Best Time to Visit Brazil: Rio and São Paulo Weather by Month

The best time to visit Brazil, at least for Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, is from May to September, with August and September our favourites. In August, Rio averages 77.9°F (25.5°C) with 8 rainy days and 9.0 hours of sun a day, and São Paulo is 73.2°F (22.9°C) with just 5 rainy days and 1.5 inches (38 mm) of rain. Seasons are reversed south of the equator, so that stretch is the Brazilian winter and early spring, not summer.

Brazil is enormous, and our numbers cover only two cities: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. They are WeatherApex 20-year averages (2006 to 2025). The Amazon, the Pantanal, Iguazu Falls and the northeast coast follow their own patterns, and for those we give general guidance with no figures.

Best time to visit Brazil: Rio and São Paulo, month by month

Highs are daily averages, and rainy days count days with measurable rain. The pattern is simple: a long wet, hot summer, then a drier and cooler middle of the year.

Over a full year Rio collects about 54.0 inches (1,372 mm) of rain and São Paulo 49.3 inches (1,252 mm), on 156 and 154 rainy days. Those totals look alike, but they are spread very unevenly. From May to September Rio gets 10.6 inches (269 mm) and São Paulo 9.5 inches (241 mm). From December to March the figures are 28.2 inches (716 mm) and 26.8 inches (681 mm).

May to September: why the Brazilian winter wins

This is the season we would book. The rain falls away, the humidity eases and the sun stays out for 8 to 9 hours a day. Rio in August and São Paulo in August are good examples: Rio has 1.9 inches (48 mm) of rain, humidity of 77% and a low of 64.0°F (17.8°C), while São Paulo is the driest it gets all year.

The coolest months are June and July. Rio in July averages 76.6°F (24.8°C) with 7 rainy days, perfectly fine for walking and hiking, and São Paulo is 71.4°F (21.9°C) with a low of 53.6°F (12.0°C). That surprises many visitors. São Paulo is a city of jackets and scarves in the evening, with only 5 rainy days in the month. Beach days in Rio are still possible, although the water is not as warm as in summer.

September is the warm-up. Rio reaches 80.2°F (26.8°C) with 9 rainy days and 9.4 hours of sun, and São Paulo 77.2°F (25.1°C) with 8. It is a very good month for combining a city stay with a beach, before the October rains return. For a beach-first trip we would lean toward September over July.

December to March: hot, wet and loud

Summer is the Brazil of postcards, and it comes with a bill. Rio in January averages 86.7°F (30.4°C) with a 74.5°F (23.6°C) low, so nights bring little relief. It has 17 rainy days, 8.3 inches (211 mm) of rain and 79% humidity. February is a little easier (87.6°F or 30.9°C, 15 rainy days, 5.7 inches or 145 mm), and it is usually the month for Carnival, which is held over the four days before Ash Wednesday in February or early March.

São Paulo is the one that catches people out. January has 23 rainy days and 8.6 inches (218 mm) of rain, and the city keeps 19 rainy days in both February and March. Storms tend to arrive in the afternoon, which is another reason to plan outdoor sights in the morning. December also brings New Year crowds to Rio's beaches, with 18 rainy days and 7.5 inches (190 mm).

Prices and crowds peak in this season, and Brazilian school holidays usually run from December into February. If you want Carnival, book very early and accept the weather as part of the experience. If you do not, avoid it.

October, November and April: shoulder months with a catch

October looks mild on paper (81.1°F or 27.3°C in Rio, 77.0°F or 25.0°C in São Paulo) but rain has returned: 15 rainy days in Rio and 14 in São Paulo. November is wetter again, with 17 rainy days in each city, 6.9 inches (175 mm) in Rio and 6.0 inches (152 mm) in São Paulo.

April is a better transition than it looks. Rio in April is 81.5°F (27.5°C), with 14 rainy days and 4.2 inches (107 mm), and São Paulo is 75.9°F (24.4°C) with 11 rainy days and 2.7 inches (69 mm). Not as dry as June, but much less wet than March, and often cheaper.

The best time to visit Brazil on a first trip

Most first itineraries pair Rio with São Paulo, often adding Iguazu Falls or a beach town. For that kind of trip we would travel in late August or September. The two cities are close in feel but not in rain: São Paulo has 5 rainy days in August and 8 in September, while Rio has 8 and 9. Splitting time roughly evenly works well. Start in São Paulo while the weather is cooler and drier, then finish with the beach in Rio, when the 80.2°F (26.8°C) September sun is at its most pleasant.

In May and June the same plan still works, and it is still a good time to visit Brazil's big cities, but you should expect cooler evenings. São Paulo's June low is 54.9°F (12.7°C), which is jacket weather, while Rio stays milder at 64.8°F (18.2°C). The big difference is humidity: Rio is at 81% in May and June, while São Paulo is at 81% and 80%, so neither city feels dry. What changes is the rain, which is down to 1.7 to 2.5 inches (43 to 64 mm) a month.

Sun, humidity and what they feel like

Sun hours hold up better than the rain would suggest. Even in the wet months São Paulo gets 9.4 to 9.8 hours of sun a day in January and February, and Rio gets 10.1 to 10.5. The rain tends to come as short, heavy bursts rather than days of grey. Humidity is high all year, between 76% and 85% in São Paulo and between 77% and 82% in Rio, so the discomfort is mostly a question of heat on top of that moisture. In winter the combination feels pleasant. In January it does not.

If you are sensitive to heat, pick June or July for Rio and May to August for São Paulo. If you like the summer buzz and can live with a shower, February is Rio's driest summer month, at 5.7 inches (145 mm), against 8.3 inches (211 mm) in January.

Festivals, holidays and what they do to your trip

Carnival is the obvious event, and it dominates prices and availability in Rio for a week or more. Festa Junina, the country's June party season, is less internationally famous and gives São Paulo a distinctive month, with the weather at its most comfortable. New Year's Eve on the beach in Rio is another peak. If you want to be somewhere when one of these happens, the weather is secondary, so check dates early and plan your rain gear instead.

Beyond Rio and São Paulo

The Amazon has high-water and low-water seasons rather than a simple wet and dry one, and the drier months usually run from about June to November, which makes trails and river beaches easier. In the Pantanal wetlands, wildlife viewing is generally best in the drier months, roughly May to September, when animals gather around the remaining water. Iguazu Falls can be visited all year, with the heaviest flow usually in the wetter part of the year. The northeast coast, including Salvador and Recife, has its own rainy season that generally falls in the middle of the year. We have no figures for any of these places, so check a local forecast before locking in a trip that depends on them.

Where we would not go, and when

• São Paulo from January to March. 19 to 23 rainy days a month, 5.2 to 8.6 inches (132 to 218 mm) of rain, and 83% to 85% humidity.
• Rio in January and February if you dislike heat. Highs of 86.7°F and 87.6°F (30.4°C and 30.9°C), with lows above 74°F.
• Either city in November and December for outdoor plans. Rainy days run from 17 to 20, with 6.0 to 7.5 inches of rain a month.
• Rio during Carnival, if crowds bother you. It is a wonderful event and a hard place to be quiet.

Choosing by what you want from the trip

• Beaches: September in Rio (80.2°F, 9 rainy days) or the drier parts of the summer. The weather is cooler in July, and the sea is less inviting.
• Sightseeing and walking: June to August in both cities. São Paulo in June has 6 rainy days and 70.7°F (21.5°C).
• Cheapest trip: in our view the best time to visit Brazil on a budget is April, May and the first weeks of November, outside the school holidays and Carnival.
• Families: July can be crowded because of school holidays, so we would prefer May, June or September.
• Avoiding crowds: May, June and late August. Reversed-season destinations such as Argentina follow a similar calendar.

What to pack for Brazil

For summer, light cotton or linen clothes, a compact umbrella and a waterproof layer for the afternoon storms. Mosquitoes are most active in the hot, wet months, so bring repellent. For the cooler months, São Paulo's July lows of 53.6°F (12.0°C) call for a light jacket, and a sweater is smart for Rio evenings in June and July, when lows are 64.8°F (18.2°C) and 63.7°F (17.6°C). Our guides to what to wear in 80-degree weather and 70-degree weather cover both ends of the year.

How we picked these months

To pick the best time to visit Brazil, we compared comfort, rainy days, hours of sun and humidity for each month in the two cities, then layered on holiday and Carnival patterns. The averages come from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API and run from 2006 to 2025. They are typical conditions, not a forecast, and a given week can be wetter or hotter than the average. The trip planner can help you test specific dates. If you are planning other southern trips, see our guides for Australia and South Africa. Finally, reserve flights and accommodation early for December to February, because that is when Brazilians and visitors travel at once.