Travel guides
Travelling to Paraguay: what to know first
Paraguay is an easy country to travel and a hard one to improvise. Almost everything starts in Asuncion and is measured in hours on the road. This is what is worth settling before you board.
The short answer
The questions people who have never been here ask first, answered straight away. The prices are ours and the kilometres are measured by our own fleet; entry rules are not set by us, so we tell you where to check them instead of inventing a number.
| Entry documents | They depend on your nationality. Check with Paraguay’s Dirección General de Migraciones or your nearest Paraguayan consulate |
| Currency | The guarani. Many street taxis still work in cash only |
| Airport | Silvio Pettirossi (ASU / SGAS), in Luque, about 15 km from central Asuncion |
| Airport to the centre | 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Our transfer starts at USD 49 per vehicle |
| Getting around town | Uber and Bolt operate in Asuncion; there are also street taxis, buses and private transfers |
| Rush hour | 7 to 9 in the morning and 5 to 7 in the evening |
| Ciudad del Este | 327 km · 4 h 30 min to 5 h by road |
| Encarnacion | 370 km · 5 to 5 h 30 min |
| Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) | 340 km · 5 to 6 h with the border |
| Best time to come | March to May, for the reasonable heat and the little rain |
What to settle before you buy the ticket
In this order, because each point shapes the next one.
- 1
Your documents, from the right source
What a Brazilian needs is not what a European needs, and neither is what an American needs. The rules change. Do not settle this on a forum: check with Paraguay’s Dirección General de Migraciones or the Paraguayan consulate in your country before you buy the ticket. We are the transport operator: we bring the vehicle and the driver, we do not process paperwork and we cannot answer for yours at the desk.
- 2
If you plan to cross into Brazil or Argentina, do it twice
Foz do Iguacu and Puerto Iguazu look close on the map, but they are another country. Each crossing adds 20 to 40 minutes of paperwork in normal conditions, and the rules that apply are those of the country you are entering, not Paraguay’s. If the falls are in the plan, this gets checked beforehand, not on the bridge.
- 3
Currency and cash
The currency is the guarani. Ride-hailing apps and our transfers are paid without cash — card, bank transfer, digital wallet or crypto — but many street taxis still work in cash only. Carrying some cash for small things and not depending on it for the big ones is the combination that causes the fewest problems.
- 4
Your base and the distances
Almost all tourism in the country starts in Asuncion. Before you build the itinerary, look at the kilometres in the table below: a day in Asuncion is not the same as a day in Asuncion with a return trip to Ciudad del Este, which is more than nine hours in the car counting both legs.
- 5
The arrival
International flights often land and leave in the middle of the night, and that is exactly when there are fewest cars on the apps. If you land after midnight, having the transfer booked in advance stops being a luxury. We break it down into four scenarios in the piece on getting around Asuncion.
- 6
What you actually want to see
Paraguay fits comfortably into five days if you choose. In three, it covers Asuncion and one day trip. Everything there is to see and how long it takes is in our guide to Paraguay’s tourist attractions.
How long it takes from Asuncion
The kilometres and the times our own fleet records, with one stop along the way included, which is how it works in practice.
| Destination | Distance | By car | By bus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciudad del Este | 327 km | 4 h 30 min to 5 h | 5 h |
| Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) | 340 km | 5 to 6 h with the border | 6 to 8 h with a change |
| Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) | 350 km | 5 h 30 min to 6 h 30 min with two borders | 7 to 9 h with changes |
| Encarnacion | 370 km | 5 to 5 h 30 min | 6 h |
| Formosa (Argentina) | 190 km | 2 h 30 min to 3 h with the border | 4 h with a change |
Times are estimates in normal conditions and can vary with rain, roadworks or delays at the border. The full routes are on the long distance transfers page.
What surprises people and what to know first
We say it the way we say it to passengers who ask in the car on the way to the hotel.
Surprises people for the better
- You get in from the airport fast: 15 km, 25 to 40 minutes
- It is a cheap country next to its neighbours, above all for eating out
- The asphalt east and south is good and the driving is calm
- The Jesuit ruins of Trinidad are better preserved than anyone expects
- There is little mass tourism: almost nowhere needs booking months ahead
Worth knowing first
- There are no falls on the Paraguayan side: the Iguazu Falls are in Brazil and Argentina
- Between December and February the heat is strong and dictates the shape of the day
- Late at night the supply of transport drops sharply, above all outside the centre
- Many street taxis have no published price and work in cash only
- Intercity buses work and are cheap, but each long leg eats half a day
What it costs to move with us
Price per vehicle, not per passenger, and fixed before you book. We do not publish prices for taxis, apps or buses because we do not set them and they change with the hour and the demand.
| Service | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Airport · sedan | Up to 3 passengers | USD 49 · return USD 84 |
| Airport · Hyundai H1 minivan | Up to 7 | USD 69 · return USD 119 |
| Airport · Mercedes Sprinter | 8 to 14 | USD 189 · return USD 476 |
| Driver at your disposal | Up to 8 hours | USD 197 |
| Asuncion – Ciudad del Este | Sedan · minivan | USD 347 · USD 397 |
| Asuncion – Encarnacion | Sedan · minivan | USD 417 · USD 497 |
| Asuncion – Foz do Iguacu | Sedan · minivan | USD 417 · USD 497 |
| Asuncion – Formosa | Sedan only | USD 147 |
The base airport fare covers Asuncion, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Fernando de la Mora, Lambare and Nemby. Outside that zone the transfer still runs: the price changes and is confirmed before you book. The full detail is on the Asuncion airport transfers page.
The mistakes first-timers keep making
None of them are serious. They are the ones that cost half a day, which on a short trip is a lot.
- Squeezing Ciudad del Este into a loose day. There and back is more than nine hours in the car. Either you sleep there, or you accept the day is a driving day.
- Counting the falls as Paraguayan. They are in Foz do Iguacu and Puerto Iguazu, across the border, with another country’s paperwork and rules.
- Landing at 2 am with nothing booked. It is the window with the fewest available cars and the most expensive one to improvise in.
- Changing all your money on arrival. Apps and electronic payments cover almost everything; cash is for the small stuff.
- Leaving Asuncion at 8 in the morning. Between 7 and 9 the traffic thickens and you lose 30 or 40 minutes just getting out.
- Planning the interior in January without checking the thermometer. The heat from December to February changes the rhythm of any itinerary.
- Leaving the border crossing for the end of the day. Those 20 to 40 minutes stretch when there is a queue, and some days there is a queue.
None of these ruins a trip. All of them together turn five days into three.
When to come
This applies to Asuncion and to any destination in the interior.
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| March to May | The best window: reasonable heat and little rain |
| September to November | The second best, with short storms |
| December to February | Strong heat; leaving early and pausing at midday helps |
| June to August | Cool and dry, but the days are short |
Frequently asked questions
What first-time visitors ask us most on WhatsApp.
What documents do I need to enter Paraguay?
It depends on your nationality, and the rules change. The correct source is Paraguay’s Dirección General de Migraciones or the Paraguayan consulate in your country, and it is worth checking before you buy the ticket. We run the transport: we do not process paperwork and we cannot answer for yours at immigration.
What is the currency in Paraguay and do I need cash?
The currency is the guarani. Ride-hailing apps and our transfers are paid without cash, by card, bank transfer, digital wallet or crypto. For street taxis it is worth carrying cash in guaranies, because many still work that way only.
How far is Asuncion airport from the city?
Silvio Pettirossi International Airport is in Luque, about 15 km from central Asuncion. The drive takes between 25 and 40 minutes depending on traffic, which is what varies most at rush hour.
How much is a transfer from the airport to the centre?
From USD 49 per vehicle in a sedan for up to three passengers, USD 69 in a Hyundai H1 minivan for up to seven and USD 189 in a Mercedes Sprinter for groups of 8 to 14. The price is per vehicle, not per person, and includes one suitcase per passenger.
Is there Uber in Asuncion?
Yes, Uber operates in Asuncion, and so do Bolt and some local apps. They work well during the day in central areas. The limit shows up late at night, in outlying areas and at rush hour, when there may be no cars available.
Is it easy to get around Paraguay without a car?
Within Asuncion, yes: there are apps, taxis and buses. Between cities the bus works and is cheap, but each long leg eats half a day: about 5 hours to Ciudad del Este and about 6 to Encarnacion. On a short trip, a private transfer buys time more than comfort.
How many days do I need in Paraguay?
Three days cover Asuncion and one day trip. Five fit Asuncion, Encarnacion and the Jesuit ruins. Seven add Ciudad del Este and the Brazilian side of the falls, and at that point you are past twenty hours on the road in total.
Are the Iguazu Falls in Paraguay?
No. They are on the Brazilian side, in Foz do Iguacu, and on the Argentinian side, in Puerto Iguazu. From Asuncion it is 340 km and 5 to 6 hours to Foz, crossing the border. Paraguay has the Monday Falls, near Ciudad del Este, which are another scale.
When is the best time to travel to Paraguay?
March to May, for the reasonable heat and the little rain. September to November is the second best window, with short storms. From December to February the heat is strong and leaving early helps; from June to August it is cool and dry, but the days are short.
What happens if my flight lands in the middle of the night?
Nothing, if it is arranged. We track the flight number you give us when booking, so the driver adjusts the time on their own, and there are 30 minutes of courtesy waiting from landing. We work 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
How much luggage can I bring in the transfer?
One suitcase per passenger is included. Each extra suitcase adds USD 5. If you travel with bulky luggage — boards, instruments, boxes — tell us when booking so we assign the right vehicle.
What area does the base airport fare cover?
Asuncion, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Fernando de la Mora, Lambare and Nemby. If your address is outside that zone the transfer still runs, but it is quoted by distance and we send you the fixed price before you book.
How long does crossing into Brazil or Argentina take?
Border formalities add 20 to 40 minutes in normal conditions, and stretch when there is a queue. That is why it is worth not leaving the crossing for the end of the day. The rules that apply at the crossing are those of the country you are entering, not Paraguay’s.
Is it worth renting a car?
If you are going to tour the interior on your own for several days, it can make sense. If you are staying in Asuncion, usually not: between the rental, the fuel and the parking it costs more than moving with apps, and you have to drive in a city you do not know.
When should you NOT book us?
For a short trip inside Asuncion, during the day and travelling light, an app will be cheaper and that is fine. Our transfer earns its price at the airport, late at night, with luggage, with children, in a group, or when you have a time that cannot move.
We pick you up the moment you land
Tell us the flight, the dates and where you want to go. We confirm the fixed price before you book, and the same driver stays with you for the whole route.
Price per vehicle · airport paid 100% in advance · the interior with a 30% deposit.