Things to Do in San Jose, Costa Rica: Travel Guide to the Capital City

As the capital city of Costa Rica where more than 1 million Costa Ricans out of a population of 5 live and work, San Jose is one of the most important cities in Latin America. For this reason, there are many cultural and historical things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Many travelers brush off San Jose, using it solely as a transit hub to get to the volcanoes and beaches or skipping it entirely. Though a bit rough around the edges at first impression, it’s certainly worth visiting. All it takes is a day or two to discover the gems of San Jose.

If you’re looking for the best things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica, here are our recommendations. Yeison grew up very close to San Jose so you can also find out some of the local hot spots in our guide as well!

This post has been updated May 2020.

Click to skip to the section.

• Location
• Getting around
• Things to do
• Day Trips (plus our discount for tours)
• Map
• Sample Itineraries
• City Tour
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Safety tips

Location

San Jose, Costa Rica map.

San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica in the San Jose province with a population of nearly 300,000 people and many more commuting locals. Interesting fact: Although many people think San Jose International Airport is in San Jose, it is actually in Alajuela, the province next door.

Getting Around San Jose

This is probably what intimates travelers the most about San Jose: getting around. However finding your way around San Jose is much easier with Uber and new bus routes.

• Bus: There are many buses in San Jose, you can get to pretty much anywhere in the city with the public transportation. It’s cheap but it can get super crowded and there are no posted bus schedules. Read our tips for taking the bus in Costa Rica.
• Uber: We love using Uber in San Jose. It’s cheap, works great and is quick. Read our tips for using Uber in Costa Rica and get $10 off your first ride.
• Taxi: We prefer Uber as taxi drivers in Costa Rica are pushy but you can find taxis everywhere in San Jose. Read our tips for taking taxis in Costa Rica.
• Walk: If you’re staying in the heart of San Jose, you can easily walk to many of the attractions. (Hotel recommendations and safety tips at the bottom of the post). We don’t recommend walking in San Jose after 9 PM if you are by yourself as some parts can get sketchy. Always take a taxi or Uber at night.

How to get to San Jose from SJO Airport

The airport is about 17 kilometers ( 10.5 miles) from downtown San Jose. To get to San Jose from San Jose International Airport, you can take a taxi or an Uber or arrange a transfer in shuttle. An Uber/taxi costs about 8,000 – 10,000 CRC ($14 – 17.50 USD) one way. A private shuttle is $35 USD for 1-4 people from the airport to downtown. The San Jose International Airport is about a 30 minute drive to downtown San Jose.

You can also take the public bus. There is a bus stop right outside the airport.  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 colones to get to downtown.

Things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica

Walk Central Avenue

Central Avenue is San Jose’s downtown and it goes straight through. It’s an excellent starting point because there are some museums around and it’s a great for mingling with locals.

If you go around 4-5 PM, you’ll see all the Ticos getting off work and is when most of the commotion is. There are tons of restaurants and shops. You’ll see locals selling items on the street, street musicians and performers. This is one of the best things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica because you get to experience local life and culture.

Check out what it’s like to walk the avenue in the video below!

National Theater

The Costa Rica national theater is one of our favorite places in San Jose. Take a tour to learn about the theater and see the stunning architecture or watch a performance.

Entrance fee for the  National Theater is $10 USD, open Monday to Sunday, 9 AM – 5 PM,  next to the Gran Hotel.

Restaurante Tiquicia or Ram Luna

This restaurant up in the hills of Escazu has a stunning view of San Jose, the surrounding mountains and nearby cities. They serve traditional food and drinks and on Friday nights, they have traditional performances by the local kids. This is a wonderful place to see the city lights, eat local food and experience some Costa Rican culture.

Restaurante Tiquicia is only on Fridays. Another option is Ram Luna which offers a hearty Costa Rican traditional buffet and dinner show on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Central Market

The San Jose Central Market is a must when in the city. I love the atmosphere of local markets! It’s fun to watch the locals go about their daily life, you can try traditional food and go souvenir shopping.

Most San Jose sightseeing tours stop by this market as it’s one of the most important places in the city.

This is a great place to souvenir shop in San Jose since there are many stalls. There are also many restaurants in the market so if you want to try a local favorite, head to Soda Tapia. It’s been in the market for over 100 years!

Municipal Craft Market

For more unique hand made local souvenirs, head to the Municipal Craft Market. They have dozens of local vendors selling their artisanal products.

San Jose Museums

San Jose has several 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. Free for children under 10, open Monday – Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. $15 USD entrance fee.
• Children’s Museum: Formerly a jail, the children’s museum has hands-on exhibitions and science and culture presentations. Open Tues to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9:30 AM to 5 PM, closed Mondays. $4 USD entrance fee.
• Gold Museum: This museum has a large collection of Pre-Colombian gold dating back to AD 500. Under the Plaza de la Cultura. Open Monday – Sunday, 9:15 AM to 5 PM. $11 USD entrance fee.
• 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. Open Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and Sunday 9 AM to 4 PM. $9 USD entrance fee.

Metallic Building

Architects and sightseers can’t miss this unique building in San Jose. Designed by a Belgium architect and inspired by the Eiffel tower, the building is now a children’s school.

The funny thing about this building is how it was put together as it came with barely any instructions! If you examine the school closely, you’ll see numbers and letters which helped the workers figure out how to put it together.

This is one of the few free things to do in San Jose.

Beer Tour

Costa Rican craft beer is getting more and more popular in Costa Rica so if you love beer, take a tour to sample of the finest in the country. Craft beer is still a small scene, but it’s growing every year. The most popular one is Costa Rica’s Brewing company.

Highly recommended if you like beer and want to see what Costa Rican craft beer is like!

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, a boat 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 $10 off the tour), Doka coffee tour and Irazu Volcano.

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 $$!

San Jose, Costa Rica Map

Here is an interactive Google map with the attractions mentioned above. Click the left bar to open the categories.