Home › Ciudad del Este Shopping Trip
You do the shopping, the driver handles the rest: the bridge crossing, the meeting point and the ride back with your bags safely in the boot.
We leave your hotel in Foz do Iguaçu in the early morning and cross the Friendship Bridge into Ciudad del Este. The driver drops you in the shopping area and agrees a meeting point and time with you. If you want to move to another store in the middle of the day, just send a message.
Your purchases go in the boot, so you are not walking around downtown Ciudad del Este carrying bags in the heat. At the end, we drive back across the bridge straight to your hotel.
Crossing on foot or by bus is possible, but it is tiring: heat, queues, heavy bags and intense traffic downtown. With a private driver, your day goes on shopping, not on getting around.
Ciudad del Este is one of the largest shopping hubs in South America. Visitors mostly come for electronics, mobile phones, cameras, perfumes, cosmetics, sports goods, toys and drinks, often at prices well below those in Brazil.
The city has large, established department stores and shopping centres alongside thousands of small shops and street stalls. The experience can be overwhelming the first time, and that is where a driver who knows the area helps.
The driver can point you to where each type of store is, but what and where you buy is always your choice.
The local currency is the guaraní, but in the main shopping area prices are usually displayed in US dollars, and paying in dollars is common. Carrying some cash in small notes makes life easier.
When you come back into Brazil by land, Brazilian customs applies a duty-free allowance of US$ 500 per person, valid per month. Anything above that must be declared through the e-DBV, Brazil's electronic declaration of traveller's goods, and import duty is charged on the excess.
Keep all your store receipts. They prove what you paid if customs officers ask. Rules are set by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service and can change, so check the official guidance before buying expensive items.
If you are flying home from Brazil, also check the customs rules of your home country for what you bring back.
Shops in Ciudad del Este open early and generally close by mid-afternoon. On Sundays, most stores are closed. We recommend leaving Foz in the early morning, Monday to Saturday.
Leaving early also helps at the bridge. Traffic on the Friendship Bridge tends to build up during the day, and the return in the late afternoon can be slow. The driver keeps an eye on traffic and suggests the best time to head back.
Public holidays in Brazil and Paraguay change the flow a lot. If your date falls on a holiday, we will let you know what to expect.
Bring your passport. Visa requirements for Paraguay depend on your nationality, so check them before the trip, along with the conditions for re-entering Brazil. Some nationalities that enter Brazil visa-free still need a visa for Paraguay, so do not assume the rules are the same.
Keep the entry slip or stamp you received on arrival in Brazil. Minors travelling without both parents may need additional authorisation.
Our vehicles have the paperwork needed for the international crossing, so you do not have to worry about the car.
Want to make it a bigger day? Shopping can be the first part of our three countries in one day tour, with the afternoon in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.
Reviews from travellers who have ridden with us are on our Google profile. Take a look before you book.
See our Google reviewsThe duty-free allowance for travellers returning to Brazil by land is US$ 500 per person, valid per month. Above that, you must declare through the e-DBV and pay duty on the excess.
A valid passport, plus a visa for Paraguay if your nationality requires one. Check before travelling.
Most shops close on Sundays. The best days to go are Monday to Saturday, leaving early.
Yes. We agree a meeting point and time, and your purchases stay in the car during the trip.
It depends on the day and time. Early mornings are usually quick; the late-afternoon return can be slower.
Yes. We accept US dollars and Brazilian reais.
Foz do Iguaçu · 24/7 · Fixed price agreed before your trip