Since Costa Rica is known for breathtaking natural landmarks, ample wildlife and exciting outdoor adventure, San Jose may not be the first destination to pop in mind. However, what majority of people don’t know is that San Jose is close to all of that and more! Not everyone has the luxury to slow travel 3 weeks in Costa Rica so if you’re short on time and more of a city person, San Jose is the ideal destination.

It’s particularly good for first timers because:

1. SJO Airport is the main international airport in Costa Rica so there are more flights and prices may be cheaper.
2. It’s pretty easy to get around using public buses.
3. San Jose is in a central location in the country.
4. Many of the attractions in San Jose are cheap.

Here is a sample 5 day Costa Rica itinerary based in San Jose. You’ll get to experience Costa Rican city life, lots of culture, nature and adventure! Perfect for city people who want a sprinkling of nature in their trip.

5 Day San Jose, Costa Rica Itinerary

Things to Know About This Itinerary

• You don’t necessarily need to rent a car for this itinerary. Public transportation is very good in San Jose and Uber is available as well. Driving in San Jose is crazy with awful traffic, so if you’re worried about driving, don’t. You can get around easily without it. For national parks or attractions out of the city, you can book tours. Read our tips for taking the bus in Costa Rica.
• You need to be very careful in San Jose. Unfortunately crime in San Jose is fairly present, theft is the main crime. Don’t walk alone at night, avoid walking to places you aren’t familiar with and always keep your valuables close to you with both eyes on it at all times. If you’re sightseeing, put your camera in your backpack until you need to use it, don’t leave it hanging out. Use your common sense and follow your instincts.
• Though San Jose downtown isn’t the nicest compared to other big cities in the world, it is an excellent location since you will be in walking distance to museums, restaurants and other attractions.
• We recommend using Uber at night. We don’t really like walking in downtown San Jose at night so we always use Uber (read our tips for using Uber in Costa Rica) or take a taxi.

Where to Stay

For the first 2 days of this itinerary, you will be staying in the city so you can walk to museums and other attractions. There are several hostels and hotels in downtown that are in a good safe location.

• The Gran Hotel: This hotel is across the street from the National Theater so you’re super close to all the attractions. It’s an older hotel with lots of history, it’s actually where John F. Kennedy stayed when he visited Costa Rica. It has been recently renovated.
• Holiday Inn Aurola: This Holiday Inn is very nice, with a large indoor swimming pool, a restaurant and bar and all rooms have a great view of San Jose. It’s near downtown and close to all of the attractions. Rooms start around $80.
• Costa Rica Backpackers Hostel in San Jose: This hostel is smack dab in downtown and has an outdoor pool and communal kitchen. It costs around $12 a bed in a dorm.
• Hotel Casa Colonial: This small hotel is in downtown San Jose, close to the Museum of Jade. Good budget option. Rooms are cozy and simple, starting at $70.

Then for the last 3 days, head to the mountains outside the city to experience something different. There are many boutique hotels in the hills and you don’t necessarily need to stay only in San Jose. Since the central valley cities of San Jose, Alajuela and Heredia are very close to each other, you can stay around any of those cities.

However, if you’re on a budget then you will probably want to stay in downtown as it’s cheaper. The hotels up in the hill are more expensive due to the location and many of them are boutique inns and hotels. But I do have to say, it’s worth splurging a little!

You can take a taxi or Uber to the hotel. Your hotel may be able to offer transportation with a small charge.

• Finca Rosa Blanca: This eco-friendly coffee plantation and inn has a spectacular view of Heredia. The hotel offers coffee tours on their property, it has a pool and very good restaurant. Rooms are incredibly spacious, perfect for couples or families. Suites start at $330.
• Pura Vida Resort: If you’re into yoga, this is an ideal place for you as the resort has yoga decks and offers lessons and retreats. They also have a spa, pool and meeting rooms. They also offer packages with yoga, tours and transportation included. Rooms start at $130.
• Hotel & Restaurant Chalet Tirol: This hotel has a very unique design, built after the Swiss chalets up in the hills of Heredia. They have a spa, golf course and their wooden cabins are very modern. Rooms start at $85.
• Hotel Bougainvillea: If you don’t want to be too far away from the city but still want to experience staying outside of it, this is a good pick. This hotel is located a little outside of Heredia and has a huge garden. Rooms start at $130.
  
• Hotel Alta Las Palomas: Located in the “Beverly Hills of Costa Rica” this 4 star hotel has everything for a luxury stay: a stunning view of San Jose, valet parking, lounge and on site restaurant. Rooms start at $100.

Day 1: Museums

San Jose has many great museums to learn about the history and culture of Costa Rica. Our favorites are the Jade Museum, Gold Museum and the National Museum.

Jade Museum: See the biggest display of American jade in the world at this new museum. There are over 7,000 pieces and artifacts! It’s not very big so you can see it in under a couple of hours. Located in the Plaza de la Democracia, free for kids under 10. $15 for foreigners, open Monday to Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM.

National Museum: This museum used to be a fortress when Costa Rica had a military. You can even see the bullet holes! This place is very important in Costa Rican history because this is where the former president Jose Figueres Ferrer abolished the army in 1948. $9 for foreigners, open Tuesday – Saturday 830AM to 430PM and Sunday 9AM to 4 PM. You can see the museum in about 1 hour.

Gold Museum: Learn about Pre-Colombian gold in this museum, they have pieces dating back to 500 AD! This was the first museum I visited in Costa Rica and I loved it (I’m a museum geek). Open Monday – Sunday, 9:15 AM to 5 PM. $11 for foreigners in the Plaza de la Cultura. You can see this in 1-2 hours as well.

All these museums are fairly small and can be seen in around 2 hours or less so you can spend your whole day visiting a couple museums. When it gets around 4-5 PM, it’s fun to sit at the Plaza de la Democracia and people watch.

Other options: If you have kids, there is a great Children’s Museum in San Jose and an Art Museum.

Day 2: White Water Rafting Rio Pacuare

Add some excitement to your trip by white water rafting the famous Rio Pacuare! This gorgeous river has Class 3 and 4 rapids and this is a full day of fun.

Twist, turn and spin in the river as you pass by beautiful waterfalls. Rio Pacuare looks like Jurassic Park (seriously), surrounded by a verdant jungle on both sides with toucans, kingfishers and herons flying around.

We did the one day Rio Pacuare tour with Rios Tropicales. It includes pick up and drop off at hotels in San Jose and lunch. Read about the 1 day Rio Pacure white water rafting here and we also offer an exclusive Rio Pacuare Mytanfeet discount. The normal price for the 1 day tour is $99 and Mytanfeet readers get it for $89.

Day 3: National Theater, Central Market, Move to Hotel in the Hills

Before checking out of the hotel, head to the National Theater in the morning. You can take a guided tour or you can pay a $10 entrance fee to do a self guided tour. This incredible theater has lavish gold decorations, elaborate statues and detailed paintings depicting local life. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings in Costa Rica.

You can do the National Theater in about 1 hour and afterwards, head to the Central Market to do some souvenir shopping. The San Jose Central Market is full of history dating back to over 100 years. This is where you can buy unique Costa Rican souvenirs.

You can also sample some Costa Rican treats, coffee and pastries. Visiting the local market is in our opinion, the best way to experience the culture and local life. There’s so many sights, sounds and smells to take in!

After check out, head to your next hotel to relax in the mountains. You’ll be amazed at how different it is – you’re still close to the city but it feels like you’re in a completely different country! Enjoy your last couple days in Costa Rica surrounded by birds, trees and nature.

More options: If you have time, stroll through Central Avenue. This is the main street in San Jose and you can walk in the shoes of the typical city Tico. You’ll see people playing music, selling random knick knacks and people juggling and doing tricks. Normal city stuff 😉

Day 4: Day trip to Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee and La Paz waterfalls

Today will be another day in nature. Visit two of the most popular natural attractions in Costa Rica: the Poas Volcano National Park and La Paz waterfall gardens. Then learn about Costa Rican coffee and why it’s so good at Doka Coffee Estate.

Poas Volcano National Park is the most popular park in Costa Rica since it’s only about 1 hour from San Jose and the crater is astonishing. On a clear day, you can see the bright blue water in the crater (it’s up in the cloud forest so you may need to wait a little bit for the clouds to clear up to see the crater). There are also some hiking trails and a lake.

Then you’ll go to Doka Coffee Estate to learn about how Costa Rican coffee is processed. You’ll find out why it’s such good quality, about the plants and the different kinds of coffee.

Afterwards, you’ll visit the La Paz waterfall gardens, very close to Poas. This park is kind of like a zoo with animals such as jaguars, toucans and monkeys. They also have 5 different waterfalls on the property which you can walk to. During dry season, the water is very blue and it’s stunning. We went in November which is rainy season so the water was brown like in the photo.

You can book this tour with many tour companies in San Jose for around $120 per person.

These activities are very touristic so if you’re interested in seeing something different, you can visit Irazu Volcano and the Orosi valley or visit the small towns of Sarchi, Zarcero and Grecia.

Day 5: Rainforest Adventures or Relax

You may want to just relax on your last day in Costa Rica but if not, then there are plenty of other fun activities to choose from. You can go on one last adventure and experience the essential activity of ziplining in Costa Rica at Rainforest Adventures Atlantic.

You can choose from several different activities. You can do just a canopy tour (ziplining), an aerial tram tour, hiking with aerial tram or a whole day of fun with ziplining, aerial tram, butterfly gardens and hanging bridges.

The eco-adventure park is about 40 minutes from San Jose and you’ll be astonished as to the difference in scenery and landscape. You’ll be heading towards the Caribbean side near Braulio Carrillo National Park, the humid and hot tropical rain forest. You can see snakes, toucans, sloths, anteaters and lots of wildlife at the park. If you’re lucky, you may even run into a tapir 🙂

Rainforest Adventures Atlantico offers transportation from most hotels in San Jose. A canopy tour costs $50.

Other options: If you have a lot of energy on your last day, you can also hike Barva Volcano, take another day trip to Arenal or Monteverde, or if you want to see the beach, you can take a day trip to Isla Tortuga.

Tips for This San Jose, Costa Rica Itinerary

• If you would rather see San Jose in one day, you can do a city hopping tour that takes you to the highlights of the city in one day. You can choose various routes that take you to different museums and points of interest. They even offer a beer tour! Then you have one extra day up in the mountains.
• San Jose weather is very nice since it’s high in elevation (around 1000 – 1500 meters). If you visit during dry season (middle of December to end of April), you’ll have sunny days in the 80’s and nights down in the 70’s. End of March/beginning of April has typical “spring showers” but it doesn’t get cold. March and April are the hottest months where it can get up to the high 80’s. If you visit during rainy season (middle of May to beginning of December), make sure to bring long pants, a sweater and rain jacket. October and November are very rainy months so you must come prepared for rain and colder weather. Check our Costa Rica packing list and rainy season packing list here.
• Even though you’re high in elevation, we still recommend you to bring mosquito repellent and wear sunscreen.
• When in the city, wear closed toed shoes as the roads and sidewalks have lots of holes. And since you’re in the city, long pants are the way to go for both men and women.
• Wi-Fi is not as readily available in the city, there is 1 Starbucks in downtown. If you go to a restaurant or cafe and see they have Internet, you can ask for their password if you’re a customer.

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With this 5 day San Jose, Costa Rica itinerary, you’ll be able to experience culture, adventure and nature in a short amount of time in Costa Rica!

Want to see other Costa Rica itineraries? Check these out!

10 day itinerary: San Jose, Puerto Viejo and Arenal

1 week itinerary: San Jose, Jaco, Dominical and Uvita

2 week itinerary: Arenal, Monteverde, Nicoya Peninsula and Guanacaste

5 day itinerary in Guanacaste

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