FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What are the transportation options in São Paulo leaving Guarulhos Airport?

A.: There are three options: Taxi, Public and Chartered Bus. The airport official taxis are pre-paid; they have set fares for destinations and accept both cash and credit card. For the price of BRL 49.70, the Chartered Bus links specific parts of the city – connecting Guarulhos Airport to Congonhas Airport, Praça da República, Bus Terminals Tietê and Barra Funda, and Avenida Paulista. The estimated time of the trips ranges from 55 minutes to 1h20min. The Public Bus service charges BRL 6.75 and makes two connections from Guarulhos Airport to the Tatuapé subway station (red line), in the east part of the city. The estimated time of the trip is about 55 minutes and 1h10min (going through Av. Assis Ribeiro). Click here for more information regarding Public and Chartered Bus schedule.

Image of the left side of the bus. It has on the top 5 large windows, from the front to the rear. The bottom is all painted, the front half dark blue and the back half red. In the center, it is written diagonally with large white letters "Airport Bus Service".

Airport Bus Service

What are the transportation options for downtown São Paulo leaving Congonhas Airport?

A.: There are taxi cabs inside the airport itself and public buses that go to different points of the city, such as Praça da Sé, Largo São Francisco, Avenida Paulista, among others. Call 156 or click here to get more information about the SPTrans bus lines. There are also some Apps that may help. Take a look!

What is the operating time of the Subway system and how do I buy tickets?

A.: The Subway operates daily starting at 4:40am and there are different times for its end of operations in each station, ranging from 12am or even 12:35am. On Saturdays the subway extends its operational times up until 1am on Sunday. There are eight different kinds of tickets, including Cartão Lazer – created for the weekends at the price of BRL 3.83 instead of the regular fare of BRL 4.40. In order to obtain more information, access the official Subway website.

How to check São Paulo bus routes?

A.: There are two ways of doing it: the SPTrans website and also by the phone number 156. All you have to say or type is the origin and destination addresses and the information is given.

Where do I find souvenirs, gifts and handicraft?

A.: In the city, there are several places in which you can find souvenirs, art and typical products. The handicraft fairs are good options.

Woman from the back waist up walks among several tents with tubular structure and white canvas ceiling, with objects of art and decoration such as vases, statuettes, jars, etc.

Every Saturday there is the Praça Benedito Calixto fair with antiques, toys, books and gastronomy. Photo: Caio Pimenta/ SPTuris

Praça da República Art and Handicraft Fair
Praça da República, in front of República Subway Station. You can find handicraft, canvases, paintings and antiques. It operates on Saturdays and Sundays, from 9am to 5pm and there is an average of 700 stands.
Praça da Liberdade Art and Handicraft Fair
Praça da Liberdade, in front of Liberdade Subway Station. There you can find typical Japanese products, local handicraft and also traditional Japanese dishes. It operates every Sunday from 10am to 7pm and Saturdays from 9am to 6pm.
Trianon Art and Culture Fair
Avenida Paulista, 1509 – in front of Trianon Park and close to Trianon-Masp Subway Station. The fair has local handicraft, paintings and culinary. It operates from 9am to 5pm.
Antique Fair at Masp
Masp’s open gap – Avenida Paulista, 1500. It operates at Sundays from 10am to 5pm.
Praça Benedito Calixto Fair
Praça Benedito Calixto. The event, which occurs every Saturday from 9am to 7pm at Pinheiros neighborhood, has 320 stands with several kinds of handicraft, art pieces and antiques, besides the food court.

What are the main places for shopping in São Paulo?

A: São Paulo has plenty of shopping options and streets specialized at some products. The most famous are:

To the left, facades of several designer clothing stores, with large shop windows. Highlight for a fairly wide and flat sidewalk, where several people walk.

Oscar Freire. Foto: Caio Pimenta/SPTuris.

Brás neighborhood – Next to Brás Subway Station.
Popular market where you can find clothing and accessories, sports articles, purses, shoes, etc. There are large wholesale malls and many stores all around.
Bom Retiro neighborhood, Rua José Paulino and surroundings – Next to Luz Subway Station.
There is a market for male and female fashion. It has retail and wholesale places and popular clearance prices.
Rua 25 de Março and surroundings – Next to São Bento Subway Station.
Popular market where you can find everything. Fabric, clothing, toys, electronics, home appliances, school material, etc. It is one of the most busy streets of São Paulo.
Rua Oscar Freire – Next to Consolação Subway Station.
Luxury market, considered one of the most luxurious streets in the world. There you can find the major brands of Brazil and the world.

Popular
Rua Santa Ifigênia – Next to República Subway Station.
Electronics market, computers and musical instruments. There are several galleries with many stores spread out at Rua Santa Ifigênia and surrounding streets.Are you curious? Check here the complete list of specialized shopping streets in São Paulo.

What should I do to get a city tour across the city?

A.: There are several kinds of city tours that can be made, from the free of charge (like the free walking tours), to the ones in which you hire a receptive tourism agency.

Night image of the facade and left side of a large square building with 13 floors, all lit by strong yellow lights. The 1st floor is very tall and has 5 large doors, side by side. All floors up have rows with 7 windows side by side. On the right, farther on, the side façade of another large building with rows of windows from end to end, also all lit by strong yellow lights. At the street level, a long sidewalk where several pedestrians cross.

Nocturnal Walk. Photo: Spoke/divulgação

Every Thursday, from 8pm to 10pm, there is a project called Caminhada Noturna (Night Walk) that visits the main attractions of São Paulo’s downtown. The walk is free and the starting point is the Theatro Municipal, at 8pm.

You can also choose several tourism agencies specialized in city tour, which offer services and several scripts. In order to obtain more information, access the list of receptive services in São Paulo.

Where can I exchange my money? How about at the weekends?

A.: There are several currency exchange bureaus and Tourism Agencies authorized at the trade market. In order to change money at weekends, there are exchange bureaus at airports and at the main malls across the city.

Where can I obtain information about the cultural schedule and tour suggestions?

A.: In order to get cultural information of the city, there is the website Cidade de São Paulo, with the updated schedule, the Secretaria da Cultura website and also at the Centrais de Informação Turística, which are located at strategic points of the city.

Inside gallery image. Local has several yellow murals approximately 8 meters long by 3 meters high, arranged against and perpendicularly to the windows, where several pictures are exposed.

Masp. Photo: Jose Cordeiro/SPTuris.

Is there any free attraction in São Paulo?

A.: Yes! São Paulo has several free attractions and also some with very reasonable prices. It is important to point out that people aged over 65 and under 7 years old don’t pay tickets or have discount.
For example, the Centro Cultural São Paulo offers a large variety of services and free attractions, ranging from cinema to comic libraries. There is also theatrical plays from Sesi, at the Fiesp’s Cultural Center that are free – it is necessary to get invitations ahead of time.
If you like museums, there are also excellent free options in this segment. The Museu Afro-Brasil, at Parque Ibirapuera has free entrance and it has a very rich collection of the Brazilian culture. Still at Ibirapuera, at Tuesdays and Thursdays after 5pm, the Museu de Arte Moderna entrance is also free.
There is also the Museu de Arte Contemporânea (Museum of Contemporary Art), Museu da Imagem e do Som (Museum of Image and Sound), the Itaú Cultural and Caixa Cultural programming.

Some museums are not free, but they reserve some days for free entrance, like the Museu do Futebol (Football Museum).

Check here the City of São Paulo Museum’s programming.

Where can I find information about bars and restaurants?

A: You can find information about gastronomy at the Cidade de São Paulo website and also at the guides distributed at Centrais de Informação Turística. There are also some guides, widely spread on the web, where you can find a list of restaurants with complete information and reviews, such as: Michelin, Veja, Época, Folha, etc.

On a plate of tall, rounded edges, a large grilled steak barely past, all sliced into thin strips, with a few mint leaves. On her left side, a small square pot with herbal sauce.

Tian Restaurant. Photo: divulgação.

Is tap water drinkable?

A.: Tap water is clean; however, it is recommended to have mineral water. It can be found at bars, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, supermarkets, etc.

What’s the voltage of power sockets in São Paulo and where do I find adapters?

A.: The power socket’s voltage in São Paulo is 110V; however, you can also find 220V outlets, which usually have identification to them. To buy adaptors, look for an electronic articles store or an electric materials store.

Where can I find Emergency Rooms and Public Hospitals?

A.: All you have to do is to check the Secretaria Municipal de Saúde website or call the City Hall service at 156. There you can learn about which is the nearest hospital or Emergency Room.

What is the language that the people of São Paulo (Paulistanos) speak?

A: The language spoken in São Paulo is Portuguese. If you need information in any other language, look for one of ours Centrais de Informação Turística or the reception of your hotel.

São Paulo

experience
it
all

Corporate.