If you want to check out San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, you can easily do it in 1 or 2 days. It’s not a big city but there are several excellent cultural and historical things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica.
If you have a day or two in San Jose, here are our recommendations for what to do in San Jose, Costa Rica in this blog post guide to the city.
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San Jose, Costa Rica Know Before You Go
- Province: San Jose.
- Airport: San Jose International Airport or Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría. Airport code SJO. Interesting fact: Although many people think San Jose International Airport is in San Jose, it is actually in Alajuela, the province right next to it.
- Time Zone: Central Standard Time GMT-6. No daylight savings time.
- Language: Spanish. English is widely spoken in touristic areas and indigenous languages are also spoken
- Voltage: 110 V
- Currency: Colon. Approximately ~510 CRC to 1 USD
- Population: Approximately 339,000 (city) and 1.6 million in the province
- Driving side: Right hand side of the road (Like USA and Canada)
Fun fact, San Jose was the third city in the world to get public electricity and one of the first for public telephones.
Second fun fact: San Jose became the capital of Costa Rica in 1821. Previously, it used to be the city of Cartago.
San Jose is not a big capital city, at just 17.23 square miles. For reference, Paris is 40.70 square miles and Miami is 55.25 square miles.
San Jose, Costa Rica Video
We took a video of us driving around San Jose so you can see what the city is like. The video includes some commentary so you can learn more about the city.
Best Time to Visit San Jose, Costa Rica
With temperate year round climate, San Jose is a fantastic city to visit nearly year round as the Central Valley is known for having the best weather in Costa Rica.
However, October is the rainiest month for most of Costa Rica and the city can get heavy downpours, thunder and lightning storms and floods during this month.
Rainy season is generally from May to November and dry season is December to April, but in San Jose, it can start raining in April as it begins transitioning from dry to rainy season.
Read more about Costa Rica weather here.
Year round day time temperatures range from 75° F to low 80s° F (23° C – 29° C) and night time temperatures range from 60°-65° F (15°-18° C). It has the perfect weather to wear a tshirt and pants during the day and then snuggle up with a warm sweater and blanket at night.
Get our Costa Rica packing list guide to see what essential items to bring!
Where is San Jose, Costa Rica?
San Jose is located in the Central Valley, very much right in the center of Costa Rica.
Here is an interactive Google map with places to do and see recommended in this blog post below. Click the left bar to open the categories.
You can continue reading to get more information about things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica as well as day trips from San Jose, Costa Rica.
How to Get to San Jose from San Jose International Airport
San Jose International Airport is about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from downtown San Jose, approximately a 30 minute drive.
To get to San Jose from San Jose International Airport without a car, you can take a taxi, an Uber or arrange a private shuttle. There is an official airport taxi stand right at the exit terminal.
An Uber/taxi costs about 8,000 – 10,000 CRC ($14 – $18 USD) one way. To call Uber, you need Internet on your phone. There is free Wifi in the terminal (upstairs, departures area) of SJO Airport but we highly recommend you to get a prepaid SIM card or have an international data plan on your phone.
There is a bus stop right outside the airport down on the main road to take the public bus. Walk down the ramp onto the main street and you will see the bus stop there. It runs frequently and costs just a couple hundred CRC to get to downtown.
Private shuttle
Prebooking a private shuttle is the easiest, safest and most stress free way to get from San Jose Airport to your hotel in San Jose (approximately $64 USD for 1-8 passengers and the driver will pick you up directly at the airport terminal exit).
Contact us if you want to book a private shuttle for any of your routes during your trip.
Getting Around San Jose
- Bus: There are many buses in San Jose, you can get to nearly anywhere in the city with the public transportation. Read our tips for taking the bus in Costa Rica.
- Uber: We use Uber a lot as it’s readily available in San Jose. Read our tips for using Uber in Costa Rica. Didi is another ride share app that works in San Jose.
- Taxi: We prefer Uber but you can find red (official) taxis everywhere in San Jose. Read our tips for taking taxis in Costa Rica.
- Walk: If you’re staying in downtown, you can easily walk to many of the attractions. We don’t recommend walking in San Jose after dark as some parts can get sketchy.
- Always take a taxi or Uber at night. Never walk down empty streets, alleys or unlit roads, especially alone. There is a sketchy area around Hotel Del Rey we recommend to avoid walking through at night.
Things to Do in San Jose, Costa Rica
Walk Central Avenue
Central Avenue is San Jose’s downtown and the road goes straight through it. It’s an excellent starting point to see downtown and to also visit the various places of interests like museums around.
If you go around 4-5 PM, you’ll see all the locals getting off work and it’s fun to people watch. Walking through Central Avenue is one of the best things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica because you get to experience and see typical city Costa Rican life.
National Theater
The Costa Rica national theater is the cultural and architectural gem of Costa Rica. Take a tour to learn about the theater and see the stunning architecture.
You can visit the Theater on your own without a guide as well. Purchase tickets at the door to wander through the beautiful rooms and the main stage. The guided tour is about 1 hour, you can visit on your own and finish in about 30 minutes.
If you’re hungry afterwards, the National Theater has a lovely cafe with coffee, food and snacks.
Restaurante Tiquicia Dinner Show
This restaurant up in the hills of Escazu has a stunning view of San Jose, the surrounding mountains and nearby cities. This is a wonderful place to see the city lights, eat local food and experience some Costa Rican culture.
Restaurante Tiquicia offers “Noche Tica” which is their dinner show now on Thursdays at 7 PM. Recommended to make reservations to guarantee your spot.
Central Market
The San Jose Central Market is a must visit in San Jose. I love the atmosphere of local markets! It’s fun to watch the locals go about their daily life.
In the market, you can try traditional food and do some Costa Rican souvenir shopping.
Most San Jose city tours stop by this market as it’s one of the most important San Jose, Costa Rica tourist attractions.
You can spend about an hour wandering through the stalls as the market is not that big. Highly recommend to grab breakfast or lunch there to try traditional Costa Rican food. We love Soda Tala and their gallo pinto.
Don’t forget to try the local ice cream, visit La Sorbetera de Lolo Mora.
Municipal Craft Market
For more souvenir shopping, head to the Municipal Craft Market. They have dozens of local vendors selling their artisanal products. You may need to dig around a bit but there are some hidden gems.
San Jose Museums
San Jose has several small but superb museums to learn about the history of Costa Rica.
- Jade Museum: This archeological museum has the largest display of American jade in the world with over 7,000 artifacts and pieces. In the Plaza de la Democracia.
- Children’s Museum: Formerly a jail, the children’s museum has hands-on exhibitions and science and culture presentations.
- Gold Museum: This museum has a large collection of Pre-Colombian gold dating back to AD 500. Under the Plaza de la Cultura.
- National Museum: Formerly a fortress, this museum is one of the most important places in Costa Rica since it’s where former president Jose Figueres Ferrer abolished the army in 1948.
If you only had time to visit one museum, we recommend the Jade Museum. This is our personal favorite museum, it has five floors with permanent exhibits and normally 2 temporary exhibits.
The Museum of Gold is fascinating too but it’s small. We personally think the entrance fee to the Jade Museum is more worth the money. ($15 USD per adult for Gold Museum, $16 USD per adult for Jade).
Parque La Sabana
We absolutely love visiting city parks and Parque La Sabana is no exception. Known as the lungs of the city, this large park is home to the National Stadium and it previously was the site of the first international airport.
They replanted thousands of trees throughout the park several years ago so you can stroll through the forest trails to see native trees and flowers.
You can spend an hour or so in the park to see the lake and walk around, you don’t need much more than that. The Park is right in between downtown and the airport, you can even walk to downtown on a nice day to get your steps in. Or taxi/Uber there in about 5-10 minutes.
A visit to Parque La Sabana is one of the best free things to do in San Jose.
Sample Itineraries for One Day in San Jose
Here is our recommended DIY itinerary for one day in San Jose.
10 AM Morning guided tour to the National Theater
11-1130 AM After the tour, sit in the Plaza de la Cultura to people watch.
12 PM Have lunch at the Central market and spend an hour or two souvenir shopping and walking around downtown.
2-3 PM Get a coffee and cake at Spoon in downtown San Jose on Second Avenue. Or go to the cafe in the Gran Hotel Curio Collection for a nice view and more refined experience.
Afterwards, head to hotel to relax and freshen up. Then Uber to dinner. 11.47 Aranjuez is very good or you can go to Barrio Escalante as it has a ton of options.
For our favorite Costa Rican restaurant experience, go to Posada de las Brujas in Escazu.
For 2 Days
Here is what we recommend for day 2.
Breakfast at your hotel or if breakfast isn’t included, get breakfast at Soda Tapia
Around 10 AM, Uber to La Sabana Park. Walk the trails, see the lake and enjoy the nice weather. Also visit the Museum of Costa Rican Art to see the exhibits and old airport.
For lunch, there’s a bunch of restaurants and fast food around the park. We recommend Republica Casa Cervecera for a nice burger and beer with stadium view. You can also visit the restaurant of the HIlton Garden Inn La Sabana which has a fantastic view right into the stadium (more expensive).
After lunch, Uber back to your hotel. Rest, freshen up.
For dinner, we recommend Restaurante Tiquicia for beautiful city views. Hopefully you can visit on Thursday when they have their dinner show.
For More Days
If you plan to use San Jose as a homebase or have more days in the city, here is a sample 5 day San Jose itinerary.
Guided San Jose City Tour
There are several tour companies that offer San Jose city tours. They’ll take you around to the highlights of the city such as Parque Morazan, a couple of museums, the Catholic church, the central market and other points of interest.
For a full day of cultural and fun, we recommend to do the San Jose city tour and then Restaurante Tiquicia at night. The City tour is in the afternoon and they’ll take you straight to the restaurant afterwards.
Get a discount off the San Jose city tour here! The tour is called Classic San Jose.
San Jose Day Tours
Just one hour away from San Jose are several volcanoes, waterfalls and other natural attractions. As a result of San Jose’s great location, there are plenty of awesome day trips where you can go ziplining, cruise to an island and hike up to a volcano crater!
A couple of our favorite day trips from San Jose are Tortuga Island (get $10 off the tour here), Rio Pacuare white water rafting (get $5 off the tour), 3 in 1 rainforest tour, Arenal Volcano day tour, Doka coffee tour and Irazu Volcano.
Just 30 minutes away still in San Jose is Hacienda La Chimba with hiking trails, ziplining and coffee tours.
Want some recommendations for the best day trips? Check out our post 7 day trips from San Jose. You can also get our San Jose day tours discount here to save some $$!
Where to Stay in San Jose, Costa Rica
The best place to stay in San Jose to explore the city is in downtown.
However, as such as small city, you can stay in the other popular neighborhoods and Uber around. There is a lot of traffic during rush hour (5-7 AM and 3-6 PM) so take that into account.
If you stay at a hotel near SJO Airport, you are about 30 minutes away so it’s not the best location if you plan to explore San Jose. It’s best to stay closer to the city.
Do not forget that SJO Airport is in Alajuela, so don’t choose a hotel in Alajuela either if you want to stay in San Jose.
If you’re looking just for a hotel to stay the night you land and the night before your flight out, check out Adventure Inn and get 10% off using the promo code “mytanfeet” on their booking page!
These are three popular neighborhoods to stay in to explore San Jose.
La Sabana
This is around Parque La Sabana and is divided into two main areas: Sabana Norte and Sabana Sur. In Sabana Norte, the Nunciatura area is very nice and has many condo towers.
The park is about halfway from the airport to downtown and has tons of restaurants around. Great location and is our favorite.
Downtown
You will be in the heart of the action if you stay in downtown San Jose. Parking is incredibly difficult in that area and not necessary so you should stay here without a car.
You’ll be in walking distance to all the main cultural attractions like the museums, theater, church, and Central Market.
Barrio Escalante
This is an up and coming neighborhood known for its hip nightlife and trendy food scene. About 40 minutes from the airport.
San Jose Hotels
- The Gran Hotel: In downtown and close to the museums, the national theater, restaurants, banks and shops.
- Hotel Presidente: A very nice modern urban hotel right in downtown. Has a very funky decoration and is pet friendly
- Delta Hotels by Marriott San Jose Aurola: Has a large indoor swimming pool, a restaurant and bar. Clean, modern rooms. Near Morazon Park.
- San Jose Barcelo: A nice resort like hotel with a gym, restaurant, outdoor pool and racquetball court. In between La Sabana and the airport.
- KC Hotel: Nice hotel near La Sabana Sur with a pool, restaurant and bar. Includes breakfast and free welcome cocktail
- Park Inn by Radisson: Very comfortable hotel in between La Sabana and downtown. Includes hot breakfast, has a gym, work station and breakfast.
- Hotel Aranjuez: Good mid range/budget option for a hotel in downtown San Jose. They have an amazing restaurant.
- Hotel Balmoral: This is a very nice hotel near downtown. They have a restaurant and gym with standard rooms and apartments.
Condos/Airbnbs
There are also a ton of Airbnbs in San Jose and we recommend to pick one in a condo tower as they have secure parking, front desk/concierge and amenities like gym, laundry and pool.
We’ve stayed at Ambar Torre Condos, Nunciatura flats, QB SkyHomes, Condominio Vistas del Robledal, Apartamentos Witite, Cosmopolitan, Secrt Sabana, Iconnia, Sky Garden Nunciature and Azena Towers.
The only thing to note is if you stay at an Airbnb condo tower, tour companies will most likely have you go to the nearest hotel for the pick up and drop off point since they can’t pick up at Airbnbs.
If you’re looking for a hotel near the airport, read our post for SJO Airport hotels.
San Jose Restaurants
Here are some of our favorite restaurants in San Jose, Costa Rica, but there are so many more. Barrio Escalante is a fantastic neighborhood for food and a fun, hip nightlife. Uber Eats works in San Jose.
- Posada de las Brujas: This restaurant in Escazu is one of our favorite places for local food in San Jose. Big portions, very good prices.
- The Cental Market Market: Has several local restaurants. Highly recommend Soda Tala or Soda San Martin for local food. Then get a delicious ice cream sorbet style at La Sorbetera de Lolo Mora.
- Apotecario: One of our favorites in Barrio Escalante for beer, burgers, gallos and fried yam.
- Soda Castro: A classic soda known for their fruit and ice cream desserts
- República Casa Cervecera: Good place for beer and food right in front of the National Stadium.
- Naans and Curries: One of our favorite places for Indian food, they have a wide menu of options.
- Pho Yummy: Fantastic place for pho and Vietnamese food
- Soda Gloriana2: Typical buffet style Costa Rican soda. Cheap.
- Dulce Pecado: Cafe and soda with traditional Costa Rican food
- Tamura: Excellent place for sashimi, sushi and ramen
- O’Libano: One of our favorite places for shawarma, salads and hummus
- Craic Irish Pub San Jose: Irish pub with fish and chips and good craft beer.
- Stiefel Pub: One of the best places for craft beer and bar food in San Jose.
- Taste of India 506: In Escazu Village, very good Indian food.
- Silvestre: Amazing fine dining restaurant, same owner as Don Rufino in La Fortuna.
- Restaurante Machu Pichu Excellent Peruvian food. Their seafood is really good.
- 11.47 Aranjuez: Gourmet Costa Rican fusion food. Reservation only.
- Cafe Franco: Chill cafe spot with lots of pastries, great coffee and vegan/vegetarian options.
Safety Tips
San Jose, Costa Rica is generally safe during the day but there are some places we recommend staying away from and things to keep in mind.
- Don’t walk alone at night past 9 PM. If you want to go out, always take a taxi or Uber. Never walk down empty or dark streets.
- If you are lost or feel unsafe, go into a safe public area (supermarket, gas station, business) and ask the employees to help you. Most city Costa Ricans speak a degree of English.
- In case of emergencies, the emergency line is 911. They have an English speaking option.
- Don’t wear beach clothes in the city.
- You should also wear good closed toed comfortable shoes. Sidewalks and roads have a ton of cracks and holes.
- When purchasing things, never take out all the cash in your wallet. Take out only the amount needed.
- If you use your credit card, always keep an eye on it, never let it leave your sight.
- Always keep your belongings close to you and where you can see them.
- Never hang your purse or backpack on the back of your chair or put it underneath. Always put it somewhere you can see it at all times.
- The area around Hotel del Rey is one of the sketchiest. Avoid that area at night.
- Don’t leave your expensive camera out. Put it in your backpack when not using it.
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- See what Costa Rica Weather is like in our blog post.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels. Save more money with our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Join our mailing list and get our free Costa Rica eBook!
Read Other Costa Rica city guides below!
La Fortuna, Costa Rica: Main town and tourism hub near Arenal Volcano, famous for adventure, wildlife and nature
Jaco, Costa Rica: Biggest and most developed beach town, only 1.5 hours from San Jose. A popular surfing beach.
Tamarindo, Costa Rica: The main surf town in the North Pacific (Guanacaste province). Popular for backpackers and families, has good nightlife and lots of beautiful beaches around
Monteverde, Costa Rica: Small farming town up in the cloud forest. Famous for nature, hanging bridges, ziplining and birdwatching
Ben says
Hola! We’re going to be in San Jose for under 24 hours, passing through to the Pacific Coast on 31st Dec -1st Jan. We’d love to join any free, family friendly New Year Eve celebrations. I’ve heard Parque La Sabana could be good. Do they have music, fireworks, fun? Thanks.
Sammi says
Parque La Sabana should have fireworks going on for NYE
Kelly says
Wow. What an informative site. Bringing my wife for five days in August. Going to use your recommendations to plan our stay. Already booked flight and Hilton. Can’t wait. Thanks again for amazing info.
Sammi says
Hi Kelly, thanks for your comment and we’re glad the website is helpful! We saw you made a reservation for a day trip, we hope you have a great time!
Monica says
Hi,
I have read your blog many times in order to get an idea to plan our trip. Thankyou very much for so many details.
We have a evening to spend in San Jose and am wondering what we can do. We will be returning from Puerto Viejo around 4-5pm to San Jose and our flight out is early in the morning at 5.30 am the next day. I am thinking of booking a hotel near the airport for that night but what can we do for the evening? Is the central market good idea to visit and should we take a taxi there? Is there anything else we can do?
Many thanks,
Regards,
Monica
Sammi says
Hi Monica, the Central Market closes at 5 PM so it will not be possible to visit. All the museums and national theater are closed by 4-5 PM as well. I would recommend a nice place for dinner, if you want to visit like a popular young and trendy up and coming foodie neighborhood, Barrio Escalante is a great place to go with lots of different restaurants and concepts.
Monica says
Thankyou so much for your response. Much appreciated.
I will look into options in Barrio Escalante area.
Lo says
Thanks for sharing such wonderful tips and ideas. What time is a good time to get to Mirador Tiquicia Restaurante in Escazu for dinner and show?
Sammi says
Hi Lo, we’ve sent you an email with more information, the pick up time for the tour is around 630 PM
Eddie A says
Pura Vida, can you send me the link to the correct Restaurante Tiquicia? I found two and wondering which is the one you are referring to on this page as a recommendation.
Sammi says
It’s Mirador Tiquicia Restaurante in Escazu
PANKAJ KUMAR VERMA says
Thanks a ton! Really appreciate your efforts to guide others!
Brian Stokes says
Hi,
So glad I stumbled across your site as it helped me and my friend find our rental car! We plan on staying 2 nights in San Jose and the other 2 nights near the Pacific where we can raft and see atleast one of the beautiful beaches such as Manuel Antonio. When staying in San Jose, which areas would be safer to stay in? We plan on walking around a good bit and going to a pub during the night.
Sammi says
Escazu, Barrio escalante and La Sabana are popular neighborhoods but still be very careful and very cautious if out at night. ALways uber/taxi, do not walk.
Mireille says
Just made some notes of restaurants and museums for hubby and I to check out on our anniversary trip. We have 4 full days and are planning two half days and San José with the rest being day trips out of the city to visit the area. We plan to come back longer with our kids. Recommendations for must see (we love to hike and trying to figure out whether better do do several tours that will show us several national parks.. or venture out on our own. We both speak decent Spanish and have traveled abroad before.
Sammi says
That’s great, we hope it is helpful. You can also check out our Day trips from San Jose post and we offer a small discount for day excursions here: https://mytanfeet.com/special-deals/san-jose-day-tours-discount/
Kathy M says
Thank you for such a great blog, it’s been so helpful for planning my trip next week! I have a question about exploring San José. My Dad live in Costa Rica, in Coronado San Antonio, just outside of San José. He and his Costa Rican wife have said they don’t think my daughters and I should go exploring the central market or down town area, as they are concerned about crime in the area. But I can’t see anything online that makes me think it’s a no-go. Every city has its sketchy parts, even here in Canada, where I wouldn’t take my kids, especially after dark. So my question is about safety, would shopping at the market or walking around near the national theatre be ok? I’ll have a rental car (thanks for the help with the rental!) and be staying at Hotel Bougainvillea. Would parking downtown be safe? Or the bus? Or should I be using Didi/Uber?
Thanks! Kathy.
Sammi says
Lots of tourists visit downtown around the Central Market so I don’t see a problem, however I do recommend to always take a taxi/Uber, do not walk down empty roads/alleys or unlit streets, and do not walk at night. Also if you carry any purses or backpacks, have them in front of you at all times, close to your body. If you have a backpack, wear it in the front. If you have a DSLR or camera, always put it away when not using it. Same with your cell phone. I don’t recommend to drive either, parking downtown is a nightmare and horrendous due to the lack of official parking lots and tons of traffic. Better to Uber it from Hotel Bougainvillea
Kathy M says
Thanks so much!
Alexandra Rose says
So grateful to find your blog. My son and I are currently in Costa Rica and made the mistake of staying in San Jose for four days. We already walked everywhere, did the market, ate out, walked by the museums and now honestly feel lost and bored. We will be in monteverde in 3 days but already have this booked. Anywhere you could recommend thats not too far (we have a car) that is interesting.
Sammi says
If you haven’t gone inside the museums, I would go inside and take a visit, at least the Jade and GOld as those have some very interesting displays and artifacts.
For a good food experience, Barrio Escalante is super fun and has a lot of variety.
I am not positive if they’re open for visits but the Toucan Rescue Ranch is in Heredia, not terribly far and you can visit them to check out their animal rescue center, it’s one of the most highly regarded centers in Costa Rica and they used to have tours (not sure for COVID but I think they’re re-open except you need to make reservations).
I know it’s rainy season and it’s been raining at nights but during the day, you can check out MIrador Tiquicia or Ram Luna, they’re both local Costa Rican restaurants up in the mountains outside the city with a super nice view of San Jose.
I also recommend to check out Cartago, it has the country’s biggest basilica and it is a gorgeous building. Again, not positive if outside visitors can go inside anymore for COVID but nearby in Cartago, they also have an orchid garden (Lankester) that you can walk the trails and see their flowers, guided or non guided.
Jo says
We are flying in San Jose at 5pm and we and to head out to la fortuna right away. Do you think that’s ok or should we stay a night at San Jose? We have a tight schedule and want to start off going to la fortuna. Thanks! Love all of your suggestions!
Sammi says
I would personally stay a night, it could take you about an hour to get through immigration and customs and then to get the car, and pretty much when that’s all done you will be right in rush hour. And its dark by 6 PM everyday and right now in rainy season, it has been raining in evenings and nights and we don’t recommend to drive that route at night especially in rainy season. I would definitely get a hotel close to the airport that night but get your car when you land so you can leave early in the morning right away.
Brian d Richards says
I traveled to Costa Rica about 40 years ago when I graduated from college, and have seriously considered “retiring” in San Jose or nearby. I remember when the gold museum was on the top floor of a bank in central San Jose…..It’s a great museum by the way. Thank you for producing this very nice website. It is quite helpful. Brian
Sammi says
You’ll have to visit again to see the changes, it’s a very nice small museum! 🙂
Gail & Dick says
Hello Yeison & Don. Love your blog & pictures. My boyfriend and I are planning a 2 week vacation in Costa Rica in mid April (after Easter). We are going to Tortuguero & La Fortuna. Do you recommend renting a car from San Jose to go to La Fortuna? We will spend the last couple of nights in San Jose before heading back to Cape Cod Massachusetts. Any advise on the rental would be appreciated!
Sammi says
Hello, I would definitely rent a car so you can have more time and be on your own schedule. It’s not a very hard route to drive (you can see what the drive is like in this post: driving San Jose to Arenal).
Lucy says
Hello Samantha and Yeison!
First of thank you for being such a great help with planning my trip to Costa Rica. The information you’d provided about Costa Rica just gets me more excited!
I did have a few questions I emailed you about and I haven’t heard back is there anyway you can still help me?
Sammi says
Hi Tony, you can definitely do all of that from San Jose. For rafting, the best one is the Pacuare river. Rios Tropicales runs the white water rafting tour to Pacuare and you can read our post on it here and we have a $10 discount for them here
For Ziplining, you can go to the San Luis zipline or the Rainforest Adventures zipline. Both are really nice. If you’re interested, we work with Expediciones Tropicales who offers both activities as tours and we have a small discount with them which you can get here
As for sky diving, I know Costa Rica Sky Dive does it out of Puntarenas which is only about a 1.5 hour drive from San Jose and is easy to get to from the city.
As for Airbnbs, we recommend to get one that’s in one of the new condo towers as they have tight security and in good locations such as around La Sabana.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Tony says
Hi, I am traveling to San Jose in February with a group and I have extended my stay by 3 days. I would love to go ziplining, water rafting and sky diving on my extra days. Could you recommend where I can do all of these things? I am also looking for an Airbnb to stay the 3 nights I will not be with the group but I am having a hard time knowing where it will be safe yet near things to do; could you offer me some guidance please?
Elizabeth says
We’ve heard from a local that the area around the children’s museum is unsafe. I lived here 10 years ago and don’t remember that being the case- in fact I went to university not far from there. Do you know how unsafe the area is and if we should avoid it altogether?.
Sammi says
Hi Elizabeth, to be honest I haven’t either and neither has Yeison. We actually went there last year and it was fine during the day. It’s usually just the area around Hotel del Rey and even the Parque de Morazan is not that bad anymore either. I’m guessing that you just need to taxi/Uber there instead of walking and don’t go there late at night. I will have to ask Yeison’s family in Heredia if they have heard anything since we haven’t yet either!
Sarah Smith says
We are winding down our 2 week stay in this beautiful country in San Jose! It has been a fabulous 2 weeks! We already have decided we will return sooner than later. We decided to spend our last day prior to flying out in San Jose. I was very much looking forward to visiting the Central Market tomorrow (Sunday) prior to flying home on Monday. HOWEVER….the Market is closed on Sunday. Please remember that if you are thinking of visiting the Market on a Sunday.
Sammi says
Aw that’s a bummer! I’m glad you had a great time in Costa RIca though. Hopefully you can visit the market next time!
Ruthie Turner says
Costa Rica is on my travel list to visit! Love reading about it and the pictures are beautiful. I will for sure contact you once I plan my trip there.
Sammi says
Hi Ruthie! I hope you can come visit one day! It is so close from Florida!
Don says
Nov. 21, 2016……….Looks like a possible hurricane heading for the northern part of Costa Rica for later this week. I have never been to San Jose but enjoyed reading about it and seeing the pictures. I will have to visit there on my next trip to Costa Rica. I enjoy reading your blog.
Stay safe there.
Sammi says
Hi Don! I saw that too, it’s category 1 so not extreme, but will definitely stay safe! Thanks for reading the blog Don 🙂