Brasilia Travel Essentials
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Ideal duration: 4-5 days
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"Architectural Utopia"
Brasilia Tourism
Brasilia, the federal capital of Brazil, is a planned city known for its modern architecture and artistic urban planning. A result of an ambitious urbanization project, the city was built from scratch in the central highlands of Brazil in 1956 and was inaugurated as the capital in 1960. A landmark in the history of town planning, the city was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987 and is the only 20th century city to be given that status.
The visionary leadership of Brazil's heroic president Juscelino Kubitschek together with the phenomenal works of Brazil's Avant garde architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa and landscape designer Roberto Marx, has painted a magic on Brazilian canvas like no other city in the world. Straight out from a 20th century science fiction movie, Brasilia is known for its innovative architectural masterpieces. A city designed as a symbol of Brazil's determination to become an economic power, Brasilia is intimidating to its visitors and is no less than a pilgrimage for budding architects. With no sort of history before its construction, Brasilia was designed as a whole piece with a strategically devised layout keeping simplicity and functionality in mind. The residential, commercial and government structures are all strictly divided into different zones which makes it easy for tourists to find all highlights concentrated in one area. The buildings are placed on a curving North-South axis known as Eixo Rodoviario and a straight East-West axis called Eixo Monumental, giving it the impression of an airplane or a bird in flight. Brazilians are proud of their utopian capital which has earned the reputation of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage. Niemeyer's soaring structure and Costa's airplane plan designed for only half a million people have now accommodated a population of 2.5 million. Whether you like its buildings or not, the awe inspiring city is a place that will definitely take you by surprise.
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Places To Visit In Brasilia
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Currency in Brasilia
Brazilian Real is the only accepted currency in the country. All major cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants and in few taxis as well. ATMs are easily available throughout the country, though it is advised to carry some Brazilian Real before entering the country. Keep the paper in money small denominations to avoid counterfeited large bills, also paying for goods in cash makes you eligible for some discounts.
Exchanging Money in Brasilia
ATMs are the best option for currency exchange and are can be located easily. They charge a transaction and conversion fee depending on the bank and are closed between 10 pm to 6 am for security reasons. Currency exchange desks 'Cambio' can be found in all tourist areas and offer better exchange than airports and are better than withdrawing cash from ATMs.
Daily Budget for Brasilia
Brazil is the most expensive country in South America. A cheap budget to get you going would be upto BRL 150 and will include bus travel and decent food for two people. Mid-range budget ranges for BRL 150-300 and has more options such as nightclubs and other entertainment options. Luxury budgets with meals in top restaurants and taxi commute is somewhere around BRL 500
Religion of Brasilia
The religion in Brazil is more diverse than other Latin American countries. The dominant religion here is Christianity and Catholics comprise 64% of the population whereas Protestants make up 22%. With the changes in mindset of people, the view of secularism or no religious affiliation is increasing and they now comprise 8% of the total population.
Brasilia Customs
Brazilians are friendly and open people. They love talking with new people and your involvement and interest in their discussion is welcomed, be careful when talking about certain topics and avoid being critical of their country. Men shake hands and women kiss each other on the cheeks while greeting. Most of the businesses are family operated and they often invite new comers for dinner, it is customary to carry a small gift such as flowers or wine. Tipping is not expected in Brazil and generally not given. Restaurants have 10% service charge already included in the bill, however it is not compulsory. You can tip the housekeeping staff at the hotel at BRL 5 per day or beach vendors for their services.
Language of Brasilia
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil and a vast majority of the population speaks Portuguese as well. However, Brazilian Portuguese is slightly different from Portugal's. Not many people speak English here, even if you speak Spanish, you might be able to communicate only a little bit. Thus, it is advised to learn some basic Portuguese before you travel. Use 'Oi' for Hello, 'Por favor' for please, 'Bom Dia' for Good Morning and 'Boa Noite' for Good night. Your efforts to learn and speak Portuguese will be highly appreciated by the locals.
History of Brasilia
Prophesized as a futuristic city by an Italian saint Don Bosco and created in the mid 20th century, Brasilia is a fairly young city on the global scale. Brazil's capital was earlier located near Rio de Janeiro in South East region of the country. Much like India's New Delhi, Brasilia is a planned capital. The plan for the capital was conceived as early as in 1820s by Jos_ Boniföcio with a need of capitalizing country's inland resources and shifting the capital to a geographically central location avoiding the risk of maritime attacks. The first constitution of Brazilian Republic added an article for shifting the capital to a central location and an area 14,400 square kilometres was reserved for the capital. However, Brasilia became a reality only in 1955 under efforts of the heroic president Juscelino Kubitschek with his campaign 'Fifty years progress in five'. Urban planner L“cio Costa, chief architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscape designer Roberto Marx shaped the city and carved out the federal district. Built in just 41 months, Brasilia was inaugurated as capital of the country in April 1960 as a symbol of the country's determination and hard work to become an economic power.
Nightlife in Brasilia
The sun kissed land is full of promises during the night as well. Vibrant and fuelled with zest, the nightlife at Brasilia is something every traveller must experience. There is something for everyone right from bars and pubs to full fledged clubs. Some of the most recommended places to visit are Club 904, Stadt Bar, Door 607 and the Balaio Cafe.
Shopping in Brasilia
Shopping centres are found here in abundance and provide for a rather engaging experience. Head over to Parkshopping, Shopping Iguatemi, Terraco centre, Brasilia Shopping centre and Boulevard shopping Brasilia to indulge in some good old shopping spree. These centres also have specialized gift shops and offer a good variety of food at their food court. Flea markets and farmers market are not much of a thing in Brasilia.
Best Time to Visit Brasilia
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How to Reach Brasilia
How to Reach Overview
The city is served by an international airport and a bus terminal. Because of its central location, Brasilia is well connected to all parts of the country by road.
How to reach Brasilia by flight
Named after the president Juscelino Kubitschek, the airport is located 11 kilometres from the city's centre. As flying being the most popular form of transport in the country, the city is an air travel hub. However, most of the flights are domestic and options for flying in directly from abroad is limited. Non stop international flights are available from cities such as Orlando, Buenos Aires, Paris, Lisbon, Bogota, Atlanta and Panama City. Buses ply frequently form the airport to the city and are quite cheap as compared to taxis which are another convenient mode of transportation available.
How to reach Brasilia by road
Brazil being the largest country in South America also has the largest road network and the option to drive can be chosen if you lots of time and flexibility to visit various places. The travel times from major destinations are quite large, a road trip from Rio to Brasilia can be as long as 16 hours via BR-040 and a drive from Sao Paulo via BR-050 is 11hours. The Saida Sul and Saida Norte are entrances to the city from south and north direction respectively. Car rental companies such as Alvis and Hertz have their offices at airport offering many options to choose from. International driving license is not required in Brazil as most countries license are valid a duration under 90 days. Note that driving in Brazil can get crazy and the country is among the countries with highest traffic deaths.
How to reach Brasilia by train
There are no rail networks connecting to the city.
How to reach Brasilia by bus
Thanks to its central location, Brasilia is connected by an efficient bus network to rest of the country. The main bus terminal Rodoviöria is located at central road and buses coming from other states reach here. Buses connecting to other tourist destinations are Sao Paulo, Rio, Belo Horizonte and Goiania are available from this terminal. The bus terminal is alos connected to the city center by bus number 131, running at frequency of 15-20 minutes throughout the day.
How to reach Brasilia by waterways
There are no waterways to Brasilia.
Local transport in Brasilia
The urbanistic planned city has lots of option for conveyance and was built with a view that every individual will have a car for transportation. While walking is not at all an option here, public transport serves the tourists best. The main bus station is located in the center of the city and buses run to important areas and are great help in getting around. Brasilia's metro has been in operation since 2001 and connects to the suburbs, however, it doesn't quite connect to all tourist attractions. The best way to explore the city is by getting a car to move around. Public parking is available at most of the sites and traffic is not much of an issue. Taxis can also be considered, but they are an expensive option. Taxis can be hired from taxi stands which are located near all tourist spots.
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FAQs on Brasilia
What is the best time to visit Brasilia?
Brasilia has a tropical climate like rest of the country. The weather here is characterised by mainly two seasons - dry with low humidity and wet with high humidity. The dry season starts from April and lasts till October whereas the wet season is from November to late March. The months from May to July have comfortable temperature with average temperature around 19 degree Celsius, the precipitation is low and these months receive a good amount of sunshine making it pleasant for exploring the city. Rainfall is heavy in the wet season with high humidity ranging up to 90% and average temperature around 21 degrees. Also, the months from December to February are crowded as locals are on vacations and the hotel rates shoot high in these months.
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What is the local food in Brasilia?
Influenced by Europe and America and because of its local and immigrant population, the cuisine in Brazil gets as varied as its geography. Brasilia offers a wide range of options to choose from as one can get a taste of the regional cuisine from all the states as well as international dishes. 'Por quilo' or per kilo are self service restaurants which are quite common as you get your delights by weight and a lot cheaper than typical restaurants. When in Brasilia, try Brazil's national dish 'Feijoada' or the freshwater fish from Amazon along with the traditional drink Capirinha made from sugar cane and lime juice. Brasilia is know for the best international restaurants in the country, head to Gero Brasilia famous for its gourmet Italian cuisine or treat yourself to the award winning Universal Diner known for its eccentric decor and mouth-watering meat dishes.
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What is the best way to reach Brasilia?
The city is served by an international airport and a bus terminal. Because of its central location, Brasilia is well connected to all parts of the country by road.
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What are the things to do in Brasilia?
The top things to do in Brasilia are Catedral Metropolitana, Santuario Dom Bosco, Banco Do Brasil Cultural Centre, Congresso Nacional, JK Memorial, Lago do Paranoà. You can see all the places to visit in Brasilia here
What are the places near Brasilia?
The top places near to Brasilia are London which is 8794 km from Brasilia, Dubai which is located 12046 km from Brasilia, Amsterdam which is located 9116 km from Brasilia, New york city which is located 6839 km from Brasilia, Bali which is located 16746 km from Brasilia
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