São Paulo

Altino Arantes Building

The Altino Arantes Building (Portuguese: Edifício Altino Arantes), also known as the Banespa Building (in Portuguese: Edifício do Banespa) and most popularly by Banespão (big Banespa), is an important Art Deco skyscraper located in São Paulo, Brazil.

Closed · opens 10 am Monday

Mirante do Vale

Mirante do Vale, also called Palácio W. Zarzur or Palácio Zarzur Kogan in honour of its architects, is a 170 m (558 ft) mixed-use skyscraper located in São Paulo, Brazil, in the area of Downtown São Paulo and Vale do Anhangabaú. Constructed from 1959 to 1966, it was the tallest building in São Paulo for 54 years until 2022 when it was surpassed by Platina 220. Mirante do Vale was also the tallest in Brazil until 2014 when it was surpassed by Millennium Palace in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina.

Copan Building

The Edifício Copan (Copan Building), or just Copan, is one of the most important and emblematic buildings in the city of São Paulo, located at number 200 Avenida Ipiranga, in the city center, and was inaugurated in 1966. It is one of the symbols of modern Brazilian architecture, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer with structural design by engineer Joaquim Cardozo, aiming to celebrate the Fourth Centenary of the city of São Paulo. The work, however, only began in 1957, with some changes and carried out with the help of Carlos Lemos.

São Paulo Museum of Art

The São Paulo Museum of Art (Portuguese: Museu de Arte de São Paulo, or MASP) is an art museum in São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for the architectural significance of its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo Bardi. It is considered a landmark of the city and a symbol of modern Brazilian architecture, and one of the most-visited art museums in the world.

Open now · closes 6 pm·Built 1947

São Paulo Cathedral

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady Assumption and Saint Paul, also known as the See Cathedral (Portuguese: Catedral da Sé), is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo, Brazil. Its current and seventh metropolitan archbishop is Dom Odilo Pedro Cardinal Scherer, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on March 21, 2007, and installed on April 29 of the same year. The existing cathedral's construction, in a Gothic Revival style, began in 1913 and ended four decades later.

Open now · closes 7 pm

Mosteiro de São Bento

Monastery of Saint Benedict (Portuguese: Mosteiro de São Bento) is a Catholic temple located in São Paulo, Brazil. Established on 14 July 1598, the current church was built between 1910 and 1914 by the German architect Richard Berndl. It is formed by the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, the College of São Bento and the School of Philosophy of São Bento.

Open now · closes 6 pm·Built 1922

Pateo do Collegio

Pátio do Colégio is the name given to the historical Jesuit church and school in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The name is also used to refer to the square in front of the church. The Pátio do Colégio marks the site where the city was founded in 1554.

Wi-Fi

Pinacotheca of the State of São Paulo

The Pinacoteca de São Paulo (Portuguese for "pinacotheca (picture gallery) of the state of São Paulo") is a visual arts museum focused on Brazilian art from the 19th century to the present day, in dialogue with various cultures from around the world. Founded in 1905 by the Government of the State of São Paulo, the Pinacoteca is the oldest art museum in the city and has three buildings: Pinacoteca Luz, Pinacoteca Estação and Pinacoteca Contemporânea. The museum holds exhibitions of its renowned collection of Brazilian art and temporary exhibitions of national and international artists.

Open now · closes 5:30 pm·Built 1905

Monteiro Lobato

José Bento Renato Monteiro Lobato was one of Brazil's most influential writers, mostly for his children's books set in the fictional Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (Yellow Woodpecker Farm) but he had been previously a prolific writer of fiction, a translator and an art critic. He also founded one of Brazil's first publishing houses (Companhia Editora Nacional) and was a supporter of nationalism. Lobato was born in Taubaté, São Paulo.

Banespa Tower

The observation deck is on the 34th floor, 160 m above ground. For many decades, it used to be the highest building in town. There is a small museum on the top of the building. Make sure and bring ID (passport) because it is required for entrance.

Open now · closes 5 pm·35R$

São Paulo Jockey Club

There are two bars and a couple of posh restaurants with a great view of the River Pinheiros, especially around 18:00, when you can go straight from work or a busy day walking about to watch the sun set above town.

Free

TurisMetrô

Offer a variety of city tours every weekend. These are mostly walking tours but with some use of the metro. The tour is free of charge, but you will need to take some cash with you to buy metro tickets during the tour as necessary. The tours start at the TurisMetrô desk in Sé metro station at 09:00 and 14:00 on Saturdays and Sundays; you will need to arrive half an hour earlier to sign up. The desk is inside the ticket turnstiles, so if you arrive by metro don't exit the station past the turnstiles while looking for the desk or you'll have to pay for an extra ticket to get back in. If you are already around the station, you will have to pay for a ticket to gain access to the desk, although you can use it to make the first journey of the tour so it's not wasted. The guides speak English.

Virada Cultural

Virada Cultural is a round-the-clock cultural marathon that takes place in various parts of the Historic Center (Downtown), happening yearly around April–May. It is a free event that gathers an audience of several million of people circulating during a 24-hour, non-stop cultural party. Exceptionally, the metro and train work uninterruptedly during the event. During the 2012 edition, there were about 1,300 shows and 15 km of streets were occupied.

Free

Municipal Theatre of São Paulo

Municipal Theatre of São Paulo is a theatre in São Paulo, Brazil. It is regarded as one of the landmarks of the city, significant both for its architectural value as well as for its historical importance, having been the venue for the Week of Modern Art in 1922, which revolutionised the arts in Brazil. The building now houses the São Paulo Municipal Symphonic Orchestra, the Coral Lírico (Lyric Choir) and the City Ballet of São Paulo.

Parque da Luz

Jardim da Luz (also: Praça da Luz or Parque da Luz) is a public park near the Luz station and Avenida Tiradentes in the Bom Retiro district of São Paulo. The headquarters of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo is located in the southeastern corner of the park.

Open now · closes 6 pm·Built 1825

Sé Square

Praça da Sé (English: See Square) is a public space in São Paulo, Brazil. Considered as the city's central point, it is the point from where the distance of all roads passing through São Paulo are counted. The square was the location of many historical events in São Paulo's history, most notably during the Diretas Já movement.

Itaú Cultural

Instituto Itaú Cultural is a Brazilian not-for-profit cultural institute owned by Itaú Unibanco. The institute was founded by Olavo Egydio Setúbal and created under the Law nº 7505, of 3 October 1986. The institute's goal is to map artistic manifestations and to foster artistic research and production related to all cultural sections.

Wheelchair accessible

Municipal Market of São Paulo

The Municipal Market of São Paulo is a large public market in São Paulo, Brazil. It was designed by the architect Francisco Ramos de Azevedo and inaugurated on January 25, 1933 as a wholesale and retail post specializing in fruits, vegetables, cereals, meats, spices, and other food products. The market is located in the Mercado neighborhood, a name that references the market, in the historic center of São Paulo.

Open now · closes 4 pm·Heritage listed · Wheelchair accessible

Gay Pride Parade

Every year, during Corpus Christi holidays (usually between May and June), around 3 million people take part in the largest Gay Pride parade in the world. It takes place on a Sunday, and Avenida Paulista is the spot to head to. Floats bustling with electronic music parade from MASP to República, while every type imaginable marches along. The drinks are plenty and the rave party feel keeps the paraders dancing way pass sunset.

Restaurant Skye, Hotel Unique

On the rooftop of posh Hotel Unique, Skye serves excellent fusion food under the supervision of chef Emmanuel Bassoleil. Good for night views of the area around Ibirapuera Park.

Free

São Paulo Carnival

If you're in São Paulo during the annual Carnival, a national bank holiday between the end of February and March. This is where the typical Carnival parade takes place, with dancers dressed up in costumes and musicians play samba songs on the top of fancy cars. If you can afford it, get tickets closest to the "pista" (standing area, close to the parade itself). This will give you a premium view of the parade, and the possibility of comfortably sitting down on benches. Waiters pass to and fro selling chocolate, chips, beer, soft drinks and booze. Another option is to visit one of the various samba schools in town, where you can see the rehearsal concerts of musicians and dancers. You can even have the opportunity to join the parade at the time of Carnival holidays by acquiring the costume from a samba school and getting in touch with the people organising the event in one of the schools. However, São Paulo is not a traditional Carnaval destination for Brazilians, like Rio. The city will usually be less crowded on Carnaval then usual, as Paulistanos leave for the Paulista Coast or other states.

Edifício Martinelli

The Martinelli Building (in Portuguese: Edifício Martinelli), with 28 floors, is the first skyscraper built in Brazil. Located in São Paulo, it is 105 meters tall. The building was planned in 1922 by the Italian-born entrepreneur, Giuseppe Martinelli.

Open now · closes 4 pm·Built 1929

Luz Station

Luz Station (Portuguese: Estação da Luz, IPA: [(i)staˈsɐ̃w dɐ ˈlus]) is a commuter rail and intercity rail station in the Bom Retiro district of São Paulo, Brazil, serving RFFSA, the intercity rail network of Brazil, CPTM Line 10-Turquoise, Line 11-Coral and Line 13-Jade (Airport Express). It has subway connections to São Paulo Metro Line 1-Blue and ViaQuatro Line 4-Yellow via its underground metro station of the same name. It is currently located in Bairro da Luz and was built between 1895 and 1901, designed by the British architect Charles Henry Driver for the São Paulo Railway, a company based in London that was responsible for building the first railway line in the state of São Paulo,…

Heritage listed

Museum of the Portuguese Language

The Museum of the Portuguese Language is an interactive Portuguese language—and Linguistics/Language Development in general—museum in São Paulo, Brazil. It is housed in the Estação da Luz railway station, in the urban district of the same name. Three hundred thousand passengers arrive and leave the station every day, and the choice of the building for the launching of the museum is connected to the fact that it was mainly here that thousands of non-Portuguese speaking immigrants arriving from Europe and Asia into São Paulo via the Port of Santos got acquainted with the language for the first time.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Santa Ifigênia

The Basilica of the Most Blessed Sacrament is a Catholic basilica located at the corner of Casper Libero Avenue and Santa Ifigenia Street, in the district of the same name in the city of Sao Paulo in the south of Brazil. The Santa Ifigenia viaduct ends in front of the church.

Open now · closes 7 pm·Built 1910

Vale do Anhangabaú

Vale do Anhangabaú (Anhangabaú Valley) is a region in the city center of São Paulo, located between the viaducts do Chá and Santa Ifigênia. It is a public space commonly characterized as park, where events have traditionally been organized, such as public demonstrations, political rallies, presentations and popular shows. It is considered the point that separates the Old City Center from the New City Center.

Museum of Sacred Art of São Paulo

The Museum of Sacred Art of São Paulo (Portuguese: Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo) a museum dedicated to the collection and display of sacred art of Brazil. It is located in the Luz neighborhood of São Paulo in the left wing of the Luz Monastery, a religious institution founded in 1774 by Frei Galvão. The monastery is the only colonial building of the eighteenth century in São Paulo to preserve its original building elements, materials and structure.

Open now · closes 5 pm

Sala São Paulo

The Júlio Prestes Cultural Center, which is located in the Júlio Prestes Train Station in the old north central section of the city of São Paulo, Brazil, was inaugurated on July 9, 1999. The building has been restored and renovated by the São Paulo State Government, as part of the downtown revitalization in that city. It houses the Sala São Paulo, which has a capacity of 1498 seats and is the home of the São Paulo State Symphonic Orchestra (OSESP).

Largo do Paissandú

Largo do Paiçandu is an area of the República district, in the central area of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It was named in 1865 after the Siege of Paysandu. Currently, it It is located within a quadrilateral formed by São João, Conselheiro Crispiniano, Rio Branco and Dom José de Barros streets.

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Praça da República

Praça da República (Portuguese: Square of the Republic) is a park and public square in the República neighborhood of São Paulo, Brazil. The park covers several city blocks between Rua Pedro Américo, Rua Vinte e Quatro de Maio, Avenida Ipiranga, and Avenida São João in the historic center of the city. Praça da República had many names before 1889, including Largo dos Curros, Largo da Palha, Praça das Milícias, Largo Sete de Abril, and Praça 15 de Novembro.