Private Guided Tours of São Paulo with Renato!

A born and bred Paulista, Renato spent a decade as a journalist investigating and writing about his city. Just in time for the 2014 World Cup, he switched things up and became a guide.

With a unique perspective on his city and a passion for getting outside and moving, Renato runs tours all around São Paulo and the surrounding region. Whether you want to walk, ride, or drive, Renato can organize tours that encompass the best of this metropolis.

• Tours in São Paulo, Santos, Guarujá, and the greater region

• Tours by foot, bike, or car

• All tours are private and fully customizable

Duration: 3 hours

Cost: $225 USD

Price includes: Your guide

Not included: Optional entrance to Farol Santander. Please also bring some cash for a coffee, fruit juice, açaí, caldo de cana, coconut water, or just a beer if you want a break during the tour

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

Get a local look at São Paulo’s historical center on this 3-hour walking tour.

Although most of São Paulo is not great for walking, the city center is (!!) and it’s undergoing a major process of revitalization and investment, so now is a really interesting time to visit.

Our walk begins in the Liberdade neighborhood, São Paulo’s
“Little Japan”. After exploring a bit of this diverse enclave, we’ll walk to the Sé Cathedral, our first stop in the heart of the city center.

From here, we’ll begin a zig-zagging exploration of Old São Paulo, stopping by iconic sites like the Banespão (Banespa Building/Farol Santander), Patio do Colegio, São Bento Monastery, and the CCBB cultural center.

Eventually, we’ll cross through the recently renovated Anhangabau Valley (a huge public square), passing the lovely Martinelli building on our way to the “Galeria do Rock” (Rock & Roll Gallery).

Our last stop of the day is outside the gorgeous Municipal Theater. From here, we can end the tour right outside the Republica metro station or at the iconic Copan building.

Highlights:

• Liberdade neighborhood

• Sé Cathedral

• Banespa building

• Municipal Theater

• Galeria do Rock

Duration: 3 hours

Cost: $215 USD + $30 per participant

Price includes: Your guide, bike rental

Not included: Bring some cash for coffee, fruit juice, açaí, caldo de cana, coconut water, or just a beer if you want a break during the tour

Max participants: 6

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

Explore São Paulo on two wheels! If you’re reading this and thinking “12 million people in one city and you want me to get on a bike?!”, I hear you. But don’t worry - biking is a fabulous way to see the city as it lets us cover much more ground, and almost all the route is on protected bike lines.

The tour starts at Largo do Arouche, a bohemian square in downtown. Through the cycle lanes, we’ll explore this bustling part of Sampa known for its famous restaurants, many bars, and massive street art murals.

Next, we’ll pedal our way over to Bom Retiro, a traditional neighborhood and an important textiles and clothing shopping district that is now home to São Paulo’s Koreatown. Once there, we’ll also explore the area of Luz, where we can admire the famous train station, the Pinacoteca Building, and the first public park of São Paulo.

Our next destination is the historical center which we’ll reach by crossing the Anhangabaú Valley surrounded by iconic buildings, old bridges, and even more murals. Here, in the oldest area of the city, we’ll try to comprehend how a small village founded by Jesuit priests with the help of native Guarani people wound up becoming one of the biggest cities of the world.

The final stop of the tour is in the Liberdade neighborhood, Sao Paulo’s Little Japan. Though it’s known as the Japanese district, it also actually has a lot of history related to the Afrobrazilian community. With plenty of eating options, it’s great spot to wrap up our time together!

Highlights:

• Largo do Arouche & Downtown

• Bom Retiro (Koreatown)

• Historic Center (República & Sé neighborhoods)

• Liberdade (Little Japan)

• Avenida Paulista

Duration: 3 hours

Cost: $225 USD

Price includes: Your guide

Not included: Bring some cash for coffee, fruit juice, açaí, caldo de cana, coconut water, or just a beer if you want a break during the tour

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

Vila Madalena has undergone a series of changes over the last 20 years and this once quiet neighborhood is now one of the centers of life in São Paulo, home to art galleries and design firms, buzzing restaurants, hundreds of bars, fantastic street art, and much more. There’s a lot to explore and a lot to unpack.

Our tour begins at the Fradique Coutinho metro station. From here, we’ll weave our way around thoroughfares and back streets, learning about the history and development of the neighborhood (and city).

We’ll wander along one of the city’s most important gastronomic streets, Rua Pinheiros, and then enter one of the original sections of the neighborhood and the only one whose low-rise buildings were not demolished to make way for high-rise condominiums. We’ll also take a peak along the busy shopping street of Mateus Grou, where all sorts of commerce takes place.

To explore the area’s street art scene, we’ll visit the original graffiti alley, and then the famous Beco do Batman, known as Batman’s Alley in English.

To round out our exploration, we’ll finish the tour by walking down Rua Aspicuelta, one of São Paulo’s busiest nightlife streets, before ending in Largo do Batata square, a favorite hangout spot in the neighboring Pinheiros district.

Highlights:

• Vila Madalena history & historical points

• Rua Pinheiros gastronomic street

• Rua Aspicuelta nightlife street

• Beco do Batman and street art

• Largo da Batata square

Duration: 3.5 hours

Cost: $225 USD + $30 per participant

Price includes: Your guide, bike rental

Not included: Bring some cash for coffee, fruit juice, açaí, caldo de cana, coconut water, or just a beer if you want a break during the tour

Max participants: 6

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

This tour takes us to some of São Paulo’s greenest areas and bohemian neighborhoods with a focus on cultural landmarks and fabulous street art.

Our ride starts in Vila Madalena, São Paulo’s major bohemian neighborhood and a creative powerhouse, where we can find amazing art made by the city’s best urban artists.

We’ll cycle from here along bike lanes until Largo da Batata, the central area of the happening Pinheiros district where we’ll find ourselves surrounded by bars and beautiful murals. Next, we’ll hit the pavement with hundreds of Paulistas as we cruise down the famous bike lane of Faria Lima Avenue, surrounded by interesting architecture.

Our next destination is the city’s green lung, Ibirapuera Park. Once in the park, we’ll get to see famous buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer like the Bienal, Auditorium and Afro-Brazilian Museum before we ditch the crowds and head into a wooded section of the park for some great lakeside pics.

After visiting the park, we’ll head back to Vila Madalena, crossing through the leafy and mansion-studded borough of Jardins on the way. In Vila Madalena, we’ll visit Beco do Batman - Batman’s Alley in English - an open-air street art gallery featuring a huge collection of street art and murals, all surrounded by busy bars and restaurants.

Highlights:

• Vila Madalena neighborhood

• Beco do Batman

• Faria Lima & Pinheiros

• Ibirapuera Park

• Jardins neighborhood

Duration: 3 hours

Cost: $225 USD

Price includes: Your guide

Not included: Bring some cash for coffee, fruit juice, açaí, caldo de cana, coconut water, or just a beer if you want a break during the tour

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

If you’re up for something a bit different from your typical sightseeing tour, then lets go for a culture-inspired walk!

The goal of this tour is not to check off major sights (though of course Avenida Paulista is one of the city’s most important “sights”), but rather to explore São Paulo’s most famous street while discussing and learning about the development, daily life, and culture of this teeming metropolis.

Our walk starts at the Paraiso metro station, located on the far east end of the Avenue and we’ll finish at the Consolação station, on the far west end.

As we walk the length of this landmark road, we’ll stop at (free) cultural centers like Japan House, Casa das Rosas, the Korean Cultural Center, the Conjunto Nacional, and the Instituto Moreira Salles. Aside from housing terrific exhibits and art collections, these institutions also help us learn about how São Paulo has grown over the years and the different peoples/cultures who have been a huge part of that growth.

We’ll talk about how, when, and why this area ceased to be a residential neighborhood and transitioned into a business and financial center of South America, and how that change affected the city (and Brazil).

We’ll also have time to take a stroll in the lovely Parque Trianon park and catch some great views of the iconic MASP building.

Duration: 6-8 hours

Cost: $450 USD ($650 for groups over 3 people)

Price includes: Your guide

Not included: Bring some cash for coffee, fruit juice, açaí, caldo de cana, coconut water, or just a beer if you want a break during the tour

Max participants: 3 in my car, up to 8 with a sprinter van (additional 200 USD fee applies)

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

We can’t see everything in just a day, but over the course of 6-8 hours we can get a really good introduction to the city’s main areas and most iconic sites.

The itinerary below is my general “overview” tour, but we can completely customize the entire day to match up with your interests and wishlist.

The tour starts at your hotel where I’ll pick you up in the car. We’ll then drive to the Liberdade neighborhood, São Paulo’s Little Japan. Here, we’ll leave the car behind as we explore the neighborhood on foot.

After, we’ll make our way (still on foot) into the city center, discussing the history and development of the city as we visit iconic buildings like the Sé Cathedral, Banespa Building, Patio do Colegio, Municipal Market, and famous 25 de Março shopping street.

We’ll then take the subway back to Liberdade where we’ll get the car and drive to Ibirapuera park. Along the way we’ll stop to go for a walk down São Paulo’s most famous street, Avenida Paulista.

In the park, we’ll take a walk to enjoy the beautiful natural space and chat about life here in the city (and some interesting architecture).

From here, we hop back in the car for a ride over to the hip Vila Madalena district where we’ll check out some fantastic street art at Beco do Batman and see a bit of the surrounding neighborhood.

We finish the day back at your hotel.

Highlights:

• Liberdade neighborhood

• Historical city center

• Avenida Paulista

• Ibirapuera Park

• Vila Madalena neighborhood

Duration: 8-10 hours

Cost: $550 USD + $20 USD per participant

Price includes: Your guide, round trip transportation from São Paulo, ferry boat tickets, museum entrances

Not included: Lunch, snacks, anything not included above

Max participants: 4

Note: All tours are private (only you and your guide)

Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here

Departing from São Paulo, enjoy a scenic road trip across the Serra do Mar mountains to the nearby port city of Santos and beach town of Guarujá.

Our first stop is Santos, once the most important harbor in Brazil. Here, we’ll learn about Brazilian history and the coffee boom that shaped Santos, São Paulo, and the country.

We’ll also catch some views of the world's longest beachfront garden. We will stop at the Coffee Museum as well as the Coffee Stock Exchange where we’ll get to admire some incredible works of art and sample Brazilian coffee!

From Santos, we make our way by car to the ferry boat which we’ll ride on for 10-15 minutes to get to Guarujá just across the bay. With dozens of beaches along the shoreline, we’ll take in some views before choosing a beach to stop at and relax, have a bite and drink, and maybe take a dip!

Highlights:

• Serra do Mar mountains and Atlantic rainforest

• Santos Coffee Museum

• Coffee Stock Exchange

• Beaches and waterfront of Guarujá

Looking for something different?

All of Renato’s tours can be fully customized to you, your interests, and travel style. If you have a totally different tour in mind, let him know and he’ll get back to create a one of a kind tour just for you.

To get started, request a custom tour below and provide us some initial ideas about what you’re looking for. Renato will then reach out to you directly to start planning your tour together.