This guide is for you if you want one day out of Rio and the mountains appeal more than another beach. Petrópolis was the summer town of Brazil's emperors, and the sights are close together. Here is what to decide before you book: the day of the week, the season, and what to do with the free time.
Pick the day of the week first
The Imperial Museum and other sights in Petrópolis are closed on Mondays. That one fact rules out a day, so start there.
The rest of the week is not all the same. The Crystal Palace, Santos Dumont's house and the guided visits at Palácio Quitandinha all run from Tuesday to Sunday. If you want to add a brewery, the Bohemia brewery, which traces its start in Petrópolis to 1853, runs its visits from Thursday to Sunday. A Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday gives you everything open.
Opening hours change, and the sources do not always agree. Check the official sites before you go if one stop matters to you.
When to go
Petrópolis is cooler than Rio and can be misty, at any time of year. Bring a light jacket even in summer.
The summer months need more thought. The town has a long history of floods from heavy summer rain, and its hills make heavy storms worse when cold fronts pass through. On 15 February 2022 a storm and the landslides it caused killed at least 231 people, the worst disaster in the town's history. This does not mean you should avoid January or February. It does mean you should look at the forecast in the days before you go.
How the day fits together
You are collected at 07:00, and the drive up the Serra takes about an hour and a half. Petrópolis is less than 80 kilometres from Rio. You are back at your hotel at about 16:00.
The first stop, at 08:45, is Palácio Quitandinha, the huge 1940s hotel and casino by a lake. It was built when gambling was still legal in Brazil, and the ban came only a few years later. The flats were sold off, and the common rooms are now run as a cultural centre that you can visit.
Then the centre: the cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara at 09:30, the Crystal Palace at 10:15 and the Imperial Museum at 11:00. The museum has the longest slot, and it is the stop to stretch if history is why you came. Lunch is at 12:30 along the river avenues, Santos Dumont's house at 13:45, and you start back down at 14:30.
Because the car is yours, the order can change. Tell your driver if you want longer in the museum and less at lunch, or if you want a brewery on the way back.
What you are looking at
The Imperial Museum
This was Pedro II's summer palace. Its best-known object is the imperial crown, made in Rio for his coronation in July 1841: an 18-carat gold frame set with 639 diamonds and 77 pearls. It has been on show here since 1943. You put felt overshoes on over your own to protect the original floors, and photographs are not allowed inside the building. The gardens are open separately and are free.
The cathedral
A neo-Gothic church, listed by the national heritage institute in 1980, with the imperial mausoleum where Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina are buried. The tower has a carillon brought from Germany, and there are visits up into the upper part of the church. Avoid the times of Mass if you want to walk round.
The Crystal Palace
The iron-and-glass pavilion opened on 2 February 1884. Count d'Eu, the husband of Princess Isabel, had the structure ordered from France to house a horticultural show, on the model of the Crystal Palace in London. Entry is free.
Santos Dumont's house
The aviation pioneer designed the chalet himself in 1918 and called it A Encantada. It had no kitchen: he had his meals sent up from a hotel. Look at the stairs. The steps are cut away so that you have to start on the right foot. It has been a museum since 1956.
On your own or with a driver
The sights in the centre are close to each other, so once you are in Petrópolis much of the day can be done on foot. The hard part is getting up the Serra and back in time for dinner. A private car does that, waits while you are in the museum, and lets you change the order on the day. Entrances and lunch are paid on the day. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- A light jacket or jumper, and an umbrella in summer.
- Some local cash. The Imperial Museum has taken its entrance in cash only.
- Shoes you can walk in on old pavements and the museum floors.
Who it suits
It suits anyone curious about Brazil's history. If you travel with children, Santos Dumont's house and its strange stairs are the stop to save their energy for. The stairs are steep and awkward, though, so anyone unsteady on their feet may prefer to stay on the ground floor. The museum floors are polished and you walk in overshoes, so take care.
If you only have one day outside Rio, this is the shortest drive of our three. Búzios and Paraty both take longer on the road.
Questions people ask
Is the road up the mountain safe?
Yes. It is a busy main road, and your driver knows it well.
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 any day but Monday, look at the forecast if it is summer, and decide whether you want a brewery. Our guide to day trips from Rio de Janeiro compares this day with the others. Timings and what is included are on the Petrópolis private day trip page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
