During the first semester of 2025, Brazil welcomed more international visitors than ever before in history and nearly all of them had to land in São Paulo. The city is the nation’s main gateway and home to Guarulhos International Airport, the largest in South America. It sets the tone before travelers head to beaches and rainforests.
However, São Paulo is a destination on its own.
The city’s South Zone is comparable to a maquette of the rest of São Paulo: favelas next to skyscrapers and culinary experiences that reveal the city’s soul more than any museum. If you’re planning to go to Brazil, São Paulo is worth more than just a layover. Plan to stay the weekend and get to know the city.
Friday Afternoon
A taxi from Guarulhos will take you to the South Zone in about 45 minutes. There, Ibirapuera Park is a nice getaway from the streets of the city. Roberto Burle Marx designed the park, which has Oscar Niemeyer’s famous white pavilions. It is both a playground and a cultural center.
Families ride rental bikes around the lake, joggers lap the lake and art lovers go into the Afro-Brazil Museum. The park is open every day from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., but parking fills up rapidly on weekends. Check their website for events.
Friday Evening
In São Paulo, weekends mean pizza. By Friday night, the smell of wood-fired dough drifts across the city and Primo Basílico stands out among the 20 best pizzerias in the city. There are two locations in the zone: Jardim Paulistano and Itaim Bibi. Begin with corniccione or burrata (around R$70), then try the signature Violetta pizza topped with turkey breast, catupiry (a creamy Brazilian cheese) and red onion sautéed in buffalo butter.
A full pizza is about R$131 or R$85 for an individual portion. With rustic interiors and a lively crowd, it’s a place where people gather for late night dinner since it is open until 12:30 a.m. on Fridays. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Saturday Morning
Breakfast in São Paulo can be as stylish as the city itself and nowhere shows that better than Le Jardin at the Rosewood Hotel. It feels like a garden inside a glasshouse with big windows, plants hanging from the ceiling and a low murmur of people who look like they just left a fashion shoot.
The 24-hour breakfast is only for hotel guests, although anybody can make a reservation for a table starting at 6:30 a.m. every day. Expect baskets of pão de queijo, seasonal fruits and coffee as strong as the energy outside.
After a peaceful breakfast at Rosewood, explore Paraisópolis in São Paulo. Over 100,000 people live in the favela 20 minutes away from Morumbi’s luxurious skyscrapers. With helipads overhead and brick dwellings below, the difference is dramatic but the atmosphere is welcoming.
Kids kick soccer balls in tiny alleys, colorful murals cover walls and every morning bakeries produce fresh pão francês, the crusty rolls Brazilians like. Most guided tours ($150-$300 per person) are in the morning so visitors can safely observe music schools, dancing projects and small businesses. Uber is the easiest and safest way there.
Saturday Afternoon
By lunchtime, it’s time for Brazil’s weekend classic dish: feijoada. This black bean stew is more than a simple cuisine at Bolinha; it’s a tradition. Bolinha has been serving the black bean stew since 1946, featuring 10 cuts of pork and sausage with rice, greens and farofa (toasted cassava flour).
On Saturdays, the all-you-can-eat option (R$233 per person) makes it a feast. There is a live pagode band that plays samba rhythms, which makes the whole place feel like a day party. People from the area come early since tables fill up quickly. From Paraisópolis, it’s about 20 minutes by car and opens daily from 11 a.m.
Saturday Late Afternoon
Once the last bites of feijoada are gone, head about 15 minutes by car to Avenida Paulista. On weekends, the avenue closes to cars and becomes a stage: business suits brushing past skaters, drummers leading samba circles and vendors setting up stands of handmade jewelry and vintage vinyl. Bookstores, small galleries and street art turn sidewalks into open-air museums alongside buildings made of glass. It’s chaotic, creative and irresistibly alive.
Saturday Evening
Saturday night is showtime at Teatro Santander in the upscale JK Iguatemi district of Itaim Bibi. The theater is sleek and modern and the shows are just as excellent as those on Broadway in New York. This season’s highlight is “Dreamgirls: In Search of a Dream,” an accurate Broadway adaptation that follows a young female R&B trio trying to make it big in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tickets start at R$20 and go up for better seats. It’s best to get them ahead of time because shows often sell out. Cocktail attire is common. For details on ticket prices and the full schedule, check teatrosantander.com.br.
Saturday Late Evening
When the curtain comes down at Teatro Santander, head to Lellis Trattoria, a São Paulo favorite for late-night dining. Open until 1 a.m. or later, Lellis serves robust Italian dishes: pastas and risottos for about R$80, steaks near R$150 and wines perfect for lingering over conversation.
Sunday Morning
Spend your last morning in São Paulo at the Mercado Municipal (“Mercadão”), a 1933 market hall known for its stained-glass windows and numerous food vendors. When doors open at 6 a.m., customers rush in to enjoy exotic fruits, spices and codfish pastel. Spend an hour wandering the aisles before walking about 10 minutes to the Monastery of São Bento, founded in 1598. At 10 a.m., monks sing Gregorian chants in the neo-Romanesque church during Mass. This centuries-old practice ends the weekend peacefully.
Transportation
São Paulo’s subway serves parts of the South Zone, although Uber is the most convenient and secure option for travelers. The best option is Guarulhos Airport vehicle rental. Valet parking is offered in restaurants and malls.
Accommodation
Treat yourself to a stay at the Rosewood Sao Paulo, where style and comfort come together. There are nice hotels like Pullman and Hilton in Moema and Vila Olimpia. There are good mid-range hotels and Airbnbs in Brooklin and near Congonhas Airport for people on a budget.
Restaurants
Casa Mathilde: city bakery known for Portuguese sweets, especially pastel de nata, which goes well with quick cappuccinos.
Manarillo: cozy Itaim Bibi bistrô providing unique Italian dishes like shrimp bisque pasta and coconut risotto.
Aoyama: a local favorite for all-you-can-eat sushi in a relaxed setting with unlimited fresh rolls.
Family Tips
Ibirapuera Park, Teatro Santander and Mercadão are family friendly. Children get highchairs and smaller portions at restaurants.
Events
Check cidadedesaopaulo.com for museum exhibits, concerts and festivals.