Josep M. Gracia · CC BY-SA 4.0Paraguay itinerary: 3, 7 and 10 day plans
Paraguay takes between 3 and 10 days: 3 days cover Asunción and Lake Ypacaraí, 7 add the Jesuit missions, Encarnación and Itaipú, and 10 bring in the rest of the East. The Chaco needs another 4 or 5 days. Here are three plans, built on the routes in this guide.
Distances are long and your own or a rental car goes furthest. There are buses between Asunción, Encarnación and Ciudad del Este, but the missions and Monday Falls call for a taxi or a tour. One honest note: Iguazu Falls cannot be seen from Paraguay, only from Argentina and Brazil.
Updated · 2026-09-29
3-day plan: Asunción, the Cordillera and the lake
Day 1, Asunción's historic center on foot. Day 2, the PY02 highway: ñandutí lace in Itauguá, the Caacupé basilica, Atyrá leatherwork and dinner in San Bernardino (about 90 km). Day 3, Areguá, the Kõi and Chororĩ hills (open Monday to Friday) and Luque's filigree, minutes from the airport. Leave before 7:30 to beat PY02 traffic. Best from April to October.
Asunción, the capital · Greater Asunción and Lake Ypacaraí · Cordillera and Paraguarí: hills, waterfalls and villages
Essential Paraguay in 3 Days
Historic center, faith, craftwork, and Lake Ypacaraí in one long weekend
Asunción, the capital
Asunción in 48 Hours
History on foot, a lively market, the country's best museum, and a night out in Villa Morra
Itauguá · Central
Itauguá
The capital of ñandutí: handmade 'spiderweb' lace, sold right along Route PY02.
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.
Areguá · Central
Areguá
Capital of pottery and strawberries, with historic mansions stepping down from the church to the lake.
Luque · Central
Luque
Capital of gold and silver filigree and birthplace of guitar and harp makers, minutes from the airport.
7-day plan: the classic week
- Day 1: historic Asunción and Loma San Jerónimo.
- Day 2: Yaguarón, San Ignacio Guazú and Santa María de Fe (about 250 km).
- Day 3: Loreto Chapel, chipa in Coronel Bogado and Encarnación.
- Day 4: Jesús de Tavarangue and Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site; stay for the light show.
- Day 5: Bella Vista, capital of yerba mate, then the road to Ciudad del Este (about 295 km).
- Day 6: Itaipú, Monday Falls and the Three Borders landmark.
- Day 7: back on the PY02 (about 330 km), with the Japanese colony of Yguazú and Caacupé.
The missions' night shows run Wednesday to Sunday (verify), and the Itaipú tour is free but must be booked.
Asunción, the capital · Cordillera and Paraguarí: hills, waterfalls and villages · The Jesuit Missions and the South · The East: water, energy and borderlands
A Classic Week: Asunción, the Jesuit Missions, and Itaipú
From the capital to the UNESCO ruins, the Monday Falls, and Itaipú
Trinidad · Itapúa
Misión Jesuítica de la Santísima Trinidad del Paraná
Paraguay's best-preserved Jesuit reduction: reddish stone, musician angels and an evening light show.
Jesús · Itapúa
Misión Jesuítica de Jesús de Tavarangue
A colossal church that was never finished: trefoil arches in the middle of the countryside, a World Heritage Site.
Coronel Bogado · Itapúa
Coronel Bogado, Capital Nacional de la Chipa
A must-stop on Route PY01: more than thirty chiperías (chipa bakeries), some sixty varieties and ovens fired day and night.
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Central Hidroeléctrica Itaipú
One of the world's largest hydroelectric plants, free and guided: colossal engineering on the Paraná River.
Presidente Franco · Alto Paraná
Saltos del Monday (Cataratas del Monday)
Three main drops of about 40 meters amid Atlantic Forest, just minutes from the bustle of Ciudad del Este.
10-day plan: the grand tour of the East
It is the classic week plus Guairá and the south: Asunción on foot, Mercado 4 and the Museo del Barro, Areguá and San Bernardino, Caacupé, Villarrica and Colonia Independencia, Salto Suizo in the Ybytyruzú forest, Caazapá and Encarnación (the longest day, about 270 km), Jesús and Trinidad, Bella Vista and Ciudad del Este, Itaipú and Monday Falls, then back to Asunción with stops in Yguazú and Campo 9. These are the first ten days of the 14-day plan and they do not include the Chaco.
Asunción, the capital · Greater Asunción and Lake Ypacaraí · Cordillera and Paraguarí: hills, waterfalls and villages · Guairá and Caazapá: hills, colonies and legends · The Jesuit Missions and the South · The East: water, energy and borderlands · The Chaco and the Pantanal
The Grand Paraguay in 14 Days
From the lake to Guairá, the missions, Itaipú, and the Mennonite Chaco
Villarrica · Guairá
Villarrica del Espíritu Santo
The 'wandering city' that moved seven times: capital of Guairá, cradle of poets and home of the Guairá Carnival.
Independencia (casco urbano: Melgarejo) · Guairá
Colonia Independencia
A German-founded colony at the foot of the Ybytyruzú: waterfalls, hills, grapes, ice-cold draft beer and Chopp Fest.
Independencia · Guairá
Salto Suizo (Parque Ecológico Salto Suizo)
A waterfall of more than 60 meters deep in the Ybytyruzú forest, with ziplining, rappelling and nights in wine barrels.
Caazapá · Caazapá
Caazapá
The most important Franciscan mission in the Río de la Plata region and the legendary spring of Friar Luis de Bolaños.
Dr. Juan Eulogio Estigarribia · Caaguazú
Campo 9 (Dr. J. Eulogio Estigarribia) y colonias menonitas
Canadian-style farms, neat gardens and Mennonite dairy right on Route PY02, halfway to the East.
With more days: the Chaco, the Pantanal and themed routes
The Central Chaco is a separate trip: five days along the Transchaco road covering the Mennonite colonies of Filadelfia, Loma Plata and Neuland, Chaco War forts and salt lagoons; best from May to September. Added to the 10-day plan, it makes the 14-day one. The Paraguayan Pantanal (Fuerte Olimpo and Bahía Negra) is an 8-day 4x4 expedition, only in the dry season (July to October). If you prefer something short, there are themed routes of 2 to 6 days: Jesuit missions, yerba mate, Itaipú and birding.
The Chaco and the Pantanal
Mennonite Chaco and the Chaco War
Colonies, forts, flamingos, and the endless sky of the Central Chaco
The Chaco and the Pantanal
The Paraguayan Pantanal: Fuerte Olimpo and Bahía Negra
An expedition into the continent's largest wetland, with caimans, wood storks, and river life
Cordillera and Paraguarí: hills, waterfalls and villages · The Jesuit Missions and the South
The Jesuit Route: From San Ignacio to Trinidad
Baroque museums, Guaraní frescoes, a 1703 observatory, and two UNESCO missions
The Jesuit Missions and the South
The Yerba Mate Route
Mate plantations, factories, and immigrant colonies in the red earth of Itapúa
The East: water, energy and borderlands
Water and Energy: Itaipú, Monday, and Ñacunday
The great dam, waterfalls in the forest, and the triple border on the Paraná River
Asunción, the capital · The North: river, hills and history · The East: water, energy and borderlands
Birds and Nature: Asunción Bay, Laguna Blanca, and Mbaracayú
Arctic shorebirds, cerrado savanna, and the country's largest stretch of Atlantic Forest
Tips before you plan
- There are police checkpoints in Misiones and the East: carry ID, driver's license and car papers.
- Carry cash in guaraníes for crafts and roadside stalls.
- If you want to see the falls, add a day from Ciudad del Este and check entry requirements first.
- During Holy Week and the Caacupé pilgrimage (November 28 to December 8), expect road closures and full hotels.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Paraguay?
Three days cover Asunción and Lake Ypacaraí; 7 to 10 add the Jesuit missions, Encarnación and Itaipú; two weeks add the Chaco.
What should you see in Paraguay in 7 days?
Asunción, the missions of Jesús and Trinidad, Encarnación, Bella Vista's yerba mate, Itaipú and Monday Falls.
Can you tour Paraguay without a car?
Partly: buses link Asunción, Encarnación and Ciudad del Este, but the missions and Monday Falls need a taxi or tour, and the Chaco forts need a car.
What is a good 2-week Paraguay itinerary?
The 14-day plan covers Asunción, the lake, Caacupé, the Ybytyruzú, the missions, Itaipú and then the Transchaco road to the Mennonite colonies.
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Keep reading
Asunción
Things to do in Asunción, Paraguay: a 1 to 3 day guide
Things to do in Asunción, Paraguay in 1, 2 or 3 days: historic center, Mercado 4, Museo del Barro, local food and day trips to Areguá and San Bernardino.
UNESCO heritage
Which Jesuit missions can you visit in Paraguay?
Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangüé, World Heritage since 1993: how to visit from Encarnación, the 72-hour ticket, night shows and other missions nearby.
Itaipú Dam
How do you visit the Itaipú Dam from Paraguay?
Itaipú Dam is visited free from Hernandarias with advance booking and ID or passport. Departure times, what you see and how to combine it with Tekotopa.