Religious Diversity, Esotericism & Cultural Diversity in São Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
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Marvelous popular celebrations, legends, superstitions & rites
From R$
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Tour type: Private tour.
Live guide & available language: Español, English, and Português.
Tour Operating Hours: Book this tour between 09:00 to 12:00.
Transport: Fully-equipped hatchbacks, sedans, minivans, vans, and buses according to you group size.
Instant confirmation: Yes, from Monday through Sunday.
Tour start location / Final tour location: Pick-up and drop-off in São Paulo, coast and countryside are included like hotel, airport or port.
You’re a lover of religious syncretism, cultural diversity and esotericism? You are invited to tour around São Paulo discovering the strong Brazilian multicultural composition and religious syncretic background full of marvelous popular celebrations and social practices.
Religious syncretism has its greatest expressions in Brazil due to the colonization process. A complex historical process full of cultural and ethnic mixtures that go beyond the limits of what has been documented, but it’s a natural part of the Brazilian heritage.
This tour is designed to be flexible featuring a broad range of possible sights focusing on culture, history, social behavior, religion, immigration, art or a little bit of everything.
Visit an Afro-Brazilian religious temple, an Umbanda house and discover how this belief originated in Brazil. Learn how this belief came about, a mixture of many religious strands, such as spiritism, Catholic santeria or mystical Christianity.
Next, pass by the imposing Sé Cathedral, the most important Catholic temple in the city of São Paulo.Visit a street dedicated to the sale of religious items and find hundreds of stores that sell everything from bibles to gospel music records or t-shirts with religious prints.
Did you know that in São Paulo there is a Temple of Solomon? This replica of the biblical temple has a museum inside where you can learn about the oldest religions. A real journey into the past!
Stop by at an esoteric or mystic shop to have either a tarot reading, a Spiritual Work or the so-called "Loving Bonding". Find local spiritual items such as incense, carved candles, oils, carved saints and Orishas, crystal jewelry, chakra gifts, herbs and resins, and much more.
Customize your itinerary choosing from Catholic churches, a Buddhist temple, Mosque, Synagogue, Afro-Brazilian religious temples, shop for religious products and watch a performance of capoeira. Take advantage of the one-on-one experience making your own list of sights according to the chosen tour duration and leave the rest with us.
The proposed itinerary can take from 5 to 8 hours depending on your willingness to explore and availability.
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Learn about the countless religious matrices that landed and originated in Brazil like Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous religions, Kardecist Spiritist, Christianity, Umbandista, and others.
Learn about the mixure and incorporation of symbols and rites amoung religions that have produced a unique culture.
A unique way of not only discovering traditions, but also dig into São Paulo's culture.
Stop at sights to explore in the company of the guide who will escort you in your tour expedition, providing an interpreting service along the way.
See the key attractions of São Paulo while riding round it.
Umbanda House
Visit an Umbanda house that is an original religion in Brazil that mixes elements of candomblé, Kardecist spiritism and Catholicism. The gospel of Jesus Christ is one of his moral references through values such as charity and fraternity.
Learn about the umbanda traditions, ceremonies and services that are held. The rites are presided over by a "father" or a "mother", responsible for teaching the doctrine to the disciples. The rituals aim to evoke the orixás and spiritual entities in order to purify the energies of the participants.
Umbanda is a religion where we learn that we receive from the world all that we emanate. Everything that goes into the universe, the universe gives back to you!!!
Casa de Velas Santa Rita
Visit the "Casa de Velas Santa Rita" which is one of the largest stores selling religious products in São Paulo. The range of products of various religions is huge, being the largest religious statues factory in the country, with more than 2,600 items produced in plaster and resin.
Santa Cruz das Almas dos Enforcados Church
Stroll the streets of Liberdade neighborhood observing the decorations in the streets, restaurants and shops, and be transported immediately to the Asia. It is one of the most colorful neighborhoods in São Paulo, hosting typical Japanese and Chinese parties.
Visit the “Santa Cruz das Almas dos Enforcados Church” and learn about its origins and the name “Liberdade” which refers to miraculous events of pure faith that generated much devotion in that place.
Lohan Temple
Visit the Lohan Temple which is geared towards Chan Buddhism and Shaolin Kung Fu, which is a school of Buddhism that was created over 1500 years ago by monks who lived in the Shaolin Temple in China.
Located in a building listed by the cultural heritage, the temple has Kung Fu practices, meditations, Buddhist rituals, traditional arts are practiced, among other activities. Chinese garden is the best part of the visit, it contains the Goddess of Mercy Quang Yin and a traditional Buddhist pagoda.
Religious Articles
One of the coolest things about São Paulo is the themed streets. We visited a street dedicated to religious articles of any religion and denomination. There are hundreds of stores selling bibles, choir gowns, gospel books, gospel CDs, T-shirts with Christian motifs, orixás, stones, bracelets, candles, smokers, incense, herbs, tools and much more.
Sé Cathedral
Sé Cathedral is inspired by medieval European churches. The imposing construction marks the center of São Paulo (the ground zero of the city is at Sé Square), a very busy area.
The exterior is marked by two 92-meter towers and a large dome. The large interior, with a capacity for 8,000 people, is surrounded by stained glass, mosaics and sacred works of art, as well as a large organ with five keyboards and 12,000 tubes, considered the largest in South America. In the crypt bishops and archbishops are buried, in addition to Cacique Tibiriçá, first citizen of São Paulo, and Father Feijó, regent of the Brazilian empire.
Nossa Senhora da Paz Church
In temples in São Paulo, you can pray the God in English, repeat mantras in Japanese, say prayers in Armenian and pray five times a day in Arabic.
Visit the church in São Paulo dedicated to the city's immigrants, there are masses in five languages that are Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French and English.
Beginning in the 1970s, immigrants from South Korea, Chile and Vietnam were absorbed into the parish. Today the church has Italian, Filipino, Haitian, Bolivian, Chilean, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Ecuadorian and Colombian worshipers, in addition to Brazilians.
The church also maintains a reception center for immigrants of various religions. It has as its motto the biblical excerpt “I was a foreigner and you welcomed me”.
Capoeira School
Visit a capoeira school and watch a didactic presentation about capoeira, the only genuinely Brazilian martial art.
Capoeira is a Brazilian cultural expression that mixes martial art, sport, popular culture, religiosity, dance and music. Capoeira was created in Brazil by descendants of African slaves, it is characterized by blows, agility, complex movements and acrobatics.
Capoeira has in religiosity one of the pillars of its social imaginary. Instruments such as berimbau and atabaque, in addition to setting the pace of the game, have a close relationship with Afro-Brazilian religious aspects. Music and singing are symbolic elements, narrating stories and legends of gods, orixás and enchanted people, who together with the dominant Catholicism compose the syncretism that founds a religiosity peculiar to cultural manifestations originating from Africans and their descendants in Brazil.
Esoteric / Mystic shop
Stop by at an esoteric or mystic shop to get either palm reading, a tarot cards drawn, a Spiritual Work or the so-called "Loving Bonding.
Find local spiritual items such as incense, carved candles, oils, carved saints and Orishas, crystal jewelry, chakra gifts, herbs and resins that are blended on demand for customer’s needs, and much more.
Temple of Solomon
The Temple of Solomon, built by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, is a replica of the biblical ancient temple of the same name in Jerusalem.
With a capacity for more than ten thousand people, based on biblical guidelines, the temple is the height of an 18-story building.
The Temple also has a museum that brings the history of the ancient temples, with replicas of the original artifacts, so that the visitor really feels at the times biblical.
Kehilat Israel Synagogue
Get to visit the oldest synagogue of São Paulo (Kehilat Israel), that now houses a memorial of Jewish immigration. The museum's main exhibition is an engaging and exciting journey through the history of the migratory waves of Jews in more than four centuries to Brazil.
Orthodox Cathedral
Not all the important religious centers of São Paulo represents the Catholic faith. The Orthodox Cathedral, one of the Greek Orthodox Churches of Antioch in Brazil, is one of the most outstanding buildings for its architecture based on the Church of Santa Sofia, a Byzantine building in Istanbul, Turkey. The Cathedral was inaugurated in 1954, which makes it one of the most recent among the many prominent churches that permeate the city.
Brasil Mosque
The Brazil mosque aims to preserve the culture of Islam in the city, offering visitors the opportunity to expand their knowledge related to Islam. Its architecture follows the standards of the Muslim shrines and enchants by its forms and the richness of detail in the finishing of the interior.
Although it has started its activities in 1927, only in 1956 it was opened and is currently considered one of the most important in Latin America. It was one of the first mosques to be built in Brazil.
Transport by fully-equipped vehicles.
Any address pick-up and drop-off are included like hotel or airport as long as the booking system accepts the address you enter.
Licensed bilingual private tour guide.
Private driver for groups bigger 4 people, otherwise the guide drives the vehicle themselves.
VAT, all taxes, handling charges, tolls, parking fees during stops, airport Greet & Meet service.
Entrance fees.
Meals and drinks.
Tips. (optional).
Confirmation is sent just after the booking is made.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
Tour guide details is sent 1 day before the booking date.
This tour offers stops en route for pictures, contemplation, exploration, snacks or lunch, and a little shopping for souvenir.
Adult pricing applies to all travelers.
Wheelchair accessibility: As long as the tourist has some mobility then this tour would be suitable.
If you cancel at least 5 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 2 & 4 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 1 day of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
The charge is made in Brazilian currency.
Make a down payment online of either 50% or the total amount. If 50% of the payment is made online as a down payment, the remainder should be in cash directly to the guide on site.
Wherever you specify at the time of the booking as long as the booking system accepts the address you enter. The booking system may automatically reject too long-distance pick-ups and drop-offs.
As it’s a private tour, you choose the best pick-up point that suits your needs.
Any day available on the timetable of the “PRICE FORM”, which is from Monday through Sunday.
Any time available on the timetable of the "PRICE FORM".
The key part of our system is the flexibility to book a tour according to the number of people, pick-up and final drop-off locations.
We don't actually sell a set tour program for a certain number of hours, but instead we sell the number of hours the “TOUR GUIDE & VEHICLE ” are going to be at your availability to do a certain activity with you. There is also private driver for groups bigger than 4 people in addition to the guide.
Wherever you specify at the time of the booking as long as the booking system accepts the address you enter. The booking system may automatically reject too long-distance pick-ups and drop-offs.
As it’s a private tour, you choose the best drop-off point that suits your needs.
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Once you have arrived at the airport there will be a member of our staff (or guide) waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a clear sign with your name on it, they will then escort you to your waiting private vehicle.
Our team member will be waiting for you even if the flight is delayed.
In the very unlikely situation that the customer is not able to locate our guide, please call our emergency telephone number on the voucher.
As soon as the tour guide arrives at your hotel, they get the front desk to call you in the room in case you are not at the lobby.
In the very unlikely situation that you are not able to locate our guide, please call one of our emergency telephone numbers that are on the voucher.
For long-distance trips, we may have to ask the state or federal road department authorization for taking open highways with big vehicles like vans and buses. Thus, in order to do that, it's required the list of all passengers and their passport or ID numbers at the time of the booking (Send it via e-mail after the booking). Therefore, it’s extremely important to book tours with long-distance pick-ups or drop-offs with at least 24 hours in advance.
If big vehicles like a van or a bus is traveling without the required documents and the police pulls it over, the trip cannot continue.
For local pick-ups or drop-offs like airport or nearby cities, there is NO need of such list and passport or ID numbers.
Such requirement is not necessary for small vehicles like sedans, minivans and SUVs.
The assigned vehicle is according to the number of passengers for the tour. The vehicles are all fully-equipped and suitable to fit you and your group comfortably.
Hatchback vehicles
Midsize sedans
Minivans
15-seater vans
19-seater vans
29-seater minibus
The count starts from the pickup moment, no matter where you are.
The tour coverage depends on the number of hours hired by customers ranging from 5 to 8 hours, where in 8 hours you must pass by all or the majority of the suggested sights.
We don't actually sell a set tour program for a certain number of hours, but instead we sell the number of hours the “TOUR GUIDE & VEHICLE ” are going to be at your availability to do a certain activity with you.
In case tourists want to have more stops for any reason or spend more time at a sight, it should impact on the tour coverage reducing the number of seen sights or establishments.
The tour coverage depends on the tour rhythm as the guide goes at your pace, and also pretty much on the pick-up and drop-off locations.
Other adversities may also slow down the tour progress such as traffic jam, and the group size that determines the size of the vehicle. Bigger vehicles assigned for bigger groups tend to be slower, and thus cover less ground and sights.
Just fill out the “PICK-UP” and “FINAL DROP-OFF” location fields to have the price for the tour guide to pick you up wherever you are, take you on the tour, and return you back to your place afterwards. The booking system may automatically reject too long-distance pick-ups & drop-offs, as the tour may NOT be worth taking because of the trip time to the city of the tour. In this case, you can either select closer locations or get in touch with us for options.
This field is to specify the number of hours the licensed private “TOUR GUIDE & VEHICLE” will be at your availability. The count starts from the pickup moment the tour has been set to get started at your hotel, airport or any address you have chosen.
Yes, always. Sometimes, other than the tour guide, there is also a driver depending on the number of people.
Yes, private tours are totally personalizable according to your interests and likes. Talk directly to the tour guide about your wishes or write them in the “BOOKING OBSERVATION BOX” further during the booking process.
The tour is totally private and exclusive for you and your group. No other person out of your group must join your tour, unless it's invited by you.
The guide’s basic expenses such as meals, drinks and parking lot are paid by themselves on spot.
The guide may decline to participate in high-priced activities that fall out of the scope of a regular tour such as going to fancy restaurants or anything out of a standard tour. In these cases, if customer wishes to have the guide as a permanent companion, the guide’s expenses should be covered by the customer. Otherwise, the guide must wait for the customer just nearby to continue on the tour afterwards.
All tour guides have complete knowledge about the city sights, culture, history, and social-economic aspects of São Paulo and Brazil. The guide for this tour also has a lot of knowledge about Syncretism & Esotericism topics.
Once you have arrived at the airport, there will be a member of our staff / guide waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a clear sign with your name on it, they will then escort you to your waiting private vehicle.
The "tour count" of hours starts to run from the time the tour guide meets the tourist.
Our staff / guide will be waiting for you even if your flight is delayed, without extra charges.
The tour can be hired for 1 person up to 26 people. We will assign a suitable vehicle according to your group.
If you have groups with more than 26 people, the ideal is to make 2 bookings splitting the group and using two vehicles plus two tour guides.
Yes, we have been delivering tours since 2010, and car services since 1998. We have hundreds of customers who left reviews & comments on our TRIP ADVISOR & FACEBOOK pages.
GREGTUR is the number 1 company on the TRIP ADVISOR rank among hundreds of other tour companies.
Check our TRIP ADVISOR & FACEBOOK pages on the links below:
REVIEWS ON TRIP ADVISOR
REVIEWS ON FACEBOOK