail in bus to the Falls.

The discounts that exist and almost nobody asks for

• Brazil and Mercosur rate at the Falls: R$ 121 instead of R$ 134.
• Children up to 6 enter the National Park free.
• Community Pass, R$ 26, for residents of the 14 surrounding municipalities.
• Second day at 50% in the Argentine park, validating the ticket on the way out.
• Itaipu Ecomuseum and Bosque Guarani zoo: free.
• Note what has no discount: seniors and students pay full price at the Brazilian National Park. Explanation in Iguazu Falls tickets.

Lodging and food

These are the two lines that vary too much for an honest table. Lodging swings with the season, and on holiday weekends city occupancy passes 90%. Food has a wide range: pay-by-weight buffets are the cheapest way to eat well, and churrascarias are the opposite end. The map is in where to eat in Foz do Iguaçu and the cheap places to sleep in budget stays in Foz.

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Source: official price tables from Urbia Cataratas, Itaipu Binacional, Parque das Aves, the Three Borders Landmark, Macuco Safari and Helisul; Foz municipal tourism department for the public transport fare. Prices change: check before booking.