Tiradentes Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Tiradentes is 30 minutes by bus from São João del Rei. Two companies, Presidente (R$2.25) and Vale do Ouro (R$2.10) run regular buses between the two cities. Thanks to this friendly rivalry, you’ll never wait longer than 45 minutes for a bus during daylight hours. After 7pm, only Vale do Ouro operates, and departures are less frequent – 7:15pm, 8:45pm and 10:25pm from São João; 7:20pm, 8:20pm, 9:20pm and 11pm from Tiradentes.

It’s possible to catch a bus directly from Tiradentes to Rio if you plan ahead. The morning Pariabuna bus originating in São João del Rei (8am Monday to Friday, 6am Saturday) will pick passengers up in front of the Tiradentes train station (not the bus station), but you must buy your ticket in São João and indicate that you’re boarding in Tiradentes. Coming from Rio, you can do the same thing in reverse – take Paraibuna’s 7am bus Monday through Friday and let the driver know you want to disembark in Tiradentes.

Tiradentes’ bus station is just north of the main square, across the stream. The train station is about 700m southeast of the main square.