Sao Paulo: Downtown-Center History Walking Tour - in English
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Don’t just visit Sao Paulo—experience it. Take a guided tour around the streets and neighborhoods of Sao Paulo and learn about the many communities of immigrants who have, over the years, made Sao Paulo the colorful, vibrant place it is today. Visit Japanese, Italian and Syrian-Lebanese areas, and discover a panoramic viewpoint from right on top of the city.
- Visit many of Sao Paulo’s famous historic buildings and monuments, including the Cathedral
- Tour the Liberdade street market and learn about the produce and authentic foods found here
- Hear stories about the city you won’t find in the tour guides
- No more than 10 people will take part in this small group tour
What's Included
- Guided tour
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Av. Ipiranga, 344 - Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo - SP, 01046-010, Brazil
I'll wait for you at the entrance of the Italia Building
End point
- Base da PM - Praça da Liberdade, 125 - Liberdade, São Paulo - SP, 01503-010, Brazil
Operating hours.10:00 am
Itinerary
1
Italian Building
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Edificio Copan
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Gallery of Rock
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Theatro Municipal De Sao Paulo
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Pateo do Collegio
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Catedral da Se de Sao Paulo
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Praca da Liberdade
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Most travelers can participate
- it is a walk of about 3 km
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 96 reviews
Radika_M, Apr 2026
Awesome tour. The tour guide was knowledgeable and was very good. We visited some very interesting sites.
Christine_W, Apr 2026
Sao Paulo has alot to see and Guiliano is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Sao Paulo, the buildings the different areas... he makes a very efficient and enjoyable learning tour. His meeting place picture and WhatsApp messages were timely and thoughtful. Would highly recommend.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you very much for your kind words — I really appreciate it.
I’m glad you enjoyed the tour and found it both informative and enjoyable. São Paulo has so many layers, so it’s always my goal to make the experience clear, engaging, and easy to follow, even in a short time.
Also happy to hear that the meeting point instructions and communication were helpful — I know that can make a big difference, especially in a huge city like São Paulo.
Thanks again for the recommendation, and it was a pleasure having you on the tour!
NIKHIL_D, Mar 2026
We had an excellent tour guide who walked us through downtown São Paulo. My wife and I found the tour very informative and educational - the tour guide gave us a great overview of the political, economic, and religious motivations for growth in São Paulo. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your kind words — I really appreciate it.
I’m glad you enjoyed the tour and found it both informative and engaging. São Paulo can feel overwhelming at first, so I always try to connect the dots between history, politics, economy, and daily life to give a clearer picture of how the city became what it is today.
It was a pleasure walking through downtown with you and your wife, and I’m happy to hear the experience resonated with you both.
Thanks again for the recommendation, and I hope you continue enjoying your time in São Paulo!
Laura_A, Mar 2026
Excellent tour with an excellent guide. The tour was the perfect mix of the history of Sao Paulo and modern day Brazil.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your kind words!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the balance between history and modern-day Brazil — that’s exactly what I try to bring into the tour, so the city makes sense not only in the past, but also in how people live it today.
It was a pleasure having you on the tour, and I truly appreciate the recommendation!
Amit_B, Feb 2026
Amazing tour! We were able to witness some history and Churches. Guide was super insightful. Highly recommended
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your kind words!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the tour and the mix of history and architecture — São Paulo has so many layers, and the churches are an important part of that story.
I truly appreciate the recommendation, and it was a pleasure having you on the tour!
Tom_S, Nov 2025
This was a very fun and insightful view of Sao Paulo. I have been to SP many times, but my friend had never been there. We met some cool people, and Giuliano was a great guide, showing me many things I didn't know and hadn't seen on past tours of the city. I would recommend this for anyone going to Sao Paulo if you want to know about the city, the downtown, and it's history.
ASHAR_A, Nov 2025
Tour guide is terrible. Due to traffic I reached the pickup point just 3 minutes late but tour guide had already left.
On my way I texted that tourist to just wait for me as I am reaching the pickup point but he didn’t reply my text.
I know that he switch off the phone during the tour, but I texted him before the tour starting time, but then also he didn’t reply. At least he should have replied to me that he will not wait for me.
That’s so rude. I paid the full money beforehand, and I know I would not be eligible for any refund.
I want to know that why did the tour Guide didn’t keep the clear communication beforehand
Response from Host, Nov 2025
I’m sorry to hear that you felt disappointed. Punctuality is very important for all my tours, as clearly stated in the booking confirmation and in the reminder message sent the day before. The experience starts exactly at 10:00 AM, and unfortunately we cannot delay the group for late arrivals, out of respect for the other guests who arrive on time.
You had contacted me in advance through Viator, and I confirmed that the tour would begin promptly at 10:00 and that it wouldn’t be possible to wait. Your WhatsApp message was received at 10:20, when the tour was already well underway. During the experience, I keep my phone off so I can fully dedicate my attention to the participants who are present — this is part of ensuring a great experience for everyone.
In Brazil, we value punctuality as a form of mutual respect. Even though São Paulo is a large city with traffic, it’s not very different from other big cities around the world — the best way to ensure a smooth start is to plan to arrive a bit early.
I truly regret that you missed the tour, but please note that once the experience begins, late arrivals cannot be accommodated.
Christine_R, Nov 2025
Great overview of the history of São Paulo! Our guide was thorough and gave us a ton of information on the history and socioeconomic reasons behind the changes the city saw. There was no question he could not answer. I could probably read about all of this on Wikipedia, but Guilliano really fleshed it out and brought it to life in a way that will stay with me a long time. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I’m really happy you enjoyed the tour and the stories behind São Paulo’s history and transformation.
I’ve spent years researching and exploring this city I now call home, and I love sharing those details that you won’t easily find on Wikipedia 😉. Hearing that it came to life for you truly means a lot.
Thanks again for joining, and I hope our paths cross again someday — there’s always more to discover in São Paulo!
Charles_M, Nov 2025
Great info about the history of this city and country. Sergio the guide kept it light and fun, yet full of knowledge. I would recommend.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for the kind words and recommendation! I’m really happy you enjoyed the tour and the stories about São Paulo and Brazil.
Just one small detail — my name’s actually Giuliano, not Sergio 😄 — but I’ll take the compliment anyway! I hope to see you again for another fun walk through the city.
Romaine_M, Oct 2025
A great option for anyone looking to get a good overview of the history of São Paulo. We were warned that the area was not safe but we found that it was quite the opposite. But always remember to be vigilant in big cities.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi! Having you happy and feeling safe in one of my tours is my greatest satisfactions!
There is a lot of prejudice about the city center, and I'm very glad we all had a great time together!
Steven_B, Sep 2025
Great tour
Guide was very knowledgeable
Made tour entertaining.
Gave recommendation for food and coffee which was helpful.
Well worth it.
Hrachya_N, Sep 2025
Excellent tour! Highly recommended. There isn’t much exciting to see in São Paulo and this tour sums up most of it. Julliano was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive, did not rush things, answered all our questions, and walking around city center with him and a small group of other 7 fellow travelers was a truly enjoyable experience!
Helen_P, Sep 2025
Really excellent walking tour of some of the older parts of Sao Paulo. Pace was excellent, lots of stops to take photos, ask questions and toilets at two of the stops. Giuliano was really engaging, full of interesting information and obviously passionate about Sao Paulo and Brazil. I would love to take more tours with him if I come back to Brazil.
Susanne_C, Mar 2025
What a great tour! I learnt so much about Brasil history . If you want to do this tour, I would suggest do it on your first day. São Paulo isn’t at all as it may seem. We were given many ideas and tips of what to do and how to get around. An excellent tour of two hours for a fair cost.
Paul_W, Feb 2025
Great experience with Juliano as our guide. Very knowledgeable and likeable guy. Learnt a lot and found out stuff we never would have known if we didn’t take this tour!
Anil_C, Jan 2025
Well organized and learned historical facts of the city. Our tour guide was well informed and did a great job
Michael_L, Sep 2024
Giuliano was an amazing guide. He arrived at the meeting point early and briefed the group and allowed us to get aquainted with one another. The weather was great and we had a good pace in which to walk and he tried to keep us in the shade as much as possible. I was able to take many photos and learn about the history of the city. I dined at El Pablo Juan and saw a show at Teatro Oficina after Giuliano provided the suggestion and I enjoyed them both.
Paul_L, Aug 2024
Great communication pre-tour, and then a wonderful, personalised, informative and fascinating couple of hours. Highly recommended.
Nigel_B, May 2024
It was fascinating to learn about the history & architectural influences of the buildings in the City Centre. Giuliano kept us intrigued & kudos to him having to manage multiple languages.
If you have a morning in Sao Paulo, I highly recommend this walk, ask for Giuliano!
Ana_M, Feb 2024
Great experience, very insightful! Julian was very nice and answered all of our questions. Definitely would recommend.
Sandra_P, Sep 2023
Tour guide was perfect and would recommend this tour to anyone new to Sao Paulo. We were able to see some great monuments, churches and high lights.
Sheraz_D, Jul 2023
Good informative tour and the price was cheap. The guide spoke multiple languages fluently and was very well informed and friendly.
KARIM_Y, Jul 2023
A memorable and Fun tour with Giuliano walking through São Paolo History ! Giuliano is a friendly and knowledgeable person to visit/discover old São Paolo with! I definitely recommend him! Thank you so much Giuliano !! :-)
William_C, Nov 2021
I had a great time and got to know some new friends in the tour group. Learnt a lot about the history of Sao Paulo from Guiliano, the tour guide. We had coffee, nice conversation and nice walk around the downtown of Sao Paulo.
Response from Host, Mar 2022
Hi William! I remember our coffee together :) I had a great time too! Thank you for coming!
tonywhitemanreynolds, Oct 2019
The tour I had of São Paulo yesterday was so much more than I could have wished for! I was given an insight into the rich history of the city, the currently political climate of Brazil and took in some hidden sights that I wouldn’t have be able to find on my own. I cannot recommend this tour enough!
AndresNICOLAS_L, Dec 2025
Very interesting, the Guide knows very well the city and the important places to visit. I recommend it
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Vitoria_H, May 2025
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.
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WANDA_P, May 2024
Todo o passeio foi maravilhoso. Aprendi muito. As companhias foram interessantes, e os lugares em que passamos foram todos interessantes.
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