Guarulhos Airport is São Paulo’s main international airport, the busiest airport in the country in fact. Guarulhos is not located in the city of São Paulo itself. It’s actually located in another city (called Guarulhos, hence the name). The airport has three terminals and is a 30-minute taxi ride away from the heart of the city.

If you are just passing through Guarulhos airport on your way to another part of the country, you may find it easier to just book an airport hotel, rather than tackling this concrete jungle. However, if you do intend to venture into the city, here are our tips.

Other airports in São Paulo

The city of São Paulo is actually serviced by several airports.

• Congonhas Airport is located in the heart of the city and is a domestic hub. The closest metro station is São Judas station (Line 1 – Blue). From there, you’ll need to take a shuttle bus to the airport. Taking off and landing from this airport is a jaw dropping experience, giving panoramic views of this mega metropolis. Congonhas Airport is about an hour’s drive from Guarulhos, sometimes less, depending on traffic.
• Viracopos Airport is located in Campinas, about an hour and 20 minutes away by taxi from Guarulhos Airport. It is a hub airport for Azul Airlines and also receives a lot of flights from TAP Portugal and LATAM.

Uber taxis

Ubers are the easiest and most cost-effective way of getting into the city from Guarulhos Airport. If you are new to Uber, please use our invite code 6hkek when you download the app to get a discount on your first ride. Wait for the driver at the designated Uber area on the Departures level of the airport and follow these instructions. If you want to use Uber, be sure to have your phone’s data roaming switched on, as the free airport wifi will not work once you walk outside the terminal.

Taxis from Guarulhos Airport

Some airport hotels may offer a complimentary shuttle bus from the airport – they normally arrive on the hour from the ground floor, outside Terminal 2.

If you are travelling into São Paulo itself, we recommend you take a taxi into town. Similarly to Rio, tourists usually will arrive at the airport, walk straight outside from Arrivals and find special airport taxis (Guarucoop radio taxis) waiting for them. These taxis charge a flat rate to the city, which is more expensive than the regular price that the ordinary taxis will charge. However, if you are travelling between 6-8pm, you will hit traffic, so the flat rate fare might be a better idea.

If you are travelling outside of these hours, and you want to save some money, we recommend you take a regular taxi from Departures. Grab one that has just dropped off passengers at the airport. São Paulo regular taxis are all white with TAXI SP on the side. It is usually best if the taxi uses the meter. Simply ask them “Pode ligar o taxímetro por favor?”

Taxis use two fare rates, labelled 1 and 2, and you will see which fare type is being used on the meter. Rate 1 (Bandeira 1) applies from 6am to 8pm Monday through Saturday. Rate 2 applies from 8pm to 6am and all day Sunday and public holidays. Make sure your driver is using the correct fare rate. You can estimate how much your taxi fare will cost by using the Taxi Fare Estimator website.

We recommend that you always use licensed white taxis or Uber when in São Paulo. Do not be tempted to take public transport after dark to save money. That being said, the São Paulo metro is clean, safe and very efficient. During the day, we definitely recommend using it as a cheap, fast way to get around this vast city.

Public transport from Guarulhos airport

There is no direct metro line which connects Guarulhos airport to São Paulo. Instead, there are a number of EMTU Airport Bus routes available which services the following parts of the city:

• Tietê Rodoviária (bus station) which connects to the São Paulo metro via the Portuguesa-Tietê station, Blue Line 1 (Azul Linha 1) – cost R$52
• Congonhas Airport – cost R$50
• Barra Funda which connects to São Paulo metro lines 7 (Rubi), 8 (Diamante) and 3 (Vermelha) – cost R$52
• Praça da República, which connects to São Paulo metro lines 4 (Amarela) and 3 (Vermelha) – cost R$50 (prices accurate as of Aug 2018)

To browse bus times and buy tickets, visit the Airport Bus Service website.