This guide is for you if you are staying in Belo Horizonte and want the two old gold towns in one day. It covers what to decide before you book: the month, the day of the week, the shoes, whether to try the bus, and whether everyone in your group is happy on steep stone streets.
When to go
The weather splits the year in two. From November to March it is the rainy season around Ouro Preto. December is usually the wettest month, followed by November and January, and the rain tends to come as afternoon showers. Wet stones on a steep hill are the main hazard of the day, so in those months the morning in Ouro Preto is the part to protect.
From June to August it is dry. July gets very little rain on average, but it is also the coolest month, with nights around 11°C. Days are mild. Winter is high season in Ouro Preto: Brazilian school holidays fall in July, and the town holds its winter festival. April to June and October are the quieter compromise, with milder weather and fewer people.
Holy Week is a different day altogether. Ouro Preto is one of the places Brazilians travel to for Easter, and hotels fill up. On the night before Easter Sunday, residents lay carpets of coloured sawdust along about two kilometres of street, from the Basílica do Pilar to the Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, for the procession after morning mass. It is a fine thing to see, but expect crowds and long waits for lunch, sometimes over an hour.
Mondays, and checking the doors
Many museums and churches in Ouro Preto close on Mondays. Choose another day if you can. The day is built around two of them, the church of São Francisco de Assis and the Museu da Inconfidência, and on a Monday you would mostly see their outsides.
Opening hours here can also change at short notice; the Museu da Inconfidência has had to shut its rooms without warning before. The church of São Francisco is managed together with the Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, and it closes for lunch in the middle of the day. Our 09:30 visit falls in the morning session. If you are planning a visit on your own, check the official channels before you go.
How the day fits together
You are collected at 07:00 and reach Praça Tiradentes at about 09:00, after roughly two hours on the road. The square sits between the old governor's palace and the old town hall and jail. That second building was finished in 1785 and has held the Museu da Inconfidência since the 1940s, so the morning stays within a few hundred metres of where you get out.
Ouro Preto was the capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 to 1897, and in 1980 it became the first Brazilian site on UNESCO's cultural World Heritage list. When the gold ran out in the nineteenth century the town lost its importance, and that is largely why the colonial streets survived.
After lunch you drive about 12 km to Mariana. Gold was found here in 1696 and it became a vila in 1711, the first in Minas Gerais. It was also the first capital and the first bishopric. Its centre is flat and laid out on a plan, which feels easy after Ouro Preto's hills. In the cathedral, the Sé, look up at the organ. It was built in Hamburg early in the eighteenth century and came to Brazil as a gift from the Portuguese crown to Mariana's first bishop. It was taken apart and sent to Europe for restoration in 1979, and came back in 1984. It is still played at masses and concerts.
You leave Mariana at about 14:45 and are back at your hotel at around 17:00. The vehicle is yours alone, so the order can change. Tell your driver in the morning if you want longer in one town and less in the other.
Going down a gold mine
There are old mines open to visitors between Ouro Preto and Mariana, and we can fit one in if you tell your driver. At the Mina da Passagem, in the Passagem district of Mariana, you go down in an old mine trolley along a track of about 315 metres, to a depth of around 120 metres. The guided walk underground takes about 45 minutes. The temperature below stays between about 17°C and 20°C, so it works in any season. In Ouro Preto itself, the Mina do Chico Rei has colonial galleries you can walk through with a guide. Adding a mine means less time somewhere else, so decide in the morning what gives way.
By bus, or with a driver
You can reach Ouro Preto by public transport. Buses run several times a day from the Belo Horizonte bus station, and the trip takes about two to two and a half hours depending on traffic. That works well if you sleep a night in Ouro Preto. As a return trip in one day, with Mariana as well, the timetable sets your pace.
If you drive yourself, note that the historic centre has narrow, steep streets and almost no street parking, especially at weekends and on holidays.
A private day gives you the door-to-door run from your hotel, both towns, and a driver who waits while you walk. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Entrances to churches and museums, and lunch, are paid on the day.
What to bring
- Shoes with a good grip. Not sandals or smooth soles. The stones are slippery when wet.
- A light rain jacket from November to March, and a warm layer for the early start from June to August.
- Some cash. Some restaurants in Ouro Preto take only cash or Pix, and you will pay church entrances on the day.
- Sun cream and water. You spend a lot of the morning outside, climbing.
Lunch is comida mineira: beans, pork, greens and cheese bread. On weekends and holidays the popular places fill early, so it pays to eat before the rush.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone who wants the gold towns and has one day to give them. A family or group of friends gets the most from it, because the vehicle is shared only among you.
- Someone in your group has limited mobility. Ouro Preto's streets are very steep. Mariana is much easier. Tell us when you book, and ask your driver to adjust the stops on the day.
- You land at Confins that morning. A 07:00 start after a night flight is hard. Book the tour for the next day and use our airport transfers for the first run.
- You only have half a day. Our Belo Horizonte city tour with Pampulha takes four hours.
- You want the countryside more than the churches. The Lavras Novas day drives through Ouro Preto and goes on to a hill village.
Questions people ask
Can we stay the night in Ouro Preto?
Yes. We drop you on one day and collect you on another. Message us for a price. In Holy Week, book your room months ahead.
We are more than 16. Can we still go?
Yes. Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us with your numbers.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Pick a day that is not a Monday, with the rain and Easter in mind, and pack shoes that grip. If you are still choosing between our days out, the guide to day trips from Belo Horizonte compares all five. Everything else is on the Ouro Preto and Mariana private day trip page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
