Plan on about 9 h 55 min of driving for the 391-mile (630 km) trip from Araruama to Itabira, before any stops.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance | 391 mi (630 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-493 → BR-116 → BR-040 → MGC-356 → BR-381 → MG-434 → MG-129 → AMG-1210 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Araruama–Itabira drive in a few lines
BR-040 (240 mi) and BR-381 (36 mi) carry about 71% of the 391 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Araruama to Itabira, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 6–24 | 18 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 24–44 | 20 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 44–46 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 46–50 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 50–55 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 55–58 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 58–63 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 63–75 | 12 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 75–76 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 76–194 | 118 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 194–198 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 198–320 | 122 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-356 | 320–325 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 325–331 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 331–332 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 332–368 | 36 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 368–380 | 12 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-129 | 380–384 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 384–390 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 390–391 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 144 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
Stops between Araruama and Itabira
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Marília Theatre (mile 326), Museu do Telefone (mile 329)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 33), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 104)
- Museums and history: Valongo Wharf (mile 75), Santos Dumont House Museum (mile 93), Museu da Loucura (mile 222), Abílio Barreto History Museum (mile 325), Museu do Telefone (mile 329)
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Santos Dumont House Museum
Known as A Encantada, the Santos Dumont House Museum in Petrópolis is the house built in 1918 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont on a steep hillside near the city center.
Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park protects the Serra dos Órgãos range between Petrópolis and Teresópolis, where a roughly 28 km traverse climbs past the Castelos do Açu to Pedra do Sino at 2,263 meters.
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, this hilltop sanctuary in Congonhas is famous for Aleijadinho's 12 soapstone prophets on the front terraces and six chapels holding 64 life-size cedar figures of the Passion.
Abílio Barreto History Museum
In the Cidade Jardim neighborhood of Belo Horizonte, the Abílio Barreto History Museum occupies an old farmhouse that survived the building of the state capital.
Marília Theatre
The Marília Theatre (Teatro Marília) is a theater in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.
Museu do Telefone
The Museu do Telefone is a museum in the Mangabeiras neighborhood of Belo Horizonte.
Arriving in Itabira
Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Itabira
Known locally as Itabira Cathedral, Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais.
More drives to Itabira
- Sete Lagoas to Itabira
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Itabira
- Barbacena to Itabira
- Juiz de Fora to Itabira
- Araxá to Itabira
- Petrópolis to Itabira
From Araruama to other places in Brazil
- Araruama to Itaguaí
- Araruama to Resende
- Araruama to Penedo
- Araruama to Fumaça
- Araruama to Historic Village of Mambucaba
- Araruama to Guaratinguetá
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Araruama to Itabira?
About 9 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 391 miles.
How far is Itabira from Araruama by car?
About 391 miles (630 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Araruama to Itabira drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Araruama to Itabira use?
In order: RJ-124, BR-101, BR-493, BR-116, BR-040, MGC-356, BR-381, MG-434, MG-129 and AMG-1210. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Araruama and Itabira?
Closest to the road: Abílio Barreto History Museum (museum, mile 325, 1 mi from the route); Marília Theatre (theater, mile 326, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu do Telefone (museum, mile 329, 0.9 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.