Plan on about 10 h 2 min of driving for the 419-mile (674 km) trip from Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba, 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 | 419 mi (674 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-198 → RJ-186 → BR-393 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-122 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba
BR-393 (149 mi) and BR-116 (115 mi) carry about 63% of the 419 miles. It runs through 3 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-198 | 1–10 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-186 | 10–54 | 44 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| BR-393 | 54–203 | 149 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 203–204 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 204–319 | 115 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 319–362 | 43 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 362–378 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 378–379 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 379–401 | 22 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 401–403 | 2 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 403–409 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-122 | 409–419 | 10 | São Paulo |
- Mile 49 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 83 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 247 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Paranapiacaba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (mile 151), Museu Casa da Hera (mile 165), Fazenda São João da Prosperidade (mile 177), Santana Cathedral (mile 179), Itatiaia National Park (mile 237)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra da Concórdia State Park (mile 166), Itatiaia National Park (mile 237)
- Museums and history: Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (mile 151), Museu Casa da Hera (mile 165), Fazenda São João da Prosperidade (mile 177), Santana Cathedral (mile 179), Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani" (mile 319), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 352), Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 405)
Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte
Dating from the coffee era in Rio de Janeiro state's Paraíba Valley, Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte is a historic estate listed by the state heritage institute.
Museu Casa da Hera
Also known as Chácara da Hera, this house museum in central Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro state, shows how a wealthy family lived at the height of the Paraíba Valley coffee boom.
Serra da Concórdia State Park
Serra da Concórdia State Park (Parque Estadual da Serra da Concórdia) is a state park in Rio de Janeiro state that protects an area of Atlantic Forest.
Fazenda São João da Prosperidade
Fazenda São João da Prosperidade is a historic rural estate in Barra do Piraí, Rio de Janeiro state, founded in the 19th century by Antônio Gonçalves de Morais.
Santana Cathedral
Dedicated to St. Anne, this cathedral in Barra do Piraí is the seat of the Diocese of Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda; Emperor Pedro II attended the laying of its cornerstone during a visit to the parish.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani"
In Quiririm, a district of Taubaté, the Italian Immigration Museum fills the brick Casa Indiani, built between 1897 and 1903 by a family from Cremona, with photos, furniture, machinery and a period classroom recalling immigrant life.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Ceramic vessels and stone tools are among the archaeological finds at the Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba in Jacareí, which also displays sacred art, folk art and paintings.
Museu Barão de Mauá
Mauá's history museum keeps photographs, objects and documents on the city's past and serves as its main center for historical research.
In Paranapiacaba itself
Museu Tecnológico Ferroviário do Funicular
In the village of Paranapiacaba, high in the Serra do Mar, this railway museum fills sheds that once served as workshops for the funicular trains running between Raiz da Serra in Cubatão and the plateau.
Casa Fox
Casa Fox is a museum at Paranapiacaba made of two restored, semi-detached workers' houses that share the personal and collective memories of local residents. It is named after Daniel M. Fox.
More drives to Paranapiacaba
- São Paulo to Paranapiacaba
- Jundiaí to Paranapiacaba
- Bragança Paulista to Paranapiacaba
- Campinas to Paranapiacaba
- Itu to Paranapiacaba
- Limeira to Paranapiacaba
From Itaperuna to other places in Brazil
- Itaperuna to Barra do Piraí
- Itaperuna to Trindade
- Itaperuna to Aracruz
- Itaperuna to Santa Leopoldina
- Itaperuna to Itaúnas
- Itaperuna to Caraíva
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba?
About 10 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 419 miles.
How far is Paranapiacaba from Itaperuna by car?
About 419 miles (674 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 Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba?
In order: RJ-198, RJ-186, BR-393, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021 and SP-122. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itaperuna to Paranapiacaba?
Closest to the road: Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (historic estate, mile 151, 0.1 mi from the route); Museu Casa da Hera (museum, mile 165, 0.5 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 237, 0.2 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.