São Paulo 3-Day Itinerary

This plan assumes a hotel near Avenida Paulista, so every day starts from a Line 2 station. If a Sunday falls in your stay, give it to Day 1, when the avenue is closed to cars, and if a Monday falls in your stay, use it for the Mercadão, Liberdade and Beco do Batman, since the Museum of the Portuguese Language and the Ibirapuera museums close that day. The Pinacoteca closes on Tuesdays instead, so keep Day 2 off a Tuesday.

Day 1: Avenida Paulista

Start at MASP, then walk the avenue, stopping at Japan House and the Moreira Salles Institute. Have lunch in Jardins and wander Rua Oscar Freire. In the evening, take an Uber to Bixiga for pizza, the Sunday-night ritual.

Day 2: The historic centre and Luz

Take the metro to Sé on a weekday morning and follow our historic centre walk: the cathedral, Pátio do Colégio, São Bento Monastery and the view from the Farol Santander. Have a mortadella sandwich at the Mercadão, then spend the afternoon at the Pinacoteca and the Museum of the Portuguese Language. If you can get tickets, end with a concert at Sala São Paulo, and take an Uber back.

Day 3: Ibirapuera, Liberdade and Vila Madalena

Spend the morning in Ibirapuera Park, with the Afro Brazil Museum or the Museum of Modern Art. Take an Uber from the park to Liberdade for a Japanese lunch, then continue to Vila Madalena for Beco do Batman in the late afternoon. Stay for dinner and a night in the bars.

With more time

Visit SESC Pompeia, catch a football match, or take a trip to the coast at Santos or the mountains at Campos do Jordão, starting early to beat the traffic.