8.9· 197 reviews
Ouro Preto & Mariana Day Trip
On this day trip to Ouro Preto and Mariana from Belo Horizonte we'll get to know its great artistic and religious heritage - a must!
10 h
from US$ 71
In brief
Belo Horizonte is worth 3 to 4 days for downtown, Pampulha and the food scene; add one more for a day trip to Inhotim or Ouro Preto. The best window runs from May to August, the dry winter, with highs of 25 to 26 °C and only 5 to 28 mm of rain a month. Summer, from December to March, is hot and brings most of the rain, with 339 mm in December.
The destination
What to expect in Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte was inaugurated on December 12, 1897, and was the first planned capital of Brazil's republican era, built to take the seat of Minas Gerais's government away from Ouro Preto. Engineer Aarão Reis's plan brought wide avenues and a grid layout inspired by Paris and Washington, a deliberate contrast with the colonial slopes of the old capital. More than a century later, the city is the sixth largest in the country and the center of a metropolitan region of more than 5 million people. The Serra do Curral, the rock formation that frames the skyline and gave the city its name, is still there, behind the buildings.
Lagoa da Pampulha, an artificial lake built in the 1940s when Juscelino Kubitschek was still mayor, is where Belo Horizonte shows its modern face. There Oscar Niemeyer designed a set of curved buildings: the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Casino (now Pampulha Art Museum), the Dance House and the Iate Tênis Clube (a yacht and tennis club), with tile panels by Cândido Portinari and gardens by Roberto Burle Marx. In 2016 the complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first work of Brazilian modernism outside the Rio-Brasília axis to receive that title.
Beyond the architecture circuit, BH is defined by its botecos, the neighborhood bars. The city has one of the highest concentrations of bars per capita in Brazil and takes seriously its title as the national capital of the boteco, celebrated every year at the Comida di Buteco festival. It is also the natural starting point for the interior of Minas: Inhotim, the largest open-air museum in the world, is less than an hour away in Brumadinho, and cities such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes are less than two hours away by road.
Updated on October 19, 2026
What to see
Must-sees in Belo Horizonte
1 City and culture
Praça da Liberdade
Once the seat of the state government. Today it holds museums and cultural centers, such as the Memorial Minas Gerais and the CCBB, with gardens, night lighting and a crafts fair on Sundays.
2 Food and dining
Mercado Central
Opened in 1929, it brings together more than 400 shops selling cheeses, cachaças (sugarcane spirit), spices and traditional snack bars. A portrait of Minas Gerais culture at the table and in everyday socializing.
3 Culture and history
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Pampulha)
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1943 on the shores of Lagoa da Pampulha, with tile panels by Cândido Portinari. The modernist complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
4 Nature and scenery
Mangabeiras Lookout
Inside Parque das Mangabeiras, one of the largest urban parks in the country, with 337 hectares of forest. The lookout has an open view of the city skyline.
5 City and culture
Praça do Papa
A lookout with four concrete towers built in 1996 to commemorate Pope John Paul II's visit to the city in 1980. It has a panoramic elevator and one of the best-known sunset views in BH.
6 Day trip
Inhotim
About 60 km away, in Brumadinho, is the largest open-air museum in the world: contemporary art spread across 140 hectares of botanical garden and galleries, with works by Brazilian and international artists.
7 Nature and scenery
Serra do Curral
A rock formation on the border with Nova Lima, chosen in a public vote as the city's official symbol. It is the backdrop behind the urban skyline in nearly every BH postcard.
Tours and tickets
Things to do in Belo Horizonte, bookable in English
When to go
Best time to visit Belo Horizonte
Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons run opposite to those in Europe and North America: summer in Belo Horizonte falls between December and March and winter between June and August. Summer is hot, with highs of 28 to 29 °C (January is the hottest month, at 29 °C), and winter is dry and mild: in June, the coolest month, the average high is 25 °C and the low is 15 °C.
The difference between seasons is in the rain. The driest months are July (5 mm over 1 day), June (11 mm over 1 day) and August (11 mm over 1 day). The wettest are December (339 mm over 17 days), January (331 mm over 15 days) and November (236 mm over 14 days), with heavy late-afternoon showers.
For sightseeing with clear days and cool nights, the best window runs from May to August, with June the best month. It is a guide based on historical averages and does not guarantee the weather on any given day. Summer is hotter and rainier.
Best window: May to August More rain / less comfortable Comfort index · INMET (updated 2026)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Rainy days | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29 °C | 20 °C | 331 mm | 15 | Fair |
| February | 29 °C | 20 °C | 178 mm | 10 | Fair |
| March | 28 °C | 20 °C | 198 mm | 11 | Fair |
| April | 28 °C | 19 °C | 82 mm | 7 | Good |
| May | 26 °C | 17 °C | 28 mm | 3 | Very good |
| June | 25 °C | 15 °C | 11 mm | 1 | Very good |
| July | 25 °C | 15 °C | 5 mm | 1 | Very good |
| August | 26 °C | 16 °C | 11 mm | 1 | Very good |
| September | 28 °C | 17 °C | 49 mm | 4 | Very good |
| October | 29 °C | 19 °C | 110 mm | 8 | Good |
| November | 28 °C | 19 °C | 236 mm | 14 | Fair |
| December | 28 °C | 20 °C | 339 mm | 17 | Fair |
Monthly averages for 1991-2020 from INMET (Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology). The rating combines rainfall, temperature and humidity.
The weather in Belo Horizonte, season by season
Summer
In summer (December to February), Belo Horizonte has highs of around 29 °C (84 °F) and lows of 20 °C (68 °F), and it is the wetter season, with about 283 mm of rain spread over about 14 days a month. The days are hot and call for beach time and shade.
Fall
In fall (March to May), Belo Horizonte has highs of around 27 °C (81 °F) and lows of 19 °C (66 °F), and it is the wetter season, with about 103 mm of rain spread over about 7 days a month. Temperatures are pleasant for sightseeing all day.
Winter
In winter (June to August), Belo Horizonte has highs of around 25 °C (77 °F) and lows of 15 °C (59 °F), and it is the driest time of year, with about 9 mm of rain a month. Temperatures are pleasant for sightseeing all day.
Spring
In spring (September to November), Belo Horizonte has highs of around 28 °C (82 °F) and lows of 18 °C (64 °F), and it is the wetter season, with about 132 mm of rain spread over about 9 days a month. The days are hot and call for beach time and shade.
Month by month
Belo Horizonte in every month of the year
Weather, crowds, prices and what is happening at the destination in each period. Tap a month to open its full page; the colored dot shows how good the time is for a visit.
Calendar
Recurring events in Belo Horizonte
February/March
Street Carnival in Belo Horizonte (Carnaval de rua de BH)
One of the biggest street Carnivals in Brazil, with more than 400 blocos (street parties) taking over the streets of the Minas Gerais capital.
April/May
Comida di Buteco (bar food contest)
The contest born in Belo Horizonte sends hundreds of botecos (neighborhood bars) into competition with snacks created just for it. The city calls itself the national capital of the boteco.
July/August
Arraial de Belô
The city's June festival with quadrilha square dancing, forró and traditional food, traditionally held around the Mineirinho arena.
Recurring annual events: exact dates change every year, so confirm them before you plan your trip.
Getting there
Getting to Belo Horizonte from abroad
The gateway from abroad is Tancredo Neves International Airport, known as Confins (CNF), about 40 km from downtown; it handles the international flights and most of the domestic ones. Pampulha Airport (PLU), about 9 km away, serves regional flights.
By land, driving distances are: 586 km from São Paulo (about 7 h), 434 km from Rio de Janeiro (about 6 h) and 716 km from Brasília (about 8 h).
Routes and airlines change often; the safest approach is to check them when planning your trip.
CNF · Tancredo Neves International Airport (Confins), about 40 km (25 mi) from Belo Horizonte
Where to stay
Hotels in Belo Horizonte
Savassi, Santa Tereza and Lourdes hold a good part of the boteco scene and of the city's dining life. Praça da Liberdade brings together museums and cultural centers, and Pampulha has Niemeyer's complex. It is best to choose according to what you want to see first and to allow for transfers: the subway has a single line and almost everything is done by bus or ride-hailing app. BH is a natural base for exploring Minas: from here you can take day trips to Inhotim and to the historic towns without changing hotels.
Rates change with the dates: confirm the price on Booking.com.
Before you go
Practical information for visitors from abroad
Entry requirements
Passport and visa requirements depend on your nationality and can change. Confirm them on the website of Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before buying your flight.
Currency and payments
The currency is the Brazilian real (BRL). Ask your bank or card issuer how payments work abroad, and carry some cash for small expenses.
Language and time
Portuguese is spoken. Belo Horizonte uses Brasília time, UTC−3, all year round.
Airports
Confins (Tancredo Neves International Airport) is about 40 km from downtown and handles the international flights and most of the domestic ones. Pampulha Airport, 9 km away, serves regional flights.
Transportation
BH's subway has a single line, with limited coverage. Day to day, visitors depend on city buses and ride-hailing apps to get from one neighborhood to another.
When to go
The dry winter, from May to August, has clear days and cool nights. Summer, from December to March, is hot and brings most of the rain, with heavy late-afternoon showers.
Boteco and food
BH is considered the national capital of the boteco, with thousands of bars spread across the city. Savassi, Santa Tereza and Lourdes hold a good part of the scene, and Comida di Buteco, between April and May, is the annual showcase of this circuit.
Day trips
The city is a natural base for exploring Minas. Inhotim is about 60 km away, and historic towns such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes are less than 2 h away by car.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about Belo Horizonte
How many days do you need in Belo Horizonte?
Three to four days are enough to see downtown, Pampulha and the food scene at a relaxed pace. To include a day trip to Inhotim or Ouro Preto, add one more day.
What is the best time to visit BH?
The dry winter, from May to August, has more stable weather and cool nights, good for walking around the city: it rains only 5 to 28 mm a month. Summer is hot and rainy, with heavy late-afternoon showers and 339 mm in December.
What should you not miss in Belo Horizonte?
Praça da Liberdade, the Mercado Central and the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Pampulha, a Niemeyer project that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And, of course, a tour of the city's botecos.
Can you visit Inhotim in a day from BH?
Yes. Inhotim is about 60 km away, in Brumadinho, a little over an hour by car. Since the museum is big, at 140 hectares, it is best to leave early and set aside the whole day.
Is BH a good base for visiting the historic towns of Minas?
Yes. Ouro Preto, Mariana and Tiradentes are less than two hours away by car, which lets you use the capital as a base and take day trips without changing hotels.
Why is Belo Horizonte called the capital of the boteco?
Because it has one of the highest concentrations of bars per capita in the country and a deeply rooted boteco culture, celebrated every year at the Comida di Buteco festival, created in 2000 and now one of the biggest food events in Brazil.
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Sources
The weather and population data in this guide come from official agencies and open databases. Entry requirements and health recommendations change: always check the official source linked.