The Wayro route from Niterói to Nova Serrana is 347 miles (559 km), about 8 h 18 min of driving without 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Total distance | 347 mi (559 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-381 → BR-262 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Niterói to Nova Serrana drive plays out
BR-040 (260 mi) and BR-262 (60 mi) carry about 92% of the 347 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Niterói to Nova Serrana
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 1–9 | 8 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 9–144 | 135 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 144–148 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 148–273 | 125 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 273–278 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 278–286 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-262 | 286–346 | 60 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 346–347 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 93 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
Stops between Niterói and Nova Serrana
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Geodiversidade (mile 12)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 54)
- Museums and history: Cemitério dos Pretos Novos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (mile 8), Civil Police Museum (mile 9), Museu da Geodiversidade (mile 12), Casa Stefan Zweig (mile 43), Museu da Loucura (mile 175), Pampulha Art Museum (mile 275)
Cemitério dos Pretos Novos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
An archaeological site and cultural center in Rio's Gamboa neighborhood, the Cemitério dos Pretos Novos stands over a cemetery for enslaved Africans used between 1769 and 1830, in an 18th-century house.
Civil Police Museum
Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Museum shows documents and objects tracing the work of the Civil Police in the city since colonial times.
Museu da Geodiversidade
Created in December 2008, the Museu da Geodiversidade is dedicated to the history of planet Earth and the life that has developed on it.
Casa Stefan Zweig
Founded in 2006, Casa Stefan Zweig is a writer's house museum in Petrópolis, set in the home where Stefan Zweig lived with his wife.
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.
Pampulha Modern Ensemble
Laid out around the artificial Lake Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, the Pampulha Modern Ensemble is an urban project that includes a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Pampulha Art Museum
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer as the Cassino da Pampulha, the Pampulha Art Museum in Belo Horizonte is part of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.
More drives to Nova Serrana
- Itabira to Nova Serrana
- Barbacena to Nova Serrana
- Poços de Caldas to Nova Serrana
- Governador Valadares to Nova Serrana
- Resende to Nova Serrana
- Pindamonhangaba to Nova Serrana
From Niterói to other places in Brazil
- Niterói to Petrópolis
- Niterói to Itaguaí
- Niterói to Barra do Piraí
- Niterói to Penedo
- Niterói to Guaratinguetá
- Niterói to Pindamonhangaba
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Niterói to Nova Serrana?
About 8 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 347 miles.
What is the driving distance from Niterói to Nova Serrana?
About 347 miles (559 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.
Is it safe to drive from Niterói to Nova Serrana?
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 Niterói to Nova Serrana use?
In order: BR-101, BR-040, BR-381 and BR-262. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Niterói to Nova Serrana?
Closest to the road: Cemitério dos Pretos Novos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (archaeological site, mile 8, 2 mi from the route); Museu da Geodiversidade (museum, mile 12, 1 mi from the route); Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (calvary, mile 229, 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.