Argentina or Brazil at Iguazu is the wrong question. The falls are one system split by a border, the Brazilian side hands you the full panorama in half a day, the Argentine side walks you inside the spray for a whole one, and the visit only disappoints when the two get treated as rivals instead of a sequence.
The sequence is the plan. Brazil runs a single trail along the canyon face, every tier in one frame, done by lunch. Argentina holds most of the falls themselves, upper and lower circuits threading between them, and a small train out to the Devil's Throat platform, where the river simply drops out of sight. Separate parks, separate tickets, separate currencies, and a border crossing in between, passport required even for a day trip. The Argentine park discounts a second consecutive day if you validate the ticket on the way out, which almost nobody remembers to do. Compare park tickets and cross border transfers at https://destination.chat before fixing your nights, since the split between sides decides everything else.
Inside Argentina, reverse the flow. The natural crowd walks the circuits first and reaches the Devil's Throat at the fullest hour of the day. Take the first train straight there instead, meet the biggest spectacle nearly empty, then walk the circuits while everyone else is queuing for the platform.
The spray at the Throat and along the lower circuit soaks everything, so a waterproof pouch for the phone earns its place. Coatis are charming professional thieves, so food stays zipped away and feeding them ends badly for both sides. The boat rides under the falls are a separate purchase and a guaranteed drench, worth it with a change of clothes waiting.
Since this is a long haul trip crossing two countries, sort connectivity and cover before you fly. An eSIM that works on both sides of the border saves juggling plans mid trip, and signal inside the parks drops in and out regardless, so download maps first. Insurance matters given the boat rides and the distance from major hospitals. Compare eSIM plans and policies for Argentina and Brazil at https://destination.chat before departure.
Where you sleep decides which park you reach first. Puerto Iguazu on the Argentine side keeps small hotels and guesthouses near the bus terminal, the handiest base for the bigger park. Foz do Iguacu across the border is a proper city with high rise hotels and lower prices. The Gran Melia inside the Argentine park and the Hotel das Cataratas inside the Brazilian one are the only beds within the gates, expensive, and they buy you the falls before the day visitors arrive and after they leave.
Plan the order of the sides before you book the nights, and the falls stop competing with each other.
Q: Which side of Iguazu should come first?
A: Brazil for the panorama, then Argentina for the full day among the falls, since the sequence builds rather than repeats.
Q: Can you see both sides in one day?
A: Technically yes, though it squeezes the Argentine park badly, and a night between the two works far better.
Q: Do you need a passport to cross between the parks?
A: Yes, the border is real even on a day trip, and the crossing adds time in high season.
Q: Is the Devil's Throat worth the train ride?
A: It is the single biggest sight in either park, and going there first beats the crowd entirely.
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