← Belo Horizonte Marathon·3 nights

Tiradentes and São João del Rei: Three Nights and a Heritage Railway

Two neighbouring historic towns joined by a heritage railway, based in one place with short visits and rest days between.

Duration3 nights
TransitRegional coach (a Sandra link is listed in the municipal directory); check travel time with the operator
DepartsBelo Horizonte

After the Belo Horizonte Marathon: Tiradentes and São João del Rei

The Route: Belo Horizonte → Tiradentes (base) → São João del Rei → Belo Horizonte → Airport Logistics: A regional coach. Belo Horizonte's municipal directory lists Sandra coach links to the area, so check the current travel time and departures with the operator. Marathon Month: June Duration: 3 nights

Belo Horizonte ──(regional coach)──> Tiradentes (base) ──(short hop or heritage train)──> São João del Rei
       ▲                                                                                        │
       └────────────────────────(regional coach)──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

A longer stay works best with one base and short outings. Tiradentes and São João del Rei are neighbouring historic towns, and a heritage railway runs between them. The sections below set out a sequence, not a timed itinerary, so check coach times when you book.

June in the region: The dry season. Belo Horizonte's June normals show 11.4 mm of rain, a mean daily minimum of 15.4°C and a mean daily maximum of 24.9°C. Expect cooler evenings in the hills.

Nights One to Three: One Base

Choose Tiradentes or São João del Rei as your base and stay there for all three nights, leaving your luggage with the property. Short visits to the historic centre are enough for the first day. Cobbled streets, old stations and hotel stairs all need a recovery-conscious plan, so ask about a ground-floor room.

The tourist train between São João del Rei and Tiradentes changed operator on 1 October 2026, when operation and ticket sales passed from VLI to the ABPF. Follow the current ticket link for the Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas, not an old VLI calendar, and check the actual operating days before you pick your nights.

Rates and availability change, so ask the town's tourism office for current options.

Getting Home

Return to Belo Horizonte by regional coach and keep a spare night before a valuable international connection if the timetables are uncertain. Confins airport (CNF) is reached from Belo Horizonte by the Conexão Aeroporto coach to Álvares Cabral, about 50 minutes on the operator's ordinary estimate.