Routes
Three countries in one trip: Foz, Ciudad del Este and Puerto Iguazu
The three towns sit less than 40 kilometres apart, and that is exactly what catches people out. What eats the day is not the distance: it is the order in which you cross the two bridges. Here is the whole trip, with the numbers we publish.
The short answer
The Iguazu Falls straddle the Brazil–Argentina border, and the Paraguayan town of Ciudad del Este is a twenty-minute drive from the Brazilian gate. All three fit comfortably into one trip. The mistake is trying to do both sides of the falls in a single day: two national parks, two tickets and an international crossing in between. The whole thing is in this table.
| The geography | Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) meet where the Iguazu river runs into the Parana |
| Ciudad del Este to Foz | About 20 km over the Friendship Bridge, 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the queue and the time of day |
| Ciudad del Este to Puerto Iguazu | 30 to 40 km depending on the crossing used, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours including traffic and immigration |
| The falls | 275 individual falls. About 20 per cent sit on the Brazilian side and about 80 per cent on the Argentinian |
| Brazilian side | The panorama: the whole amphitheatre in one frame. One main trail of roughly 1.5 km, 3 to 4 hours |
| Argentinian side | Immersive: walkways right at the edge of the water. Upper, Lower and Devil’s Throat circuits plus the park train, and a full day |
| From Asuncion | 340 km to Foz do Iguacu (5 to 6 hours with the border) and 350 km to Puerto Iguazu (5.5 to 6.5 hours with two borders) |
| With us | Private transfer Asuncion–Foz from USD 417 per vehicle, Asuncion–Puerto Iguazu from USD 447, and the Brazilian-side day tour from USD 697. See the Asuncion–Puerto Iguazu transfers |
Why the border eats the day and the road does not
The distance between the three towns is almost comically short. Ciudad del Este to Foz do Iguacu is about 20 kilometres, 30 minutes to an hour, according to our own page for the transfer between the two. Ciudad del Este to Puerto Iguazu is 30 to 40 kilometres, 45 minutes to an hour and a half. In kilometres, this is the same as crossing a mid-sized city.
What breaks the arithmetic is something else: each of those legs has an immigration post in the middle of it, and the waiting time is not yours to control. The Friendship Bridge links Ciudad del Este to Foz do Iguacu; the Tancredo Neves Bridge links Foz do Iguacu to Puerto Iguazu. Going from Paraguay to Argentina by the normal route means crossing both.
So our advice is not about speed. It is about order. A well-planned trip crosses each bridge once a day, at the hour when the queue is shortest. A badly planned one crosses the same bridge four times in twelve hours, and that is the person who goes home saying they spent the trip at the border.
The second mistake is treating the falls as one place. They are two national parks, in two countries, with two separate tickets. We compare them in detail in which side of the Iguazu Falls is better, and the short version is that trying to do both in one day ruins both.
The three towns, side by side
What each one is, and why you would go. The kilometres come from our own transfer pages.
| Town | What it is | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) | Paraguay’s second city and its commercial engine, with the Itaipu dam next door | 327 km from Asuncion, 4.5 to 5 hours, no border |
| Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) | The Brazilian gateway to the falls: the panoramic view, the Bird Park and the Itaipu dam | About 20 km from Ciudad del Este, 30 min to 1 hour |
| Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) | The Argentinian side of the falls, the one with walkways at the water’s edge, and the Three Borders Landmark | 30 to 40 km from Ciudad del Este, 45 min to 1.5 hours |
| Asuncion to Foz do Iguacu | The direct route, PY02 and PY07 to Ciudad del Este and then the Friendship Bridge | 340 km, 5 to 6 hours with the border |
| Asuncion to Puerto Iguazu | The same route plus the Tancredo Neves Bridge, with two borders | 350 km, 5.5 to 6.5 hours |
All times are for a private vehicle in normal traffic with no exceptional queue at the border. The kilometres are the real route, measured on the trips we run every week.
Look at what the table is telling you: the three long legs are the ones out of Asuncion, and the three short legs are the triple border itself. That is the shape of the trip. You do the long leg once, spend two or three days circulating between the three towns, and do the long leg once more on the way back.
If you are arriving into Foz do Iguacu rather than Asuncion, the logic is the same in reverse: the long leg has already been flown, and the entire triple border is within an hour of your hotel.
The two parks, compared without the marketing
These numbers belong to the park operators, not to us. They are on our two-sides comparison and summarised here.
| What changes | Brazilian side (Foz do Iguacu) | Argentinian side (Puerto Iguazu) |
|---|---|---|
| The view | Panoramic: the full amphitheatre in one frame | Immersive: walkways above and beside the water |
| Share of the falls | About 20 per cent of the 275 | About 80 per cent of the 275 |
| Time needed | 3 to 4 hours | A full day |
| Walking | One main trail, roughly 1.5 km, flat and easy | Upper, Lower and Devil’s Throat circuits, plus the park train |
| Boat ride | Macuco Safari | Gran Aventura |
| Helicopter | Yes, from Foz do Iguacu | Not permitted |
| Bird park next door | Parque das Aves, at the entrance | No equivalent |
| UNESCO | World Heritage Site since 1986 | World Heritage Site since 1984 |
| Day trip from Asuncion? | Yes | No, it needs an overnight stay |
The two parks charge separate entrance fees and sit in different countries: visiting both means crossing an international border in between. Currency: reais on the Brazilian side, pesos on the Argentinian, and cards work at both ticket offices.
The order matters too, and it is not a coin toss. People who do both usually prefer Brazil first for the overview and Argentina second for the detail. The other way round, the Brazilian side reads like a summary of something you have already seen whole.
There is also an asymmetry of time that decides almost every itinerary: the Brazilian side fits into a morning, the Argentinian side fits into nothing shorter than a day. If your trip has one day at the falls, the Brazilian side is the answer, and you will not feel short-changed. It is the photograph everyone already has in their head.
How to fit all three sides into three days
This is the itinerary we build most often for someone starting in Asuncion. It is not the only one that works, but it is the one that crosses each bridge the fewest times.
- 1
Day 1: Asuncion to Ciudad del Este
327 km on the PY02 to Coronel Oviedo and then the PY07, 4.5 to 5 hours, and it is the only long leg of the trip with no border in the middle of it. Leave in the morning and you arrive with the afternoon free.
- 2
Day 1 afternoon: Ciudad del Este
Paraguay’s commercial city, with the Itaipu dam beside it. It is also the cheapest of the three as a base to sleep in, and from it the other two countries are less than an hour away.
- 3
Day 2 morning: the Brazilian side
About 20 km and the Friendship Bridge. The park opens at 9:00 Monday to Friday and 8:30 at weekends, and the morning light is the best of the day. Three to four hours covers the main trail.
- 4
Day 2 afternoon: the rest of Foz
If you still have the energy, the Bird Park is right by the national park entrance and the Itaipu dam is the same one you can see from the Paraguayan side. Going back to sleep in Ciudad del Este means crossing the bridge a second time, and that is all.
- 5
Day 3: the Argentinian side, all of it
30 to 40 km and both bridges. The Argentinian side is not a half-morning outing: it is the Upper and Lower circuits and the Devil’s Throat, plus the park train. Give it the whole day and put nothing in the evening.
- 6
Day 4: the drive back
Puerto Iguazu to Asuncion is 350 km and 5.5 to 6.5 hours with two borders. From Ciudad del Este it is 327 km and none. Which one you do depends on where you slept the night before, and the difference is over an hour.
If you only have two days, cut day three and keep the Brazilian side. If you have a week, people often flip the base and sleep in Foz or Puerto Iguazu, which is more expensive and more comfortable. What almost never works is compressing days two and three into one.
There is also a version without Ciudad del Este, for anyone who already knows Paraguay: a direct transfer from Asuncion to Foz do Iguacu, 340 km and 5 to 6 hours with one border. The itinerary loses a day and a town.
What we charge for the long legs
Per vehicle, not per person, agreed before you travel. Fuel, tolls and the driver are inside the price.
| Leg | Vehicle | One way · Return |
|---|---|---|
| Asuncion – Ciudad del Este | Sedan, 1 to 3 passengers | USD 347 · USD 539 |
| Asuncion – Ciudad del Este | Hyundai H1 minivan, up to 7 | USD 397 · USD 672 |
| Asuncion – Ciudad del Este | Mercedes Sprinter, 8 to 14 | USD 858 |
| Asuncion – Foz do Iguacu | Sedan, 1 to 3 passengers | USD 417 · USD 707 |
| Asuncion – Foz do Iguacu | Hyundai H1 minivan, up to 7 | USD 497 · USD 847 |
| Asuncion – Foz do Iguacu | Mercedes Sprinter, 8 to 14 | USD 892 |
| Asuncion – Puerto Iguazu | Sedan, 1 to 3 passengers | USD 447 · USD 763 |
| Asuncion – Puerto Iguazu | Hyundai H1 minivan, up to 7 | USD 527 · USD 896 |
| Asuncion – Puerto Iguazu | Mercedes Sprinter, 8 to 14 | USD 918 |
Prices are per vehicle in US dollars, current as of August 2026, with fuel, tolls and the driver included. A return booked as one job costs less than two separate legs. A 30 per cent deposit holds the date, card, transfer, digital wallet or crypto, and 48 hours of notice is enough in most cases.
One number is missing from this table, and the omission is deliberate: we do not publish a fixed price for the short hops between Ciudad del Este, Foz do Iguacu and Puerto Iguazu, because they depend on the exact pickup point, the hour and the crossing used. Ask on WhatsApp and you get a fixed quote. What we will not do is invent a figure here for you to find a different one later.
Luggage: three suitcases in the sedan, one per passenger in the H1 minivan. If you are travelling with bulky luggage, say so when you book so we assign the right vehicle.
If you want it all arranged: the two tours
Both are tours to the Brazilian side departing from Asuncion. We do not run tours on the Argentinian side, and the reason is further down.
| What changes | 1-day tour | 2-day tour |
|---|---|---|
| Time at the falls | 4 to 5 hours | About 8 hours, until the park closes |
| Departure | 3:00 AM, pickup at your hotel in Asuncion | 3:00 AM, the same |
| Border | Around 8:00 AM, before the morning queue | The same |
| At the park | Around 9:00 AM, as it opens | The same |
| Back | 8:00 to 9:00 PM the same day | 5:00 PM the next day |
| Hotel | Not needed | 4-star on the Ciudad del Este side, included |
| Breakfast | Buffet, included, 7:00 to 10:00 AM | |
| Total duration | 17 to 18 hours door to door | Two days |
| Price | From USD 697 per vehicle, up to 3 passengers | From USD 897 per vehicle, up to 3 passengers |
On the day tour each additional passenger is USD 69 up to seven: USD 766 at 4, USD 835 at 5, USD 904 at 6 and USD 973 at 7. On the two-day tour it is USD 994 at 4 passengers. Neither includes the park entrance fee, lunch, the boat ride or the helicopter.
The gap between them is USD 200 rather than double, because the hotel and the breakfast are already inside the second price. What that USD 200 buys, in practice, is two things: twice as long inside the park, and not driving eleven hours in a single day. Both are set out in full on the one-day tour and the two-day tour.
The official numbers, and what we will not publish
What follows belongs to the park operators and the border authorities, not to us. Where we are not certain, we tell you how to check rather than guess at a figure.
- Brazilian park hours. 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, and you may stay inside until 5:30 PM. Open 365 days a year.
- Brazilian park entrance. R$131 for foreign visitors and R$118 for Brazil and Mercosur, free for under-sixes, as of early 2026. Paraguay is a Mercosur member, so Paraguayan passport holders pay the lower rate.
- The Argentinian side, honestly. We do not publish the hours or the ticket price for the Argentinian park, because it is not ours and it changes. Check the official Iguazu National Park site before you go, and do it in the same month as the trip.
- Documents. A valid passport for every passenger, and minors with their own documentation. Some nationalities need a visa for Brazil, for Argentina or for both: confirm with the consulate before you travel.
- Currency. Reais on the Brazilian side and pesos on the Argentinian. Cards work at both park ticket offices.
- Tolls. Included in the private transfer price. There is nothing to pay on the road.
- Border queues. We do not publish waiting times, because they change every day with the holiday calendar, the exchange rate and the hour. What we do instead is cross early, which is the only variable in our hands.
- Shopping in Ciudad del Este. There are customs allowances for travellers returning to Brazil or Argentina and they change often: check the current figure with your own country’s customs before you buy. We deliberately do not publish the number here.
Private transfer, or under your own steam
Both columns are true. Your trip decides which one is yours.
Book us if
- There are three or more of you and the per-vehicle price divides between you.
- The trip involves both bridges and you would rather not manage two immigration posts.
- You are flying into Asuncion and the 327 to 350 km long leg is part of the plan.
- You are travelling with children, with bulky luggage or with someone with reduced mobility.
- Your time at the falls is short and you want to be there when the gate opens.
- You want a price fixed before you travel rather than negotiated at every leg.
Do not book us if
- You are already in Foz do Iguacu and only want a few hours on the Paraguayan side.
- You are travelling alone on a tight budget: the bus is far cheaper per person.
- Your trip only goes as far as Ciudad del Este and you have time to spare: the bus takes 5 hours.
- You have driven the region before, know the crossings and have the vehicle papers in order.
- You only want one of the three sides and it is a few blocks from your hotel.
- Price is your first criterion, ahead of the timetable and the door-to-door part.
When you should not hire us
If you are already staying in Foz do Iguacu and want three hours in Ciudad del Este, do not book us. It is about 20 kilometres and the crossing is routine for thousands of people a day: a local taxi or the line bus will do it for a fraction of what we would charge, and we would be adding nothing.
If you are travelling alone and the budget decides, the bus from Asuncion to Ciudad del Este takes around 5 hours against our 4.5 to 5, and the per-person price difference is large. We say so on our own distance page, where the bus column reads “per passenger, far cheaper”. It is true and we are not going to hide it.
We are also the wrong choice if what you want is a guide. We drive: the driver knows the road and the crossing, but does not lead the walk inside the park or explain the history of the dam. If you want a guide inside the falls, hire one there, from the people who do that well.
We are worth it when the arithmetic or the clock turns in our favour: three or more passengers splitting one vehicle, an itinerary that crosses both bridges, a flight into Asuncion with 327 to 350 km ahead of it, real luggage, children, or the need to be at the park gate when it opens. Outside those cases you would be paying for certainty you do not need, and someone who overpays once does not come back.
Frequently asked questions
What people actually ask us on WhatsApp before putting this trip together.
Can you see all three countries in one day?
You can set foot in all three, yes: the towns are less than 40 kilometres apart. What you cannot do is visit both sides of the falls in one day. The Brazilian side needs 3 to 4 hours and the Argentinian side needs a full day, with an international border in between. Trying to do both in one day ruins both.
Should I visit the Brazilian or the Argentinian side of Iguazu?
It depends on the time you have. The Brazilian side gives you the panorama, holds about 20 per cent of the 275 falls, and fits into 3 or 4 hours. The Argentinian side holds about 80 per cent and has walkways at the water’s edge, but it needs a full day. With one day, go Brazilian. With two, do both, Brazil first.
How far is Ciudad del Este from Foz do Iguacu?
About 20 kilometres over the Friendship Bridge, with a travel time of 30 minutes to an hour depending on the border queue and the time of day. It is the shortest of the three triple-border legs.
How far is Ciudad del Este from Puerto Iguazu?
30 to 40 kilometres depending on which crossing is used, taking 45 minutes to an hour and a half including traffic and immigration formalities. The normal route goes over the Friendship Bridge and then the Tancredo Neves Bridge.
How much is a transfer from Asuncion to Foz do Iguacu?
From USD 417 per vehicle in a sedan for up to three passengers, and USD 707 for the return booked as one job. In the Hyundai H1 minivan for up to seven it is USD 497 and USD 847. The price is per vehicle and includes fuel, tolls and the driver.
How much is a transfer from Asuncion to Puerto Iguazu?
From USD 447 per vehicle in a sedan for up to three passengers, and USD 763 return. In the Hyundai H1 minivan it is USD 527 and USD 896, and in the Mercedes Sprinter for 8 to 14 passengers, USD 918. It is 350 km and 5.5 to 6.5 hours with two borders.
Do you run tours on the Argentinian side?
No. We run the transfers to Puerto Iguazu and the tour to the Brazilian side, but we do not operate tours inside the Argentinian park. People who want both sides usually take a one-way transfer, stay a night and visit the Argentinian side on their own, we collect them when they are done.
How much is the park entrance fee?
On the Brazilian side, R$131 for foreign visitors and R$118 for Brazil and Mercosur, free for under-sixes, as of early 2026, paid at the gate and not included in our price. For the Argentinian side we do not publish a figure, because it is not ours and it changes: check the park’s official site in the month of your trip.
What are the Brazilian park opening hours?
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday to Friday and 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM at weekends, with visitors allowed to stay inside until 5:30 PM. It is open 365 days a year. Last entry is 4:00 PM, which is why the day tour leaves Asuncion at three in the morning.
What documents do I need?
A valid passport for every passenger, and minors travelling with their own documentation. Some nationalities need a visa for Brazil, for Argentina or for both, so confirm with the consulate before you travel. On a private transfer, the vehicle and driver paperwork is already in order.
How long do you lose at the border?
We do not publish a waiting time, because it changes every day with the holiday calendar, the exchange rate and the hour. What can be controlled is the timing: crossing early in the morning catches the shortest queue, which is why our tours cross the Friendship Bridge around 8:00 AM.
Can I do this trip by bus?
You can, and on some legs it makes sense. Asuncion to Ciudad del Este takes around 5 hours by bus against our 4.5 to 5, and it is far cheaper per person. To Foz do Iguacu it is 6 to 8 hours with a change, and to Puerto Iguazu 7 to 9 hours with changes.
How far in advance should I book?
Forty-eight hours is enough in most cases. In high season and for groups, the more notice the better. A 30 per cent deposit holds the date and the vehicle, and it can be paid by card, bank transfer, digital wallet or crypto.
Is the price per person or per vehicle?
Per vehicle. The USD 417 to Foz do Iguacu is the same whether one, two or three of you travel in the sedan, which is exactly why a private transfer becomes competitive when the group travels together. The tours work the same way: USD 697 for up to three passengers, plus USD 69 for each additional passenger up to seven.
How much luggage fits?
Three suitcases in the sedan and one per passenger in the Hyundai H1 minivan. For groups of 8 to 14 we use the Mercedes Sprinter. If your luggage is bulky, tell us when you book so we assign the right vehicle.
Tell us where you are flying into and how many days you have
With the date, the number of passengers and the arrival city we build the triple border itinerary with the legs in the order that crosses the fewest bridges, the park opening hours, and a fixed price per vehicle.
Prices are per vehicle in US dollars, current as of August 2026, with fuel, tolls and the driver included. The kilometres and times are those of the real route. The Brazilian park hours and entrance fee belong to the park operator, are from early 2026 and change without notice: confirm them before you go.