How to Find Hotels in Brasilia, Brazil

High on a Brazilian plateau, Brasilia is shaped like a bird or airplane flying into the future. When Brazil's president moved the capital inland in 1960 to Brasilia, he imagined a modern utopia and created a completely master-planned city using all of the country's greatest designers and architects. Today, visitors have a chance to see how utopia translates into reality.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer with internet reception to make reservations
• A visa, which can be obtained at the Brazilian Embassy

Prepare for Your Trip

1. Compare utopia to the reality of human imagination in Brasilia. The city originally built for 500,000 citizens now holds over four times that, but the "Pilot Plan" manages to convey isolation.
2. Pack a sweater. Brazil is hot, but the high altitude of Brasilia keep temperatures much cooler. December to March is the rainy season.
3. Practice the Brazilian Portuguese basics, but rest assured that most people in Brazil speak Spanish and English as well.

Navigate Brazilia

4. Fly into Rio and catch a flight to Brasilia.
5. Try to get a window seat on your flight within Brazil to catch a glimpse of the striking layout of Brasilia.
6. Catch a cab from the airport to the hotel zone for about $9. No tip is expected unless drivers help with large amounts of luggage. Public buses will drop you at the main bus station, leaving you with a long walk to your accommodations.
7. Find a bus labeled Plano Piloto Circular on the Eixo Monumental to travel between all the major monuments. Bus fare is just R$1.50

Find a Hotel

8. To book accommodations, contact The Brazilian Tourism Office at (800) 7BRAZIL or visit their Web site (see Resources below).
9. Pick a side, North or South. There are two hotel zones, SHN and SHS, with the only difference in accommodations being the level of luxury. Even most of the buildings look similar.
10. Look for deals. Most hotels offer tourists three-night weekend packages that often include meals or drinks.
11. Visit on the weekend, as Brasilia's hotels fill with business travelers and politicians during the week.

Plan Your Visit

12. Avoid the crowds of Carnival and visit Brasilia. While the rest of Brazil erupts into a giant party in the streets, Brasilia's celebration is rather tame and accommodations are plentiful.
13. Head out of the Pilot Plan into the satellite zones for some green. It seems the master planners forgot trees and public parks in their utopian dream.

Tips & Warnings

• Brasilia often leaves tourists feeling isolated within its master plan. Usually two to three days allows enough time to explore the entire city.
• The official currency is the Brazilian Real, but most shops will also accept the U.S. dollar.