This guide is for you if you have a spare half day in São Paulo and want somewhere small and slow after the size of the city. Embu das Artes is close, but the day changes a lot depending on which day of the week you pick and which start time you book. Those are the two choices to get right.
Weekend or weekday
This is the decision that shapes everything else. The art and craft fair runs on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and it has been held in the old centre since the 1960s. On those days stalls of carving, ceramics, paintings and plants spread through the squares and lanes, and the restaurants and sweet shops fill up. One guide to the town puts the number of visitors to the fair at around a million a year.
The sources we checked give slightly different opening times for the fair, one from 10:00 and one from 11:00, both closing at 17:00. Either way it is a daytime event, and one of them advises getting there early, before the crowds. If the fair is the reason you are going, book a Saturday or Sunday.
On a weekday the stalls are gone. The shops, studios and furniture showrooms still open, and you have the cobbles and the square almost to yourself. It suits you if you want to look closely at a few workshops, talk to the people who make things, or shop for furniture without being jostled.
Mondays need one extra thought. The Museu de Arte Sacra dos Jesuítas, beside the church, opens Tuesday to Sunday, so on a Monday you see the church square from outside only. Check the museum's hours before you go, since they can change.
Morning or afternoon start
You are collected at 07:00 or 13:00. The shops in Embu open later than seven, so on the early start you reach a town that is still waking up. We stop for breakfast on the way to make up the difference.
The museum keeps a lunch break. It opens from 09:00 to 12:00 and again from 13:00 to 17:00. On the 13:00 start you reach the church at about a quarter past two, comfortably inside the afternoon session. On the 07:00 start you are at the church at about a quarter past eight, before it opens, so your driver will move it later in the morning.
For most people the afternoon start is the easier one. You arrive when the fair or the shops are in full swing and you are back in the city for dinner. The morning start makes sense if you want the afternoon free for something else in São Paulo.
How the half day fits together
The drive is short. Embu is about 30 kilometres from the centre of São Paulo, and the trip is roughly half an hour when the roads are clear. Most of your five hours are spent on foot in a compact centre.
The town's main monument is the church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário. It was built in rammed earth around 1700 and is one of the best preserved Jesuit buildings in the state. The adjoining Jesuit residence now houses the sacred art museum, with carved angels, saints and biblical figures from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Entry to the museum is paid and is not part of the tour. Embu was also the first place in São Paulo state to be listed as heritage, in 1938.
The rest of the day is the craft fair, the studios and lunch on or near the square. A few things are worth asking your driver about if you have time:
- Viela das Lavadeiras, a narrow lane off Rua Siqueira Campos with small restaurants, decoration and antique shops, and sometimes live music.
- The memorial of Tadakiyo Sakai, an artist whose work is closely tied to Embu, with his pieces, a small chapel and a cross of peace.
- Casa do Artesão, where local craftspeople show their work under one roof.
Because the car is yours alone, the order can shift. Tell your driver if you want more time at the stalls and less over lunch, or the other way round.
On your own or with a driver
You can reach Embu by public transport. Take metro Line 5 (Lilás) to Campo Limpo, then an intercity bus marked Embu Centro. It is a reasonable trip for one or two people who travel light and do not mind a change.
What a private car adds is mostly practical. You are collected from your hotel door, and you are dropped wherever you want afterwards: your hotel or a restaurant in the city. If you buy something heavy, it goes in the boot rather than on your lap on a bus. Many furniture shops in Embu arrange shipping, so ask before you carry anything large.
The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- Comfortable shoes with a good grip. The centre is cobbled.
- Some local cash for small purchases at the stalls, alongside a card.
- Measurements of the space at home if you are thinking about furniture. It saves a second trip.
- A light layer and an umbrella in the wetter months.
Entrances, lunch and anything you buy are paid on the day.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits a first visit to Brazil where you want something away from the high-rises without giving up a full day. It works for families, since the drive is short and the centre is compact. It also suits buyers: interior designers, collectors or anyone furnishing a house.
Think twice if crowds wear you out. A sunny weekend afternoon at the fair is busy. Go on a weekday instead and accept that the stalls will not be there. Tell us when you book if anyone has limited mobility, because the cobbles are uneven.
If you have only one day in São Paulo, the São Paulo city tour is probably the better use of it. If you have two half days, you can combine Embu with the city tour into a full day; message us for a price. Our guide to day trips from São Paulo sets all five side by side.
Questions people ask
Is the fair on during public holidays?
Yes. It runs on public holidays as well as weekends, which also means those days are among the busiest.
Can we go inside the church?
The church and the museum form one complex. Entry is paid, and the museum is closed on Mondays and over lunch. Check the hours before your date.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Pick a weekend for the fair or a weekday for quiet, and the 13:00 start unless you need your afternoon. The stops, times and what is included are on the Embu das Artes private tour page, where you choose the number of people and book.
