Plan on about 7 h 58 min of driving for the 349-mile (562 km) trip from Itu to Barbacena, 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 by road | 349 mi (562 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 58 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-300 → SP-360 → SPI-081/360 → SP-065 → SP-010 → BR-381 → BR-265 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
How the Itu to Barbacena drive plays out
SP-010 (144 mi) and BR-265 (99 mi) carry about 70% of the 349 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Itu to Barbacena: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-300 | 1–27 | 26 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 27–30 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-360 | 30–39 | 9 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 39–40 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SPI-081/360 | 40–44 | 4 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 44–45 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-065 | 45–63 | 18 | São Paulo |
| SP-010 | 63–207 | 144 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 207–247 | 40 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 247–346 | 99 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 346–349 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 88 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Stops between Itu and Barbacena
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu do Café Barão da Serra Negra (mile 34)
- Museums and history: Espaço Cultural Museu do Vinho (mile 34), Museu do Café Barão da Serra Negra (mile 34), Museu Bi Moreira (mile 256), Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (mile 313), Museu de Sant'Ana (mile 318)
Teatro Polytheama
Opened in 1911, Teatro Polytheama is a performance venue in Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo state.
Mosteiro de São Bento
Jundiaí's Monastery of Saint Benedict was founded on June 2, 1667, and was originally called Hospício do Patriarca São Bento.
Espaço Cultural Museu do Vinho
Set inside a roughly 6-meter wine barrel at the Villa Brunholi complex in Jundiaí, this museum tells the story of Italian immigration and winemaking in the region.
Museu do Café Barão da Serra Negra
Set on Fazenda Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Jundiaí, the Museu do Café Barão da Serra Negra shows photos, farm tools and documents on coffee production, slavery, the Serra Negra family and immigrant arrival.
Museu Bi Moreira
On the historic campus of the Federal University of Lavras, Museu Bi Moreira holds around five thousand historical, ethnographic, archaeological and science-and-technology artifacts tied to the history of Lavras and the university.
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei
Also called the São João del Rei Cathedral, this Catholic shrine is a protected heritage site known for colonial-era art, with gold decoration, paintings and statues inside.
Museu de Sant'Ana
Founded in 2014 by the Instituto Cultural Flávio Gutierrez, this Tiradentes art museum specializes in images of Saint Anne, with a collection of 291 statues.
In Barbacena itself
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.
More drives to Barbacena
- Rio de Janeiro to Barbacena
- Niterói to Barbacena
- Pouso Alegre to Barbacena
- Araruama to Barbacena
- Cabo Frio to Barbacena
- Poços de Caldas to Barbacena
From Itu to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Itu to Barbacena?
About 7 h 58 min of driving without stops, over 349 miles.
How far is Barbacena from Itu by car?
About 349 miles (562 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 Itu to Barbacena drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itu to Barbacena?
In order: SP-300, SP-360, SPI-081/360, SP-065, SP-010, BR-381 and BR-265. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itu to Barbacena?
Closest to the road: Mosteiro de São Bento (monastery, mile 29, 2 mi from the route); Museu do Café Barão da Serra Negra (museum, mile 34, 0.6 mi from the route); Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (cathedral, mile 313, 1 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.