Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto travel guide
Aleijadinho's soapstone, gilded churches and steep gold-rush streets
Ouro Preto is a colonial mining town in Minas Gerais with some of Brazil's best Baroque churches. April to September is dry, with cold mountain nights in June and July. Two or three days is right, including a side trip to Mariana. Costs are moderate, and US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-Visa.
High in the Serra do Espinhaço, about 100 km south-east of Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto is the gold-rush town that once made Portugal rich. Founded in 1698 as Vila Rica, it was capital of Minas Gerais until 1897 and by the mid-eighteenth century held more people than New York. UNESCO lists the whole historic centre for its Baroque churches, painted ceilings and steep cobbled streets.
Gold paid for some of the finest religious art in the Americas. The sculptor Aleijadinho carved the soapstone facade of the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, and the Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar is lined with hundreds of kilos of gilding. Most of the churches charge a small entry and forbid photographs inside.
Praça Tiradentes, at the top of town, holds the Museu da Inconfidência, dedicated to the failed 1789 independence plot whose leader, Tiradentes, gave the square its name. Below it the streets drop away in every direction, and the town feels very different at night, when the student repúblicas of the Federal University fill the bars around Rua Direita.
Walking is the only sensible way around, and it is hard work. Two or three days is enough for the churches, a gold mine tour and a trip to Mariana, the older neighbouring town.
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Top things to do in Ouro Preto
Baroque churches, gold mines, a colonial theatre and hikes in the hills around town.
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Best time to visit Ouro Preto
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Under 30 mm of rain a month, sunny days around 21-23C and nights down to 8C in July.
175-324 mm a month, with December the wettest; cobbles get slippery and hill paths muddy.
Rain eases off or returns gradually, with mild days in the mid-20s.
Carnival brings big student crowds; rooms in the centre sell out months ahead, so book early or stay in Mariana.
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Getting there
Confins airport and the Pássaro Verde bus
Fly into Belo Horizonte's Confins airport, take the airport bus to the city bus station, then a Pássaro Verde coach, about two hours with frequent departures. Útil runs direct coaches from São Paulo and overnight from Rio. The rodoviária is 10 to 15 minutes' downhill walk from Praça Tiradentes. Drivers take BR-356 from Belo Horizonte.
- Pássaro Verde
- Belo Horizonte to Ouro Preto, about 2 hours
- Útil
- Direct coaches from São Paulo and overnight from Rio
- Rodoviária
- North-west edge of town, walkable to Praça Tiradentes
- With luggage, take a taxi from the rodoviária: the walk down is easy but hotels may be up another steep hill.
- Do not plan to drive in the old town; streets are narrow and parking is scarce.
- From Rio by car, come via BR-040 and Ouro Branco.
Where to stay
Praça Tiradentes, Pilar or Antônio Dias
Sleep in the historic centre to avoid long night climbs, and check the steps before booking, as many inns occupy restored colonial houses. Praça Tiradentes is central and flattest, Pilar quieter with small inns, Antônio Dias steep but peaceful. Mariana, 15 km away, is cheaper and handy at carnival.
- Around Praça Tiradentes
- Central and flat-ish, close to museums and restaurants
- Pilar
- Below the main square near the Matriz, quieter and full of small inns
- Antônio Dias
- East side near São Francisco de Assis, quiet streets, steep walks
- Mariana
- Cheaper and calmer, about 15 km away, handy during carnival
Getting around
Cobbles, hills and buses to Mariana
The centre is compact but almost every street is steep and cobbled, so wear shoes with grip. Visitors with limited mobility will struggle. Local buses run to the outer districts and to Mariana; use Moovit for routes and times. Taxis wait near Praça Tiradentes and the rodoviária and are useful for the mines and Itacolomi State Park.
- Walking
- The only practical way around the historic centre
- Buses to Mariana
- Regular local services, routes on Moovit
- Rain makes the polished stones treacherous; take care on the steepest lanes.
Know before you go
What makes Ouro Preto worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- São Francisco de Assis, Aleijadinho's carved facade and Mestre Ataíde's painted ceiling.
- The view from Praça Tiradentes at dusk, over tiled roofs and church towers.
- Mina du Chico Rei, an old gold mine tunnel tied to the legend of an enslaved king who bought his freedom.
- Itacolomi State Park, with forest trails and the twin rock that guided the first prospectors.
Good to know
- No photos inside churches and museums, and most churches charge a small entry.
- Many churches and some museums close on Mondays, so plan the church circuit for other days.
- Mountain nights are cold from May to August; pack a sweater.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Ouro Preto, month by month
Ouro Preto's December brings about 324 mm of rain, while July is dry at roughly 15 mm with nights near 8°C.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Ouro Preto, Brazil (Climatedata.org, via Wikipedia).
Two days on Ouro Preto's hills, from Pilar to Antônio Dias
Ouro Preto's churches and museums fill two days. Start at Praça Tiradentes with the Museu da Inconfidência, then the Casa dos Contos, the gilded Matriz do Pilar and the 1770 Teatro Municipal; on day two, walk east to São Francisco de Assis for Aleijadinho's carving and Ataíde's ceiling, and on to Antônio Dias.
Day one. Start at Praça Tiradentes with the Museu da Inconfidência, then cross the square to the mineral collection of the Escola de Minas. Walk down to the Casa dos Contos, the old gold tax house, and on to the Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar, which is heavy with gilding. After lunch, see the Teatro Municipal, opened in 1770 and among the oldest working theatres in South America. Climb back up to watch the sun set over the town from the square.
Day two. Head east to the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis for Aleijadinho's carving and Ataíde's ceiling, then visit the Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Antônio Dias, where Aleijadinho is buried. After lunch, go underground at a gold mine such as Mina du Chico Rei. In the evening take the bus to Mariana, or stay for a drink on Rua Direita among the students. If your dates fall in carnival, see our Ouro Preto Carnival page first.
Tutu, feijão tropeiro and wood-fired mineiro kitchens
Minas Gerais has Brazil's most loved regional cooking, slow and heavy and built for cold mountain evenings. Look for feijão tropeiro, beans tossed with manioc flour, sausage, egg and kale, and tutu à mineira, a thick bean purée served with pork. Frango com quiabo, chicken stewed with okra, and feijoada appear at weekends.
Many restaurants serve buffet-style from a wood-fired stove, the fogão a lenha, where you fill your plate from clay pots. Breakfast or a mid-afternoon coffee comes with pão de queijo, cheese bread, and slices of queijo minas. Finish with doce de leite or guava paste with cheese, which mineiros call Romeu e Julieta.
Restaurants in the centre cluster around Rua Direita, Praça Tiradentes and the Pilar area. Cachaça from Minas is highly regarded; small shops sell aged bottles from local stills.
Carnival, Semana Santa and a day in Mariana
Ouro Preto peaks twice: Carnival, a student party run by the repúblicas, falls on 6 to 9 February in 2027, while Semana Santa brings solemn processions over carpets of flowers and sawdust. The university's Winter Festival fills July. December and January are wettest, with about 324 and 283 mm, and winter is dry.
The climate figures explain the timing. December brings about 324 mm of rain and January 283 mm, while June to August see under 25 mm a month and nights of 8-10C. Highs barely move from 21C to 26C all year.
For a day trip, Mariana is about 15 km east and older than Ouro Preto, with the Praça Minas Gerais and its two churches facing a colonial pillory. Itacolomi State Park, between the two towns, has trails to the twin rock.
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How we research our Ouro Preto travel guide
Coach links, church hours and Carnival dates for Ouro Preto were checked with the city, Visit Brasil and Brazil's foreign ministry.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of Ouro PretoBrazil Ministry of Foreign AffairsVisit Brasil
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Ouro Preto.
General
Pássaro Verde coaches leave the Belo Horizonte bus station many times a day and take about two hours.
No. Photography is not allowed inside the churches and museums.
Antônio Francisco Lisboa, the eighteenth-century sculptor and architect behind the facade of the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis. He is buried in the Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição.
In February or early March, over the days before Ash Wednesday; in 2027 it runs from 6 to 9 February. Book rooms well ahead.
In July nights fall to about 8C, with daytime highs around 21C. Bring warm clothes for the evenings.
A museum on Praça Tiradentes about the 1789 independence plot led by Tiradentes, with colonial art and the conspirators' memorial.
The centre is compact but very steep, with polished cobbles. Good shoes are essential and it is difficult for people with limited mobility.
Rules have changed recently. The park reopened in June 2026 after about three years of restricted access, with visitor services now run by the concessionaire Parquetur under the state forestry institute IEF. Some trails can be walked independently, but check current opening days and guide rules with Parquetur or IEF before going.
The centre is compact but almost every street is steep and cobbled, so wear shoes with grip. Visitors with limited mobility will struggle. Local buses run to the outer districts and to Mariana; use Moovit for routes and times.
Getting there
Belo Horizonte-Confins (CNF). From there take an airport bus into Belo Horizonte, then a coach on to Ouro Preto.
About 15 km east by road, served by regular local buses.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Ouro Preto is Apr to Sep. Dry, clear days for climbing the hills, though nights get cold.
- Dry winter: May - August (Under 30 mm of rain a month, sunny days around 21-23C and nights down to 8C in July)
- Wet summer: November - March (175-324 mm a month, with December the wettest; cobbles get slippery and hill paths muddy)
- Shoulder: April, September - October (Rain eases off or returns gradually, with mild days in the mid-20s)
January is the warmest month in Ouro Preto, with average highs of 26°C, and July the coolest, with lows of 8°C. December is the wettest month, at about 324 mm of rain; July is the driest. Ouro Preto's December brings about 324 mm of rain, while July is dry at roughly 15 mm with nights near 8°C.
Visa & documents
UK and EU citizens, among many others, can spend up to 90 days in Brazil as tourists without a visa. Since April 2025, citizens of the US, Canada and Australia need an electronic visa (e-Visa) applied for online before travel.
Health & safety
Street crime is a real concern in big cities, especially phone snatching and robbery. Stick to busy areas, carry little, and use ride-hailing at night.
