Plan on about 13 h 12 min of driving for the 517-mile (832 km) trip from Brasília to Itabira, before any stops.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: Brasilia's Satellite cities.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
This route passes through or near an area the State Department rates Do Not Travel. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive: Brazil. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Distance by road | 517 mi (832 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 13 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | DF-003 → BR-040 → MG-424 → MG-010 → BR-381 → MG-434 → MG-129 → AMG-1210 |
| States on the route | Distrito Federal, Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Brasília to Itabira drive plays out
BR-040 (394 mi) and BR-381 (35 mi) carry about 83% of the 517 miles. It runs through 3 states: Distrito Federal, Goiás, Minas Gerais. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Brasília to Itabira
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Distrito Federal |
| DF-003 | 1–17 | 16 | Distrito Federal |
| BR-040 | 17–411 | 394 | Distrito Federal, Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 411–417 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-424 | 417–430 | 13 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 430–434 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-424 | 434–448 | 14 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-010 | 448–452 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 452–455 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 455–458 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 458–493 | 35 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 493–494 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 494–506 | 12 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-129 | 506–510 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 510–515 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 515–517 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 21 of this route: Distrito Federal → Goiás (state line)
- Mile 114 of this route: Goiás → Minas Gerais (state line)
What to see on the way from Brasília to Itabira
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Vivo da Memória Candanga (mile 7), Catetinho (mile 13), Igreja Matriz de Paracatu (mile 145), Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (mile 452)
- Nature and outdoors: Sumidouro State Park (mile 434), Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (mile 452)
- Museums and history: Museu Vivo da Memória Candanga (mile 7), Catetinho (mile 13), Igreja Matriz de Paracatu (mile 145), Museu Histórico de Capim Branco (mile 426), Lapa Vermelha (mile 437), Museu do Telefone (mile 456)
Museu Vivo da Memória Candanga
The Museu Vivo da Memória Candanga occupies the former Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Hospital, the first built in the new Federal District, beside the BR-040 near Núcleo Bandeirante.
Catetinho
Igreja Matriz de Paracatu
Paracatu's Igreja Matriz stands out among 18th-century churches of Minas Gerais: it has no towers, the only mother church in the state built that way.
Museu Histórico de Capim Branco
Founded in 2013, the Museu Histórico de Capim Branco preserves the history of this Minas Gerais town and is housed in its oldest house, the Casarão Inhô Cachimbo.
Sumidouro State Park
In Minas Gerais, Sumidouro State Park is where remains of some of Brazil's earliest human inhabitants were found in the early 19th century, along with bones of extinct megafauna.
Lapa Vermelha
Lapa Vermelha is an archaeological site in the Lagoa Santa Karst Environmental Protection Area in Minas Gerais, a limestone massif on the shore of a small lake.
Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden
Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden opened to the public in 2001 to conserve and display plant collections, and it is part of the city's Fundação Zoo-Botânica.
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 Brasília to other places in Brazil
- Brasília to Goiânia
- Brasília to Catalão
- Brasília to Itumbiara
- Brasília to Patos de Minas
- Brasília to Rio Verde
- Brasília to Ituiutaba
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Brasília to Itabira?
About 13 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 517 miles.
What is the driving distance from Brasília to Itabira?
About 517 miles (832 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 Brasília to Itabira drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Parts of this route are in or near areas rated Level 4: Do Not Travel (Brazil: Brasilia's Satellite cities). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Brasília to Itabira?
In order: DF-003, BR-040, MG-424, MG-010, BR-381, MG-434, MG-129 and AMG-1210. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Brasília to Itabira?
Closest to the road: Museu Vivo da Memória Candanga (museum, mile 7, 0.2 mi from the route); Catetinho (museum, mile 13, 0.3 mi from the route); Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (botanical garden, mile 452, 0.6 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.