Football and Feijão
Belo Horizonte is home to lots of museums, restaurants, bars, and the hallowed Mineirão football stadium. Kick things off at Praça da Liberdade, a cultural circuit that includes a city museum inside the old Treasury Department. From there you can walk to Mercado Central, a bustling indoor market offering everything from cachaça to squawking parrots. At night, check out the bohemian Santa Tereza district and try a Feijão tropeiro – a hearty local dish made from beans and bacon.
Get out of the city
Thirty-five miles outside BH is Inhotim, the world’s foremost outdoor contemporary art museum. This 275-acre park hosts contemporary art from world-famous artists, along with a stunning botanical garden. Or you can take a day trip to Ouro Preto, an 18th century gold-mining town teeming with baroque churches and works by the revered black sculptor Aleijadinho.
When to go
Peak season for flights to Belo Horizonte is in February when Carnival grips the city – from February 9th to 14th in 2024 / 2025. BH’s carnival may not be as wild as in Rio or Salvador but there are still plenty of street parades, live music shows and parties to keep you up all night. The New Year is another popular date in the Brazilian calendar which pushes up air fares.
Belo Horizonte is warm all year round, but the best time of the year to visit is from April to September, when it is driest and coolest. Brazilian winter goes from from June to August, but temperatures still average a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius.
To find cheap flights to Belo Horizonte, consider travelling in May. There are fewer music events and festivals in the city, but on the other hand it is much less crowded, especially at visitor hotspots like Inhotim and Ouro Preto.
Airports and airlines
With new deals every day, all at fantastic low prices, Netflights should be your first stop for flights to Belo Horizonte. Prices are highest in February, but we compare hundreds of airlines to always find you the best deal.
Tancredo Neves International Airport
Opened in 1984, Tancredo Neves International Airport – popularly known as Confins Airport – is in Confins, 24 miles north of the city’s downtown area. International flights are from Terminal 2, a vast, ultra-modern terminal that was inaugurated in 2017. Air France, KLM, and several other airlines offer return flights to Tancredo Neves from London’s Heathrow Airport, typically stopping over in Lisbon. View more flights to Tancredo Neves International Airport.
Belo Horizonte Pampulha Airport
Pampulha was once the main airport for Belo Horizonte and the wider Minas Gerais region, and at only seven miles from the city centre it is much closer than Tancredo Neves International. These days however, Pampulha is predominantly used for domestic flights, so flying here includes a stopover in Sao Paolo. View flights to Belo Horizonte Pampulha Airport.
Getting around the airports
Tancredo Neves International Airport currently has two adjoining terminals, which are easy to walk between. Terminal 2 is for international departures: check-in is on the first floor and arrivals are on the ground floor. Terminal 1 has a bookshop, pharmacy and bureaux de change on the ground floor. At Belo Horizonte Pampulha Airport, the terminal is very small, and the infrastructure basic but adequate.
Getting to the city from the airports
Tancredo Neves International Airport offers several transport options to reach the city. These include taxi services, executive buses, and car rental from offices found in the terminal building. Executive buses are operated by Unir and the journey time is around 50 minutes. From Belo Horizonte Pampulha Airport, taxi is by far the preferred option, though you can also catch a local bus.
Don't Forget before you fly
UK nationals do not need a visa to travel to Brazil and can stay up to 90 days. This can be extended to 180 days by making a request to the Federal Police. In Tancredo Neves Airport, there is a branch of the Federal Police on the first floor of Terminal 1.