2 days in São Paulo

Day by day

1. Day 1: Avenida Paulista and MASP – São Paulo Museum of Art

   Avenida Paulista, MASP – São Paulo Museum of Art, Japan House São Paulo and Ibirapuera Park, then Theatro Municipal in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Avenida Paulista

      On Sundays and public holidays the avenue closes to cars and becomes a promenade of cyclists, skaters, street bands and food stalls.

   2. Late morning

      MASP – São Paulo Museum of Art

      The paintings hang on Bo Bardi's glass easels, so the collection appears to float in one open gallery.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pastel de feira

      Stalls at the end of the city's weekly street markets (feiras livres) and at the Mercadão.

   4. Afternoon

      Japan House São Paulo

      It is a short walk from MASP on Avenida Paulista.

   5. Late afternoon

      Ibirapuera Park

      Around it stand Niemeyer buildings housing the Museu Afro Brasil, the Museu de Arte Moderna, the Bienal pavilion, the domed Oca and the red-tongued Auditório Ibirapuera.

   6. Evening

      Theatro Municipal

      Tickets for many concerts are inexpensive; check the season programme rather than only taking the tour.

2. Day 2: Mercado Municipal (Mercadão) and Catedral da Sé

   Mercado Municipal (Mercadão), Catedral da Sé, Farol Santander and Edifício Copan, then Terraço Itália in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Mercado Municipal (Mercadão)

      Its mezzanine restaurants are famous for towering mortadella sandwiches and pastel de bacalhau, best shared.

   2. Late morning

      Catedral da Sé

      The crypt holds the tombs of bishops and of the indigenous chief Tibiriçá.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Mortadella sandwich

      Restaurants and bars on the mezzanine and ground floor of the Mercado Municipal.

   4. Afternoon

      Farol Santander

      From the top the forest of skyscrapers stretches to the horizon in every direction.

   5. Late afternoon

      Edifício Copan

      The ground-floor gallery of shops, cafés and bars is open to everyone and has a lively evening scene.

   6. Evening

      Terraço Itália

      Arrive just before sunset for a drink and watch the skyline lights come on.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Pinacoteca de São Paulo (Luz): Combine it with the Museu da Língua Portuguesa opposite, and use the Luz Metrô exit facing the garden.
• Swap in Museu da Língua Portuguesa (Luz): Many exhibits work best if you have some Portuguese or Spanish, but the station building and the projection room appeal to everyone.
• Swap in Museu do Ipiranga (Ipiranga): Walk down through the gardens to the Independence Monument, which holds the crypt of Emperor Pedro I.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–18 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.7 hours in June to 13.6 hours in December.

Getting between stops: Metro. The Metrô has several colour-coded lines; the most useful are Line 2-Green under Avenida Paulista, Line 1-Blue through the Centro and Liberdade, and Line 4-Yellow to Pinheiros and Luz.

More or fewer days

• One day in São Paulo
• 3 days in São Paulo
• 5 days in São Paulo

Questions travellers ask