The Wayro route from Teresópolis to Itabira is 299 miles (481 km), about 7 h 59 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 299 mi (481 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 59 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → MGC-356 → BR-381 → MG-434 → MG-129 → AMG-1210 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Teresópolis–Itabira drive in a few lines
BR-040 (197 mi) and BR-381 (35 mi) carry about 78% of the 299 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Teresópolis to Itabira, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–23 | 23 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 23–27 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 27–102 | 75 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 102–105 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 105–227 | 122 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-356 | 227–232 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 232–238 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 238–240 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 240–275 | 35 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 275–276 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 276–288 | 12 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-129 | 288–291 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 291–297 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 297–299 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 49 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
Stops between Teresópolis and Itabira
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Piemonte Tower (mile 229), Professor Djalma Guimarães Museum of Mineralogy (mile 232), Museu da Força Expedicionária Brasileira (mile 234), Museu do Telefone (mile 237)
- Nature and outdoors: Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park (mile 11), Araponga Municipal Nature Park (mile 16)
- Museums and history: Museu da Loucura (mile 132), Museu da Imagem e Memória (mile 186), Professor Djalma Guimarães Museum of Mineralogy (mile 232), Museu da Força Expedicionária Brasileira (mile 234), Museu do Telefone (mile 237)
Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park
Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park protects an area of Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Araponga Municipal Nature Park
Araponga Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a protected green area along the way.
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.
Museu da Imagem e Memória
Housed in the two-story Casarão dos Fonseca, the Museu da Imagem e Memória in Congonhas shows photographs, documents and old objects that tell the history of the town and its people.
Piemonte Tower
Rising 101 meters on a mountain ridge between the Serra do Curral and Serra do Rola-Moça, Piemonte Tower (Torre Piemonte) is a tourist structure at the Alta Vila shopping center on the Nova Lima–Belo Horizonte line.
Professor Djalma Guimarães Museum of Mineralogy
On Praça da Liberdade in Belo Horizonte, this mineralogy museum (Museu de Mineralogia Professor Djalma Guimarães) covers minerals from Minas Gerais and around the world.
Museu da Força Expedicionária Brasileira
In Belo Horizonte, the Museu da Força Expedicionária Brasileira covers Brazil's role in World War II, with a focus on soldiers from Minas Gerais sent to Italy, including the taking of Montese.
Museu do Telefone
The Museu do Telefone is a museum in the Mangabeiras neighborhood of Belo Horizonte.
Arriving in Itabira
Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Itabira
Known locally as Itabira Cathedral, Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais.
More drives to Itabira
- Sete Lagoas to Itabira
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Itabira
- Barbacena to Itabira
- Juiz de Fora to Itabira
- Araxá to Itabira
- Petrópolis to Itabira
From Teresópolis to other places in Brazil
- Teresópolis to Itaguaí
- Teresópolis to Guaratinguetá
- Teresópolis to Bragança Paulista
- Teresópolis to Paranapiacaba
- Teresópolis to Cubatão
- Teresópolis to Itu
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Teresópolis to Itabira?
About 7 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 299 miles.
How far is Itabira from Teresópolis by car?
About 299 miles (481 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 Teresópolis to Itabira?
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 Teresópolis to Itabira use?
In order: BR-040, MGC-356, BR-381, MG-434, MG-129 and AMG-1210. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Teresópolis and Itabira?
Closest to the road: Piemonte Tower (observation tower, mile 229, 0.3 mi from the route); Professor Djalma Guimarães Museum of Mineralogy (museum, mile 232, 0.7 mi from the route); Museu da Força Expedicionária Brasileira (museum, mile 234, 0.2 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.