russ_in_LA

We are flying from Buenos Aires into the Iguazu Falls Airport in Argentina, arriving about noon, and then spending two nights at the Hotel das Cataratas on Brazilian side, before continuing on to Rio. Since our first day is a half day, followed by a full one, my thought is to go directly to the hotel, then see the Brazilian side on our first day. We could then back track to spend the entire second day on the Argentine side. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Can we take a taxi from the airport in Argentina to the hotel in Brazil, or is there a better mode of transportation? If we want to do a boat tour would that be better from Brazil or Argentina, or basically the same from either? How about transportation back into Argentina for our day trip on our second day? If you did the Argentine side, were the trails easy to navigate on your own, or did you need a guide? We will be there on a Friday and Saturday, in case that make any difference.

I've been trying to read trip reports but have not seen this specific info yet, so any info you can provide is much appreciated.

Thanks!

crellston

We did both sides of the falls over a couple of days. We used public buses rather than taxis and it was pretty easy to get around but a taxi would be more convenient but obviously more expensive and probably necessary from your hotel. We didn't do a boat trip but as I recall, most were doing them on the Argentine side.

The two sides of the falls are very different for details of our experience ( a few years ago now!) here is a link to our blog entry.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...0400/tpod.html

The trails are very easy to follow, you do not need a guide. On the Argentine side, one tip which we followed, which enabled us to see most of the falls with relatively few crowds was to get the train right to the end and work backwards. Most people we jumping off at the first stop.

Have fun it is an amazing experience!

tripplanner001

Hi Russ, your plan on spending your half day in Brazil and your full day in Argentina is perfect. The trails on both sides are easy to do on your own. On the Brazilian side it is basically one long walkway from start to finish. On the Argentine side you have a few to choose from; make sure to do the Upper Circuit, the Lower Circuit, and the one to Devil's Throat if it is open. From the Lower Circuit you can take a boat over to San Martin Island for additional viewpoints, assuming this is open. Also here you can do your boat tour on the Iguazu River. All the taxis go from one side of the border to the other and is the easiest way to go. Click on my name for my trip report from my visit last year if you're interested in the details. Happy planning.

thursdaysd

You do not need a guide. For my visit, entirely by public transport, see:

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...omment-7906304

or, with pix,

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...y-spectacular/ - note that the preceding post addresses getting to my hotel from Rio.

I remember the Hotel das Cataratas as being well within the park, I would recommend taking a taxi to get there from the airport, if you can afford it. Once there, you will have to take the park transport to get to the entrance to take the public buses. Or use taxis again.

russ_in_LA

Thanks everyone for your comments and excellent trip reports! I've booked marked them for future reference.

TP, nice to see you here! Enjoy your Japan planning. Hope to have that report finished soon. ;-)

SambaChula

Also, don't miss the Bird Park near the entrance to the Brazilian side of the park.

I think people often choose the boat ride from the Argentine side because of price, vs. the Macuco Safari trip from the Brazilian side. They go under the same falls, iirc.

Easy to get around by public bus or taxi, including over the border. With luggage, taxi.

tripplanner001

You're welcome Russ. Looking forward to the rest of your report, even though it's increasingly likely that we may bump Japan to 2017 in favor of Africa.