Top Things to do in Sao Paulo
10 Free Things to do in Sao Paulo That You Shouldn't Miss
The largest city in South America, Sao Paulo’s cuisine and art is as multinational as its diverse population of 10 million. With the restaurants of the Jardins district serving every food imaginable to diners from around the world, you wouldn’t be out of place going to Sao Paulo just for the dining. But you’d be missing out on world-class museums, diverse and vibrant neighborhood tours, and crazy-good shopping.
Restaurants in Sao Paulo
1. Parque Ibirapuera
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36,820 reviews
The emerald heart of an oftentimes gray city, São Paulo's Parque do Ibirapuera offers respite from the urban madness among cool, shady trees and mentally-stimulating structures. Running trails, bike paths, and yoga and capoeira sessions let locals and visitors alike keep fit, while a clutch of museums and galleries — such as the museums of Modern and Contemporary Art, all designed by master Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer — gives the brain a good workout. The impressive Museu Afro Brasil and fiery Auditório Ibirapuera are two of the park's treasures.
Reviewed By andrearamires - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Lovely trees all over the park. Beautiful lake. Wonderful place to ride bikes ( you can also rent bikes on the weekends). Sundays are crowded. Wonderful museums inside the park as weel as an auditorium. Easy to park your car ( except on weekends). Food vendors everywhere.
2. Municipal Market of Sao Paulo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22,931 reviews
Housed in a stunning example of eclectic industrial architecture, the Mercado Municipal de São Paulo — nicknamed the Mercadão — has thousands of food items on offer, literally from soup to nuts. Lush tropical and temperate fruits from every season, choice cuts of meats and fish, and hearty prepared foods,such as the renowned and enormous mortadella (bologna) sandwich, complete the market's catalog of wares, all for sale in a boisterous, welcoming atmosphere. The surrounding area can be a bit sketchy, but the sights and flavors more than make up for the journey downtown.
Reviewed By a696969r
starting fr the building structure itself, going through every selling counter, is marvelous, majestic. You may find as from strange fruits from all over Brazil, mainly Amazonia, upto extraordinary mortadella sandwiches, fabolous cod huge snacks ( pastel), tasty italian cheeses, excellent shripms, pork meat, lambs, all you may imagine, is there. Wheneeber I been at Sapulo fr business, I go, at least, two times. Excellent!!!!
3. Itau Cultural Institute
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 958 reviews
taú Cultural is an institute dedicated to the research and production of content as well as mapping, fostering and dissemination of artistic and intellectual expressions. In this way, it contributes to the enhancement of the culture of a society as complex and diverse as Brazil. By considering culture a key tool to the construction of the country's identity and an effective means to promote citizenship, Itaú Cultural seeks to democratize and encourage social participation. A center of cultural reference, for 28 years the institute has been promoting and propagating the Brazilian output - both in and out of the country. Its programs - such as Rumos - as well as its mission and vision emphasize the institute's consistent distinctive features that place it among the most important cultural institutions in Brazil.
4. Farol Santander
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,828 reviews
São Paulo's very own Empire State Building — the Edifício Altino Arantes, also known by the name of its previous owner, Banespa — opened in 1947 as a symbol of the fast-growing city's economic might. The striking views from the observation deck, accessed from the 33rd floor of the 161-meter-tall building, never fail to impress visitors. Views, while free, are daytime only; the building is only open during normal business hours.
Reviewed By voyageur_moscovite
This city landmark built in 1947 offers great view on São Paulo from 26th floor. I was surprised by the quality of exhibitions, with one currently on masks, showing wonderful pieces from the whole world. In the lower floors, the exhibition about the history of this building and banking activities is also very interesting.
5. Liberdade
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12,858 reviews
Reviewed By Vcegal
Sao Paulo has the largest population of Japanese descendants outside of Japan, and the LIberdade neigbourhood is where the most of the japanese community live. If you likes the Japanese culture and costums a visit to Liberdade is a must! At Liberdade you will be able to find nice restaurants that offer the best of the tradicional Japanese food, many typical shops and during the weekends a very pleasant street market is organized by the local community. Take one day to visit the Liberdade neigbourhood!
6. Paulista Avenue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29,416 reviews
You can also find Museums, antiques fair, and lots of artists singers, painters. etc.
Reviewed By Gerado_Kern
Nice place to spend a full day. Walk without a north, just walk and see the different kind of people doing their performances, visit the MASP museum and turn right in the Augusta Street to feel a bohemiam spirit of São Paulo.
7. Mosteiro De Sao Bento
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,461 reviews
Reviewed By myom624 - Coquitlam, Canada
It was just quite amazing to see these "many colorful statues" of saints above the length of the main aisle on its both sides which is really the spectacle that stands out the most in my memory of this "overall ornate" church (really plenty of beauty, intricacies & elaborateness to see inside a relatively small area), and yes walking along the main aisle of this small church (which is just about a third of the long rectangular building of the Monastery where the other parts are off-limits to the public) was actually somewhat of a reminiscent of that along the main aisle of the much-bigger Metropolitan Cathedral in Santiago (where also right above the length of the aisle on both sides are saint statues not colorful ones like here but gold-glittered). And nearby, at just about a 5-minute walk (to the north which is in the direction straight out from this church) is Farol Santander with some outdoor balconies on its 26th floor for some great views of the city & where are also some exhibition floors including those with great displays of the bank that the building once was, and another 5-to-10-minute walk further north from that (through some cobble-stoned "pedestrian streets") is the square Praca da Se with the city's "main cathedral" Catedral da Se de Sao Paulo which is a pretty plain one inside except for its "huge pillars" but still a worthwhile visit especially right outside of it where there's a "big circle" like a compass or such & also a nice standing statue of St. Paul.
8. Catedral da Se de Sao Paulo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,957 reviews
Reviewed By Fm051316 - Manaus, Brazil
The Church of Sé is locate on the Heart of São Paulo Downtown with a magnificent Structure surround by long Palm tree n 5 min walking from the Japanese Neighborhood Liberdade and in it's Square that takes the same name is locate the most important Subway Station where you can gets a Subway to all directions of the Big City, The Sé Station!!!
9. Paroquia Nossa Senhora do Brasil
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,135 reviews
Reviewed By GBarry-1 - Bexley, United Kingdom
Very nice church, easy to find. If you like to see different churches, as some of our group did, then this is a good place to visit.
10. Jardins District
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,223 reviews
Reviewed By Fabi0Oliveira - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Located close to the best hotels in Avenida Paulista neighborhood Jardins District receive people from everywhere for fine shopping during the day and fine dining during the night
