What to Do in Belo Horizonte
The city of Belo Horizonte is the capital of Minas Gerais, in Brazil’s Southeast region, and it’s a quick destination to visit — 2 to 3 days are more than enough to enjoy the city, see its attractions, taste the delicious Minas Gerais cuisine, and discover just how welcoming its people are.
We visited over a holiday, planning to explore the city and also visit Parque do Inhotim. We split our city sightseeing across two days: the first exploring downtown, and the second visiting attractions around Lagoa da Pampulha.
We’d also recommend renting a car to get around more easily, since the attractions are spread far apart, making it easier to travel between them. You can also get around with ride-share apps, though that might end up making the trip pricier.
Day One - Historic Downtown Belo Horizonte
Praça do Papa
Located in the Mangabeiras neighborhood, Praça Israel Pinheiro, better known as Praça do Papa, is one of the capital’s postcard landmarks, and a great spot to catch the sunset, since it offers a beautiful view over the city.
The square was originally named to honor politician Israel Pinheiro, who governed the state. Either way, the name Praça do Papa became cemented after Pope John Paul II’s visit to the city in 1980, when he held Mass on the site.
The peace monument stands at the highest point of the square, a sculpture 24 meters tall, 10 meters wide at the face, and 2 meters deep, weighing 92 tons, created by artist Ricardo Carvão. Beside it stands a cross.
Praça do Papa
Location: Avenida Agulhas Negras, s/n - Mangabeiras – Mangabeiras. Hours: open 24 hours. Admission: free.
Parque das Mangabeiras
Near Praça do Papa is Parque das Mangabeiras, home to lush natural scenery, sports courts, a skate park, playgrounds, and finally, lookouts. The park sits at the foot of the Serra do Curral, offering even more incredible scenery.
A cultural landmark of Belo Horizonte, designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, it preserves an area of 2.4 million m². It’s also home to 59 springs of the Córrego da Serra, which feeds into the São Francisco River basin.
Location: Avenida José do Patrocínio Pontes, 580 - Mangabeiras. Hours: open Tuesday to Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Admission: free.
Mirante do Mangabeiras
Mirante do Mangabeiras, without a doubt, offers visitors a beautiful panoramic view of the city of Belo Horizonte. It sits within an environmental preservation area, and it also has two wooden decks that showcase the scenery.
By recommendation of the Municipal Health Department, to access the park and the lookout, you need to present not just a photo ID, but also proof of yellow fever vaccination, dated at least 10 days before your visit.
Your car must be parked before entering the site, though seniors or people with mobility limitations can drive their vehicle up.
Mirante Belo Horizonte
Location: Rua Pedro José Pardo, 1000 – Mangabeiras. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 6:30 PM. Admission: free.
Praça da Liberdade
Praça da Liberdade is one of BH’s postcard landmarks, so a great spot for beautiful photos. There, you’ll find plenty of flowers, lawns, water fountains, and finally, a bandstand. Its gardens were inspired by the Palace of Versailles, in France, and construction began in 1895. For a long time, it was the seat of power in Minas Gerais, though that’s changed over the years.
Around the square, we’d recommend the “Circuito Liberdade,” a group of 17 institutions housing museums, interactive spaces, libraries, and planetariums. Most are free and genuinely easy to access. For more information, check the Circuito Liberdade website.
Praça da Liberdade
Location: Praça da Liberdade – Savassi. Hours: 24 hours. Admission: free.
Memorial Minas Gerais Vale
The Memorial Minas Gerais Vale (website) tells the stories of Minas Gerais’s traditions through interactive exhibits. You’ll feel transported from the 18th to the 21st century, and get to learn the stories of the key figures from that period. It spans three floors, and we thought the most interesting was, without a doubt, the second.
The building dates to 1897 and once housed the Minas Gerais State Treasury Department, and the complex is designated a landmark by the State Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage of Minas Gerais (Iepha/MG).
The museum also has a community space, with a café, garden, a Read + Watch room, a media library, and an auditorium meant to host courses, seminars, and presentations.
Memorial Minas Gerais Vale
Location: Praça da Liberdade, 640 – on the corner of Rua Gonçalves Dias. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5:30 PM; Thursday, 10 AM to 9:30 PM; Sunday, 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission: free.
Museu das Minas e do Metal
Today’s Museu das Minas e do Metal (website), on Praça da Liberdade, opened in 1987 to serve as the State Department of Education. It holds an important collection on mining and metallurgy, both key economic activities in Minas Gerais.
The space aims to highlight the everyday and economic significance of minerals and their cultural and social implications, offering both temporary and long-term exhibitions, plus virtual tours.
Museu das Minas e do Metal
Location: Praça da Liberdade, s/n – Prédio Rosa. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 6 PM; every last Tuesday of the month, noon to 5 PM; Thursday, noon to 10 PM. Admission: free.
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte
This building opened in 1930, and today it’s home to CCBB BH (website), though it previously housed the Minas Gerais State Interior Department, and since 2013 it’s been converted into a cultural space. It’s one of the ten most-visited museums in Brazil, according to IBRAM’s rankings (Brazilian Institute of Museums).
Its exterior features an imposing structure. Exhibitions are free, though shows and theater performances are paid, at affordable prices.
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Belo Horizonte
Location: Praça da Liberdade, 450. Hours: Wednesday to Monday, 9 AM to 9 PM. Closed Tuesdays. Admission: free.
Edifício Niemeyer
The Edifício Niemeyer is a residential building, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1954 and completed in 1960, on the site where the Palacete Dolabela once stood.
Considered one of the landmarks of modern architecture in Brazil, the building is absolutely groundbreaking, not just for its curved shapes echoing the mountains of Minas Gerais and creating richly designed interior spaces within its apartments, but also for its striking horizontal brise-soleil façade, which reinforces its curved movement and vertical rhythm.
Since it’s a residential building, visits aren’t permitted.
Edifício Niemeyer
Location: Praça da Liberdade - Savassi.
Palácio da Liberdade Belo Horizonte
Opened in 1898. In the late 19th century, the city of Belo Horizonte was planned to become the state’s new capital. Praça da Liberdade was chosen as the site for the administrative center, while the Palácio da Liberdade was built to serve as its headquarters and the symbol of government.
It’s the former workplace of the Governor of Minas Gerais, who’s now based at the Edifício Tiradentes in the Cidade Administrativa.
Palácio da Liberdade
Location: Praça da Liberdade, s/n – Centro. Hours: open to the public on weekends, with small groups of up to 12 people, at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM. Admission: purchase through Sympla’s website.
Mercado Central
The Mercado Central de Belo Horizonte (website) has existed for eight decades, and it was a spot we loved exploring for its Minas Gerais cuisine, flavors, and aromas, found on the first floor, with crafts on the second floor.
Great for discovering Minas Gerais traditions, since it has about 400 stalls selling all kinds of cheese, spices, cachaça, crafts, sweets, household goods, religious items, and more.
Mercado Central de Belo Horizonte
We went there since Andrey wanted to try the famous liver with jiló with a nice cold beer, and there are several bars in the market selling this specialty. He liked it and thought it was well worth trying.
Liver with jiló at the Belo Horizonte market
Location: Avenida Augusto de Lima, 744 – Centro. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM; Sundays and holidays, 7 AM to 1 PM. Admission: free.
Mercado Novo in Belo Horizonte
Opened in 1963, this market has come roaring back onto the Belo Horizonte scene, filled with creative businesses and a young crowd. With several small shops and spots to sit, eat, and drink a cold beer, it’s well worth visiting both markets and comparing them.
Mercado Novo, Belo Horizonte
Location: Rua Rio Grande do Sul, 499 - Centro. Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 8 AM to 10 PM; Sundays, 8 AM to 6 PM; Monday and Tuesday, 8 AM to 10 PM. Admission: free.
Day Two - Conjunto Arquitetônico da Pampulha in Belo Horizonte
Pampulha is considered a must-see stop when it comes to what to do in Belo Horizonte, and without a doubt, it was our favorite part of the trip. It’s also the city’s postcard landmark, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The famous Lagoa da Pampulha spans 18 km around, ideal for a walk, renting a bike, or simply taking in nature. When we visited, the bike path was under renovation, but it should be beautiful once the work wraps up — everywhere you look is a wonderful photo spot.
Other sites to visit within the architectural complex include the Museu de Arte da Pampulha (MAP), Casa do Baile, and Casa Kubitschek, though not all are open.
Lagoa da Pampulha
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis (website) has beautiful architecture, with a panel in an intensely blue color that really catches the eye. Made by Cândido Portinari, it shows a dog representing a wolf alongside São Francisco de Assis. The church opened in 1943, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, with gardens by Burle Marx.
Its interior holds the Stations of the Cross, made up of fourteen panels by Cândido Portinari, considered one of his most significant works.
Front of the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 3000 - Pampulha. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM; Sundays, 11 AM to 2 PM. Every Sunday at 10 AM, Mass is held at the church. Admission: R$5.00 per person.
Parque de Diversões Guanabara
Parque de Diversões Guanabara (website) is one of the most traditional amusement parks in Minas Gerais, and can be seen across the street from the church. From a distance, you can already spot its Ferris wheel, one of the largest in Latin America, offering a view over the entire Lagoa da Pampulha.
There are other rides too, like a carousel, roller coaster, and skill games and arcades, though the Ferris wheel is the highlight.
Parque Guanabara
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 3333 – Pampulha. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 1 PM to 10 PM; Sunday, 11 AM to 9:30 PM. Admission: a R$2.50 fee is charged for an electronic card — kids up to 1.50m, people with disabilities, and seniors over 60 don’t pay. Each ride costs on average R$5.25 to R$9.70, with an extra R$3.00 charge on weekends and holidays.
Casa Kubitschek
Casa Kubitschek is a modernist house built as the weekend home of then-mayor Juscelino Kubitschek (1940-1945). A landmark of 1940s modern architecture, the house was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and its architectural design draws on the distinctive “butterfly roof” and Burle Marx’s gardens.
After Kubitschek moved on in 1951, the property was sold to the family of his advisor and friend, Joubert Guerra, who decorated the house and are responsible not just for the collection of modernist furniture spanning the 1940s to 1960s, but also for beautiful woodwork pieces that make up its perfect collection.
The museum opened in 2013, but it’s currently closed.
Casa Juscelino Kubitschek
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 4188 – Pampulha. Hours: closed.
Casa do Baile
Situated on a small artificial island along the shores of Lagoa da Pampulha, this building was conceived by Juscelino Kubitschek and designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and it stands out for its curves. Opened in 1943 as a small, more popular dance restaurant. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since 2002, it’s functioned as a Reference Center for Architecture, Urbanism, and Design, tied to the Municipal Culture Foundation, under the Municipal Culture Department. It hosts temporary exhibitions and publishes materials, runs seminars, meetings, and other events.
Casa do Baile
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 751. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Admission: free.
Museu de Arte da Pampulha (MAP)
The Museu de Arte da Pampulha was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built to serve as a casino, in the early 1940s, during Mayor Juscelino Kubitschek’s administration, with gardens by Burle Marx.
The building sat without a defined purpose for ten years, since gambling was banned in Brazil in 1946. The museum opened in 1957, as a result of Belo Horizonte’s urban, population, and cultural expansion.
Its collection holds roughly 1,400 works in storage, and it hosts exhibitions along with various artistic, educational, and cultural programs, plus an auditorium seating 170 people. It’s made up mostly of donations, and it displays works by major names in Brazilian art, like Di Cavalcanti, Portinari, Tomie Ohtake, and other artists.
It’s also currently closed, though we couldn’t find the reason.
Museu de Arte da Pampulha
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 16585 – Pampulha. Hours: closed.
Jardim Botânico de Belo Horizonte
The Jardim Botânico has seven themed gardens, 130 endangered plant species, and 3,500 on display — but it’s completely neglected, and we wouldn’t say it’s worth visiting. The entrance is shared with the zoo and the Japanese Garden.
Jardim Botânico
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 8,000 – Pampulha. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday and holidays, 8 AM to 5 PM. Admission: Tuesday to Friday: R$5.00; Saturday: R$6.00; Sunday and holidays: R$9.60. The ticket also grants access to the Zoo, and parking costs R$15.00.
Jardim Zoológico de Belo Horizonte
The Belo Horizonte Zoo has existed since 1959, and it’s also home to the Reptile House, holding 258 individuals across 26 species, and the Butterfly House, with about a thousand animals across 20 different species, along with other spaces. As mentioned, the same ticket grants access to the Botanical Garden.
At the entrance, you need to present not just photo ID, but also a vaccination card proving your yellow fever shot was administered more than ten days prior.
Zoológico, Belo Horizonte
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 8,000 – Pampulha. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday and holidays, 8 AM to 5 PM. Admission: Tuesday to Friday: R$5.00; Saturday: R$6.00; Sunday and holidays: R$9.60. The ticket also grants access to the Zoo, and parking costs R$15.00.
Jardim Japonês
A combination of plant species of Eastern origin alongside Brazilian flora catches visitors’ attention at the Jardim Japonês, run by the Municipal Parks and Zoobotanical Foundation.
The Jardim Japonês serves as a kind of “welcome card” for anyone entering through the Foundation’s main gate, located inside the Zoo, right before the Botanical Garden.
The design, by landscape architect Haruho Ieda, draws inspiration from gardens found across Japan, promoting “respect for nature.” It’s made up of landscaping elements carrying deeply significant symbolism, tied to Zen Buddhist philosophy concepts, seeking naturalness, serenity, asymmetry, and finally, simplicity.
This is the best-preserved part of the whole park, and the only one we thought was genuinely worth visiting, though the space is quite small.
Jardim Japonês
Location: Avenida Otacílio Negrão de Lima, 8,000 – Pampulha. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday and holidays, 8 AM to 5 PM. Admission: Tuesday to Friday: R$5.00; Saturday: R$6.00; Sunday and holidays: R$9.60. The ticket also grants access to the Zoo, and parking costs R$15.00.
Mineirão
The Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto, better known as Mineirão, is home to Clube Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. The stadium hosted the 2014 World Cup, site of the famous, heartbreaking match when Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany and was eliminated from the competition, and it also hosted the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, commissioned by Mayor Juscelino Kubitschek, it was built between 1942 and 1944, and without a doubt, it’s considered a World Heritage Site.
You can take a guided tour, exploring behind the scenes and restricted areas where players walk through on match days. You can also visit the Museu Brasileiro do Futebol, and learn the history of the sport in Minas Gerais and Brazil.
Mineirão
Location: Av. Coronel Oscar Paschoal, s/n, Portão G2 – Pampulha. Hours: Tuesday, 9 AM to 8 PM, with hourly entry; Wednesday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, with hourly entry; Saturday and Sunday, 9 AM to 1 PM. Admission: Behind-the-Scenes Tour + Museu Brasileiro do Futebol, R$50.00; Behind-the-Scenes Tour, R$40.00; or zipline, R$70.00.
Day Three - Parque do Inhotim
Parque do Inhotim (website) is, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular contemporary art museums in the world. With green space and gardens that make it a genuinely unique place, it would already be worth the visit just for the greenery — beyond that, the site has galleries and contemporary art installations scattered throughout.
If you arrive early, you can visit the park in a single day, either by golf cart or on foot. It also hosts a range of programming, like musical performances and even major festivals.
Conceived in the mid-’80s by Minas Gerais businessman Bernardo de Mello Paz, Inhotim was once a private property that gradually transformed into a botanical garden and a grand contemporary art museum. Today, it holds more than twenty galleries spread across more than 20 km² of green space.
So we’d recommend adding this park to your itinerary, especially if you have an extra day.
Parque do Inhotim
Location: Rua B, 20 Fazenda Inhotim - Brumadinho. Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Admission: buy through the Sympla app.
Where to Eat in Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte has plenty of restaurants for every taste and budget, and we visited a few of the most recommended spots in the city, listing them here in order of how much we liked them.
Xapuri Restaurante
Xapuri Restaurante (Instagram) is a traditional Minas Gerais spot in Pampulha. We think it belongs on your must-visit list, since it’s delicious, and the best tip we can give you is to arrive early, especially on holidays or weekends, since the lines here run for miles.
We ordered several portions to try a variety of dishes, like fried cassava with mozzarella (R$24.00), fried pork ribs served nice and crisp (R$79.90), sausage with onion made in-house (R$46.90), and pork belly cracklings (R$39.90).
There are other starters and main dishes too, like half a chicken with beans, collard greens, okra, and angus (R$109.90), pot-roasted pork loin with rice, tutu, and golden potatoes (R$105.90), and aged picanha with beans, egg farofa, and potatoes (R$218.90), most serving 2 people.
The desserts are also genuinely Minas Gerais style, picked and weighed, then charged at the table. On your way out, there’s complimentary coffee with corn cake, also, without a doubt, really tasty.
Xapuri Restaurante
Location: Rua Mandacarú, 260 - Trevo. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 AM to 10 PM, and Sunday, 11 AM to 6 PM.
Ah Bon Bistrot
A restaurant carrying the charm of a Parisian bistro, known for its pâtisserie and confectionery, so we took the chance to try both the savory dishes and dessert.
The first thing worth noting is that the menu is quite extensive, and the restaurant leans contemporary, so it offers everything from fish to meat, or just a good salad.
We visited the Vila da Serra location, and we loved everything — the neighborhood is beautiful, the restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, the waitstaff are attentive, and the wine cellar catches your eye the moment you walk in.
For starters, we ordered Canastra cheese pastel (R$26.00), which came out nice and crisp with generous filling, and for the main course, a mini moqueca with fish, squid, and shrimp (R$98.00), and sesame-crusted tuna with balsamic reduction and pupunha spaghetti with truffled parmesan cream (R$79.00) — both dishes were really good and generously served.
To wrap things up, we ordered profiteroles with cream ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert (R$25.00), also generously served, easily enough for two people.
Ah Bon Bistrot
Location: Alameda Oscar Niemeyer 1033 lg 10 - Vila da Serra, Nova Lima. Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 AM to 11 PM, and Friday and Saturday, 10 AM to midnight.
Taste Vin
At Restaurante Taste Vin (Instagram), the head chef is Rodrigo A. Fonseca, specializing in French cuisine, and especially soufflé, the house’s flagship dish. There are several different flavors, including both savory and sweet.
For starters, we ordered a Serra do Salitre soufflé (R$85.00), whose texture is genuinely unique and eye-catching, though the best part is when you cut into the gratinéed cheese layer on top.
For main courses: Carré D’Agneau à la Plancha, grilled lamb chops with white beans and confit garlic (R$120.00), and Confit de Canard, confit duck leg with 3 different preparations, plus a sauce mûre et salade verte (blackberry sauce and green salad, R$117.00).
For dessert, like the night before, we ordered the profiteroles with cream ice cream and warm chocolate sauce (R$32.00).
Taste Vin
Location: Rua Curitiba, 2105 - Lourdes. Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 7 PM to 11 PM, Wednesday to Friday, 7 PM to midnight, Saturday, 12:30 PM to 4 PM and 7 PM to midnight.
Salumeria Central
Located in a corner great for photos, beneath the arches of the Santa Tereza viaduct, Salumeria Central (Instagram), right near Praça da Estação, is, without a doubt, a great stop for a day exploring downtown.
The name “salumeria” refers to an Italian-style delicatessen, selling handmade ham and salami, and the restaurant carries these specialties.
A laid-back spot with several beer options, a good wine list, and seating available both indoors and outdoors.
We came to try the Panturrilha Salumeria, pork shank served with olive-oil confit potatoes and vegetables (R$58.00) — we ordered it as a starter, but honestly it works well as a main dish, and we found it delicious.
For our main course, we ordered the Mexido Central, rice, beans, cracklings, smoked ribs, bacon, sausage, collard greens, and eggs (R$41.00), along with a Tornedor de Filet in jabuticaba sauce, filet mignon with Canastra cheese risotto (R$85.00).
We went to Sorveteria São Domingos for dessert.
Salumeria Central
Location: Rua Sapucaí, 527 - Floresta. Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 11:30 AM to 3 PM, Wednesday to Thursday, 11:30 AM to 10 PM, Saturday, noon to 11 PM, and Sunday, noon to 7 PM.
Sorveteria São Domingos
Sorveteria São Domingos (Instagram) is, without a doubt, the most traditional ice cream shop in Belo Horizonte.
Founded by small Italian farmers in 1929, one of whom, named Domingos Dias da Silva, opened not just a small grocery store, but also a restaurant at the Oliveira market. Initially, he also sold just a few ice cream flavors, in southern Minas Gerais, right after striking it lucky prospecting and finding thirteen diamonds in Estrela do Sul.
In 1934, success took off when he moved to BH, and it continues to this day — that spot where the ice cream is traditional and served without toppings. They use fresh fruit and milk from the family’s own farms to produce more than 260 different flavors, though you won’t find just 50 different ones on any given day.
That little spot with a tiny door, where a massive line always forms. We ordered chocolate, Belgian strawberry, and condensed milk flavors, and we loved visiting — an absolute must-stop in the city.
Sorveteria São Domingos
Location: Avenida Getúlio Vargas, 792 - Savassi. Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10 AM to 10 PM.
Cervejaria Capapreta
Cervejaria Capapreta (Instagram) is a popular, well-loved brewery, thanks to the quality of its beer, and beyond that, its unconventional serving method.
You pour your own beer, in whatever amount you’d like, and it’s automatically charged against a prepaid card.
Cervejaria Capapreta
Location: R. Nova Lima, 185 - Jardim Canadá, Nova Lima. Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Glouton Restaurante
We went to try the tasting menu from Chef Leo Paixão’s restaurant (Instagram), serving contemporary cuisine. Eight courses are served for a fixed price, deposited 48 hours before your reservation via WhatsApp, priced at R$350.00.
The waitstaff are extremely well-trained and courteous, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the plateware the dishes arrive on is also eye-catching — but personally, I didn’t love almost any of the dishes, only the snack and the soup served in the sequence.
I can go into a bit of what I didn’t like: the shrimp was extremely salty, though beautifully presented, some dishes lacked flavor, and for the main course, I chose beef rib barbecue with fake charcoal and spiced red cabbage sauerkraut, where the fake charcoal was extremely hard and tasted burnt, and I didn’t think it paired well with the dish at all — and the dessert was missing something to really shine.
My critique unfortunately isn’t a good one, though it might’ve been the specific menu we got or just an off day, but it’s not a restaurant I’d go back to.
Glouton Restaurante
Location: Rua Bárbara Heliodora, 59 - Lourdes. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM.
Read more about other towns in Minas Gerais in Passa Quatro, Andradas, and where to eat in Belo Horizonte.
Read the original version in Portuguese on A Bela e o Bigode.