Day 1 – BH / Congonhas / São João / Tiradentes
This morning, depart from BH to Congonhas. Take a full day tour of Congohas and São João del Rei, including a buffet lunch at Restaurante Café Com Prosa . Overnight at Pousada Villa Allegra.

Congonhas
Congonhas contains important works from the Golden Age of Brazil. The main points of interest are Aleijadinho’s sculptural masterpieces of the twelve Prophets, carved in soapstone and his sculptural representation of the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross), done in polychromatic woodwork. The set of life-sized sculptures is Brazil’s greatest artistic treasure.

Proceed to São João del Rei.

São João del Rei
The settlement was founded in 1703, when gold was discovered in the area. Being at the junction of the various roads that cut across the interior on the Capitania, São João always fulfilled important functions, such as the political center and comercial axis. Significant urbane and religious architecture developed there, accumulating an excellent cultural collection.

Highlights:
• Churches of Pilar (1721), Carmo (1733) and São Francisco de Assis (1749)
• On the weekends, the Maria Fumaça, a 19th century steam train, travels the romantic route to Tiradentes (US$ 15.00)

Proceed to Tiradentes.

Day 2 - Tiradentes / Transfer to Ouro Preto
This morning, enjoy a half day city tour of Tiradentes and buffet lunch. Transfer to Ouro Preto this afternoon. Overnight at Pousada Clássica in Ouro Preto

Tiradentes
It was the first settlement in the Rio das Mortes region when gold was found in 1702. Tiradentes, who was born here,became our national hero while participating in the Inconfidência Mineira (1789), a republican liberation movement in Minas Gerais that was repressed by the Portuguese.

Highlights:
• Church of Santo Antonio (1710)
• Museum of Padre Toledo
• Fountain of São José das Botas (1749)

Day 3 - Ouro Preto
Full Day tour + buffet lunch at the Restaurante Casa dos Contos

Ouro Preto
Founded in 1698, Ouro Preto is the masterpiece of colonial architecture in Brazil. Declared by UNESCO as a “Cultural Patrimony of Mankind”. Due to its distance from the coast and the exhaustion of the mines after 1789,it is the one town in Brazil to remain as an outstanding artistic and architectural example of that era. Along the same period, there developed liberation movements inspired by the Iluminism ideas and the concrete example of the American Revolution.

Highlights:
• Church of St. Francis of Assissi: An example of Brazilian religious architecture, designed by Aleijadinho, with wood and soapstone sculptures by the same artist.
• Museum of the School of Mines: a complete mineralogical view of Brazil, in addition to displays of geological artifacts from the other countries.
• Church of Our Lady of the Pilar: a church that marked the culmination of Golden Age architecture, with carved works painted entirely in gold.
• Oratorio Museum (www.oratorio.com.br)
• Opera House
• Taste the typical dishes of the region: Feijão Tropeiro and Tutu a Mineira.

Day 4 - Transfer Ouro Preto/BH Airport via Mariana & Gold Mine
Buffet lunch at Restaurante Lua Cheia.
The enchanted city, founded in 1696, was, for a short time the capital of State of Minas Gerais. It was originally called Royal Village of Our Lady of Carmel. In 1745 it received its present name which was in honor of Queen Maria Ana. A walk down its picturesque streets allows you to see houses which date from the beginning of the XVIII century, with their balconies of wood, iron and even soapstone.

In Minas Gerais Plaza, the churches of St. Francis of Assissi with its richly sculptured door, our Lady of Carmel, the City Hall and the Pillory can be found.

Transfer back to Belo Horizonte Airport for your return flight.