The Concrete Jungle of the South
The biggest city in the Southern Hemisphere and home to over 21 million people is nothing less than a concrete jungle, but within lies the beauty. From massive parks, bohemian neighbourhoods, and art on every corner, São Paulo is the perfect place for anyone who enjoys the big city life. A place that never sleeps, and with endless options.
This São Paulo travel guide gives you tips on activities to do, where to stay, budget and safety tips to help you plan your trip to this giant city!
How much time do I need?
Most people visiting Brazil only spend a few days in São Paulo, as it’s not as exciting as Rio de Janeiro, or heading to the coast. With a few days you can see a lot of cool things in São Paulo, but staying for longer is when the city really starts to shine.
If you are a Nomad looking for a place to stay a while, I can’t recommend São Paulo enough! Plenty of apartments long term in buildings with gyms, laundry room and pools! All come with high internet speeds in a city with a decent metro system to take you around. By staying long term you can really enjoy what the city has to offer in terms of music, art, theatre and nightlife!
Top Activities
With its size it can feel overwhelming going to São Paulo where each neighbourhood is like. a small city. After living in São Paulo for almost two years, here are my favourite activities to do!
Ibirapuera Park
The Central Park of São Paulo is a must visit and a place where all the locals go to exercise, have a picnic, or just to escape the concrete jungle of the city. A massive park with plenty of green area, bicycles for rent, water, snacks for sale and sometimes even free concerts, it’s a great place to spend the afternoon.
MASP
Museu de Arte de São Paulo is an art museum located on the famous Avenida Paulista, and contains some of the most important art of Latin America. One of the most visited museums in Brazil, with free entrance on Tuesdays and the rest of the week the price is 70 BRL.
Teatro Municipal
One of the most iconic building in the city, the old theatre is located in the historic centre and still hosts operas and shows for those interested. There are also bars located in the basement for those more interested in the architecture and a good drink than the Opera. The surrounding streets are not the best in the City, but a visit is well worth it!
Mercadão
The Big Market or Mercadão as it’s called in Portuguese, is home to a massive open marked of fruit, meat, fish, cachaça and much more. Walk around here and you will receive plenty of free samples of exotic fruit, cheeses and meats, but don’t be pressured into buying something. This place is famous for scamming tourists making them pay waay more than the normal price, so make sure you practice saying no 😉
Also, try the Mortadela sandwich at one of the restaurants. It’s too good! Also, the giant Pastel found here is also a safe bet.
Centro Historico
Centro Historico is the part of the city with architecture from the beginnings of the Portuguese arrival in Brazil. Massive churches like the Sé Cathedral, Teatro Municipal, Copan, Farol Santander and many others. A beautiful area to explore during the day, but careful at night, as this is also the neighbourhood that sees a lot of crime and theft.
Vila Madalena
The bohemian neighbourhood of Vila Madalena is full of bars, cafés and a more relaxed vibe than found elsewhere in the city. It is also home to some of the city’s most famous street art found in the Batman Alley, or Beco do Batman in Portuguese.
Here you find bars and restaurants in a small valley full of graffitied walls with stunning art that also speaks on various political topics in Brazil.
Avenida Paulista
The most famous street in the city, Avenida Paulista is to São Paulo what 5th Avenue is to New York. A massive street full of shops, shopping centres and high rise office buildings, this street offers some of the most iconic pictures of the city and its big city life.
Pinacoteca
Pinacoteca de São Paulo is one of the most important art galleries for Brazilian art. Located next to the train station Luz, it’s well worth a visit for anyone interested in exploring Brazilian art. Entrance fee is 30 BRL, and free on Saturdays!
Next to it is also the museum of the Portuguese language if you want to catch two birds with one stone!
Farol Santander
An Art Deco skyscraper in the historic centre of São Paulo is a must visit. As the former headquarter of the Bank of Brazil, this is now a visitation and entertainment centre that is open for the public with a pretty cool view of the city! The entrance is 40 BRL.
Futebol
If you like football, São Paulo is home to three of the most well known teams in Brazil. For any fan this is a great opportunity to see a match, as there is always someone playing at home. The rivalries are big, so choose with caution if you want to support Palmeiras, Corinthians or São Paulo! Be prepared for locals to tell you why you should support their team, and plenty of discussions about football. It’s serious here!
Party at Augusta
For anyone down to party, the only place to go is Augusta. This street has been home to the best nightclubs for decades. Here you will find night clubs side by side, which also fills the street with crowds drinking and smoking in the “fresh” air outside the clubs. Many of these clubs are open bars, with an entry fee of 50-70 BRL, sometimes even cheaper. All you can drink from 22h-05h! Brazilians never tire and some places offer after parties until the afternoon on the same street. Be prepared!
Liberdade
This neighbourhood is heavenly influenced by the Asian communities in São Paulo. The city has the biggest Japanese population outside of Japan, and wandering around this neighbourhood makes you feel like you arrived in Asia. Lots of restaurants and food stalls, cheap shopping and a different vibe than the rest of the Concrete Jungle!
Minhocão
On the weekends and holidays as well as at night, this highway is closed for traffic. This means it turns into a place for people to hang out, go for a run or a walk. Plenty of games and places to sit and have a beer in the sun on the closed off highway while you enjoy some street art. When it gets hot this place sees many locals come here to tan, which led to the meme of being the beach of São Paulo!
Budget
If you are a backpacker you can survive on less than $50 per day in São Paulo. This includes staying in dorms, eating local food and using local transportation. This also includes some entrance fees to museums and a “litrão” or two, the famous litre bottle of beer.
Food
São Paulo is a massive melting pot of food and culture. Here you can find food on every corner, with big Asian, Arabic and Italian communities. The city is home to some of the world’s best restaurants like Casa do Porco (12th in the world in 2023) and Bar da Dona Onça.
For meals on a budget, any “Lanchonete” found on most street corner offers great meals for about 20-30 BRL depending on the neighbourhood and give you a choice of meat with rice, beans, salad and sometimes fries.
For snacks, those same places also sell “salgados” for a few BRL and includes coixinha and pastel. If you come across a pop-up restaurant selling pastel and caldo de cana (sugar can juice) then this is the perfect Brazilian combo that you have to try!
Accommodation
Prices for acoomodation varies greatly with the neighbourhood you want to stay in. Most hostel are found in Vila Madelena which is the bohemian neighbourhood with lots of bars and hipster cafés. Expect to pay between $15-20 per night for a bed in a shared dorm.
For hotels, at least $30 is expected for the simplest of rooms. If you plan on staying longer, Airbnbs can be found but will cost a lot more. São Paulo is one of the most expensive cities for rent in South America, so apartments for tourist will cost upwards of $1000 a month on Airbnb.
Transportation
São Paulo has a great metro system that will take you to many parts of the city and is quite modern. A ride costs 4.40 BRL with as many changes as you need. There are also buses that go basically everywhere in the city, but can be quite confusing for a tourist, especially if you don’t speak Portuguese.
Uber is safe to use everywhere and used by locals as well. If you plan on going to other cities from São Paulo, the bus terminal at Tietê is the biggest in South America and offers transportation to most places you would want to go from São Paulo. For example, Rio de Janeiro is about a six-hour drive from here.
When to go
The best time to visit São Paulo is between October and April when the weather is hot, although for some, the Brazilian summer can feel unbearable in the big city. Rain showers during this period are common, and lasts a short time.
The winter between June and August can be quite cold in São Paulo, with temperatures as low as 5 degrees Celsius. This period sees very little rain and can be a good time to visit if you don’t mind the cold. The sun will still feel warm during sunny days, and the cold is mostly felt at night.
Safety
Like many big cities around the world and in Brazil, São Paulo can be quite dangerous in certain areas and at night. It is recommended to never walk alone in dark and empty streets, especially in the historic centre. Use Uber in these situations, they are plentiful and fairly cheap.
It is recommended to not wear any flashy items and pay attention when taking your phone out as petty theft is common. Also be aware of your belongings on a crowded metro. That being said, millions of people enjoy the vibrant city every day and with a few precautions you will have an amazing time in the amazing city. Just remember to have travel insurance.
Safety Tips:
- Always have some cash at hand in case someone wants to rob you. Better to hand over a few notes than to be caught with nothing or lose your credit card.
- Always keep your valuables safely on you on night buses and never put your backpack in the overhead compartment.
- In large crowds be careful with your belongings. Things in your pocket can easily be taken, but also smaller backpacks, bum bags etc. Make sure you secure them to avoid pickpockets in these situations.
- Do not wander around alone at night in places you are not familiar with. If you have to, stick to well lit streets as much as possible. Preferable where there are more people. If you need to use your phone for maps, do it discreetly and never wave your phone or wealth around.
- Don’t wear flashy things and leave your expensive jewellery at home.
- Bring a padlock and use the lockers in hostels for all your valuables.
- Be careful with how much you drink, accepting drinks from others or the use of drugs. There are many stories out there, so try not to overdo anything unless you have people with you to take care of you.
By taking some precautions you will be fine in São Paulo, and come back with wonderful memories of this beautiful little paradise.
Resources
So, are you ready for an adventure to São Paulo? Here are some of the resources I personally use when I travel. Great value and support, in addition to the best deals out there!
BOOKING – The best place to book accommodation. In my experience the site with the best prices, deals and selection. Perfect for a budget traveller.
HOSTELWORLD – The best place to find hostels, and also has group chats for all your bookings and places you’re going to make it easier to meet people. Perfect for solo travellers!
SKYSCANNER – When I need to find the cheapest days and ways to fly somewhere, Skyscanner is always the first place I go.
GET YOUR GUIDE – A massive marketplace for inspiration and booking of tours and activities for each place you visit.
AIRALO – What I use to stay connected on the road. A slightly more expensive option than buying local sim cards, but nothing beats having e-sim installed and ready to go as soon as you cross the border.
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