Skip to content
Compare destinations

Which is better: Petrópolis or São João del-Rei?

Short answer

Petrópolis is in Rio de Janeiro and its surroundings (RJ), while São João del-Rei is in the Historic Cities of Minas Gerais (MG): different regions of Brazil. Petrópolis: the Imperial City in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state; São João del-Rei: Aleijadinho's Baroque, a century-old steam train and the hometown of Tancredo Neves, in a historic city that still goes about its everyday life, with a real university and real shops. The weather is similar in both this month. Driving from São Paulo, São João del-Rei costs less.

Sources: INMET (updated 2026) · ANP · OpenStreetMap
Petrópolis São João del-Rei
Best time to visit Apr → Oct May → Sep
Weather this month 25° · 9 days of rain 27° · 9 days of rain
By car R$ 359 · from São Paulo R$ 280 · from São Paulo
Ideal stay 2–3 days 1–2 days
Best for Romantic, Food, Family, Relax Family, Romantic, Food
Choose Petrópolis if

you want a trip for couples and food lovers: palaces, mountain weather and craft beer an hour from Rio.

See guide
Choose São João del-Rei if

you want a trip for families and couples: Aleijadinho's Baroque, a century-old steam train and the hometown of Tancredo Neves, in a historic city that still goes about its everyday life, with a real university and real shops.

See guide
Comparison tool
Compare Petrópolis and São João del-Rei with any other destination
Build your own side-by-side table with up to 3 destinations.
Open the comparison tool
Where to stay

Where to stay: Petrópolis or São João del-Rei

The average nightly rate is around R$ 303 in Petrópolis and R$ 511 in São João del-Rei; what changes in practice is each place's season. Check current prices for your dates before deciding.

Compare hotels and places to stay in Petrópolis on Booking.com, with up-to-date prices and availability, before you book.

Hotel Vila Bavaria Petropolis in Petrópolis 8.6 ★★★ · 102 reviews Hotel Vila Bavaria Petropolis See on Booking → Hotel Solar do Imperio in Petrópolis 9.3 ★★★ · 10 reviews Hotel Solar do Imperio See on Booking →
See all hotels in Petrópolis

Compare hotels and places to stay in São João del-Rei on Booking.com, with up-to-date prices and availability, before you book.

See all hotels in São João del-Rei

Rates change with the dates: confirm the price on Booking.com.

Frequently asked questions

Petrópolis or São João del-Rei: which is better?
Petrópolis is in Rio de Janeiro and its surroundings (RJ), while São João del-Rei is in the Historic Cities of Minas Gerais (MG): different regions of Brazil. Petrópolis: the Imperial City in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state; São João del-Rei: Aleijadinho's Baroque, a century-old steam train and the hometown of Tancredo Neves, in a historic city that still goes about its everyday life, with a real university and real shops. The weather is similar in both this month. Driving from São Paulo, São João del-Rei costs less.
What is the best time to visit Petrópolis and São João del-Rei?
The best time to visit Petrópolis is from April to October; for São João del-Rei, it is from May to September, based on INMET's climate normals (temperature and rainfall for each month). If your trip already has a date, check each destination's page for your month.
Which of the two is cheaper to get to?
By car, leaving from São Paulo, Petrópolis is 450 km (280 mi) and costs about R$ 359 each way (fuel plus tolls); leaving from São Paulo, São João del-Rei is 471 km (293 mi) and costs about R$ 280 each way (fuel plus tolls). The calculation assumes a car that gets 11 km/L. Lodging and activities vary with each place's season.
Where does it rain less, Petrópolis or São João del-Rei?
Averaged over the year, Petrópolis has 10 rainy days a month and São João del-Rei has 9. São João del-Rei is the drier of the two over the year as a whole, but what decides the trip is the month: the rainiest month in Petrópolis is January and in São João del-Rei, December. For temperature, São João del-Rei is the warmer one (average high of 26° versus 25°).
How many days should you spend in Petrópolis and in São João del-Rei?
To see the main sights without rushing, Petrópolis calls for 2–3 days and São João del-Rei, 1–2 days. These are distant regions: with a week or less, it is usually better to pick one of the two and make the most of it.
Petrópolis or São João del-Rei with kids?
Both work with kids: Petrópolis (imperial legacy, mountain climate, and craft beer) and São João del-Rei (Minas Baroque, living historic city, and steam train). The choice usually comes down to getting there, not to infrastructure. With small children, weather matters: São João del-Rei has fewer rainy days over the year.
What should you not miss in each?
In Petrópolis: Imperial Museum, Crystal Palace, Santos Dumont House. In São João del-Rei: Church of São Francisco de Assis, Cathedral Basilica of Nossa Senhora do Pilar, Steam train to Tiradentes. These are the sights that show up most in first-trip itineraries for each destination; the full guide to each has the whole list.