Paraguay Travelogue — Asunción, Jesuit Ruins & Tips

Contents of this post6 chapters

• 1Stopover in Paraguay
• 2The Bus Ride
• 3Arrived in Asunción
• 4Next stop: Lima – Peru
• 5Paraguay travel: Entry, stay and yellow fever
• 6Frequently Asked Questions

Stopover in Paraguay

The Bus Ride

The bus ride from the airport to the capital, Asunción, is probably the most memorable part of the trip. At every bus stop, people came aboard, one after another, trying to sell something. Some carried a large, woven basket on their shoulder, covered with a white cloth. Inside were sandwiches, pastries, or drinks. Others proudly dangled their electronics or jewelry in front of our faces. Next came the sweepstakes vendor, and finally, you could buy socks or a new pair of underwear. The fact is: you don't need to go to a store. The stores come to you! We had to giggle a bit when we saw how suddenly all the vendors in this extremely narrow aisle of the bus were standing and struggling to get out again.

For the locals, this seems to be the norm because they were happily shopping here. When you looked out the window, you could see more vendors waving frantically, trying to seize the opportunity to sell their goods.

As we continued, we saw old vehicles loaded with groceries. Often, there were cows, dogs, and chickens in front of every house. The background was lush green due to the many plants. The palm trees were particularly beautiful!

Arrived in Asunción

Asunción itself doesn't have many tourist attractions, so a few days are perfectly sufficient. The city center is dominated by high-rise buildings, and everything is very close together. Here and there you'll find a small park.

Unfortunately, these parks are also (like in Sao Paulo) full of tents where homeless people live... When strolling through the city, you have to be careful not to fall into any pits or stumble over wooden pallets.

What we found most beautiful here in Asunción were the sunsets with a view of the whole city.

We always had a hard time finding anything even remotely healthy in restaurants and such, as the food here is often deep-fried, extremely sugary, very meat-heavy, or the restaurant opening hours didn't coincide with our hunger pangs :D. Overall, there's not much going on here. So we were determined to move on. We booked a flight to Chile, since Max knows a very good friend from Germany who's currently working as a mountain guide there. The basic plan was set. We wanted to go on tours together, celebrate Christmas with the Chilean family, and explore the beautiful regions. Easier said than done. It took a thousand steps just to book the flight. You have to show a recent PCR test, register, make a sworn declaration, fill out a health form, have your international health insurance translated into English with a high coverage amount, and finally, have your vaccinations validated. After a huge amount of time and effort, we finally had everything done. Or so we thought. When we arrived at check-in, cheerful and unsuspecting with our packed backpacks, we were told the following: "Your vaccination validation (recognition) is still pending. Without full validation – no flight." Well, that was that. We called around frantically trying to get permission to fly as quickly as possible. No luck. Validation can take up to 45 days. Too bad that wasn't clearly stated on the website! So, our plane took off, along with the 300 euros we had paid per person. Bye bye! In a bad mood, angry, and frustrated, we spent the entire day trying to get our money back. This involved hours on the phone and what felt like ages in the customer service department. But thank goodness! Once again, persistence pays off.(We actually had a tariff in which cancellation was excluded)! A new flight was booked for us with only a small price difference. ''hopefully'' Yay! This time, we're "hopefully" going to PERU! The COVID measures there aren't quite as strict. We don't even need a PCR test.

PS:

"As a traveler, you can't plan anything. Everything always turns out differently than you think!"

Good to know:

For Paraguay, you need a yellow fever vaccination if you're entering from Brazil (costs about 90 euros)and an antigen test (costs about 20 euros)!

Next stop: Lima – Peru

Paraguay travel: Entry, stay and yellow fever

Paraguay is rarely on the travel itinerary, but entry is easy for Germans. The following information comes from the Travel and safety advice from the Federal Foreign Office (As of October 15, 2026). Legally binding information can be obtained from the Paraguayan embassies and consulates.

Paraguay Visa and Entry

• German citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. This stay can be extended once for another 90 days with the approval of the migration authority, Migraciones.
• Entry is possible with a passport, temporary passport, or child's passport, not with a national identity card. The documents must be valid for the duration of the stay.
• Cash up to US$10,000 may be imported.
• Good to know: Those entering by land should ensure their passport receives an entry stamp.

Yellow fever vaccination for Paraguay

A yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for entry from countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela for travelers aged 1 to 59. It must be administered at least ten days before arrival, and the international vaccination certificate will be required at passport control. Those arriving directly from Germany do not need to provide proof of vaccination.

For tourism boards that want to present Paraguay, Asunción, and the Jesuit ruins with well-grounded content, information about productions can be found on the page for collaboration.

Read more

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• All South America travel reports
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