13 Exciting Things to Do in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sao Paulo is 1 of those cities that volition astonishment you with however overmuch it offers. It’s a metropolis that’s thriving with culture; from its divers neighborhoods to its dynamic creation scene, you’ll find a multitude of antithetic ways of beingness scattered astir each corner.

It’s the largest metropolis successful Brazil by population, truthful it’s unsurprising determination are a batch of breathtaking things to bash successful Sao Paulo. 

Whether you’re a foodie, a nightlife lover, a family, oregon a mates – there’s a Sao Paulo attraction for each benignant of traveller. 

In this guide, we’ve listed our favourite attractions successful Sao Paulo arsenic good arsenic a fewer hidden gems, positive immoderate ideas for wherever to stay, truthful you tin marque readying for your Sao Paulo itinerary easy.

Is Sao Paulo Worth Visiting?

Before I get into the apical attractions successful Sao Paulo, you mightiness beryllium connected the obstruction astir whether oregon not to sojourn Sao Paulo.

While it’s not arsenic vibrant arsenic Rio de Janeiro and it doesn’t person beaches, it does person thing peculiar and unsocial astir it.

Sao Paulo is the astir populated metropolis successful the country, and with that, comes a divers civilization and assorted communities that bring their ain flavours and vibe to the city.

Its gastronomy civilization is 2nd to none; whether you bask thoroughfare food, world-class michelin-star dining, oregon thoroughfare nutrient – you had amended bring your elasticated waistband pants to Sao Paulo!

There’s besides a immense creation community. You’ll find plentifulness of creation museums, neighborhoods with thoroughfare art, and performances happening each time successful Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo is decidedly worthy visiting connected your travel to Brazil due to the fact that of its varied civilization and big of attractions.

Things to Do successful Sao Paulo

Now you cognize a small spot astir wherefore Sao Paulo is an awesome city, it’s clip to instrumentality a look astatine the apical attractions successful the city. Go instrumentality a look…

1. Relax successful Ibirapuera Park

• Hours: 5.00am – 12.00am
• Address: Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral – Vila Mariana, São Paulo – SP, 04094-050,

Sao Paulo is not adjacent the coast, and the quality parks are located a agelong mode retired of the city, but the metropolis centre is inactive known for its greenery. Why? It’s each acknowledgment to Ibirapuera Park.

This is simply a 158 hectare municipality parkland successful the halfway of the city, and successful 2017, it was recorded arsenic the astir visited parkland successful South America – yes, the full continent.

This hugely fashionable parkland captivates visitors with its endless activities. You tin rent bikes and rhythm astir the motorcycle paths, instrumentality a vessel retired connected the lake, oregon conscionable beryllium backmost and unbend nether the shady trees.

You tin adjacent find yoga and capoeira lessons that locals and visitors tin bask together. Ibirapuera Park offers the cleanable flight from the stresses of the engaged city.

2. Take a Free Old Town Walking Tour

• Hours: This circuit leaves each time astatine 11.00am
• Address: The gathering constituent is astatine Republica Square, other the Tourist Information Centre

I ever deliberation the champion mode to get to cognize a metropolis and larn astir its civilization and past is connected a walking tour, and champion of each – it’s free! Although if you’ve ne'er done a free walking tour before, you should enactment that it’s polite to extremity the usher astatine the end. But this inactive remains 1 of our favourite escaped things to bash successful Sao Paulo.

If you lone person clip for 1 walking tour, I urge the Old Downtown Walking Tour. This takes you astir the historical portion of Sao Paulo, to the Sé Cathedral, past the Municipal Theater, Matarazzo building, Farol Santander, São Bento Monastery and overmuch more.

You’ll larn each astir however the metropolis was founded and what the locals bash for fun. Afterwards, you tin inquire your usher for recommendations for places to eat, portion and explore.

This circuit takes astir 3.5 hours truthful deterioration walking shoes.

3. Check Out The Street Art connected Batman Alley

• Hours: 24 hours (though we don’t urge going astatine night)
• Address: R. Medeiros de Albuquerque, 82-154 – Jardim das Bandeiras, São Paulo – SP, 05436-060

I mentioned earlier that Sao Paulo has a thriving creation scene, and it’s not conscionable successful its galore creation museums (which I volition archer you astir later). There is besides a immense thoroughfare creation scene, peculiarly successful the Vila Madalena area.

One thoroughfare that has go the astir celebrated for its thoroughfare creation is Batman Alley, which was fixed its nickname due to the fact that of the DC Comic graffiti that was added to the partition successful 1980.

This alley stretches from the Rua Gonçalo Afonso and Rua Medeiros de Albuquerque country successful the Vila Madalena and is lined connected some sides with unthinkable graffiti.

Most of the artwork was created by creation students who instrumentality inspiration from psychedelic and cubist creation and it’s cared for by the section community.

4. See the iconic São Paulo Cathedral

• Hours: 8.00am – 6.00pm
• Address: Praça da Sé – Sé, São Paulo – SP, 01001-000

One of the astir beauteous pieces of architecture successful the metropolis is the Sao Paulo Cathedral. It has a troubled history. The archetypal cathedral was built successful 1616 but was demolished and rebuilt successful 1764, and past demolished and rebuilt again successful 1911. 

So adjacent though it looks old, the gathering you spot lasting contiguous is the 1 that was built successful 1911, and was refurbished successful 2000 and 2002.

Despite being teared up and teared down a lot, the gathering is inactive the largest Catholic religion successful São Paulo. Its benignant is simply a Neo-Gothic style, but for the dome, which has been inspired by the Renaissance architecture seen successful Florence, Italy.

The wrong has been decorated with astir 800 tons of uncommon marble, with sculptures of Brazilian nutrient specified arsenic java branches, pineapples, and autochthonal animals specified arsenic armadillos.

Sadly, the country extracurricular the Sao Paulo Cathedral is afloat of stateless people, and portion astir of them mean nary harm, a fewer of them volition pickpocket you if you springiness them an opportunity. Take your photos here, and past don’t bent around.

5. Check Out The Art Museums

Sao Paulo’s creation civilization is 1 of the biggest reasons to sojourn the city. There are 110 museums successful the city, the largest fig of museums successful the full of Latin America.

Of course, it would beryllium a situation to spot them all, but if you lone person clip for a few, we urge you sojourn the following:

São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP)

• Hours: 10.00am – 6.00pm (closed Monday, unfastened until 8.00pm connected Tuesday)
• Address: Av. Paulista, 1578 – Bela Vista, São Paulo – SP, 01310-200

Located connected Avenue Paulista, the Sao Paulo Museum of Art is 1 of the astir celebrated creation museums successful the city.

The architecture unsocial is what makes this depository an iconic landmark, arsenic it showcases immoderate of the astir awesome Brazilian modern architecture. 

Inside, you volition find works of creation from not conscionable Brazilian but International artists, including Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and respective pieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Pinacoteca de São Paulo

• Hours: 10.00am – 6.00pm (closed Tuesdays)
• Address: Praça da Luz, 2 – Luz, São Paulo – SP, 01120-010

Another important creation depository successful Sao Paulo is the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, which is nestled successful a beauteous 1900 gathering successful Jardim da Luz. It was primitively built arsenic the office of the Lyceum of Arts and Crafts and is the oldest creation depository successful the city.

It contains a wide postulation of Brazilian creation from the 19th-century, mostly paintings and sculptures. 

It became much celebrated successful 2008 erstwhile a heist took place, and the depository mislaid 2 paintings by Pablo Picasso arsenic good arsenic the Women astatine the Window painting by Emiliano Di Cavalcanti and Couple by Lasar Segall.

Two paintings were recovered, but the others are inactive missing.

6. Explore Avenida Paulista

• Hours: 24 hours
• Address: from Marechal Cordeiro de Farias Square successful Consolação to Oswaldo Cruz Square successful Vila Mariana

Paulista Avenue is the astir celebrated thoroughfare successful Sao Paulo. It stretches for 2.8 kilometres and is lined with museums, fiscal and taste institutions, and large buying complexes.

It’s the main hub of the metropolis and wherever everyone goes to bash their buying oregon to dine astatine the champion restaurants. 

It’s wherever immoderate of the astir absorbing modern architecture successful the metropolis lies arsenic good arsenic Sao Paulo’s apical attractions the Sao Paulo Museum of Art and Shopping Cidade São Paulo.

It’s the avenue that holds the Gay Pride Parade each year, and the Saint Silvester Road Race each New Year’s Eve.

Every Sunday, the thoroughfare is closed disconnected from postulation and is pedestrianized, truthful if you’re looking for things to bash successful Sao Paulo astatine the weekend, beryllium definite to adhd this to your Sunday itinerary.

7. Have A Classy Cocktail In Olivio Bar

• Hours: 5.00pm – 12.00am Monday and Wednesday, 4.00pm – 1.00am Tuesday, 12.00pm – 1.00am Thursday – Sunday
• Address: R. Delfina, 196 – Vila Madalena, São Paulo – SP, 05443-010

Looking for things to bash successful Sao Paulo astatine night? How astir drinking a cocktail retired of a shark’s head? Well, not a existent head, but it is 1 of the fewer novelty cocktail glasses you tin person your portion served successful astatine the classy Olivio Bar.

Have your shots served successful a trial conduit oregon portion a “Forbidden Fruit” cocktail served connected a platter with a works and a fake snake – if you’re a instrumentality of bars that harvester creation with ambiance, this is the spot for you.

Sure, it’s a spot pricey, and possibly a small gimmicky, but it’s besides precise amusive and a fashionable spot to drink, truthful you’ll find the ambiance is arsenic electrifying arsenic the drinks. It’s surely 1 of the much unsocial attractions successful Sao Paulo.

8. Learn About Football Culture astatine Museu bash Futebol (Football Museum)

• Hours: 9.00am – 5.00pm (closed Mondays)
• Address: Praça Charles Miller, s/n – Pacaembu, São Paulo – SP, 01234-010

Football to Brazilians is similar a religion, truthful you cannot instrumentality a travel to Sao Paulo and not sojourn the Football Museum arsenic you cognize it’s going to beryllium good.

The depository showcases exhibits of the top shot achievements, from women successful shot to the top footballers of each time.

You tin besides spot immoderate breathtaking memoirs and reactions to Brazil’s 4 FIFA World Cup wins successful 1958, 1970, 1994 and 2002.

There are 15 rooms covering a abstraction of 6,000 quadrate feet. Who knew determination was truthful overmuch shot past successful Brazil?

9. Marvel At The Beautiful Parque da Independància and Museu bash Ipiranga

• Hours: 5.00am – 8.00pm
• Address: Av. Nazaré, s/n – Ipiranga, São Paulo – SP, 04263-200

Another stunning parkland successful Sao Paulo is the Parque da Independencia, which you volition find disconnected the iconic Avenue Paulista. It was inaugurated successful 1989 and was dedicated to Pedro I.

The parkland contains a Monument to Independence and the Casa bash Grito and has a beauteous wood and manicured tract that visitors tin locomotion down. There’s besides a French Garden.

The astir celebrated monument successful the parkland is the Museu Paulista (or Museu bash Ipiranga arsenic it’s sometimes called), which belongs to the University of São Paulo. It’s a Brazilian past depository that has been built connected the spot wherever Emperor Pedro I archetypal proclaimed Brazil’s independence.

The depository has a immense postulation of furniture, documents, and artifacts relating to the Brazilian Empire epoch successful 1822–1889.

The item is the 1888 coating Independência ou Morte (Independence oregon Death) by Pedro Américo.

The depository was refurbished successful 2013 and yet reopened successful 2022.

10. Eat Japanese Food

Yes, you work this right. If you didn’t cognize already, Sao Paulo is location to the largest assemblage of Japanese radical extracurricular of Japan, successful the world! 

This means you tin find immoderate truly fantastic and authentic Japanese nutrient successful Sao Paulo.

The Liberdade territory has the highest colonisation of Japanese immigrants, but you volition find astonishing Japanese restaurants each implicit the city.

Some highly rated restaurants are Shin-Zushi adjacent Avenue Paulista, JAM Jardins conscionable a fewer blocks distant from Shin-Zushi, and Jun Sakamoto, which is simply a Michelin-starred edifice specialising successful sushi (note, you request to publication an assignment for this restaurant). 

11. Gorge connected a Mortadella Sandwich

• Hours: 5.30am – 5.00pm (6.00am – 3.00pm Sunday)
• Address: Rua da Cantareira, Rua E, 306 – Box 14 – Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo

If you don’t person the fund for Michelin-starred sushi, past don’t worry, you tin inactive ignite your culinary senses by tucking into immoderate Brazilian thoroughfare food.

All implicit the city, you’ll find places serving empanadas, bolinhos, oregon my idiosyncratic favourite, a elemental pão de queijo (dough balls filled with cheese). 

But erstwhile successful Sao Paulo, the thoroughfare nutrient you mustn’t miss is simply a hearty sandwich called a Mortadella Sandwich, which is truthful large you tin stock it with 4 radical and each beryllium full.

The champion spot to effort this sandwich is astatine Bar bash Mané successful a nutrient marketplace successful the historical centre. It’s usually precise engaged truthful beryllium prepared to hold a while. 

But it’s decidedly worthy waiting for, these sandwiches are HUGE and delicious.

12. Watch the Brazilian Grand Prix, São Paulo

One of the biggest events successful Brazil (aside from Carnival successful Rio de Janeiro that is) is the Brazilian Grand Prix. It began successful 1972 and has had 4 Brazilian winners since it began.

Each year, it’s 1 of the biggest sporting events successful the city. 

If you hap to beryllium visiting successful November, past you’re successful luck, arsenic watching the Brazilian Grand Prix is 1 of the apical things to bash successful Sao Paulo successful the Autumn.

13. Meet the Guarani Tribe

Want to get retired of the metropolis and spot however radical unrecorded successful the countryside? Then you mightiness bask this circuit to conscionable the Guarani Tribe.

The Guarani radical unrecorded successful a elemental and earthy way, and are 1 of the fewer indigenous tribes to inactive unrecorded successful this mode adjacent Sao Paulo.

The tribes unrecorded successful the Capivari Monos Environmental Protection Area and Jaraguá State Park, and visitors coming to their colony volition beryllium introduced to their plantations, larn astir the ancestral past and culture, spot however they turn nutrient and unrecorded their regular life.

Each sojourn to the colony supports the Guarani radical and their assemblage projects.

Where to Stay successful Sao Paulo

Since Sao Paulo is simply a immense metropolis and has thousands of accommodation options, it tin beryllium overwhelming knowing wherever to enactment successful Sao Paulo. 

To assistance you out, I’ve listed immoderate of my favourite options below. But first, a small much seriously, I request to archer you…

Where to Avoid successful Sao Paulo

I mentioned earlier that determination are immoderate areas to debar successful Sao Paulo, and I should grow connected this constituent a small further.

Sao Paulo is an unthinkable metropolis that offers truthful overmuch and for the astir part, it is harmless to visit, and I don’t privation to beryllium a scare mongerer…

However, I would beryllium lying to you if I didn’t archer you determination are immoderate neighborhoods that are unsafe for tourists to visit.

These neighborhoods are successful the Old Town astir the cathedral, wherever determination is simply a immense stateless community. It’s usually good to question determination successful tiny groups connected a walking tour, but you bash not privation to linger determination nor enactment there.

Some different unsafe neighborhoods are Pari, Perdizes, Lapa, Campo Limpo, Vila Clementino and Capão Redondo. Generally speaking, if you enactment retired of the favelas and distant from these notorious neighborhoods.

Likewise, erstwhile taking the metro, beryllium cautious connected the reddish enactment and the bluish line, particularly astatine night, since these trains halt astatine Carandiru, Parada Inglesa, Carrão, Corinthians-Itaquera, Sé, Barra Funda, Tatuapé and República which are successful the neighborhoods mentioned above.

If you’re going retired astatine night, it’s champion to instrumentality an Uber backmost to your accommodation.

Accommodation successful Sao Paulo

Fortunately, determination are plentifulness of harmless neighborhoods successful Sao Paulo for tourists. Most tourists take to enactment successful Vila Madalena which is considered 1 of the safest neighborhoods. 

It has immoderate lively bars and immoderate top-class restaurants, positive it’s connected the Green Line connected the metro truthful you tin get to attractions easily. The adjacent Jardins and Pinheiros neighborhoods are besides considered rather harmless to enactment in.

Here are immoderate large places to enactment successful Sao Paulo:

Selina Madelena 

Selina Hostels person appeared to instrumentality implicit South America arsenic they are successful each large city, and they person 1 happening successful common; they’re ever ace nice.

They are hostels, which means you person dorm rooms and immoderate backstage rooms, but they don’t purpose astatine the backpacker crowd. You’ll find much solo travellers and integer nomads opting for a Selina, which means you tin conscionable like-minded travellers, beryllium social, and inactive get a bully night’s rest.

The Selina successful Sao Paulo has a gorgeous rooftop edifice and bar, a shared lounge, a room (god bless) and immoderate evening entertainment.

Renaissance São Paulo Hotel

For a small much luxury, you mightiness similar the Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel successful the Jardin district. It’s a five-star edifice that has resort-like amenities, including a gorgeous outdoor swimming excavation and a full level dedicated to wellness called the ZenZone.

It besides has an onsite edifice serving up Brazilian cuisine utilizing freshly-sourced ingredients. 

On apical of this, it has its ain THEATRE. That’s right, up to 500 guests tin bask performances astatine the onsite theatre connected weekends.

And I haven’t adjacent told you astir the rooms yet; they are each state-of-the-art, modern, and spacious.

And the champion portion is you are wrong walking region of immoderate of the apical attractions successful Sao Paulo specified arsenic Paulista Avenue, Oscar Freire Street, the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, and Conjunto Nacional.

Popular tours and attractions successful Sao Paulo

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