Best Time to Visit São Paulo

Short answer: April to May and August to September bring the most comfortable mix of mild temperatures and dry days. São Paulo is a year-round city, though, and most of its best experiences are indoors.

At around 760 metres above sea level, São Paulo is milder than Rio. Summer, from December to March, is warm and humid, with highs in the high 20s °C (the low 80s °F), and heavy afternoon storms that can flood streets and bring traffic to a standstill. Winter, from June to August, is dry and sunny, with pleasant days around 20 to 23 °C (the low 70s °F), but nights can drop close to 10 °C (50 °F), and many buildings have no heating, so pack warm layers. Spring warms up quickly, and the rains return from October or November.

The quietest stretch is the Christmas and New Year holidays, when many Paulistanos leave for the coast, so the city empties, the traffic eases and hotels cut prices, though some restaurants close and January is the peak of the rainy season. Carnival week thins out the office traffic too, but the street blocos now fill whole neighbourhoods.

Events to plan around

• Carnival (February or early March): samba school parades at the Anhembi Sambadrome, and huge street parties, called blocos, across the city.
• Virada Cultural (May or June): 24 hours of free concerts and events across the city.
• São Paulo Pride (usually June): one of the largest Pride parades in the world, along Avenida Paulista.
• The São Paulo Biennial (every two years, from September): a major contemporary art show in Ibirapuera Park. The next edition opens in September 2027.
• The Brazilian Grand Prix (usually November): Formula 1 at Interlagos, when hotel prices jump.