São Paulo: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
São Paulo is a city of 12.4 million people in Brazil, 769 m (2,523 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport (CGH), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 7,469+ places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in São Paulo runs from about 10 h 43 min a day in late June to 13 h 38 min in late December (computed for -23.55° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
São Paulo is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport (CGH), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 6,365 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU, 21 km), Viracopos International Airport (VCP, 79 km), Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK, 87 km).
Flights to São Paulo: every airport, routes and times
Buses to São Paulo · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 7,469+ places to stay in Sao Paulo (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 787 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (418), and 37 are five-star. Across 567 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.6 out of 10. Guests have left 952,501 reviews in total.
Hotels in São Paulo: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 147 hostels in Sao Paulo, out of 7,469 places to stay of every kind — 2% of everywhere it lists in the city, around the middle of the range for the cities we hold figures for. Across 56 hostels with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10, 0.2 below the 8.6 its hotels average. Guests have left 32,934 reviews across them.
Hostels in São Paulo: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Rio de Janeiro, 360 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Curitiba, 339 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Guarulhos, 14 km
- Campinas, 84 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Duque de Caxias, 350 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Nova Iguaçu, 337 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- São Bernardo do Campo, 18 km — tours
- Sorocaba, 84 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Osasco, 16 km — tours
- São José dos Campos, 87 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves São Paulo?
Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport (CGH), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, plus 3 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is São Paulo?
About 12.4 million people live in São Paulo (GeoNames).
What time zone is São Paulo in?
America/Sao_Paulo, currently UTC-3.
What currency is used in São Paulo?
The Real (BRL). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in São Paulo?
147 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in São Paulo.
How many hotels are there in São Paulo?
Our booking partner lists 7,469 or more places to stay in Sao Paulo, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near São Paulo?
Rio de Janeiro (360 km), Curitiba (339 km), Guarulhos (14 km), Campinas (84 km), Duque de Caxias (350 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.