Plan on about 10 h 59 min of driving for the 449-mile (723 km) trip from Taubaté to Ipatinga, 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Distance | 449 mi (723 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 59 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-123 → SP-046 → MG-173 → SP-042 → BR-459 → BR-381 → BR-040 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Taubaté to Ipatinga
BR-381 (347 mi) and MG-173 (37 mi) carry about 86% of the 449 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Taubaté to Ipatinga, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–9 | 9 | São Paulo |
| SP-123 | 9–19 | 10 | São Paulo |
| SP-046 | 19–24 | 5 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 24–29 | 5 | São Paulo |
| MG-173 | 29–34 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| SP-042 | 34–39 | 5 | São Paulo |
| MG-173 | 39–71 | 32 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-459 | 71–79 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 79–309 | 230 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 309–312 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 312–319 | 7 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 319–322 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 322–435 | 113 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 435–445 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 445–449 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 29 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 34 of this route: Minas Gerais → São Paulo (state line)
- Mile 39 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Places worth a stop between Taubaté and Ipatinga
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros (mile 58), Cachoeira dos Pilões (mile 59), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 314), Museu do Telefone (mile 320), Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (mile 440)
- Nature and outdoors: Mananciais de Campos do Jordão State Park (mile 19), Cachoeira das Três Cruzes (mile 55), Cachoeira dos Pilões (mile 59), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 314)
- Museums and history: Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros (mile 58), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 314), Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha (mile 318), Museu do Telefone (mile 320), Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (mile 440)
- With kids: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 314), Belo Horizonte Aquarium (mile 316)
Mananciais de Campos do Jordão State Park
Mananciais de Campos do Jordão State Park is a protected state park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Cachoeira das Três Cruzes
Cachoeira das Três Cruzes is a waterfall in the rural Três Cruzes area of Conceição dos Ouros, southern Minas Gerais, listed among the municipality's main natural attractions.
Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros
Known locally as the Museu do Índio, this museum in Conceição dos Ouros, southern Minas Gerais, gathers archaeological, historical, cultural, and environmental material on human settlement in the area.
Cachoeira dos Pilões
Also called Prainha dos Pilões, Cachoeira dos Pilões is a waterfall in Conceição dos Ouros, southern Minas Gerais, recorded in the municipal heritage inventory as a natural landscape ensemble.
Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
On the PUC Minas campus in Belo Horizonte, this natural sciences museum shows Brazilian fauna, largely from the cerrado, alongside fossil South American mammals and an 'Age of Reptiles' hall with dinosaurs, pterosaurs and a large crocodile.
Belo Horizonte Aquarium
Opened in 2010 in Belo Horizonte's Pampulha area, the Belo Horizonte Aquarium shows more than fifty species collected along the 2,800-km São Francisco River.
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in an organic modern style, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a chapel in the Pampulha area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Museu do Telefone
The Museu do Telefone is a museum in the Mangabeiras neighborhood of Belo Horizonte.
Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano
Inaugurated in 1993, Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais, shares the role of seat of the Diocese of Itabira-Fabriciano with Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in Itabira.
More drives to Ipatinga
- Sete Lagoas to Ipatinga
- Petrópolis to Ipatinga
- Rio de Janeiro to Ipatinga
- Niterói to Ipatinga
- Franca to Ipatinga
- Uberaba to Ipatinga
From Taubaté to other places in Brazil
- Taubaté to Jacareí
- Taubaté to Bragança Paulista
- Taubaté to Paranapiacaba
- Taubaté to Cubatão
- Taubaté to Itu
- Taubaté to Limeira
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Taubaté to Ipatinga?
About 10 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 449 miles.
How far is Ipatinga from Taubaté by car?
About 449 miles (723 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 Taubaté to Ipatinga?
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 Taubaté to Ipatinga use?
In order: SP-123, SP-046, MG-173, SP-042, BR-459, BR-381 and BR-040. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Taubaté and Ipatinga?
Closest to the road: Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros (history museum, mile 58, 0.2 mi from the route); Cachoeira dos Pilões (waterfall, mile 59, 0.1 mi from the route); Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (cathedral, mile 440, 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.