Get to know 10 unusual tours in São Paulo

To avoid the traditional tourist circuit, check out 10 tour options to get to know São Paulo and be amazed.

Environmental Protection Area

Ase Ylê do Hozoouane. Foto: Jose Cordeiro/SPTuris

With pristine Atlantic forest, schooner rides, waterfalls, ecologic trails and rural inns, visiting an Environmental Protection Area, APA, is a way to escape the cosmopolitan rush of São Paulo. In the Capivari-Monos APA, located in the extreme south of the capital, it is possible to observe native animals and plants, in addition to visiting Tenondé, Porã and Krukutu indigenous villages. Also located in the South of São Paulo, it is possible to reach the Bororé-Colônia APA by car, subway,train and bus. There, in addition to the natural beauty, it is possible to visit Asé Ylê do Hozoouane, an Afro-Brazilian charitable organization that has environments dedicated to the Orishas, samba de roda and capoeira.

Cemeteries

Consolação cemetery is the oldest cemetery of São Paulo and has sculptures made between the 19th and 20th centuries. The most prominent work is called “É o Sepultamento” [“The burial”], which was awarded in 1923 by the Salon d’Automne of Paris. Tarsila do Amaral and the Marchioness of Santos are also buried there. Another option to enjoy funerary art is Araçá Cemetery, located in the region of Clínicas, between the Pacaembu and Pinheiros neighborhoods. Opened in 1887, the mausoleums, richly adorned with sculptures of Christian influence, belong mainly to traditional families of the former coffee elite.

Curious Museums

With exhibits such as glasses for applying eye drops, flavored toothpicks and foldable pianos, the Contemporary Museum of Inventions, also known as Inventolândia, values creativity. It is located in Perdizes, and the entrance fee is R$ 10.

Museu da Voz (Voice Museum) has more than 3,500 exhibits and opens on Saturdays only, being located at Praça Benedito Calixto, in the Western region of São Paulo. Conceived by the retired journalist Luiz Ernesto Kawall, owner of the exhibits on display, it provides access to vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs and DVDs with old songs, recitations of poems and recordings of the singing of birds.

With more than 500 exhibits, Espaço Perfume Arte + História displays the almost 5000 years of the history of perfume, its relationship with fashion and fun facts about its production. With free entry, the museum is part of Faculdade Santa Marcelina.

Fora do Eixo

Casa Fora do Eixo. Foto: Divulgação.

A collective that brings together 16 managers from different parts of the country, installed at the Liberdade neighborhood: this is Fora do Eixo. The idea is to enhance, share and try different ways of making culture. The programming is diverse and the events range from lectures on sustainability, to parties and soirées organized in several spaces of the city.

Ceagesp

Ceagesp. Foto: Divulgação

The colors and smells promise a unique sensory experience. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays Feira das Flores (Flowers Fair) takes place. In addition to better prices, one can find a wide variety of orchids, plants and seedlings. On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays “Varejão” (Fruits and Vegetables) happens, and, along with the fair, you can enjoy dishes from various cuisines, such as the Japanese and Italian cuisines. The visit to Ceagesp can be individual or in groups of 15 to 30 people, information can be obtained by e-mailing [email protected]

Alternative Art Galleries 

Ateliê 397 (Studio 397) is located in Vila Madalena and was founded in 2003. It aims to gather the production and exhibition of contemporary art. The location offers art courses and has a gift shop. Another option is Casa da Xiclet, which opens at 2 p.m., located on the Fradique Coutinho Street. There, contemporary works are exposed even in the bathroom and, in some cases, the owner of the gallery is surprised by some of the exhibits, since visitors can leave their own creations on the rooms of the house.

Helicopter ride

With up to 1 hour of duration, the helicopter rides around the capital of São Paulo are an option for those who want to see the city from a different angle. Andanças Tur company, for example, offers a tour that begins at Campo de Marte, in the Northern region, and flies over the Luz subway station, Terraço Itália, Praça da República, Catedral da Sé, Pateo do Collegio, the Municipal Theatre, Museu do Ipiranga, Avenida Paulista, Masp, Parque do Ibirapuera, Interlagos Race Track, the cable-stayed bridge, Morumbi Stadium, Latin America Memorial and Anhembi Sambadrome. VoeSP offers tours that fly over the Zoo, Simba Safári and the Billings Reservoir. Trips with up to four passenger are offered and packages cost from R$ 900 to R$ 3,500.

Capela do Cristo Operário (Chapel of Christ the Workman)

Hidden beneath the trees of the Vergueiro Street, 7290, Capela do Cristo Operário hides away modernist secrets. With four stained glass windows painted by Alfredo Volpi and a baptismal font designed by Elisabeth Nobiling, the chapel, erected in the 1950s, opens its doors to the public only in the Saturday masses at 7 p.m. and in the Sunday masses, at 8:30 a.m.

Stock Exchange

BM&FBOVESPA. Foto: Divulgação.

You can visit BM&Bovespa with guided and free tours. With the aim of showing how the Stock Exchange works in practice, the tour provides lots of information about the stock market. With attractions such as 3D cinema and the Trading Desk, the visits can be done individually or in groups of 20 to 60 people, and take place from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Casa Guilherme de Almeida

Journalist, translator, poet and essayist, Guilherme de Almeida took part in the Modern Art Week of 1922. He designed, alongside José Washt Rodrigues, the coat of arms of the city of São Paulo and fought in the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932. The house where he lived in Macapá Street, 187, now houses the full collection of the writer. It is composed of 520 works of art, more than 5000 items, including letters, journals and photographs, in addition to about 6000 books, among them the autographed first editions of Oswald de Andrade and Manuel Bandeira.

Service:

APAS

Capivari-Momo: How to get there: by car, the main means of access is the Sadamu Inoue Avenue. From the center of Parelheiros, APA can be accessed through the Engenheiro Marsilac Roadway, up to the Engenheiro Marsilac neighborhood, or through Estrada da Colônia, up to Estrada da Barragem. Other possible means of access are via Embu-Guaçu, through the Cipó district and through São Bernardo do Campo and through Estrada do Rio Acima, a land road that is frequently used and which connects the region of Barragem with the 37th km of Rodovia dos Imigrantes.

Boboré-Colônia: How to get there: by car: Follow the 23 de Maio Avenue towards the Interlagos Avenue. Continue through the Senador Teotônio Vilela Avenue. At this point there are two options, one is to turn left at the Dona Belmira Marin Avenue and keep following it until reaching the first ferry of Ilha do Bororé and thus access the APA through the Bororé region. The other option to get to the APA is to continue on the Senador Teotônio Vilela Avenue, go through the Sadamu Inoue Avenue, at the end of it turn left on Estrada de Colônia and follow it up to Terminal Parelheiros, where the APA may be accessed through the Colônia neighborhood. Subway/bus: At the Vila Mariana subway station, take the Terminal Parelheiros bus to access the APA through the Colônia neighborhood. To reach the APA through the Bororé Neighborhood, get off at the Grajaú train station and take the Ilha do Bororé (6L11-10) bus up to the first ferry. Train/bus: Take the train to the Grajaú Station, and then there are two options: one is to take the Ilha do Bororé (6L11-10) bus and then get off at the first ferry; the second option is to walk from the Grajaú train station to the Senador Teotônio Vilela Avenue, 5402 and then take the Terminal Parelheiros (6000-10) bus.
Phone: (11) 5925-1835 or 5925-2736

Cemitério da Consolação
Guided visitation days: Tuesdays and Fridays.
Guided visitation hours: Tuesdays and Fridays, at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m., lasting 1:30 h.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Rua da Consolação, 1660 – Consolação.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 3256-5919.

Cemitério do Araçá
Opening hours: from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Doutor Arnaldo Avenue, 666 – Cerqueira César.
Free entrance.
Phone: 3256-6486

Museu Contemporâneo das Invenções (Inventolândia)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address: Doutor Homem de Mello Street, 1109 – Perdizes.
Price: R$ 15.
Phone: (11) 3670-3411

Museu da Voz
Opening hours: Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Address: Praça Benedito Calixto, no number – Pinheiros.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 5181-2259

Espaço Perfume Arte + História
Opening hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Doutor Emilio Ribas Street, 110 – Perdizes.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 2361-7728

Fora do Eixo
Address: Rua Scuvero, 282 – Liberdade.
Phone: (11) 4304-1537

Ceagesp
Opening hours: varies according to the fair.
Address: Avenida Dr. Gastão Vidigal, 1946 – Vila Leopoldina.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 3643-3700

Ateliê 397
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Address: Rua Wisard, 397 – Vila Madalena.
Price: varies according to the exposition.
Phone: (11) 3034-2132

Casa da Xiclet
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Friday, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Rua Fradique Coutinho, 1855 – Pinheiros.
Price: varies according to the exhibition.
Phone: (11) 2579-9007

Helicopter Ride

Andanças Viagem e Turismo
Flights schedule: every day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Address: Rua Anny, 803 – São João Clímaco.
Phone: (11) 2945-8828

VoeSP
Address: Avenida Olavo Fontoura, 1078 – Santana.
Phone: (11) 2376-2999

Capela do Cristo Operário
Opening hours: Saturdays, from 7 p.m. and Sundays, from 8:30 a.m.
Address: Rua Vergueiro, 7290 – Liberdade.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 5062-5520

Bolsa de Valores
Visiting hours: Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except for when a market event is happening).
Address: Praça Antônio Prado, 48 – Sé.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 2565-6826

Casa Guilherme de Almeida
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Rua Macapá, 187 – Perdizes.
Price: varies according to the programming.
Phone: (11) 3672-1391