Cmasi · CC0What is the best time to visit Paraguay?
The best time to visit Paraguay is April to June and August to October, when the weather is mild and pleasant for exploring cities, Jesuit missions and the Chaco. Summer (December to February) is very hot, but brings river beaches and carnivals; winter is mild, with a few cold days, and is the dry season.
Here is the weather by season, festivals month by month, the season of blooming lapacho trees (July to September) and what to pick depending on what you want to do. Paraguay uses UTC-3 all year, with no clock change since 2025.
Updated · 2026-09-29
Weather season by season
- Summer (Dec-Feb): in Asunción, average highs of 33-34 °C, with heat waves that can top 40 °C, and strong but short storms. The Chaco reaches highs of 35-36 °C. It is school-holiday season, river beaches and carnivals.
- Fall (Mar-May): the heat eases. April and May bring mild days and cool nights; April is one of the rainiest months in Asunción. In the Chaco the best season begins.
- Winter (Jun-Aug): the dry season. Asunción gets under 50 mm of rain in July and August. Highs of 22-26 °C, lows of 13-15 °C and cold fronts that can drop below 5 °C. Houses often have no heating.
- Spring (Sep-Nov): heat returns and, with October, rain; October and November are the rainiest months in Asunción, with intense storms. September is usually dry and full of flowers.
Asunción · Asunción (Distrito Capital)
Costanera de Asunción
Kilometers of waterfront promenade along the bay for walking, cycling and watching the sun set over the Chaco.
Festivals and events by month
- January-February: Encarnación Carnival (parade Saturdays) and Villarrica carnival; February 3, San Blas, the country's patron saint.
- March-April: Asunciónico music festival; Holy Week (Tañarandy, Good Friday). In 2027 it falls in late March.
- May: Kurusu Ára (3), Independence Day (14 and 15).
- June: San Juan festivities with fairs; Kamba Ra'anga of Altos.
- July: Mariano Roque Alonso Expo and Areguá Strawberry Expo.
- August: carrulim (1), Asunción's founding (15), National Chipa Day (second Friday).
- September: Lake Festival in Ypacaraí, Fiesta de las Colectividades in Hohenau, Spring Day (21).
- October-November: Oktoberfest on the Costanera, Ñandutí Festival, the colonies' beer festivals, Transchaco Rally.
- December: pilgrimage to Caacupé (8) and Christmas.
Encarnación Carnival
Feathers, drum troupes and dance groups in the Sambadrome: Paraguay’s “summer capital” throws the country’s biggest carnival.
CarnivalEncarnación, ItapúaFeaturedMar→ AprHoly Week in Paraguay
Chipa, processions and living tableaux: the whole country heads to the countryside and fills with popular faith.
ReligiousTodo el país, VariosFeaturedJunSan Juan Ára: Saint John’s Festivals Nationwide
Fire games, winter food and music in every neighborhood: the best-loved popular festival of the Paraguayan cold season.
TraditionTodo el país (Asunción y ciudades del interior), VariosFeaturedJul→ SepAreguá Strawberry Fair
Three months of basket-fresh strawberries, smoothies, cakes and liqueurs on the main avenue of Paraguay’s ceramics town.
FairAreguá, CentralFeaturedSep→ OctLake Ypacaraí Festival
The country’s most iconic cultural festival: folk music, dance, theater, poetry, jazz and rock in the lake town.
FestivalYpacaraí, CentralFeaturedOctAsunción Oktoberfest
Draft beer, sausages and Bavarian bands by the river: Paraguay’s German heritage is celebrated in the capital every October.
Heritage communitiesAsunción, Asunción (Distrito Capital)FeaturedBlooming lapachos: July to September
Pink lapachos (tajy hũ) begin to flower in July and peak in August; in late August yellow lapachos (tajy sa'yju) join in and continue into September. The lapacho is the national tree. If you want to see the city painted pink and yellow, plan for August-September.
Other blooms: the palo borracho (samu'ũ) flowers from February to May, and the yvyra pytã paints roads and avenues yellow from December to January.
Pink lapacho (pink trumpet tree)
The national tree: at the end of winter it paints cities, highways and forests pink.
Yellow lapacho (yellow trumpet tree)
The golden successor to the pink tajy: blazing yellow crowns at the end of winter.
Silk floss tree (bottle tree)
A pot-bellied, prickly trunk that stores water; huge flowers and pods that release white fluff.
When to go depending on what you want
- Cities and Jesuit missions: April to October; in summer, start early and save midday for air-conditioned museums.
- Chaco and flamingos: May to September, with dry roads. Flamingos winter in the salt lagoons from June to September.
- Pantanal (Bahía Negra): July to October, in the dry season. In rains, access roads are cut off.
- River beaches in Encarnación: December to March.
- Itaipú: all year; the first departure is the coolest.
- Popular faith: Caacupé on December 8, with very congested roads.
Avoid: the Chaco and the Pantanal in summer; dirt roads after spring storms; and Holy Week without booking, because the interior fills up. In dry years, from August to October there can be fires and smoke in the Chaco, the Pantanal and the north.
Colonia Menno (distrito Teniente Irala Fernández) · Presidente Hayes
Laguna Capitán y lagunas saladas del Chaco Central
Salt lagoons deep in the Chaco where flamingos, coscoroba swans and hundreds of waterbirds spend the winter.
Bahía Negra · Alto Paraguay
Bahía Negra y el Pantanal paraguayo
The last Paraguayan town upriver: caimans, capybaras, otters and Yshir culture in the Pantanal.
Encarnación · Itapúa
Costanera y playas de Encarnación (San José, Mbói Ka'ẽ y Pacu Cuá)
Miles of promenade and sandy beaches on the Paraná: this is the capital of the Paraguayan summer.
Caacupé · Cordillera
Basílica de la Virgen de los Milagros de Caacupé
Paraguay's spiritual capital: a Marian basilica, the Virgin's spring and the country's largest pilgrimage.
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Central Hidroeléctrica Itaipú
One of the world's largest hydroelectric plants, free and guided: colossal engineering on the Paraná River.
What to pack and practical details
Light cotton or linen clothing, a light jacket even in summer (for the air conditioning in buses and malls), repellent, sunscreen, a hat and comfortable shoes. In winter, a real coat for the cold fronts. School winter holidays (in 2026, July 13 to 24) and summer holidays (December to February) drive a lot of domestic tourism: book ahead. The fishing ban starts on November 2.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to travel to Paraguay?
April to June and August to October, with mild weather. For the Chaco and flamingos, May to September.
When do lapachos bloom in Paraguay?
The pink ones start in July and peak in August; the yellow ones appear in late August and continue into September.
What is the weather like in Paraguay in July?
Deep winter and dry: in Asunción, highs of about 22 °C and lows of 13-14 °C, with cold fronts. In the Chaco, days reach about 27 °C.
When is carnival in Paraguay?
In January and February: Encarnación is the carnival capital, with parades on Saturdays in the Sambódromo, and Villarrica has four nights of celebrations.
Is Paraguay very hot in summer?
Yes: in Asunción highs are around 33-34 °C and heat waves top 40 °C. Plan activities early or at sunset and drink plenty of water.
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