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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Gramado
Give Gramado 2–3 nights: walk the Av. Borges de Medeiros core, then use a car or the hop-on bus for Lago Negro and Parque do Caracol.
Gramado is a small Serra Gaúcha town at 850 m that Brazilians treat as a mountain holiday: cool weather, German and Italian heritage, chocolate shops and Christmas lights. The centre is walkable in an afternoon; the waterfalls and parks need a car or a tour bus. Two nights covers the core, three if you add Canela.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul (school holidays, crowds and cold), Dec–Feb (peak season and rain)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$250–450 excl. bed · Mid R$450–900 excl. bed · High R$900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or hot chocolate in the centre | R$12–25 |
| Chocolate-shop box or bar | R$25–70 |
| Fondue dinner for two | R$180–350 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a market | R$15–25 / R$5–9 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi or app ride3.1 mi (5 km) taxi or app ride | R$25–45 |
| Museum or park entry | R$40–120 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$40–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- POA · Salgado Filho International, Porto Alegre
- About 96 km (60 mi) southwest; Citral executive buses run to Gramado and call at the airport.About 60 mi (96 km) southwest; Citral executive buses run to Gramado and call at the airport.
- CXJ · Hugo Cantergiani, Caxias do Sul
- About 60 km (37 mi) away; only flights from Campinas (VCP) and São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU).About 37 mi (60 km) away; only flights from Campinas (VCP) and São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU).
- CEL · Canela Airport
- Small field in neighbouring Canela; Azul Conecta has run Porto Alegre–Canela flights since 2021 (check current schedule).
Typical fares
- Porto Alegre (POA) → Gramado, Citral bus
- about R$100–140, 2.5–3 h (check)
- Taxi Gramado centre → Lago Negro
- R$20–35
- BusTour day ticket, Gramado–Canela loop
- R$49 in 2016; check the 2026 fare
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is best on foot. For Lago Negro, Mini Mundo and Parque do Caracol you need a car, a taxi/app ride, or the BusTour hop-on hop-off loop between Gramado and Canela (day ticket was R$49 in 2016; check the 2026 price). Public buses run by Gramado Turismo are cheap but built for residents and barely useful for sights. Car rental agencies sit around town; the Porto Alegre–Gramado drive uses BR-116 and RS-373, or RS-020 and RS-115 with tolls.
See and do
Known for
- Natal Luz Christmas festival
- Gramado Film Festival
- Lago Negro and pedal boats
- Chocolate shops and fondue
- Hydrangeas in late spring
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Canela | Car or BusTour hop-on bus, about 8 km (5 mi)Car or BusTour hop-on bus, about 5 mi (8 km) | 20–30 min |
| Nova Petrópolis | Car via RS-235, about 35 km (22 mi)Car via RS-235, about 22 mi (35 km) | 40–50 min |
| Três Coroas | Car via RS-115 and RS-235, about 40 km (25 mi)Car via RS-115 and RS-235, about 25 mi (40 km) | 50–60 min |
| Caxias do Sul | Car via RS-235, about 75 km (47 mi)Car via RS-235, about 47 mi (75 km) | 1.5 h |
| Porto Alegre | Citral executive bus from the Av. Borges de Medeiros bus station, about 115 km (71 mi)Citral executive bus from the Av. Borges de Medeiros bus station, about 71 mi (115 km) | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Av. Borges de Medeiros core
- St Peter's church, Festivals Palace, Covered Street, restaurants. Best if you have no car: everything on foot.
- Av. das Hortênsias (toward Canela)
- Hotel and pousada strip on the road to Canela; needs a car or bus for the centre.
- Rural Gramado (Linha Furna and similar)
- Pousadas and farm stays outside town; quiet, car essential, taxis expensive at night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabom JEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kon kar-TOWN |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?ON-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo |
| I don't speak Portuguese | Não falo portuguêsnow FAH-loo por-too-GAYS |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Rain falls year-round and cold fronts arrive fast: carry an umbrella and a warm layer even in summer.
- Winter brings frost, fog and occasional snow; mountain roads can be slick.
- Keep phones and jewellery out of sight in crowds; pickpockets work the shopping streets.
- Hop-on hop-off buses run only in daylight, at 30–55 minute intervals: plan around the last departure.
- Book Natal Luz and July school-holiday beds weeks ahead; prices spike.
Gramado is one of the safer Brazilian tourist towns and walking the centre at night is normal. The real risks are pickpockets in shopping crowds, mountain-road fog and rain, and unposted prices in bars: ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gramado yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Natal Luz Christmas festival
- Gramado Film Festival
- Lago Negro and pedal boats
- Chocolate shops and fondue
- Hydrangeas in late spring
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Gramado, revision 5339273 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5339273
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/gramado). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.