How to Get to Iguazu Falls
Two countries, two airports, two towns and a bridge between them. Which of those you arrive at decides which park is easy, which pickups you qualify for and which currency you spend.
Two airports, and which one you want
| Cataratas del Iguazú (IGR) | Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Argentina | Brazil |
| Town | Puerto Iguazú | Foz do Iguaçu |
| Nearest park gate | Parque Nacional Iguazú, Ruta 101 Km 142 | Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, BR-469 Km 18 |
| Main domestic links | Buenos Aires | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba |
| Best if | You want the circuits and the boats | You want the panorama and the helicopter |
Neither airport is far from its own gate, and both are a border crossing away from the other one. Pick the airport that matches the side you intend to sleep on, not the side you intend to see first.
From Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is about 1,300 kilometres south, which is a flight rather than a drive. The operators who sell a single day at the falls from Buenos Aires are explicit about the shape of it: the outbound flight goes between 06:00 and 08:30 and the return between 18:00 and 20:30, which leaves seven to eight hours on the Argentine circuits and a pickup at your hotel around 04:30.
Two and three-day versions of the same package exist and use the same flights, which is what buys the second park rather than a second view of the first.
From Foz do Iguaçu to the Brazilian gate
The Brazilian park entrance is on the BR-469, the road that runs from the city out past the airport. Hotel pickups from central Foz do Iguaçu are included in almost every guided day on this side, and the park's own buses take over once you are through the Visitor Centre.
If you are going independently, the city's line 120 bus runs from the urban terminal to the park entrance for a flat fare.
From Puerto Iguazú to the Argentine gate
The Argentine park's own record puts Puerto Iguazú 17 kilometres from the protected area, and the entrance is signposted on Ruta 101. A local service runs between the town's bus terminal and the park through the day, and taxis and remises wait at both ends.
Guided days from Puerto Iguazú almost all include hotel pickup, which is worth something on a morning where being first through the gate changes the whole day.
Crossing the border between the two parks
The Tancredo Neves bridge over the Iguazú River joins the two towns, with an immigration post at each end. Crossing is routine and it is also the least predictable part of any day that does both sides: queues at the post vary from minutes to over an hour with no pattern you can plan around.
This is the single strongest argument for a guided day that crosses — not the guiding, the paperwork. If you are staying in Argentina and going over to the Brazilian park for the day only, you will usually find the formalities lighter in both directions than a full entry would be.
Days that handle the crossing
Guided Iguazu Falls tours that visit both parks take the immigration post as part of the job, with two park tickets and two currencies in one itinerary.
Passports, and the Brazil e-Visa since April 2025
Carry your passport for the crossing. Argentina accepts a national identity card or driving licence from some nationalities at this border, but every operator asks for a passport and it is what the Brazilian post wants.
Brazil requires an e-Visa of US, Canadian and Australian passport holders, reinstated on 10 April 2025. It costs US$80.90, runs ten years for US citizens and five for Canadian and Australian citizens, and each stay is capped at 90 days. Apply through Brazil's official e-Visa portal, not through an agent, and do it well before you fly — approvals are usually issued in 48 to 72 hours but can take ten working days at busy times. Argentina requires no visa of those nationalities for tourism. If the timing is tight, book a day on the Argentine side only and keep the Brazilian park for a return trip.
Getting between Puerto Iguazú and Foz do Iguaçu
The two towns are joined by the Tancredo Neves bridge, and the journey between them is short — the distance is trivial and the immigration post is the variable. Taxis and remises run it constantly, private transfers are sold by every agency in both towns, and the crossing is the same one your tour would make.
Budget for the queue rather than the distance, and do not plan anything with a fixed start time on the far side within an hour of crossing.
Driving and parking at the gate
Both parks have car parks at the entrance, and Argentina publishes its rates. If you have hired a car, this is the cost to add to the admission.
| Vehicle, Argentine side | Per day |
|---|---|
| Car | AR$ 12,500 |
| Motorcycle or moped | AR$ 6,250 |
| Minibus | AR$ 18,750 |
| Coach or motorhome | AR$ 25,000 |
| Locally registered vehicle | AR$ 6,250 |
The Argentine car park runs 08:00 to 18:00 with the park. On the Brazilian side private cars stop at the Visitor Centre and the park's own buses take you the rest of the way, so there is no question of driving to the trailhead.
Which town to sleep in
Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
Smaller and quieter, 17 km from the Argentine gate, and the base for most of the guided days that include the circuits and the Gran Aventura boat. Staying here adds the municipal eco-tourism tax to your accommodation bill.
Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Much larger, with more flights, more hotels and the helicopter operators. It is the base for the Macuco Safari and for most of the days that cross to Argentina and back.
How to choose
Pick the side you want to spend the most time on, because the crossing costs you an unpredictable hour each way. If you are flying in from elsewhere in Brazil, sleep in Foz; if you are coming from Buenos Aires, sleep in Puerto Iguazú.
If your tour includes transfers
Nearly every guided day here includes a transfer of some kind, and they are not the same thing as each other.
| What the card says | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Hotel pickup in Puerto Iguazú | Argentine side only; where Brazilian hotels are excluded, the card says so |
| Hotel pickup in Foz do Iguaçu | Brazilian side; some also collect from named Puerto Iguazú hotels |
| Pickup either side of the border | The private both-sides days, which come to you |
| Round-trip airfare from Buenos Aires | Flights plus private transfers at both airports, inside the fare |
| Shared round-trip transfers | A fixed route round several hotels; the pickup window is wide |
Take a named pickup area literally. If a day says it collects in Puerto Iguazú, staying across the bridge in Foz do Iguaçu can make you ineligible for it altogether, and that is not something you want to discover at 07:00.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a passport to see both sides?
Do US, Canadian and Australian visitors need a Brazil visa?
Can I do Iguazu Falls as a day trip from Buenos Aires?
What are the opening hours on each side?
Once you know which side you are arriving on, read the Argentine side or the Brazilian side, and check the Iguazu Falls guided tours that collect from your town at Iguazu Falls Tours. Hours and admissions for both parks are on plan your visit.
Sources
- Iguazú Argentina — tarifas (Argentine admission and parking, read 13 September 2026)
- Iguazú Argentina — horarios y consejos (Argentine hours and train timetable)
- The Brazilian park — 2026 ticket prices (effective 19 December 2025)
- The Brazilian park — passarela notice, 11 September 2026
- Administración de Parques Nacionales — the Argentine park
- UNESCO World Heritage — the Argentine inscription
Prices and opening times change. Verify both parks before you travel.