Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU): The Complete Layover Guide

How Guarulhos is laid out

Three terminals, two worlds. Terminals 2 and 3 form the connected core where everything useful lives. Terminal 1 is a small regional outpost you reach only by bus.

Terminal 2 is the giant: most domestic flying, GOL and LATAM domestic operations, and an international wing that hosts the SkyTeam carriers. Terminal 3 is the newest building and handles long haul international, including LATAM's widebody network. They connect by an internal walkway at boarding level, a 7 to 15 minute walk. Whether that walkway keeps you fully airside on every connection is to be confirmed, so build in time for a possible security pass. Terminal 1 hosts regional and Azul flights, has no walkway, and depends on a free shuttle bus that also serves the train station. Reported waits reach 40 minutes. A tight connection through Terminal 1 is a gamble.

The lounge maze

GRU lists around 23 lounge spaces, and the catch is who they belong to. LATAM's 24 hour flagship on the Terminal 3 mezzanine is the standout, with showers and a dedicated sleeping room. Then comes the Brazilian bank crowd: Bradesco, Banco do Brasil's Casa BB, three Mastercard Black spaces, Visa Infinite, Inter, Safra, and Nubank's Ultravioleta lounge. Wonderful with the right Brazilian card, irrelevant without one. Priority Pass holders get the W Premium lounges in Terminals 2 and 3, The Lounge Sao Paulo, Advantage VIP, and the W Lounge in Terminal 1, most open 24 hours. Note the Amex Centurion Lounge closed permanently in February 2025; Amex Platinum and Centurion holders now use the W Premium 5th Avenue lounge in Terminal 3. The full table is in our GRU lounge directory.

Sleeping at GRU

This airport quietly does sleep well. The TRYP by Wyndham operates 80 rooms inside the Terminal 3 restricted transit area, bookable around the clock, the rare true airside hotel in the Americas. Landside in Terminal 2, the Fast Sleep cabins by Slaviero rent by the hour at two locations. Free options are weaker: terminal seating is mediocre and the building hums all night. The GRU sleeping guide has the details and prices.

Getting into Sao Paulo, and the visa reality

The CPTM Line 13 Jade train links the airport station, reached by the free shuttle, to Engenheiro Goulart and onward connections toward Luz in roughly 35 to 45 minutes total. The Airport Bus Service runs to Avenida Paulista and the main bus terminals in 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic, which in Sao Paulo deserves its reputation. Current fares are to be confirmed. On documents: Brazil lets transit passengers stay airside without a visa, but since April 10, 2025 citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia need an eVisa to enter the country, and that includes collecting bags or any domestic leg. Verify before travel.

How I would play it

Connecting within Terminals 2 and 3, relax: a 24 hour Priority Pass lounge is rarely more than a few minutes away and the walkway makes the move predictable. Anything touching Terminal 1 gets treated like a separate flight, leave 2 hours minimum and find the shuttle stop before you need it. Overnight airside in Terminal 3, the TRYP is the move if a room is free. Overnight landside, Fast Sleep in Terminal 2 rents by the hour and beats every bench in the building. And resist the city run unless you have 8 hours and modest expectations, because Sao Paulo is wonderful and its traffic does not respect departure times. When in doubt, stay in, eat well, and sleep an hour you did not plan to.

GRU layover questions, answered

Do I need a visa for a layover at GRU?

Brazil does not require a visa for transit passengers who stay airside and do not pass immigration. Since April 10, 2025, citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia need an eVisa to enter Brazil, so any connection that involves collecting bags, a domestic leg, or leaving the terminal means entering Brazil under those rules. Verify before travel.

Is there a hotel inside Guarulhos airport?

Yes, and it is genuinely airside. The TRYP by Wyndham sits inside Terminal 3 on the international departures level, in the restricted transit area, with 80 rooms available around the clock. Landside, the Fast Sleep cabins in Terminal 2 rent by the hour, and the Pullman hotel stands beside the airport.

How do I get between terminals at GRU?

Terminals 2 and 3 connect by an internal walkway at boarding level, about 7 to 15 minutes on foot. Terminal 1 has no walkway, only the free shuttle bus, and waits of up to 40 minutes have been reported, so treat any connection through Terminal 1 with respect. The shuttle also serves the train station.

Which lounges can I use with Priority Pass at GRU?

The W Premium and W Lounge locations across all three terminals, The Lounge Sao Paulo and Advantage VIP Lounge in Terminal 2, and the Urban Cowork space landside. Most run 24 hours. The many bank lounges, from Bradesco to Nubank, need the matching Brazilian card instead.

Can I sleep overnight at Guarulhos?

Yes. The airport operates around the clock and several lounges and the in terminal hotels run 24 hours. Free terminal seating is mediocre for sleeping, so the realistic options are the Fast Sleep hourly cabins in Terminal 2, landside, or the TRYP inside the Terminal 3 transit area if you are airside.

How do I get from GRU into Sao Paulo?

The CPTM Line 13 Jade train runs from the airport station to Engenheiro Goulart with connections toward the center, roughly 35 to 45 minutes in total; reach the station by the free shuttle. The Airport Bus Service covers Avenida Paulista and the main bus terminals in 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Current fares are to be confirmed.