Local bus from Foz do Iguacu to the Brazil Side of Iguazu falls
Although significantly longer than a transfer from your hotel, it is possible to take a local transport from the city of Foz do Iguacu to the entrance of the national park on the Brazil side of the falls. The bus begins from the Terminal Transporte Urbano (TTU) located downtown where you pay for your ticket and enter the terminal via a turnstile. Once admitted to the terminal you may take any bus which departs from there, but to get to the Iguazú fall on the Brazil side you need to take the bus 120 which will have the sign saying Parque Nacional/Aeroporto.
This bus weaves its way down Avenida Juscelino Kubitscheck, Avenida Jorge Schimmelpfeng, and Avenida das Cataratas, stopping often to pickup and drop off locals along the way. It also first detours to the Foz do Iguacu Airport to drop off passengers before continuing to the entrance of the national park. For your return trip you pay directly on the bus, and then do the same route, stopping at the airport to pick up passengers before continuing onto downtown Foz do Iguacu.
Alternatively get there faster by taking a daily shuttle from your hotel, or a private transfer to the falls.
Local bus from Foz do Iguacu to the Argentine Side of Iguazu Falls
It is also possible to take transport from downtown Foz do Iguacu to the Argentine Side of the falls, but be aware that you need to change buses two time along the way. Starting from across the street from the Terminal Transporte Urbano (TTU) you need to find the bus to Puerto Iguazú Argentina and pay your fare as you enter the bus. This bus drives a lot of the same route through the city as mentioned above in the trip to the Brazil side, but on Avenue das Cataratas it veers right and heads to the Argentine border.
You need to communicate to the Portuguese/Spanish speaking driver that you need to stop at the Brazilian passport control, because the locals on the bus do not need to do immigration and bus doesn’t stop there unless you ask. Before getting off the bus ask for a ticket from the bus driver so you can get the next bus that come past to continue, but be advised that there are several companies doing this route and your onward ticket is only valid for the same bus company which will pass again 40 or so minute later.
After you stamp out of Brazil, you get the next bus across the bridge and you must get off at the Argentina immigration, and because everyone must get off this time, the bus usually waits. From there you enter the bus again and drive to the center of Puerto Iguazu until the city’s bus terminal. You get off that bus and then need to go to the area of the bus terminal where the regular local bus departs for the Argentine side of the falls where it will drop you off at the entrance.
At the end of the day you go to the bus stop outside the entrance of the park again to wait for the bus and do the exact same trip in reverse, changing bus at the Puerto Iguazú bus terminal, then getting off the bus at the Argentine side of the border, then going to the Brazil side remembering to let the driver know you need to stop there and getting your onward ticket. After stamping into Brazil you need to wait for the same bus company to come past, before continuing onto the Foz do Iguacu downtown.
Because the Argentine side of the falls is very large, we recommend you take either the daily transport to the Argentine Side with pick up from your hotel, or a private transfer, and spend more time seeing what you came for – the Iguazú Falls – rather than the inside of a bus.
