If you want to see São Paulo’s top attractions and you’ve only got a few hours to spare, you’ll cover a lot of ground with this private city tour by vehicle and on foot! Your informative local guide will accompany you on a walk through São Paulo’s historical downtown, and take you on a scenic drive through several city neighborhoods. Enjoy guided commentary on 10 or more major landmarks and choose from a 3-, 4- and 5-hour tour, including hotel pickup and drop-off.
A three-hour tour is an ideal way to get a taste of this vast city in just a little bit of time. But if you’ve got an extra hour or two, you can upgrade your tour to include a few additional stops – including museums, markets and neighborhoods – on your sightseeing tour of São Paulo! (See the Itinerary below for more details.)
Your guide will pick you up by private vehicle from your hotel and drive you to downtown São Paulo for a brief historical walking tour. See the site where the city was founded in 1554 at the Pátio do Colégio, a historical Jesuit mission church and school. Stop at the famous Catedral da Sé (Cathedral of Sé), a neo-gothic building from the 20th century, which holds up to 8,000 people.
Afterward, continue your scenic tour of São Paulo by private vehicle. See the Monastery of Sao Bento, a historical site belonging to the Benedictines, who have sung Gregorian chants at masses there since the 16th century. Your guide will point out the 30-story Martinelli building – São Paulo’s first skyscraper – and the Banespa Tower that looks similar to New York’s Empire State building.
Pass the churches of St Francis that were built during the 18th century, and the Municipal Theatre of São Paulo, the city’s oldest theater and a venue for renowned concerts and operas. Learn from your guide about São Paulo Law School, the city’s first established university, and hear about the former bullfighting arena of Republic Square.
Admire the Tea Bridge, the 42-story Italian Tower and City Hall, an imposing building made entirely of travertine marble. Keep an eye out for Brazil’s largest residential building – the Copan building, designed by the famous architect, Oscar Niemeyer.
In addition to these city landmarks, you’ll drive through several interesting areas including:
- Liberdade – the Japanese district of São Paulo, where Japanese immigrants settled at the beginning of the 20th century
- Higienópolis – one of São Paulo’s first wealthy neighborhoods with preserved mansions alongside buildings famous their modernist architecture
- Pacaembu – an upper-middle class neighborhood, famous for its winding streets and hilly terrain. It is the home of Pacaembu Soccer Stadium, which houses the Museum of Football, currently one of the most visited museums in São Paulo.
- Paulista Avenue – a financial district created at the end of the 19th century, then home to wealthy coffee farmers
- Ibirapuera Park – São Paulo´s main park, including a peaceful garden landscape designed by Roberto Burle Marx
