São Paulo event weekends: what to do between sessions

South America's biggest city: food, art, nightlife and Paulista Avenue, with the coast and mountains close.

Events we cover in São Paulo

Arriving

Guarulhos (GRU) is 30 to 90 minutes from the centre depending on traffic; the airport train links to the metro.

Where to stay

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Ibis São Paulo Paulista
• Mid-range: Hotel Unique
• Splurge: Rosewood São Paulo

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Where to eat

• Mercado Municipal Mortadella sandwich
• Bar da Dona Onça Brazilian
• Liberdade street fair Weekend Japanese food

With kids

• Catavento science museum.

Rainy-day backups

• MASP.
• Pinacoteca.

Free things to do

• Ibirapuera Park.
• Paulista Avenue on Sundays (car-free).

Getting around

• Metro and CPTM trains are the way to beat traffic; Uber for the rest.