Nova Friburgo to Itu is about 391 road miles (629 km): roughly 8 h 18 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 391 mi (629 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-116 → RJ-122 → BR-116 → BR-493 → SP-060 → SP-015 → SP-280 → SP-075 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Nova Friburgo to Itu drive plays out
BR-116 (211 mi) and SP-280 (36 mi) carry about 63% of the 391 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Nova Friburgo to Itu: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-116 | 1–29 | 28 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-122 | 29–52 | 23 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 52–53 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 53–75 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 75–105 | 30 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 105–106 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 106–295 | 189 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 295–328 | 33 | São Paulo |
| SP-015 | 328–339 | 11 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 339–343 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-280 | 343–379 | 36 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 379–380 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-075 | 380–388 | 8 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 388–391 | 3 | São Paulo |
- Mile 185 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Stops between Nova Friburgo and Itu
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Três Picos State Park (mile 19), Itatiaia National Park (mile 175), Museu Frei Galvão (mile 225), Latin America Memorial (mile 333)
- Nature and outdoors: Três Picos State Park (mile 19), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 52), Itatiaia National Park (mile 175)
- Museums and history: Museu Frei Galvão (mile 225), Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos (mile 276), Catavento Museum (mile 331), Latin America Memorial (mile 333), Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (mile 352)
Três Picos State Park
Três Picos State Park protects a large mountainous area of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state.
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.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Museu Frei Galvão
Guaratinguetá's city government and a local association of museum friends jointly maintain the Museu Frei Galvão, a municipal cultural institution in São Paulo state.
Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos
Since 1997, São José dos Campos has explored Brazilian folk traditions at the Museu do Folclore, located within the Parque da Cidade. Along with exhibitions, it runs a specialized library and a toy library.
Municipal Theater of Mooca Arthur Azevedo
Designed by architect Roberto Tibau and opened in 1952, the Arthur Azevedo Theater in São Paulo's Mooca district was listed by the city in 1992 as a significant example of 1950s architecture.
Catavento Museum
Inside the Palácio das Indústrias in São Paulo, Catavento is an interactive science museum that opened in 2009.
Latin America Memorial
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened on March 18, 1989, the Latin America Memorial in São Paulo is a cultural, political and leisure complex dedicated to Latin American integration.
Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi
Named for Emanuel von Lauenstein Massarani, this contemporary art museum is housed in the Itapevi city council building, in the northeast part of the city.
Once you reach Itu
Igreja do Senhor Bom Jesus
Also known as the Bom Jesus Sanctuary, this church in Itu stands where the small chapel that marked the town's founding was built in 1610 by Domingos Fernandes and his son-in-law Cristóvão Dinis.
Parque da Rocha Moutonnée
In Salto, São Paulo, this park preserves a granite rock outcrop shaped by a Paleozoic glaciation 270 to 350 million years ago, found in 1946 and key evidence for the glacial origin of regional rocks.
Museu Republicano "Convencão de Itú"
Set in a townhouse in Itu where opponents of Brazil's monarchy met in 1873, the Republican Museum focuses on the period of the Old Republic.
More drives to Itu
- Araraquara to Itu
- Ribeirão Preto to Itu
- Bragança Paulista to Itu
- São Paulo to Itu
- São Vicente to Itu
- Santos to Itu
From Nova Friburgo to other places in Brazil
- Nova Friburgo to Itaguaí
- Nova Friburgo to Pindamonhangaba
- Nova Friburgo to Caraguatatuba
- Nova Friburgo to Bragança Paulista
- Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba
- Nova Friburgo to Itanhaém
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Nova Friburgo to Itu?
About 8 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 391 miles.
How far is Itu from Nova Friburgo by car?
About 391 miles (629 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 Nova Friburgo to Itu?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Nova Friburgo to Itu?
In order: RJ-116, RJ-122, BR-116, BR-493, SP-060, SP-015, SP-280 and SP-075. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Nova Friburgo to Itu?
Closest to the road: Três Picos State Park (state park, mile 19, 0.3 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 175, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu Frei Galvão (museum, mile 225, 0.4 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.