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Panorama of the São Paulo skyline

No. 44 Top 100 City Destinations 2025

São Paulo

Brazil

Brazil's giant metropolis: world-class food, art museums, nightlife and Avenida Paulista.

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Photo: Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

São Paulo is No. 44 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025. Brazil's largest city, and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, is the country's business capital and one of the most diverse cities in the Americas.

Visitors come for its restaurants and bars, its museums and street art, and its neighbourhoods shaped by immigrants from Italy, Japan, Lebanon and elsewhere. Liberdade has one of the largest Japanese communities outside Japan.

The São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), raised on red pillars above Avenida Paulista
The São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), raised on red pillars above Avenida Paulista. Photo: Felipe Löhnhoff, CC BY 3.0, source

Best time to go

April to May and September to November are pleasant, with mild temperatures.

Summer (December to March) is hot, with heavy afternoon rain. Winter (June to August) is mild and dry, with cool nights.

Top sights

  • 1

    Avenida Paulista

    The city's grand avenue of offices, museums and cultural centres is closed to cars on Sundays and becomes a promenade.

  • 2

    MASP In our Top 100 Museums

    The São Paulo Museum of Art, in Lina Bo Bardi's red-pillared building on Avenida Paulista, has a major collection of European and Brazilian art.

  • 3

    Pinacoteca de São Paulo In our Top 100 Museums

    The city's oldest art museum, with Brazilian art from the 19th century to today, beside the Jardim da Luz.

  • 4

    Ibirapuera Park

    The city's favourite park, with buildings by Oscar Niemeyer, museums and the Afro Brasil Museum.

  • 5

    Mercado Municipal

    The 1930s market hall, with stained-glass windows, is famous for its giant mortadella sandwiches.

  • 6

    Liberdade

    The Japanese district has shops, restaurants and a Sunday street fair.

  • 7

    Beco do Batman

    A lane in Vila Madalena covered in colourful graffiti and murals.

Getting there

São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) is about 25 km north-east of the centre. CPTM Line 13 connects the airport with the rail network, and airport buses run to central areas; allow plenty of time for traffic.

Congonhas Airport (CGH), close to the centre, handles domestic flights.

Getting around

The metro and CPTM trains are the fastest way to get around, as road traffic is heavy.

Ride-hailing apps are widely used and inexpensive, and are the best option at night.

Practical tips

Currency
Brazilian real (BRL). Cards are accepted almost everywhere; locals often pay with Pix, the instant-payment system.
Language
Portuguese. English is limited outside hotels and upmarket restaurants.
Safety
Keep phones and valuables out of sight on the street, and use ride-hailing apps at night. The emergency numbers are 190 (police) and 192 (ambulance).
Visa & entry
Citizens of the US, Canada and Australia need an e-visa, applied for online through Brazil's official e-visa portal (brazil.vfsevisa.com). UK and EU citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days. Check the current rules for your passport before you travel.
Power
127 V, 60 Hz in São Paulo (some buildings have 220 V); plug types C and N.

Official information: Cidade de São Paulo (official city tourism website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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