Brazil
São Paulo travel guide
São Paulo is a city in Brazil, home to about 11,452,000 people.
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- CGH9 km · Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Sao Paulo
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About São Paulo
São Paulo is the capital and largest city of the state of São Paulo. The largest city in Brazil, it is also the most populous city in South America, the Americas, and in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
São Paulo is the most visited city of Brazil, but mostly because of business and event tourism, with many of the visitors not taking much effort to explore the city. Those who do so may, however, discover one of the most complex and fascinating cities in the world, where even nearby areas may look and feel like a different city, due to São Paulo's staggering social inequality and variety of cultural influences, and its hard to understand urban planning.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in São Paulo
See
Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue) is one of São Paulo's most popular postcards, as it is the pride of Paulistanos. It is one of the largest business centers, and probably the largest cultural region in the city. Its architectural contrast reflects the fact that the avenue is located between the "old" and "new" parts of the city. The avenue and its surroundings, such as Rua Augusta, Alameda Santos and Rua Oscar Freire, contain numerous shop galleries, art galleries, theatres, movie theaters, pubs, hotel, coffee shops, bookstores, and gourmet restaurants. Gay nightlife is intense on Consolacao and Haddock Lobo Streets.
- Banespa Tower
- Restaurant Skye, Hotel Unique
- São Paulo Jockey Club
Do
The two most important concert and opera houses of the city are Theatro Municipal and Sala São Paulo (see São Paulo/Historic Center). São Paulo has a great number of theaters, most of which feature plays in Portuguese. The British Cultural Centre, Goethe Institute, Instituto Cervantes and Alliance Française occasionally have plays in English, German, Spanish and French, respectively; check individual District listings. A list of performances being carried in the city can be found in various websites, including:,,.
- TurisMetrô
- São Paulo Carnival
- Gay Pride Parade
- Virada Cultural
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of São Paulo to stay in
If you plan to explore the city and cannot rely on car/taxi, staying near a Metro or train station is a very wise choice. Just be sure to avoid degraded areas. For lists of recommended hotels in the city, see the individual District listings. If you wish to stay close to the airport, please see the article on Guarulhos.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit São Paulo
The most comfortable months for a city stay in São Paulo are June to August. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; January is the wettest, with about 281 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 São Paulo: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport (CGH), about 8.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU, 21 km) and Viracopos International Airport (VCP, 79 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Transport in São Paulo can be anything from joyful to complicated. Usually, the fastest and less stressful way to get around is by bicycle and public transportation, while the experience with cars can be hellish. Peak hours are normally roughly 06:00-09:00 and 16:00-19:00, but since city roads are constantly at maximum capacity, any little incident can cause major queues and delays. The cheapest way for tourists to get around is to use the subway/metro, trains and buses/trolleybuses as much as possible, and then take a taxi for shorter distances.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CGH · Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport
GRU · São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport
VCP · Viracopos International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in São Paulo
Eat
São Paulo is home to a superb diversity of restaurants and cuisines, where you can enjoy typical dishes from literally all over the world. The price range is as wide as the diversity of the restaurants in the city, from cheap snacks and meals in simple and cozy restaurants and food tents in popular markets, to the hugely expensive high end cuisine and internationally recognized restaurants. In São Paulo, the ever-present beans-and-rice accompaniment typically involves brown beans instead of black beans, as in Rio.
Drink
You will have no trouble finding bars in São Paulo, where you can enjoy an ice cold beer, a shot of cachaça or a caipirinha - or anything else for that matter. Vila Madalena and Itaim have a very high concentration of bars, and are great spots for an all-nighter. For specific suggestions of bars, check the district section. This city has an unbelievably rich and diverse night life, and is able to provide entertainment for all tastes, from traditional samba-rock live music to electro-pop night clubs, raves and even some fetish clubs. It is worth planning at least one night out while you're in town.
Stay safe
São Paulo, once one of the most violent cities in Brazil, has managed to drastically reduce crime during the 2000s. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that a visitor can really relax about safety, because São Paulo is simply too large and diverse to be described by average statistics. In fact, two of the most visited areas, Downtown and the Pinheiros subprefecture (in the West), have respectively 150% and 50% more violent crime than the city average. Check the individual district listings for safety advice in each area of the city.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
São Paulo: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit São Paulo?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in São Paulo are June to August. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; January is the wettest, with about 281 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to São Paulo?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport (CGH), about 8.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU, 21 km) and Viracopos International Airport (VCP, 79 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in São Paulo?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near São Paulo
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.