Federal District · Brazil
Where to stay in Brasília
Brasília is a city in Federal District, Brazil, home to about 2,997,000 people.
- Best months
- May to August
- Nearest airport
- BSB9 km · Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Sao Paulo
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil and the Federal District. Located in the Brazilian Highlands in the country's Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino Kubitschek on 21 April 1960, to replace Rio de Janeiro as the national capital.
The basic structure of Brasilia was completed in just four years, from 1956 to 1960, under the leadership of President Juscelino Kubitschek, with the slogan "fifty years of progress in five", and the city is in a sense a memorial to him. The cathedral has six columns representing two hands reaching up to almighty heaven. The city is designed in the shape of a giant bird or airplane, with various separated zones assigned for specific functions such as housing, commerce, hospitals and banking.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Brasília
See
- Three Powers Square
- Congresso Nacional
- Itamaraty Palace
- Brasilia Cathedral
- Brasilia National Museum
- Television Tower
- Juscelino Kubitschek Memorial
- Palácio da Alvorada
- Espaço Cultural Contemporâneo (ECCO)
- CAIXA Cultural
- Monetary Museum
- National Theater Claudio Santoro
Do
- Japanese Festival
- Porão do Rock
- Chapada Imperial
- Golf
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Brasília to stay in
Most of the city's accommodation is at the Hotel Sectors (SHS and SHN), two central areas located on both sides of Eixo Monumental. During weekdays, hotels are usually busy due to the capital's political activity and it is advisable to book in advance. Most of the hotels have an off-price for the weekends.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Brasília
37 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Brasília Palace Hotel | 5.6 km | |
| Kubitschek Plaza | 0.5 km | |
| América Bittar Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Athos Bulcão Hplus Executive | 1.0 km | |
| Athus Brasilia Hotel - Antigo Aristus | 0.5 km | |
| Blue Tree Premium Jade Brasília | 8.3 km | |
| Brasília Imperial Hotel e Eventos | 0.8 km | |
| Comfort Hotel Taguatinga | 18.5 km | |
| Cullinan Hplus Premium | 1.0 km | |
| Esplanada Brasilia Hotel e Eventos | 0.8 km | |
| Golden Tulip Brasília Alvorada | 5.8 km | |
| Grand Bittar Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Grand Mercure Brasilia Eixo Monumental | 1.0 km | |
| Hotel Brasil 21 Convention | 1.2 km | |
| Ibis Styles Brasilia Aeroporto | 9.8 km | |
| Imperial Plaza Hotel | 21.2 km | |
| Lets Idea Brasília Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Manhattan Plaza | 0.5 km | |
| Meliá Brasil 21 | 1.2 km | |
| Mercure Brasilia Lider | 1.0 km | |
| Naoum Hotel | 0.8 km | |
| Nobile Suites Monumental | 0.9 km | |
| OYO Hotel Brisa Tropical OYO Rooms | 17.9 km | |
| OYO Hotel Esplanada OYO Rooms | 3.3 km | |
| OYO Tropical Confort Hotel OYO Rooms | 15.0 km | |
| Phenícia Bittar Hotel | 1.0 km | |
| Play Hotel | 16.9 km | |
| Quality Hotel & Suites Brasília | 8.7 km | |
| Royal Tulip Brasília Alvorada | 5.8 km | |
| S4 Hotel | 17.4 km | |
| Saint Moritz Hplus Express | 0.5 km | |
| San Marco Hotel Brasilia Executivo | 1.0 km | |
| Sia Park Executive Hotel | 7.4 km | |
| St Paul Plaza Hotel | 0.6 km | |
| Vida Plaza Hotel | 12.3 km | |
| Vision Hplus Express + | 0.5 km | |
| Windsor Brasília Hotel | 0.4 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Brasília
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Brasília are May to August. September is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; December is the wettest, with about 255 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Brasília: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport (BSB), about 9.3 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
Due to long distances and falling prices in air travel, flying has become a practical way of getting to Brasilia. The city is a national air travel hub, and there should be plenty of flights. In fact you may find your plane touching down at Brasilia airport even if you're not starting or ending anywhere near, such as Salvador to Belém. On the other hand, despite being a major international capital, getting in directly from abroad is difficult to impossible in most cases.
Getting around
Rent a car, ride the buses, take a cab, hitchhike, but whatever you do, don't plan on getting around Brasilia on foot. The city was designed under the assumption that every resident would own an automobile. Obviously things didn't turn out that way, and the city's public transport is a solution to an almost deliberately designed problem. Fortunately it works fairly well. Note that the roads have few crosswalks or traffic lights, so being a pedestrian also requires some caution and patience.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BSB · Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Brasília
Eat
Brasilia does not have a typical, regional cuisine. Nevertheless, restaurants serve food from many Brazilian states, as well as international fare. Self-service (por quilo) restaurants are very common and usually cheaper than their à la carte counterparts. Most of Brasilia's "real" (table service) restaurants are in the residential wings, usually a bus or taxi ride away from most tourist attractions. One of the most popular streets is the CLS 405 (from rodoviaria, take bus 114), with choices ranging from sushi to Brazilian, Mexican and French food. Regarding tips, visitors are expected to pay at least 10% of the bill.
Drink
Despite not being particularly famous for its nightlife, Brasilia has some hangouts that save visitors from night-time boredom. Please observe that smoking on the dance floor is not allowed - all clubs have a smoking area, so people can smoke (or just get some fresh air) without leaving the club.
Stay safe
Brasilia is a safe city, but usual measures should be taken. At night, the area near the central bus station is not considered to be safe (prostitution and drugs). Avoid walking alone at night throughout the city. There are an increasing number of cases of "flash kidnap". This consists of attacking people near or inside their own car, robbing and getting away with the car, and sometimes driving with the owner to make them withdraw money from automatic cash machines or even committing other kinds of violence.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Brasília: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Brasília?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Brasília are May to August. September is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; December is the wettest, with about 255 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Brasília?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport (BSB), about 9.3 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Brasília?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near Brasília
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.