Jesuit Missions from Ciudad del Este: Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangüé

What is included and what is not

The Jesuit Missions tour is LTO's longest outing: it leaves your hotel in Ciudad del Este at 05:00 and returns at 17:00. It costs Gs 990.000 per person and, unlike almost all the others, entrance tickets are included.

• Included: entrance to the Jesús de Tavarangüé and Santísima Trinidad del Paraná missions.
• Included: lunch in Bella Vista.
• Included: a bilingual guide for the whole route.
• Included: departure from your hotel in Ciudad del Este and the return.
• Required: a minimum booking of 2 people.

How much the Jesuit Missions tour costs

LTO's Jesuit Missions tour costs Gs 990.000 per person, leaving at 05:00 and returning at 17:00. It is the highest per-person fare of the day trips, and also the one that includes the most: tickets, lunch and guide. On LTO's other long tours —Iguazú Falls, Puerto Iguazú, the Three Borders Show— the fare is per vehicle and tickets are paid separately.

Twelve hours and about 300 kilometres

The Jesuit Missions are in the department of Itapúa, about 300 kilometres from Ciudad del Este and about 30 from Encarnación. That distance is the reason for the 05:00 departure: the day lasts twelve hours and a good part of it is spent on the road, with the round trip done in a single day.

It is also why almost nobody sells this tour from Ciudad del Este: most operators that take visitors to Trinidad and Jesús leave from Encarnación, which is right next door. If you are in Alto Paraná and want to see them without changing base, this is the direct way.

What you visit

Santísima Trinidad del Paraná

The largest and best-preserved reduction (mission town) of the group: the square, the main church with its frieze of musician angels, the college and the houses of the Guaraní people are still standing, in red stone. It is a World Heritage Site and the centrepiece of the route.

Jesús de Tavarangüé

The second reduction on the route, also a World Heritage Site, is the one that was left unfinished: the church was never completed, and so the trefoil arches of its doorway remain in full view, a feature found at no other mission in the region.

Colonias Unidas, on the way

Along the way, the route passes through Colonias Unidas for a panoramic view of the towns. It is a sightseeing stop, from the vehicle, over the farming settlements of southern Itapúa.

Lunch in Bella Vista

Lunch is included and is served in Bella Vista, the Itapúa town known as the capital of yerba mate. It is the break in the day, roughly halfway between the two missions and the trip back.

World Heritage

Both missions on this tour are inscribed as World Heritage Sites. They are what remains of the system of reductions that the Jesuits built with the Guaraní in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the most important architectural ensemble from that period preserved in Paraguay.

In a day or overnight: Jesuit Missions or Southern Getaway

LTO sells two ways to see the missions. This tour covers them in a day, for Gs 990.000 per person. The Southern Getaway covers them over two days and one night, from Gs 1.499.000 on a double-occupancy basis, and adds Encarnación and a yerba mate factory.

For about Gs 500.000 more, the Southern Getaway spares you twelve hours there and back in a single day and adds Encarnación. This tour, on the other hand, makes sense if you do not want to move out of your accommodation in Ciudad del Este.

What to bring

• Comfortable, closed shoes: the missions are explored on foot, over stone and grass.
• Sunscreen and a cap: almost the whole walk through the ruins is in the open, with no shade.
• Water for the journey, which is long.
• A light jacket for the 05:00 departure, especially in winter.
• An ID card. No border is crossed: the whole route is inside Paraguay.

Other tours from Ciudad del Este

How to book

Book on WhatsApp at +595 983 945945, with a minimum of 2 passengers. We need the date, the number of people and the hotel where you are staying in Ciudad del Este to arrange the 05:00 departure. It is best to let us know well in advance.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Jesuit Missions tour cost?

Gs 990.000 per person, with entrance to both missions, lunch in Bella Vista and the bilingual guide included.

What time does it leave and return?

It leaves your hotel in Ciudad del Este at 05:00 and returns at 17:00. That is twelve hours.

Are the entrance tickets included?

Yes. Entrance to Jesús de Tavarangüé and Santísima Trinidad del Paraná is included in the fare, as is lunch.

What is the minimum number of people?

2 people. Departure is arranged when you book.

Is any border crossed?

No. The whole route is inside Paraguay, between Alto Paraná and Itapúa, so there are no immigration formalities.

Is it better to do it in a day or stay overnight?

It depends on how much the road bothers you. In a day, it is twelve hours for Gs 990.000 per person. The Southern Getaway costs from Gs 1.499.000 on a double-occupancy basis, splits the route over two days with a night's accommodation and adds Encarnación and a yerba mate factory.