Brazil · HISTORICAL TOURS IN SãO PAULO
Good historical tours in São Paulo fill up weeks out and the best go first. Below: the 14 to book early, what each includes, and where they genuinely differ.
Guided bike tour through São Paulo downtown: Paulista Avenue, MASP, Luz Station, Sé Cathedral and Liberdade. 3 hours, small group.
“The bike tor was absolutely fabulous! Book this if you want a knowledgeable guide, lovely people, good equipment and discover a great route through Sao Paulo! Our guide Juliana made this an absolutely fantastic experience for all of us!”
A small-group morning walk through São Paulo’s downtown landmarks, from Edifício Itália to Sé Cathedral, ending in Liberdade’s street market.
“It was amazing to know the history of São Paulo, knowing important places of history, knowing a bit of the curiosities, in addition to doing all this on foot, which brings us closer to the locations. I liked it very much and it was a very nice and pleasant walk.Auto-translated”
Private 5-hour São Paulo food tour with hotel pickup, expert bilingual guide, and tastings at Mercado Municipal, Vila Madalena, and Jardins.
“We had a really nice time spending 3 days with Donilo. Great host, especially experiencing the subway system. Never would have done it alone. Glad to have had someone who is experienced and knows the city.”
Private 8-hour Santos beach and culture tour from São Paulo: coffee museum, sea viewpoints, Pelé, beaches, gardens, and more with a guide.
“Nelio was an amazing tour guide! Kind and knowledgeable, friendly to my daughter (played Taylor Swift music in the car) and a great host. Highly recommend this trip if someone wants to see the coast for a day—even if raining, like we experienced. No issues and great tour.”
Free 2.5-hour São Paulo city-center walking tour. Learn history from black saints to Sé Cathedral, guided by Rafaela, for about $3.59.
“Walk around historical center of São Paulo that includes visiting monuments, churches, important city buildings and learning facts about them. Our guide Rafaela was incredible and very nice. She made the tour very enjoyable, interesting and pleasant. The tour was an easy walk. Highly recommend.”
Private full-day Santos to Guarujá tour with Monte Serrat tram views, coffee museum breakfast, historic sights, and hours on the beach.
“Danilo is one of the best guides we’ve ever met — always smiling, funny, an excelent driver and incredibly knowledgeable about Brazil’s history and culture. In Santos, Danilo guided us through the Port of Santos, Monte Serrat, the Coffee Museum, Rei do Café, and the Pelé Museum, bringing each place to life with stories and history. We visited Orchid garden, a wonderful combination of fauna and flora. We finished the day in Guarujá, enjoying lunch on the beach, ocean time, and a peaceful atmosphere. Conclusion: We highly recommend Danilo to anyone wanting to truly understand and enjoy São Paulo and the coast. An exceptional guide and an unforgettable experience!”
Private 3 to 4 hour walking tour of São Paulo’s historic center, with an English guide and Farol Santander 360 view.
“We did not tour São Paulo, rather Santos. I made an error in location in terms of where our cruise ship docked. Viator assisted in changing São Paulo tour to Santos. It was an excellent and welcome change. Our guide Roma was an amazing historian, so proud of her city and made our full day so rewarding - she balanced traffic, with rain and 12 passengers’ need so well. We saw more than we expected! Well done Roma.”
Visit the colonial town of Embu das Artes for art, artisan shopping, and a ticket-free sacred museum stop, with private guide and transport.
“My 13 year old daughter and I participated in this 5 hour tour with an excellent english speaking tour guide - Laura. Laura was friendly, kind, and extremely knowledgeable. She made us feel comfortable from the moment she walked into our hotel (she even arrived early). The drive from our hotel was about an hour. Laura then proceeced to show us around and talk to us about the local artists. We got to see several of the artists actually creating their work. It was nice to see how the artists created their masterpieces. She let us decide what we wanted to do and when we were hungry she helped us…”
Cycle São Paulo by bike from Vila Mariana to Avenida Paulista and historic downtown. Small group, guide, helmet, water, 3 hours.
Walk São Paulo’s Historic Center with Emily Borges de Medeiros, from Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil to Pateo do Colégio, plus brigadeiro and coffee.
“A few hours walk around São Paulo in March. We saw the most important historic landmarks and architecture in the city centre. Everything was perfect and well organised. Emily is a young passionate woman and she is very polite and helpful. She was always ready to answer to our questions. Very suggested!!”
Private bike tour through Avenida Paulista, MASP, downtown landmarks, and Liberdade, ending at the Catedral Ortodoxa in São Paulo.
“This is my first visit to Sao Paulo and Brazil. Lucas provided a great cycle and introduction to Sao Paulo. His English is excellent. His knowledge of the city and enthusiasm for sharing this was apparent. He provided interesting info on the history, architecture and politics of Sao Paulo, and many tips on places we visit outside of the tour. We had a couple stops to enjoy tastes of Sao Paulo. a perfect way to begin our travel in Brazil. Thanks Lucas!!”
A private 5-hour São Paulo food tour with market tastings, bakery sweets, and Vila Madalena bites, guided in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.
“She was wonderful,very nice, very educated and great to be around.”
Private 2-hour Jewish history walking tour in São Paulo’s Bom Retiro, with a licensed guide, synagogue exteriors, and the Holocaust memorial.
“We loved our historic tour of Jewish Sao Paulo with Maria. She was super knowledgeable and friendly. The area is now a Korean neighborhood and she took us to a small place for a treat that we absolutely loved. I would highly recommend this tour and Maria who is interested in knowing more about the Jewish history of Sao Paulo.”
A 5-hour private Sao Paulo tour with hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and flexible stops at Ibirapuera, Paulista, and Municipal Market.
Pick a coast, a city or a river, and start there.
