One of my favorite things in Sao Paulo. Yes, it can be really hard for tourists to get to. But so…read morefun! I have been to almost 30 countries and Brazil is in the top 3 of flea markets around the world. The markets have original art like no other , great mid century modern items and a selection of fun jewelry mixed with bars serving up big boozy drinks and yummy food. Well- Embu is a WHOLE TOWN of that stuff. I went on a sunday, which I think is the big day for it. You walk the town center where the stores are with booths selling items are set up inbetween. In the park at the edge of the town center, there's the amazing artists selling their original work. The stores range from touristy knick knacks to stores selling furniture and housewares where locals actually shop. You can spend all afternoon here ( and should). Booths are set up selling ice cream and choculates also. I got there at noon and didn't leave till 5 pm. MIxed in with the shops are bars and resturants with outdoor seating and live music. I had drinks at several and was not disappointed. I had a great lunch outside at one with a huge tree sheltering the tables and a hoppin live band. Beware though, like most of Sao Paulo, the town center is VERY hilly. I walked it with a broken foot so trust me, it's steep. In the rain, I could see flooding and slippery walking. There's a famous 17th century Jesuit church there too. Its beautiful- white with blue trim - worth stopping in. It's right near the shopping so it's easy to find. I didn't see the indian museum but heard its interesting. And if you are really into war history and terrible things, Mengele is buried in Embu- although obviously not in the touristy town center. I went by car with friends from Centro and it was at least a 30-40 min drive. I think the best thing to do is talk to your hotel about what time it all starts and then get the hotel to talk to a cab about a flat rate to travel there. I think if you went when there was traffic- and believe me the traffic in Sao Paulo is horribel- it would be a very pricy cab ride there.

Embu is a village that is crawling with artisan shops and street food vendors. It is about 30 mins…read moreto an hour away from Sao Paulo, depending on traffic. Once you get to Embu, parking is a bit of a pain...there is street parking available in the hills above the market, or you can opt to park in one of the many paid lots in the area. Be prepared for a lot of walking, as there is so much to see and try! Vendors were selling a wide range of products, from Brazil souvenirs (think keychains, mugs, and shot glasses) to childrens toys, scarves and clothing, jewelry, figurines, ceramic goods, and paintings/photographs. There are also a number of street food vendors and stores selling local/regional food items and alcohol. My favorite street snack was the acai mixed with granola. The concentration of acai is much higher than the concentration of acai I've had in Hawaii, and the cold snack was very tasty and refreshing after walking around. I got acai two times while in Embu because it was so amazing! Vendors are more than happy to give you samples and let you try things on, so don't be afraid to ask! I bought several souvenirs for friends and family like magnets, small toys, soft fabric necklaces, and stone bracelets. Everything was reasonably priced, and there were many things I saw in Embu that I did not see while shopping around in Sao Paulo. If you are coming to Embu from Sao Paulo, I'd suggest planning to stay at least half a day. Walk around and explore, then go to one of the neighborhood restaurants for lunch (we chose O Garimpo), and then walk around some more to make your purchases before driving back to Sao Paulo. Have fun, buy lots, and try something new in this cute little village! TL;DR - lots of walking, parking may be difficult, and tons of products and food items to browse!

A must visit if you are in São Paulo! I went in March and admission was free (R$0,00). There was a…read moreline to get in, but it moved pretty quickly. You will walk through a security metal detector right before you are let inside the main entryway of the interior. I traveled from Pinheiros - I took the metro from Faria Lima station to Luz station. A one-way ticket for the metro should be R$4,30. There is a huge park across from Luz station where I walked through and explored a bit before locating Pinacoteca. Pinacoteca had some of my favorite exhibits on display when I was there. I kind of felt like I was in an NYC museum. Yes, there were a good amount of people inside, but it was not overly crowded and there were plenty of areas to disperse to if you prefer to see things with few people to no one around. I did have a hard time trying to figure out where the real exit was though, haha. I went so many different ways that seemed to lead to a dead-end (emergency exit door that I was afraid to try to open in case an alarm would sound). There is a cafe at the bottom floor by the main exit once you do find it. The line was pretty much by the door. I took a peek inside and it appeared like a buffet almost but I could be wrong. Must have been good cause they were crowded. I remember walking by the outdoor dining area on way to the entrance of the museum from the park and it looked busy. There is a small museum store outside with colorful umbrellas, tote bags, books, shirts, and other merchandise. The museum is also multi-level - elevator accessible as well as stairways on every corner I think (or at least on two opposite ends of the building). Ubers can pick you up / drop you off from the street side that faces the front of the museum.

Great museum with very representative works from Brazilian and Paulista culture. There are also…read moregreat expositions of renowned artists.

This museum has an extensive collection of the Brazilian African history, with multiple floors and…read moreso much to take in. It's memorizing, and if you visit São Paulo it's a must for museum lovers. Situated in the park, it also makes for a good break from the outdoors if you like.

This is a wonderful museum in a beautiful park. It's much larger than I expected. Many different…read moretypes of art and it's put together very well. It spans many generations, subjects and regions. All of the placards are in Portuguese which is unfortunate for me since I don't speak or read it but I was still very happy I came and I was able to get the essence of each piece just through observing them.

I love this bookstore. The vibe, the collection of books, the space, everything is so nice,…read morecreative, positive. You will love visiting the bookstore. There is a nice restaurant inside, wonderful food and really upscale atmosphere. The price is reasonable for foreign tourists paying in dollars.

This is so far one of my favorite places in São Paulo. You…read morecan find any kind of book you may be looking for, either in Portuguese or in a foreign language - the most commons are English, German and French. From top best sellers to a hidden Scandinavian author. If they don't have the book you are looking for at the store they can import or bring in from another branch. You can start reading the first pages of your book while relaxing in one of the great puffs in the middle of the store, or simple listening to some jazz in the music room. Try also have a theater and some discount for people going to the movies. If you are studying "Brazilian" language and culture and are dying to meet some cool locals this is probably a great choice. The regulars here are people from a range of interesting backgrounds who are always up for meeting newbies.

I really liked the set up of this museum. As opposed to…read morehaving artwork hanging on the wall, they were in clear glass cases in the middle of a huge room. They were organized in lines with the most recent pieces towards the front and the older pieces near the back. Because of this set up, the information about each work was on the back which makes you take the work in before knowing anything about it. There was also a good mix of Brazilian artists and more well known "classic" artists. Very cool.

Three stars because this was the most weird display of artwork. I have been to many museums across…read morethe globe. I have never seen our displayed without a label in the front. You have to look at the piece of art first then you have to go around the back to read about it. The display did not make any sense. Some of the art presented in the museum. It's interesting. They do have a lot of European pieces. However, the art display is not meeting expectations of a nice art museum.

Incredible experience in São Paulo. My senses couldn't take it anymore and I have never seen such…read morea variety of fruits, vegetables and meat and nuts the list goes on forever. We had lunch and I had my first Carprihna there and it was something I will always remember. The lunch , drinks and food was incredible/ What an experience.

Yelp Review 2025 #161:…read more This market is pretty big and clean inside. Outside is kind of a different story. There are homeless people that would try to approach you and ask you for money but don't fret, the police is everywhere so they leave you alone. It has everything from cheeses, cold cuts, fruits, vegetables, desserts, olives, pastries, pastel, Brazilian souvenirs, alcohol, spices, candy, fish and seafood, Persian food, meats, etc. There are food stalls, snack shops, bars, and restaurants inside the market. There are plenty of ATMs but most shops take credit cards. The market itself is open daily from 6am to 6pm. Individual shops may have different hours so check before coming here. It's been open since 1933 as São Paulo's main grocery store. High ceiling means it's cooler and has more ventilation. Don't forget to look up to see the stained glass windows.