São Paulo, or Sampa as it is also called, is the largest city in Brazil, with a municipality population of 12.1 million, and about 21.3 million in its metropolitan region - the most populous of the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. It is the capital of the Southeastern state of São Paulo, and also a beehive of activity that offers a jovial nightlife and an intense cultural experience. São Paulo is South America's major economic center and possesses the 10th largest GDP in the world, though poverty, especially in the suburbs, is still widesp…
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São Paulo is the most visited city of Brazil, but mostly because of business and event tourism, with many of the visitors not taking much effort to explore the city. Those who do so may, however, discover one of the most complex and fascinating cities in the world, where even nearby areas may look and feel like a different city, due to São Paulo's staggering social inequality and variety of cultural influences, and its hard to understand urban planning. For instance, if you walk from one end to another of Rua Augusta (which later becomes Rua Colômbia and Avenida Europa), starting from Downtown, you will pass through: One of the city's hottest nightlife areas in Baixa Augusta A vibrant cultu…
Transport in São Paulo can be anything from joyful to complicated. Usually, the fastest and less stressful way to get around is by bicycle and public transportation, while the experience with cars can be hellish. Peak hours are normally roughly 06:00-09:00 and 16:00-19:00, but since city roads are constantly at maximum capacity, any little incident can cause major queues and delays. The cheapest way for tourists to get around is to use the subway/metro, trains and buses/trolleybuses as much as possible, and then take a taxi for shorter distances. Even these means of transport can be uncomfortably crowded during peaks, and only a very limited carry-on is recommended.
Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue) is one of São Paulo's most popular postcards, as it is the pride of Paulistanos. It is one of the largest business centers, and probably the largest cultural region in the city. Its architectural contrast reflects the fact that the avenue is located between the "old" and "new" parts of the city. The avenue and its surroundings, such as Rua Augusta, Alameda Santos and Rua Oscar Freire, contain numerous shop galleries, art galleries, theatres, movie theaters, pubs, hotel, coffee shops, bookstores, and gourmet restaurants.
The two most important concert and opera houses of the city are Theatro Municipal and Sala São Paulo (see São Paulo/Historic Center). São Paulo has a great number of theaters, most of which feature plays in Portuguese. The British Cultural Centre, Goethe Institute, Instituto Cervantes and Alliance Française occasionally have plays in English, German, Spanish and French, respectively; check individual District listings.
São Paulo is home to a superb diversity of restaurants and cuisines, where you can enjoy typical dishes from literally all over the world. The price range is as wide as the diversity of the restaurants in the city, from cheap snacks and meals in simple and cozy restaurants and food tents in popular markets, to the hugely expensive high end cuisine and internationally recognized restaurants. In São Paulo, the ever-present beans-and-rice accompaniment typically involves brown beans instead of black beans, as in Rio.
You will have no trouble finding bars in São Paulo, where you can enjoy an ice cold beer, a shot of cachaça or a caipirinha - or anything else for that matter. Vila Madalena and Itaim have a very high concentration of bars, and are great spots for an all-nighter. For specific suggestions of bars, check the district section. This city has an unbelievably rich and diverse night life, and is able to provide entertainment for all tastes, from traditional samba-rock live music to electro-pop night clubs, raves and even some fetish clubs. It is worth planning at least one night out while you're in town.
São Paulo, once one of the most violent cities in Brazil, has managed to drastically reduce crime during the 2000s. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that a visitor can really relax about safety, because São Paulo is simply too large and diverse to be described by average statistics. In fact, two of the most visited areas, Downtown and the Pinheiros subprefecture (in the West), have respectively 150% and 50% more violent crime than the city average. Check the individual district listings for safety advice in each area of the city. The general advice is as follows: Visitors should avoid walking in deserted areas at night, or at least avoid walking alone.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Sao Paulo typically sees ~21°C daytime highs and 3 rainy days.
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