The Easiest Ways to Fly to Brazil—and How to Save on Your Flight

Brazil is having a moment—its culture, energy, and sheer sense of possibility are drawing travelers eager to experience it firsthand. Whether flying from the East Coast, the West Coast, or even abroad, one thing is certain: You must land somewhere.

Brazil is divided by five major regions, each widely known for its specific culture, climate, language variations, and landscapes. The North is known for the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous communities, and rivers. The Northeast is the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture with places like Bahia, Maranhão, and Ceará drawing the most visitors. The Central-West’s highlight is Brasília, the capital. The Pantanal (world’s largest tropical wetland area) is also in this region. The Southeast is where most visitors go. It encompasses Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the state of Minas Gerais, where mountains meet the colonial past of Brazil. Finally, the South, where European settlers made their mark, highlights Santa Catarina and the surf beaches of Florianópolis.

Regardless of where you land, there’s a lot to see and discover in the fifth most-populous country in the world. Here’s the rundown on the easiest flight routes, the best stops, how to make domestic transfers smooth, and how to save in the process.

Flying From the U.S.

LATAM, Gol, and Azul planes on the tarmac at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo.

Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Flying to Brazil from the U.S. is straightforward, if you plan well. There are direct flights from Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. This is a huge plus for anyone looking to get to a major hub without long layovers.

São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) is Brazil’s biggest hub and the easiest for connections within Brazil. It’s common for flights to other cities to stop in São Paulo. If you’re heading to smaller Brazilian cities, flying into Viracopos International Airport (VCP) in Campinas is a great way to save on tickets and avoid the big crowds of Guarulhos. (Azul offers a nonstop flight from Fort Lauderdale or Orlando to VCP.) Viracopos connects widely within Brazil and is home to one of the country’s biggest low-cost carriers, Azul. Booking with a South American carrier such as LATAM or Azul can sometimes include smoother domestic connections once in Brazil and much better prices.

As of April 10, 2025, U.S. citizens need a visa to enter Brazil.

Best Routes by U.S. Region

If you’re flying to Brazil from the U.S., New York offers a wide range of options, with Delta, American, United, and LATAM running multiple daily nonstops. Don’t forget to compare JFK and Newark, though fares into Rio de Janeiro are almost always more expensive than São Paulo. Landing at Guarulhos—or even Viracopos—keeps costs lower, with easy domestic connections onward. From Miami, the gateway most Brazilians abroad still favor, flights are short (eight hours) and often the cheapest, depending on season. Orlando and Atlanta make strong alternatives, while Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston also serve São Paulo directly. For those traveling from the West Coast, where journeys stretch to 15 hours, a stop in Miami is a good way to break it up.

How to Save

When it comes to booking flights to Brazil, timing and strategy make all the difference. The sweet spots for airfare are between February and May, once the Carnival festivities are over and before the July holidays, and again from September to November, when Brazil blooms into spring. If you’re traveling onward inside Brazil, São Paulo’s GRU almost always has the most flight options and delivers the best value. Fares to Rio de Janeiro can run higher, so think of GRU as your gateway, with low-cost carriers like Azul and GOL getting you to coastal escapes in no time. When booking, search smart, consider one-way tickets, and book two to three months ahead. Last-minute deals are rare unless you’re using miles. Tip: An anonymous browser or Chrome’s Incognito mode will have no cookies, which can sometimes yield a better price.