Embark on a wild adventure through São Paulo with these recommendations for families who crave educational outings and animal encounters! From hidden gems to well-known attractions, we've curated a list sure to delight both kids and adults. Grab your gear and get ready for an unforgettable journey!
Zoofoz
Av. Morumbi, 799
Operating Hours
Monday-Saturday 10am - 5pm
Cost
R$270 for individual tickets
R$990 for a 4-person package
Free for children under 2
Founded in 2018 by Eduardo Foz, Zoofoz is a non-profit organization focusing on environmental education and animal-assisted therapy, with over 100 animals assisting over 400 youth with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and Down Syndrome on a monthly basis. The animals are housed in a spacious residence in the Morumbi neighborhood, which is open for visitation by appointment.
The visit begins with Eduardo presenting the project's purpose of love, care, education, and respect. The experience is accompanied by an on-site biologist and interns. During the tour, visitors can pet and feed the animals. The team introduces each animal by name, age, and information of interest. All proceeds provide animal-assisted therapy for children with ASD.
Most of the animals come from commercial breeders approved by IBAMA, or were legally donated, and are not suitable for reintroduction into the wild. They are cared for under the most meticulous conditions by biologists and veterinarians, in a space suitable for their physical and psychological needs.
Museu Zoologia
Avenida Nazaré, 481
Operating Hours
Wednesday-Sunday 10am - 5pm
Cost
Free
A special tip for children who enjoyed the movie Night at the Museum, the Zoology Museum of USP has one of the largest collections of taxidermied animals in the world, plus a specialized library. Located in the Ipiranga neighborhood, in a mansion from the 1940s, it occupies an area of over 700 meters. Visitors can get an up-close view of fauna (mainly Brazilian) divided into categories: amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, and invertebrates. Be sure to look for the amazing dinosaur replicas, Tapuiassauro (11 meters long and 7 meters high) and Carnotaurus (approximately 7 meters long and 3 meters high).
An appointment is needed to view the collection. The tour lasts approximately 1 hour.
Toca da Raposa
Régis Bittencourt Highway, km 323, Juquitiba, SP
Operating Hours
Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 10am - 4pm
Cost
R$73 for adults
R$60 for children
Free for children under 2 ½
If you are looking for a full-day family adventure in the outdoors, head to Toca da Raposa. This fantastic environmental reserve located in the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest) is just 72 kilometers from São Paulo and has a family-friendly infrastructure! During your visit, your family will have the chance to see several species of wildlife, including the toucan, araponga, saíra (tanager), sabiá (thrush), jacu (guan), hummingbird, saracura (rail), woodpecker, owl, deer, marmoset, squirrel, jaguar, agouti (large rodent), otter, hedgehog, teiú (large lizard), armadillo, and many others.
A visit starts at the Anteater's Corner, where children have fun on the mini-ropes course, giant slide, and tower made up of dozens of tires. The tour continues with an educational presentation about Toca da Raposa's work, which currently houses endangered species and promotes the release of animals as soon as they are ready to return to their natural habitat. While visiting each animal habitat, children are told fascinating stories about each resident creature and even have the chance to interact with some of the animals.
Tickets must be bought in advance. Lunch can be bought on site, at the cost of R$87 for adults, R$55 for children 6 to 12, and R$35 for children 3 to 5. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and bring sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, and a change of clothes for the splash zone and pool.
Planeta Inseto
Av. Dr. Dante Pazzanese, 64
Operating Hours
Tuesday-Sunday 9am - 4pm
Cost
Free for all ages
Is your child fascinated by insects? Be sure to visit Planeta Inseto! This zoo, part of the Biological Institute Museum, is the only insect zoo in Brazil and Latin America. The permanent exhibition Planeta Inseto (Insect Planet) shows the importance of these organisms and their universe in a playful and interactive way.
Located in a mansion from the 1940s, the space is organized into seven rooms with various accessibility resources. The rooms house interactive exhibits as well as the possibility to interact with insects, such as seeing caterpillars produce silk, witnessing the daily life inside an anthill, and learning about bees. The objective is to demystify insects and bring them closer to people through different methodologies, ranging from group identification to interaction with the insects present in the exhibition. The famous cockroach race is a must!
Parque da Ciência Butantan
Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500
Operating Hours
Tuesday-Sunday 7am - 5pm
Cost
Free park entry
Museum pass
R$10 for adults
R$5 for children
Free for children under 7
This amazing space reopened in 2022 after a long renovation, and offers 20 environmental, educational, and leisure attractions within a green area of 725,000 square meters. Attractions include the Museu Biológico (Biological Museum) with live animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions; Museu de Microbiologia (Microbiological Museum) with various microscopes and curiosities about viruses and bacteria; Museu Histórico (Historical Museum) with objects related to the institute and its history; Horto Oswaldo Cuz, with two walking trails, two children’s playgrounds, and a five-senses garden; a Serpentarium, with 3 large natural snake habitats; a Macacário (monkey house), with a large enclosure to view the Rhesus monkeys relaxing and playing; a Reptário (open reptile enclosure), with two spacious natural habitats for large lizards; as well as research laboratories and an industrial complex for vaccine and serum production. Purchasing a ticket grants access to all the museums and indoor exhibits.
Special programs are available for scientific activities, snake venom extraction, and much more. The serpentarium, inaugurated in 1914, is one of the most visited park attractions, where you can learn more about Brazilian snakes, including those used in venom production, as well as non-venomous species. The Macacário houses a colony of Rhesus monkeys which originated from India in 1929 to help research the yellow fever vaccine. The monkeys are housed in a 236 m² space with environmental enrichment, allowing the animals to express their innate behaviors and natural abilities. The Reptário is open to public visitation for observation of reptiles such as lizards and chelonians.
If you want to further pique your child’s curiosity, watch the series Buuu, um Chamado Para a Aventura (on Globoplay) before your visit. The story takes place on the institute's premises and makes you want to return many times to find the characters' secret hiding places!
Borboletário de São Paulo
Estrada da Ponte Alta, 4300
Operating Hours
Weekends and holidays 10am to 3:30pm
Cost
R$65 for all attractions
Free for children under 2
The Borboletário de São Paulo, about 1 hour from the Interlagos racetrack, offers visitors a range of educational activities and the chance to observe the development of butterflies. In the nursery, children and adults can watch the butterflies hatch out of their cocoons. At the end of the tour, you can walk through a netted area with hundreds of butterflies and even hold them in your hands.
In addition to the butterfly house, there are workshops and a recreational space with a playground, mini-golf, trails, and fields. Enjoy a family lunch at the cozy, local restaurant featuring homemade food and a stunning view of nature. The buffet-style food costs R$49 for adults and R$29 for children aged 3 to 8.
The venue does not open when rain is forecast, or when private events are scheduled, so call (11) 2908-0125 before your visit to confirm they are open.
Zoo SP
Avenida Miguel Estefano, 4241, Água Funda
Operating Hours
Monday-Sunday 9am - 5pm
Cost
R$79.90 for Zoo
R$109.90 for Zoo + Mundo Dino
R$149.90 for Noite Animal
Free for children under 2
A trip to the zoo guarantees a full day of fun, including walking, picnicking, learning, and lots of stories to tell afterward! There are three ways to explore the place: the daytime tour, the Mundo Dino, or the nighttime visit, Noite Animal.
For the daytime tour, plan to spend the whole day there. Arrive early and consult the map in front of the central lake to plan your route. There are 250 species of animals on display! Elephants, lions, and giraffes are a favorite of children, but there is much more to see, including other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates spread over an area of more than 824,000 square meters.
Mundo Dino is a safari-style tour and an incredible experience, with life-sized robotic replicas of 21 different dinosaur species that move, make sounds, and seem to be alive!
The nighttime tour, Noite Animal, allows you to observe the animals when they are most active. The designated route includes amphibians, snakes, alligators, owls, anteaters, sloths, wild pigs, elephants, wolves, foxes, giraffes, hippos, and felines. Along the way, you might encounter other inhabitants of the Atlantic Forest, such as armadillos, opossums, bats, forest owls, fireflies, frogs, and more. At each stop, educators provide information about the species. The nighttime tours are only on Saturdays from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and must be booked in advance on the website.
The park has snack bars, or you can bring a picnic to enjoy in one of the many areas with tables and chairs. Don't forget to bring a stroller for the little ones, wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and use plenty of sunscreen and insect repellent.
Discounted tickets for families are available, and tickets can be purchased at the ticket office or online. The ticket office closes 1 hour before the park closes.
Cidade das Abelhas
Estrada da Ressaca, km 7, in Embu das Artes
Operating Hours
Tuesday-Sunday 10am - 4pm
Cost
R$45 for adults and children
Come learn all about the important world of bees at Cidade das Abelhas (City of Bees). Recommended for children under the age of 11 years old, located 27 kilometers from São Paulo, this apiary and theme park is set in a 100,000 square meter area of a spring water preservation. Here you can get up close to bees by entering a glass-walled swarm and visiting stingless bee apiaries. The playground features equipment such as giant bee slides and a big bee showcases the insect's anatomy up close. You can also cross treetop bridges (bee tree climbing) and explore ecological trails.
This park does not open on rainy days, so check via WhatsApp at (11)99999-4170 or (11)99510-4243 before your visit to confirm they are open.
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