Editor's picks
A local's shortlist — the places worth your time first, each with a tip.
Avenida Paulista
Landmark · Central
The city's spine — MASP art museum, cultural centres, and a kilometre-long avenue closed to cars on Sundays.
Local tip: Go on a Sunday when it's pedestrianised. Street musicians, food carts and the whole city out walking — it's São Paulo at its most likeable.
MASP
Culture · Avenida Paulista
Lina Bo Bardi's suspended concrete-and-glass museum, with paintings displayed on glass easels rather than walls.
Local tip: The easel display is the point — you walk among the paintings and see the backs of them. Nowhere else does this.
Vila Madalena
Neighborhood · West
Bars, galleries and the Beco do Batman alley of constantly repainted street art.
Local tip: Come for the street art in daylight and stay for the bars. It's the most reliably fun night out in the city.
Mercado Municipal
Food · Centro
A cathedral-like market hall of tropical fruit, cured meats and the enormous mortadella sandwich the city is known for.
Local tip: Split the mortadella sandwich — one is genuinely enough for two. Then eat properly at a pastel stall upstairs.
Ibirapuera Park
Nature · South-central
The city's Central Park, with Niemeyer-designed pavilions and a large slice of São Paulo's cultural infrastructure inside it.
Local tip: Weekday mornings are calm and lovely; Sunday is packed. The Afro Brasil museum inside the park is excellent and consistently overlooked.
Liberdade
Hidden gemFood · Central
The largest Japanese diaspora neighbourhood outside Japan, now equally Korean and Chinese.
Local tip: Go on a Sunday for the street market. São Paulo has more people of Japanese descent than any city outside Japan and the food reflects it.
Explore 123 places across São Paulo
Museums, landmarks, monuments, heritage sites and parks — mapped, with photos. The most notable spots first.
Museums & galleries
(42)
MuseumSão Paulo Museum of Art
Art museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumInstituto Butantan
Biologic research center in Brazil
MuseumPinacoteca de São Paulo
Art museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumIpiranga Museum
History museum of São Paulo state, Brazil
MuseumLatin America Memorial
Cultural complex in São Paulo, Brazil
Museum
MuseumBotanical Garden of São Paulo
Park of the Botanical Garden, environmental preservation area of the São Paulo state in Brazil
MuseumBandeirantes Palace
Seat of the São Paulo State Government
MuseumSão Paulo Museum of Sacred Art
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumImmigration Museum of the State of São Paulo
Museum
MuseumGlass House
Italo-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi's house
MuseumSão Paulo Museum of Image and Sound
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumLasar Segall Museum
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumMuseum of Archeology and Ethnology of the University of São Paulo
Museum in São Paulo
MuseumFootball Museum
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
Museum
MuseumMuseum of Art of the Parliament of São Paulo
Contemporary art museum in São Paulo
MuseumCasa das Rosas
Museum and cultural centre in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumMuseu Brasileiro da Escultura
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumEcological Park of Tietê
Nature reserve in Brazil
MuseumMilitary Police Museum of the State of São Paulo
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumThe Ema Klabin House Museum
Art museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumEstação Pinacoteca
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumMuseu do Relógio Professor Dimas de Melo Pimenta
Museum in São Paulo, São Paulo
MuseumMemorial da Resistência de São Paulo
Museum in São Paulo
MuseumAnchieta Museum
Museum in Brazil
MuseumGaetano Ferolla Museum of Public Transport
Museum in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumSão Paulo City Art Collection
Museum in Brazil
MuseumMemorial de 32
Museum in Brazil
MuseumMuseum of Jewish Immigration
Museum in Brazil
MuseumProfessor Aristóteles Orsini Planetarium
Planetarium in Brazil
Museum
MuseumHouse of Sítio de Morrinhos
Architectural set and archeology museum in São Paulo
MuseumCentro Cultural e de Estudos Superiores Aúthos Pagano
Brazilian cultural institution in São Paulo
MuseumCaixa Cultural São Paulo
Museum and community center in São Paulo
Museum
MuseumCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Cultural center in São Paulo, Brazil
MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts of São Paulo
University museum located in São Paulo, Brasil
Museu de Geociências
Museum.
Museu de Oceanografia
Museum.
Museu do Crime
Museum.
Museu de Anatomia
Museum.
Landmarks & architecture
(16)
LandmarkPraça da Sé
Square in Sao Paulo
Landmark
LandmarkPraça Roosevelt
Square in São Paulo, Brazil
LandmarkVale do Anhangabaú
Park and valley in São Paulo, Brazil
LandmarkMarechal Cordeiro de Farias Square
Public square in São Paulo, Brazil
LandmarkLargo de São Francisco
Square in São Paulo
LandmarkPraça Antonio Prado
Public space in São Paulo, Brazil
Landmark
Landmark
LandmarkPalace of the Champs Elysees
Palace in São Paulo
Landmark
Landmark
Landmark9 de Julho Palace
Headquarters of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo, Brazil
LandmarkDoctor João Mendes Square
Landmark in São Paulo.
LandmarkPraça da Bandeira
Public square in São Paulo
LandmarkPraça da Liberdade
Landmark in São Paulo.
Monuments & memorials
(17)
MonumentObelisk of São Paulo
Monument in São Paulo, Brazil
MonumentMonument to the Bandeiras
Sculpture in São Paulo, Brazil
MonumentMonument to the Independence of Brazil
Sculpture in São Paulo, Brazil
MonumentMonumento aos Fundadores de São Paulo
Monument in São Paulo city, Brazil
MonumentMonument to Ramos de Azevedo
Monument in São Paulo city, Brazil
MonumentNumber zero survey marker of the city of São Paulo
Geographic monument in São Paulo, Brazil
MonumentAyrton Senna Monument
Monument in São Paulo city, Brazil
Monument
MonumentMonument to Duque de Caxias
Monument in São Paulo, Brazil
MonumentPiques Obelisk
Obelisk at Largo da Memória
MonumentContando a Féria
Sculpture in São Paulo, Brazil
MonumentBorba Gato monument
Monument in São Paulo, Brazil
Centro de Eventos Vila Mariana
Public artwork.
Santos-Dumont 14-bis
Public artwork.
Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia
Bixiga
Historic site in Bixiga.
Monumento a Armando de Sales Oliveira
Public artwork.
Marco Monumental
Historic monument.
Places of worship
(29)
Religious
Religious
ReligiousBasílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousBasilica of the Most Blessed Sacrament, São Paulo
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja Nossa Senhora da Consolação
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousBasilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Caieiras
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousSt. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, São Paulo
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousTemplo de Salomão
Church of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Brazil, replica of the Temple of Solomon
ReligiousCatedral de Nossa Senhora do Paraíso
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousEvangelical Lutheran Church of São Paulo
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousCapela de Santa Cruz
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousBasílica José de Anchieta
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja de Santo Antônio
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
Religious
ReligiousSan Francisco Convent and Church
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo
Church in São Paulo
Religious
ReligiousParóquia Nossa Senhora Achiropita
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousChurch of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black Men
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja Nossa Senhora do Brasil
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousParóquia de Santa Terezinha
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja Apostólica Armênia São Jorge
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousChurch and Convent of Our Lady of Light
São Paulo, Brasil
ReligiousIgreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Penha de França
Church in São Paulo, Brazil
ReligiousBasílica de Nossa Senhora da Penha
Religious in São Paulo.
ReligiousParóquia Santa Teresinha
Church building in São Paulo, Brazil
Paróquia Santa Cecilia
Santa Cecilia
Place of worship in Santa Cecilia.
Capela dos Ariquemes
Place of worship.
Heritage & archaeology
(4)
ArchaeologicalPortal da Fazenda Morumbi
Historic ruins.
Casa Bandeirista
Archaeological site.
Antiga Casa da Baronesa
Historic ruins.
Parks & nature
(11)
Park
ParkJardim da Luz
Park in São Paulo
Park
Park
Park
ParkRamos de Azevedo Park
Park in São Paulo, Brazil
Park
ParkFontes do Ipiranga Biological Reserve
Biological reserve in Brazil
Park
ParkCarmo Park
Park in São Paulo, Brazil
ParkPeople's Park
Park in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
More to explore
(4)Aquario
Theme park.
Praça Vital Brasil
Visitor attraction.
Ghost Bike Márcia Prado
Visitor attraction.
Mirador Pedra Grande
Viewpoint.
Data from Wikidata (CC0) & OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Images via Wikimedia Commons — see each credit. Listings are community-maintained and may be incomplete or out of date — verify hours and access before visiting.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.