Rio de Janeiro · Brazil
Petrópolis travel guide
Petrópolis is a city in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, home to about 279,000 people.
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- GIG35 km · Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Sao Paulo
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About Petrópolis
Petrópolis is a city of the estado (state) of central Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil, in a valley of the Órgãos Mountains, 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Rio de Janeiro city. According to the 2022 Brazilian census, Petrópolis municipality had a population of 278,881 inhabitants.
In the 1830s, the area of modern-day Petrópolis was little more than farmland. When Emperor Dom Pedro I went through there on his way to Minas Gerais, he was struck by the scenery and decided to buy some land. Dom Pedro I returned to Portugal soon after and the land was passed to his son, Dom Pedro II, who built a summer retreat. Soon a palace was built along with mansions and a cathedral, giving its nickname, "The Imperial City".
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Petrópolis
See
- Imperial Museum of Brazil
- Cathedral of St. Peter of Alcantara
- Palácio de Cristal
- Quitandinha Palace
- Rio Negro Palace
- A Encantada
- Cervejaria Bohemia
Do
- Trekking Petrópolis
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Petrópolis
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Petrópolis are June to August. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; January is the wettest, with about 250 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Petrópolis: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG), about 35 km from the city centre in a straight line; Santos Dumont Airport (SDU, 45 km) and Francisco de Assis Airport (JDF, 82 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The only way into Petrópolis is by road. The most intercity bus connections are from Rio.
Getting around
All the main tourist sights are close to the center and are easily accessible on foot. There is numerous bus services in and around town but the number 100 or 010 are the ones most useful to visitors which run from the center to the Leonel Brizola bus station in Bingen. To get a local bus connection, use the Moovit app. You need to choose the metropolitan area "Rio e Região". The fare is around R$4 (March 2021) and can be paid in the bus. For taxis use Uber.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
GIG · Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport
SDU · Santos Dumont Airport
JDF · Francisco de Assis Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Petrópolis
Eat
Check opening times carefully, though, as a number of restaurants are closed Monday through Wednesday or Monday through Thursday.
Drink
Drinking is pretty thin in Petrópolis but there are a few good chopperias on Rua do Imperador. Petropolis' most famous native beer is the Bohemia (1853), which became nationwide popular after 1960, when its brewery was acquired by Antarctica (now AmBev).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Petrópolis: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Petrópolis?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Petrópolis are June to August. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; January is the wettest, with about 250 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Petrópolis?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG), about 35 km from the city centre in a straight line; Santos Dumont Airport (SDU, 45 km) and Francisco de Assis Airport (JDF, 82 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Petrópolis?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near Petrópolis
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.