São Paulo trip: a travel guide

At a glance

São Paulo in brief

IBGE counted 11,451,999 residents in São Paulo in the 2022 Census, and its latest estimate is about 11.9 million. That makes it the largest city in Brazil. There is no beach in the city, so people come for museums, restaurants, shopping and neighborhoods, and many international flights land here before travelers continue to Rio. The city is big and traffic is heavy, so we plan each day by area rather than by a long list.

A São Paulo trip: what to see in one or two days

MASP on Avenida Paulista

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo stands at Avenida Paulista 1578. Its hours, as published by the museum:

MASP also closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January, and opens on other public holidays. Online booking is required. Terms of entry are on the museum’s site; we confirm them for your dates.

The Pinacoteca

The state art museum, the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, uses three buildings in the center: Pina Luz (Praça da Luz, 2), Pina Estação (Largo General Osório, 66) and Pina Contemporânea (Avenida Tiradentes, 273). They open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00-18:00, with last entry at 17:00, and one ticket covers all three buildings. Tuesday is the closing day.

Ibirapuera Park

Ibirapuera opened on 21 August 1954, for the city’s 400th anniversary, and covers about 124 hectares. The city lists it as open every day from 5:00 to midnight. Inside are the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM), the Museu Afro Brasil, the Oca, the Pavilhão Japonês, the Auditório Ibirapuera and a planetarium, plus bike rental. Museums in the park keep their own hours and tickets. With children, the park is the easiest half day of the trip: see also Rio family trip for how we plan for kids.

The Municipal Market (Mercadão)

The Mercado Municipal Paulistano was ready in 1932, but the Constitutionalist Revolution delayed its opening to the following year, on 25 January, the city’s anniversary. Its Gothic-style stained-glass windows were designed by Conrado Sorgenicht Filho. Today it has about 300 stalls and a mezzanine food court. Retail hours are Monday to Saturday 6:00-18:00 and Sundays and holidays 6:00-16:00. Come hungry, and come before lunch, when the aisles get crowded.

Getting around São Paulo

• Metro: it runs every day from 4:40 to midnight, and on the night from Saturday to Sunday it runs 24 hours on a trial basis until January 2027. Line changes at Sé, Paraíso and Ana Rosa must be made before midnight.
• From Guarulhos airport (GRU): a shuttle links the terminals with the Aeroporto-Guarulhos station of CPTM Line 13-Jade. Trains run Sunday to Friday 4:00-0:00 and Saturday 4:00-1:00, and you change to Line 12 at Engenheiro Goulart. With luggage, or after a long flight, a private transfer is simpler.
• By car: for a day with several stops in different areas, a private driver saves time and transfers between neighborhoods; see private driver for how this works with us.

Safety

The U.S. State Department keeps all of Brazil at Level 2, “exercise increased caution” (advisory of 31.08.2026). The UK FCDO (page updated 29.09.2026) has no separate safety advice for São Paulo; its general tips include buying your own drinks and keeping them in sight and staying aware in large crowds. The Government of Canada (14.10.2026) asks for a high degree of caution across Brazil. Emergency numbers: 190 (police), 192 (ambulance), 193 (fire brigade). Our general page: Rio safety tips.

How many days and how to combine with Rio

Two ways work well:

1. At the start of the trip: you land at Guarulhos in the evening and sleep near Paulista. Day one: Paulista, MASP and Ibirapuera. Day two: the Pinacoteca and the Municipal Market. Then you continue to Rio by plane or by road: all options on São Paulo to Rio.
2. At the end of the trip: you fly in from Rio in the morning, spend the day in the city and take a night flight home from Guarulhos.

Check the days of the week: MASP is closed on Mondays, the Pinacoteca on Tuesdays. If your dates match the Grand Prix, see Formula 1 in São Paulo. For a coast stop on the way, see Ilhabela and Ubatuba. Longer routes: two-week Brazil itinerary.

What to tell us in your request

• dates and which airport you land at or leave from
• number of travelers and ages of children
• flights, if you already have them
• museums, food, shopping or a mix
• the language your guide should speak
• São Paulo to Rio by plane or by road

How we help in São Paulo

We do not sell flights, but we build São Paulo and Rio into one route around yours: the transfer from Guarulhos to your hotel and back to a night departure, a private guide for a day in the center and on Paulista, and a car with driver to Rio if you prefer not to fly. One team answers you before and during the trip. More on private trips and how we work.