The most rewarding day trip from Goiânia is to the historic town of Goiás, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 130 km to the west. The colonial town was the original capital of Goiás and has been so thoroughly preserved that the UNESCO designation was straightforward — cobblestone streets, eighteenth-century churches, and vernacular architecture that has barely changed in two centuries. The drive takes about 90 minutes each way and the town is easily done as a day trip.
Trindade, 30 km south of Goiânia, is the site of the Basílica do Divino Pai Eterno, one of the great pilgrimage churches of Brazil. The basilica is architecturally unimpressive but the scale of devotion it attracts is extraordinary.
