São Paulo City

São Paulo needs 3 days: Avenida Paulista and the historic center on one, the Vila Madalena and Pinheiros neighborhoods (street art, bars) on another, and its world-class food scene on the third. March-May brings mild weather after the humid summer. It's expensive by Brazilian standards, comparable to major South American capitals for hotels. It's the largest city in South America and Brazil's economic engine, home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan and a food scene that, for many critics, makes it South America's culinary capital.