By road, Serra and Taubaté are about 517 miles (832 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 1 min of driving.
- 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Total distance | 517 mi (832 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 12 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → CA-M-197 → RJ-238 → RJ-180 → BR-040 → BR-116 |
| States on the route | Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Serra to Taubaté drive plays out
BR-116 (170 mi) and BR-101 (165 mi) carry about 65% of the 517 miles. It runs through 3 states: Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Serra to Taubaté
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 4–159 | 155 | Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 159–160 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 160–165 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| CA-M-197 | 165–168 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-238 | 168–172 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-180 | 172–324 | 152 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 324–334 | 10 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 334–342 | 8 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 342–344 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 344–514 | 170 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| local roads | 514–517 | 3 | São Paulo |
- Mile 122 of this route: Espírito Santo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 449 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Serra and Taubaté
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Baths of King João VI at Caju (mile 333), Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 353), Itatiaia National Park (mile 439), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 492)
- Nature and outdoors: Fonte Grande State Park (mile 16), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 85), Itatiaia National Park (mile 439)
- Museums and history: Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro (mile 330), Baths of King João VI at Caju (mile 333), Sala Cecília Meireles (mile 334), Museum Dom João VI (mile 337), Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 353), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 492)
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro
Dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Rio's Old Cathedral is a Carmelite church that served as cathedral from around 1808 to 1976 and as Royal and then Imperial Chapel.
Baths of King João VI at Caju
Also known as the Museu da Limpeza Urbana, the Baths of King João VI (Casa de Banho de Dom João VI) is a museum on Praia do Caju in Rio de Janeiro's Caju neighborhood.
Sala Cecília Meireles
In Rio de Janeiro's Lapa district, Sala Cecília Meireles is a theater known for chamber music and regarded as one of the city's best venues for acoustics.
Museum Dom João VI
Museu Dom João VI is an art and history museum linked to the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, on Ilha do Fundão.
Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga
Also known as Nova Iguaçu Cathedral, the Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga stands on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto and is the mother church of the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
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.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
Brazil's National Shrine in Aparecida houses the image of Our Lady Aparecida that fishermen pulled from the Paraíba do Sul River in 1717. Work on the current basilica began in 1955, and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1980.
Arriving in Taubaté
Basilica of the Good Lord Jesus, Tremembé
Locally called the Basilica of Tremembé, this Catholic church in Tremembé, São Paulo, keeps a wooden carved image of the Good Lord Jesus, a significant religious artifact for the Church.
Museu Monteiro Lobato
Taubaté's tribute to children's author Monteiro Lobato dates to 1958. The museum occupies the grounds known as the Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, with a historic main house and exhibitions.
Museu Mazzaropi
On the grounds of Amácio Mazzaropi's former studio in Taubaté, a museum honors the comedian and filmmaker with photos, furniture, props and equipment his PAM Filmes used from 1950 to 1980.
More drives to Taubaté
- São Paulo to Taubaté
- Jundiaí to Taubaté
- Campinas to Taubaté
- Ribeirão Preto to Taubaté
- Bauru to Taubaté
- Franca to Taubaté
From Serra to other places in Brazil
- Serra to Guarapari
- Serra to Cachoeiro de Itapemirim
- Serra to Campos dos Goytacazes
- Serra to Governador Valadares
- Serra to Rio das Ostras
- Serra to Ipatinga
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Serra to Taubaté?
About 12 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 517 miles.
How far is Taubaté from Serra by car?
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 Serra to Taubaté drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Serra to Taubaté?
In order: BR-101, CA-M-197, RJ-238, RJ-180, BR-040 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Serra and Taubaté?
Closest to the road: Baths of King João VI at Caju (museum, mile 333, 0.1 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 439, 0.4 mi from the route); Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (basilica, mile 492, 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.