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São Paulo

São Paulo is home to 20 million fiercely proud paulistanos (as residents are known), all of whom will happily tell you at length to you how they'd never live elsewhere. Spend time with them and the reasons will soon unfold. Maybe they will introduce you to the city’s innumerable art-house cinemas and experimental theaters. If they’re gourmands, they’ll focus on the smart bistros and gourmet restaurants that make the city a world-renowned foodie haven. If they’re scenesters, follow them on a raucous tour of underground bars and the 24/7 clubbing scene. Whatever pleasures you might covet, Sampa (the city's affectionate nickname) probably has them.

Of course, it's also enormous and a bit intimidating, but it's Brazil's city of dreams.

Explore São Paulo

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout São Paulo.

  • Historic Building

    Edifício Copan

    Copan was designed by late modernist master Oscar Niemeyer. The building, with its serpentine facade and narrow brises soleil (permanent sunshades), is…

  • Market

    Mercado Municipal

    This covered market is a belle epoque confection of stained glass and a series of vast domes. Inside, a fabulous urban market specializes in all things…

  • Museum

    Museu de Arte de São Paulo

    Sampa’s pride, this museum possesses Latin America’s most comprehensive collection of Western art. Hovering above a concrete plaza that turns into an…

  • Church

    Mosteiro São Bento

    Among the city’s oldest and most important churches, São Bento dates to 1598, though its neo-Gothic facade dates only to the early 20th century. Step…

  • Viewpoint

    Farol Santander

    For one of Sampa’s best panoramas, head to the top of this 161m-high skyscraper, Brazil’s version of the Empire State Building – completed in 1939 and…

  • Museum

    Pina_Luz

    This elegant neoclassical museum, formerly known as Pinacoteca do Estado but modernly rebranded 'Pina_Luz' (with the underline!) in 2017, houses an…

  • Museum

    Museu Xingu

    Relatively unknown and blissfully uncrowded, the unassuming Casa Amarela is part NGO handicraft shop, part two-table romantic cafe and part tiny Museu…

  • Historic Building

    Estação da Luz

    Across the street from the Parque da Luz sits one of São Paulo's most stunning structures, a classic late-Victorian train station constructed with…

  • Public Art

    Beco do Batman

    One of São Paulo's premiere street-art locations, 'Batman's Alley' has slowly risen from secret location for band promotional shots and Brazilian films to…

  • Theater

    Theatro Municipal

    São Paulo’s most splendid construction, this theater was begun in 1903 in the style of Paris’ Palais Garnier. Its heavily ornamented facade seems to…

  • Museum

    Museu Afro-Brasil

    This hugely important, absolutely fascinating Parque Ibirapuera museum features a permanent 3rd-floor collection chronicling five centuries of African…

  • Historic Building

    Edifício Itália

    With 46 stories, this skyscraper just south of the Praça da República is the tallest in the city center. You have three options to see the view: weekdays…

  • Street

    Rua Oscar Freire

    Take a stroll down Brazil's 'Rodeo Drive', a leafy, tree-lined thoroughfare brimming with cafes, concept stores and flagship boutiques, top-end…

  • Museum

    Museu do Futebol

    Tucked under the bleachers of colorfully art deco Pacaembu Stadium, this fantastic museum is devoted to Brazil’s greatest passion – football (soccer). Its…

  • Cultural Centre

    Japan House

    You can't miss the stunning facade of this Av Paulista newcomer. Its sliding vertical plank entrance sits in stark contrast to the surrounding concrete…

  • Park

    Parque Ibirapuera

    São Paulo's most expansive green space and a much-loved urban oasis for Paulistanos, Parque Ibirapuera is a leafy 2 sq-km park in Vila Mariana. In…

  • Museum

    Museu da Língua Portuguesa

    Half of Estação da Luz has been given over to this museum, with fascinating permanent exhibits documenting the rise of the Brazilian language as distinct…

  • Market

    Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros

    A smaller, cleaner and more manageable version of São Paulo's far larger and more chaotic Mercado Municipal, Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros has served…

  • Museum

    Museu de Arte Sacra

    The best of its kind in Brazil, this museum includes works by renowned 18th-century sculptor Antônio Aleijadinho, along with some 1000 other…

  • Cultural Center

    Instituto Moreira Salles

    A 2017 artistic addition to Av Paulista, this striking, R$150 million, vertical museum and cultural center is a real treat for photography fans – three…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in São Paulo.

  • Activities

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