Booked here
The full day
Shared van, the whole city
- Length7 hours
- StartBrooklin, 9:30 AM
- GuidesEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese
Your group, priced
Sao Paulo full day city tour prices, from free buses to a private car
Sao Paulo main sights in 7 hours
★ 4.9 · From 674 reviews
Brief answer
A Sao Paulo full day city tour costs a moderate shared fare for 7 hours with a guide, shorter and walking tours cost less, private cars cost more, and on Sundays the city buses and themed circuits are free.
Price essentials
Review 4 options
Work out what your group will pay
Set your group size and see each shared Sao Paulo tour priced.
- Our full day7 hours · per person, from $80
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View - Highlights day5 hours · per person, from $67
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View - Downtown walk2 hours · per person, from $27
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View - Historic bike tour3 hours · per person, from $85
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View
Starting prices on GetYourGuide, exchanged at the ECB reference rate. The booking page gives the exact price.
Every way we could price a day of sightseeing in Sao Paulo: the shared full-day tour, shorter and private options, the free Sunday circuits and the tickets that add up.
Editorial team, saopaulocitytour.com · Updated November 11, 2026 · ~7 min read
The essentials
- Our full dayThe shared tour of the main sights starts from $80 for 7 hours.
- Shorter dayA 5-hour highlights tour starts from $67.
- On footA downtown walking tour of 2 hours starts from $27.
- Private carA 5-hour private tour starts from $180.
- Free optionCity buses cost nothing on Sundays, all day.1
What the shared full-day tour costs and covers
The Sao Paulo full day city tour we recommend starts from $80 on GetYourGuide and runs for 378 minutes, which the listing rounds to 7 hours. A live guide speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English, and if your group mixes those languages, the guide switches between them as the van rolls on. Nothing has to be paid on the day you book: the listing lets you reserve now and settle later.
Pickup is at 9:30 AM in Brooklin, or at 10:00 AM at a second meeting point, the Dengo Chocolates store. The later start trims a short stretch through Brooklin, Vila Olimpia and Itaim, so choose the earlier point if your hotel allows it. Both options end back at the meeting points, or you can step off and stay around Paulista for the afternoon.
For that fare you see a lot of ground: Ibirapuera Park with its Obelisk and the Bandeiras Monument, the terrace of the MAC museum, Batman Alley, the cathedral on Praca da Se, City Hall and the Tea Viaduct, the Japanese quarter, then free time at the Mercadao. Done by metro and ride apps, that route would cost you a full day of planning; here the planning is what you pay for.
Side by side
Sao Paulo city tours by starting price
| Tour | From | Length | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown walking tour | $27 | 2 hours | 99 |
| Highlights day | $67 | 5 hours | 345 |
| Our full day | $80 | 7 hours | 674 |
| Historic bike tour | $85 | 3 hours | 220 |
| Shared highlights | $100 | 3.5 hours | 62 |
| Private 5-hour tour | $180 | 5 hours | 83 |
All are from prices, not quotes: the booking box shows the real figure for your date and party.
Half day city tour in Sao Paulo and other shorter options
Not everyone wants the van for a whole day, and the shorter guided options are worth pricing. A City Highlights tour of 5 hours starts from $67, with a guide in Spanish, English or Portuguese and 345 reviews averaging 4.5. It is the closest thing to a half day city tour in Sao Paulo that still uses a vehicle, and its breakdown rates the guide at 4.8 and value at 4.4.
Shorter still, a shared highlights outing runs 3.5 hours from $100, capped at 6 people and with an audio guide on top of the live one. Read its score before you book: 62 reviews average only 3.5, far below the other tours on this page. It finishes at the Municipal Market, which suits anyone who wants lunch there afterwards.
On foot the numbers drop sharply. The cheapest guided option is a 2-hour downtown walk from $27, which gathers at the Edificio Italia and takes 10 people at most. Cyclists can join a 3-hour history ride from $85, backed by 220 reviews. Both cover the old centre well, and the bike ride also takes in Paulista Avenue, but neither reaches Ibirapuera on the same outing.
Hours you buy
Guided city tours by length
- Our full day7
- Highlights day5
- Private 5-hour5
- Private 4-hour4
- Shared highlights3.5
- Bike tour3
- Downtown walk2
Length of each guided tour as its listing states it.
Private cars, and how to read a private price
Private tours put a car and a guide at your disposal, and their prices reflect it. A 4-hour private city tour costs from $293; it collects you from your address, and its guides cover Spanish, English, French, German and Portuguese. A 5-hour private tour starts from $180 and carries 83 reviews averaging 4.9.
Lower down the scale, private highlights cost from $130 for 3.5 to 5 hours, though its reviews average 4.4 and value scores 4.1. Locally guided custom outings begin at $63 and stretch anywhere between 2 and 8 hours, priced to the length you choose. Use these as starting points, not as a final bill.
Before you compare a private fare with a shared seat, open the booking box and check how the price behaves for your group size. If it is quoted for the whole group, every extra traveler lowers the cost per head; if it is quoted per person, the total simply grows with each name you add. That single check decides whether a private car is a luxury or a bargain for your party.
Pick by budget
Which Sao Paulo tour fits your wallet
Say what matters most and see the Sao Paulo option that fits it.
If I want the whole city in a day
The shared full day
From $80 for 7 hours with a guide.
If I only have a morning
The highlights day
A guided day by vehicle from $67.
If My budget is tight
A Sunday on the buses
City buses and the Paulistar circuits are free on Sundays.1,2
If Our family wants a car to ourselves
A private tour
A private 5-hour tour starts from $180.
If I love walking and history
The downtown walk
A short guided walk through the old centre from $27.
By budget
Walk, ride along or go private
Lowest fare
The downtown walk
Old centre on foot
- Length2 hours
- StartEdificio Italia
- GroupUp to 10
Private
The private car
Your own guide and driver
- Length5 hours
- PickupIncluded
- Reviews83, averaging 4.94
The free ways to see the city: Sunday buses and the Paulistar circuits
Sao Paulo has no cheaper sightseeing than a Sunday. Every city bus line is free from midnight to 23:59 on Sundays, and on Christmas, New Year and the city anniversary too.1 The scheme has carried 400 million passengers since it began in December 2023.6 No transport card? Staff on board open the turnstile for you.7
On top of that, the Paulistar electric buses trace themed loops past museums and parks, with a departure every 20 minutes, on Sundays only.8 A loop heads out to the Museu do Ipiranga and Ibirapuera, and the rides cost nothing, as part of the Sunday scheme.9,2 Our tours comparison describes each loop, with the stops and the hours.
On some Sundays the city puts credentialed, uniformed guides aboard selected Paulistar departures, starting on October 25, 2026 and then on November 29 and December 27.10 They talk about museums, parks and historic buildings as the bus passes them.11 It is not a full tour and there is no lunch or market time, but among the Sao Paulo excursions priced here it alone costs nothing, and as a taster of the city it is hard to beat.
Where the money goes
A city tour day, cost by cost
At booking
Reserve, pay later
Claim a place from $80; payment can wait.
Day before
Last free cancel
Plans changed? Cancelling 24 hours out costs nothing.
Morning pickup
Getting to Brooklin
Pickup is at 9:30 AM, so budget a ride app or metro fare.
Midday
Lunch on the route
A steakhouse buffet stop: check whether it is in your fare.
Market time
Snacks and gifts
Free time at the Municipal Market is yours to spend.
What costs extra on a city tour day
Lunch is the main cost to plan for. The listing names a lunch stop at a Brazilian steakhouse with a self-service buffet that includes vegetarian dishes, but it does not say the meal is part of the fare. Budget for it, or ask the operator when you book, and keep a little cash for coffee and snacks at the other stops.
Museum entry is not part of the full-day tour's listed fare. If you want to go inside MASP on Paulista Avenue afterwards, a full ticket costs BRL 85 and a half-price ticket BRL 42 for students, teachers and visitors over 60.4,12 On Tuesdays entry is free for everyone, though the museum asks every visitor to book a time online, free days included.5,13
A view from above has its own price too. Tickets for the 41st-floor lookout in the Edificio Italia start from $20, with their own entrance. The tower rises 165 metres above the street, and from the top you can trace the route the van followed.14 Add these up before the day so the extras stay a pleasure rather than a surprise.
Video
Things to avoid on a first trip to Sao Paulo
Travelling With Con on YouTube · The video waits until you tap play to load.
Always keep sight of your card and check the amount displayed on the payment terminal before paying.
Before you pay
Covered, extra, and how to spend less
In the fare3
- A live guide in Portuguese, Spanish or English
- Pickup in Brooklin or at the second meeting point
- A route of 378 minutes across the city
On top3
- Lunch at the steakhouse stop, unless the operator says otherwise
- Museum tickets, such as BRL 85 for MASP4
- Snacks and gifts at the Municipal Market
Is Sao Paulo expensive to visit? A day budget in pieces
Is Sao Paulo expensive to visit? Less than its size suggests, if you plan the pieces. A single bus fare is BRL 5.30 and covers up to 4 boardings within 3 hours, while a combined bus and metro or train fare is BRL 9.38.15,16 On a Sunday the buses cost nothing at all.1 Walking costs nothing either, and the old centre, Liberdade and Paulista are each compact enough to explore on foot once a vehicle has dropped you there.
Food is the swing factor. With 20,000 restaurants and 30,000 bars to pick from, what a meal costs is up to you.17 Eating where locals queue, in the Mercadao or around Liberdade, keeps a day cheap; booking a famous restaurant does the opposite. Our food guide explains where the cheap good meals are, from market counters to the Sunday stalls of Liberdade.
Cards are widely used. MASP, for example, accepts pix and every credit and debit card.18 British government advice: never let the card leave your sight, and read the figure on the machine before you approve it.3 Carry a small amount of cash for street stalls, and tip your guide as you see fit: no official rate exists, so it is a personal thank-you, not a fee.
Booking, cancelling and reading the reviews
Nothing is charged when you claim a place: payment can wait, and if plans change at least 24 hours before pickup, the whole fare comes back. Lock in a date once your plans settle and watch the weather reports, since the day runs in all weather conditions. A rainy day still works: much of the route is seen from the van, and the market and the cathedral are under a roof.
The score is worth reading closely. The tour averages 4.8 from 674 reviews, the most reviews of any city tour on this page. Recent guests praise the guides and their stories about how the city grew, and several mention a punctual, careful driver who kept the long day on schedule. Read the newest reviews before you pay; they describe ordinary days with traffic and weather, which is exactly what you will get.
Match the price to the time you have. With a single free day, the full-day tour removes every decision about routes and transport. With a Sunday spare, the free buses and the Paulistar circuits make a low-cost second day. Our page on private or group tours goes deeper on what the extra money for a private car really buys.
FAQ
Common questions, answered fast.
How much is the Sao Paulo full-day city tour?
From $80 for 7 hours.
The shared tour of the main sights starts from $80 and lasts 378 minutes, with guides in Portuguese, Spanish and English.
Is lunch included in the city tour?
The listing does not say so.
It names a lunch stop at a steakhouse buffet but does not list the meal as part of the fare, so budget for it.
What is the cheapest guided tour of the city?
A walking tour from $27.
A downtown walking tour of 2 hours starts from $27 and is limited to 10 people.
Are the buses really free on Sundays?
Yes, on every city line.
City buses charge no fare on Sundays from midnight to 23:59, and on Christmas, New Year and the city anniversary.1
How much is a bus or metro ticket?
How much does MASP cost to enter?
Can I cancel the city tour for free?
Yes, up to 24 hours before.
Cancel 24 hours or more before pickup and the whole fare comes back; payment itself can wait until later.
Sources
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, the city government (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Cidade de Sao Paulo tera Tarifa Zero nos onibus aos domingos ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, Subprefeitura Butanta (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Linhas Paulistar terao guias de turismo em todos os ultimos domingos do mes ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (gov.uk) · Brazil travel advice: safety and security ↩
- MASP, Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (masp.org.br) · Visite ↩
- MASP, Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (masp.org.br) · Visite ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, the city government (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Domingao Tarifa Zero alcanca a marca historica de 400 milhoes de passageiros ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, the city government (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Domingao Tarifa Zero alcanca a marca historica de 400 milhoes de passageiros ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, Subprefeitura Butanta (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Linhas Paulistar terao guias de turismo em todos os ultimos domingos do mes ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, Subprefeitura Butanta (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Linhas Paulistar terao guias de turismo em todos os ultimos domingos do mes ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, Subprefeitura Butanta (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Linhas Paulistar terao guias de turismo em todos os ultimos domingos do mes ↩
- Prefeitura de Sao Paulo, Subprefeitura Butanta (prefeitura.sp.gov.br) · Linhas Paulistar terao guias de turismo em todos os ultimos domingos do mes ↩
- MASP, Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (masp.org.br) · Visite ↩
- MASP, Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (masp.org.br) · Visite ↩
- Condominio Edificio Italia, the building (edificioitalia.com.br) · Edificio Italia ↩
- SPTrans, the city bus authority (sptrans.com.br) · Tarifas ↩
- SPTrans, the city bus authority (sptrans.com.br) · Tarifas ↩
- Visite Sao Paulo, the Sao Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitesaopaulo.com) · Informacoes uteis (useful information) ↩
- MASP, Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (masp.org.br) · Visite ↩
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