Paul J.
A bit too much time sitting down for afternoon break. Maybe we could have seen another site briefly if the break was shorter? Otherwise, it was great.
Costa Rica · Your next adventure
San Jose City Tour
Your experience
Good to Know
Discover San José's rich history and vibrant culture on a comprehensive city tour, exploring architectural marvels like the National Theater and delving into ancient history at the Museum of Gold. Experience local life at the Central Market, browsing unique Costa Rican crafts. This expertly guided excursion provides insights into the capital city's economy, culture, politics, and religion, with convenient round-trip transportation and a bilingual guide.
About the tour
Explore the culture and history of Costa Rica with this tour of historical sites in San José. The tour features the National Theater Lobby, an art and architectural landmark completed in 1897. You will also visit the Museum of Gold (an archaeological site) and the Central Market, a hub of Costa Rican cultural heritage where local crafts are available. The Metropolitan Cathedral is included, and the tour will highlight important city buildings like the Costa Rica University, the Old Train Station, the National Liquor Factory, the National Supreme Election Bureau, the Legislative Assembly, and the Metallic Building, along with parks and other points of interest. This overview will cover the capital city's economy, culture, politics, religion, and current affairs. The tour includes a stop at an Art Gallery for souvenir purchases.
Departure from San José hotel is estimated between 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM, with an estimated return between 5:00 and 5:30 PM.
The tour includes transportation, a bilingual (English-Spanish) guide, admission to the Museum of Gold, and a guided tour of the city.
It is recommended to bring a camera, comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and an umbrella.
What to Bring
Camera, comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, umbrella.
Includes
Round-trip transportation, bilingual guide, entrance fees to the Gold Museum and guided tour by the city.
Location and Availability
Available in: San Jose, Alajuela, Alajuela suburbs, Heredia, Escazu
Tour space is generally available when requested more than two days in advance and remains subject to confirmation.
Tour Times
12:30
Tour Type
- Learning/Family
- Culture
Explore the location on the map
Location
Latitude: N 9° 55' 41.05" (9.928069)
Longitude: W 84° 5' 26.62" (-84.090729)
Recent Reviews
Overall
89%
Expectations
88%
Experience
88%
Guides
90%
Logistics
90%
Value
89%
Pauline L.
Perhaps we could have spent a little less time in the marketplace but the stop for refreshments was welcome and it is nice to spend time talking with other travelers. The guide was OK but could have talked more about the history and culture.
Marielle C.
Driver and guide Chewy was very knowledgeable on the history of Costa Rica. We enjoyed all his knowledge and passion regarding Costa Rica.
Sheila C.
Excellent as well as super infomative. Martin was a fabulous tour guide. We loved every second of the tour.
Elizabeth C.
Fantastic tour. Great overview of the city. Our driver was great, and the guide was really, really great. He was so knowledgeable, shared so much information about the city and the history of Costa Rica. He was very engaging and funny. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour.
Linda T.
He took us to a private art gallery in the hopes we would buy something. It felt high pressure especially since we had just arrived in the country.
Jodi R.
Excellent tour guide! Learned so much, and he went out of his way to make the experience enjoyable for us!!
Alberto R.
This was the only tour we took where the guide did not introduce himself or explain what the tour would include. This tour was provided by the same company as the La Paz Waterfall Gardens tour but we did not have a great experience. Instead of a shuttle tour, we walked around San Jose for over 3 hours. The history of the city was, however, interesting. Not sure that the central market is a necessary stop on this tour - given the lack of info that was provided. The guide called a shuttle to take us to the Costa Rican museum of art, but it was closing when we arrived. We didn't understand why the guide didn't know this ahead of time. We were then taken to a home, which was actually an art/jewelry shop. The expectation seemed to be that we would purchase something. Felt rather pressured to do so.
Would not recommend this tour as we experienced it.
Warren M.
Pedro was an excellent guide, and managed the schedule around a massive thunderstorm to keep us all dry.
Martha D.
exceptional guide
Steve C.
This was great because our tour guide was very much a local of San Jose. She very knowledgeable with San Jose and very down to earth. I would recommend this tour for any age group.
Kim L.
Some of the stops were strange. It seems it was just for us to buy things. I was hoping for more.
Sarah S.
Very knowledgeable and funny! Great stops
Max, our guide was so much fun.
The theater and the museum we visited were both really nice and we got a lot of good cultural history about Costa Rica.
I don't quite know what I expected, but we were on a pretty large bus which was completely full. Our guide Max, was hilarious and was providing good information about all the sights in both spanish and english. I do wish we could have had a bit of time in the main market area during the tour though. The gold museum and the national theater were great sites to see.
not my choice but spouse wanted to go so wasnt expecting much
Bit boring. The group was too large
Before you go
Frequently Asked Questions
What key attractions are visited on the San Jose City Tour?
The San Jose City Tour explores the National Theater Lobby, the Museum of Gold, and the Central Market. It also highlights significant city buildings such as the Costa Rica University, the Old Train Station, the National Liquor Factory, the Legislative Assembly, the Metallic Building, and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
What is included in the San Jose City Tour?
The tour includes round-trip transportation from hotels in Alajuela, Escazu, and San Jose, a bilingual (English-Spanish) guide, and all entrance fees, specifically to the Museum of Gold.
What should I bring for the San Jose City Tour?
Guests are recommended to bring a camera, comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and an umbrella for the San Jose City Tour.
How long does the San Jose City Tour last?
The total duration of the San Jose City Tour, including round-trip transportation, typically ranges between 4.5 and 6 hours.
The people behind your vacation
Personal service from Pacific Trade Winds
- Highly trained Costa Rica vacation specialists
- Personal customer service and concierge services at the highest level
- TripAdvisor Hall of Fame recognition for service
- Ranked #1 in its TripAdvisor category
Make this tour part of your Costa Rica vacation
Request a vacation package including San Jose City Tour.
Related Costa Rica Travel Planning
- Explore San Jose ToursBrowse the established tour guide for San Jose.
- Explore San Jose HotelsBrowse the established hotel guide for San Jose.
- Explore Alajuela ToursBrowse the established tour guide for Alajuela.
- Explore Alajuela HotelsBrowse the established hotel guide for Alajuela.
- Explore Heredia ToursBrowse the established tour guide for Heredia.
- Explore Costa Rica vacation packagesExplore vacation styles and itineraries for your Costa Rica trip.
- Plan a custom Costa Rica vacationTell Pacific Trade Winds what you would like to include in your vacation.