Itaipu Dam

Itaipu, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, lets you go deep into a working hydroelectric plant. The standard Panoramic tour offers views of the dam with explanations of how it was built, but the reason to come is the Special tour: over two hours inside the plant, taking in the central control room, the generator gallery and a turbine shaft. Book the Special tour ahead and check its current entry requirements before you go. Tours leave from the visitor center in Foz do Iguaçu, the Brazilian city most travelers use as a base for Iguazu Falls, so the two fit easily into one trip.