Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Curitiba?

Q: Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Curitiba?

Since it's a good-sized city, you'll probably need more than a weekend to take advantage of everything to do in Curitiba. Two or three days still gives you a good amount of time to explore, though, as you'll have a chance to experience at least some of the major attractions. In addition to the great food and fun nightlife, visitors can enjoy the shopping, local culture, and scenery by staying for a weekend.

Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Curitiba?

Many travelers spend two to three days in Curitiba during their visit. After all, the vibrant city has plenty to explore such as the restaurant scene, the nightlife scene, and the famous sights and museums.

Curitiba is the capital of Paraná. It's a cultural city with interesting architecture and fun shopping. While it's not the most popular tourist destination, it offers a glimpse at an authentic side to Brazil.

Do you have one or two days to visit Curitiba? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.

Is one day enough time in Curitiba?

Curitiba is popular with tourists and offers some fun sights and attractions. So with one day, you'll probably feel rushed to see the main attractions around the city. You really need more time to appreciate everything that the vibrant city has to offer. Many visitors prefer to have two to three days to fully enjoy the city even though it's not huge. If you have one day or less, we still have some great ideas for what to do while you're in town.

How to spend a day in Curitiba

Perhaps the most famous spot in Curitiba is the Botanical Gardens, so make sure you set aside some time to check it out. It might not be at the top of your list, but it's worth experiencing during your trip.

The restaurant and food scene here is top notch, so make sure you spend time at one of the local restaurants where you can taste the delicious cuisine. The official dish of the town is carne de onça, which first originated here and is a beef tartare that's served on flat bread. There are also many other traditional and authentic Brazilian restaurants around town, so this is a great place for a foodie to explore.

A few tour suggestions include:

Bar-hopping and Food Tour in Curitiba ($36)
Curitiba's History Food Tour ($70)

Curitiba is a walkable city and easy to explore on foot. With only a day in the city, you'll have no trouble seeing the local sights. It is a walkable city that is fun to explore on foot, but as always, take precautions in certain areas, particularly at night.

Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Curitiba?

Since it's a good-sized city, you'll probably need more than a weekend to take advantage of everything to do in Curitiba. Two or three days still gives you a good amount of time to explore, though, as you'll have a chance to experience at least some of the major attractions. In addition to the great food and fun nightlife, visitors can enjoy the shopping, local culture, and scenery by staying for a weekend.

Downtown Curitiba, Brazil

How to spend 2 days in Curitiba

With a weekend (two to three days) in Curitiba, you'll have a bit more time to enjoy everything that the city has to offer.

You'll find a few good museums and historic landmarks here, so it's worth your time to spend a day exploring a few of them. There are a variety of museums around town that include a number of history museums, a few art museums, and other cultural museums that are worth checking out.

A few tour suggestions include:

Ticket MAI - Museum of Indigenous Art - Curitiba ($6)

The nightlife scene is very popular here. After dark, head out to one of the many venues around town. Like most cities in Brazil, you'll find a great nightlife scene with plenty of bars and restaurants. Some of the best neighborhoods for nightlife are Batel, which is one of the most international parts of the city, Itupava Street, which is lined with Brazilian restaurants and bars, and São Francisco, which is popular with the student population because of its affordability.

The public transit in Curitiba is fast and efficient. Over the course of a few days, you should be able to explore the city quite easily and affordably. There's a great public transit system here that includes a metro system, trolleybuses, and buses.

More Info

If you're looking for more information about Curitiba, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.