20 Top Things to Do in San Jose, Costa Rica & Day Trips

The best things to do in San Jose, Costa Rica can range from touring museums and theaters to day trips or casual strolls through charming neighborhoods. But, they are even more than that! So, in this guide we will talk about the top 20 things you can do in San Jose. They include activities suitable for families, day trips, food, drink and nightlife, culture and history and some more unique ones. 

Let's get into it! 

Absolutely, San Jose, Costa Rica is worth the 1 - 2 days you'll need to see the city completely. As the nation's capital and biggest city, San Jose is home to the most important museums, like the Pre-Colombian Gold Museum or National Museum and historic neighborhoods like Barrio Amón and Barrio Escalante. Many day trips can start from here, such as Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, or even visits to nearby Costa Rica beaches.

You require 1 to 2 days in San Jose to visit the top sites. All the central city museums, Teatro Nacional and Mercado Central can be visited in a day by walking. The second day can be used to take a food tour, spend an afternoon in Barrio Escalante or take a daytrip to Pos Volcano or La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

The 20 top things to do in San Jose fall into a few distinct categories: museums and attractions in the city center, colorful neighborhoods, a robust restaurant and bar scene, family friendly activities, some off-the-beaten-path sights and quick day trips (to volcanoes, waterfalls, and coffee plantations all within an hour or two of the big city. All these while also connecting to the wider things to do in Costa Rica. 

The architectural jewel of San Jose is the National Theatre, one of the top highlights of cultural experiences in Costa Rica, was built in 1897 and funded by taxes on the country's booming coffee exports. Inspired by the Paris Opera House, this spectacular neoclassical building is laced with marble stairs, painted ceilings and an incredible main chandelier. Free to enter are the lobby and sophisticated Alma de Café while the guided tour of the interior costs about $10. To fully appreciate its sumptuosity, watch a concert, ballet or opera at night.

Mercado Central was established in 1880 and is the oldest and most atmospheric market in San Jose, with more than 200 stalls crammed together under one roof. It is the best place in the city to enjoy a filling gallo pinto breakfast, savor fresh tamales, pick up locally-roasted coffee, buy a natural herbal remedy or indulge in Costa Rica's very first ice cream parlour. Arrive before 9AM to catch the market at its most local. That's when Ticos do their actual shopping. 

Below Plaza de la Cultura you'll find the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. It has a significant number (over 1,600) of pre-Columbian gold artifacts from 500 to 1500AD, making it one of the world's largest displays of this type. There are beautiful jewelry pieces, ceremonial figurines and religious sculptures, including Costa Rica's first coin. Entry costs less than $15 and includes access to the on-site numismatic museum. Once you're back at street level, Plaza de la Cultura itself is one of the best people-watching spots in the entire city. 

The largest collection of pre-Colombian jade is in the Museo del Jade which contains five floors of interactive displays depicting Indigenous culture with sound design, multimedia touch screens and dioramas. You can view sacred jade pendants, ritual objects and get an honest look at pre-Colombian society and warfare. Entry is about 16$ for adults and free for children under 12. It closes earlier on Sundays so check before you go.

The Museo Nacional is situated within the bright yellow Bellavista Fortress, a former military barracks still pocked with bullets from Costa Rica's 1948 civil war. Sets of permanent exhibitions take you through the country's history up until now, but the real secret draw is the on-site Jardín de las Mariposas, an all-glass butterfly lawn with about 600 varieties. Costs about $11 for adults, free for kids under 12. It sits right beside Plaza de la Democracia, where an open-air craft market runs daily. 

Plaza de la Cultura is the pedestrian center of downtown San Jose, and the Avenida Central (closed to traffic, between Calle 9 and Calle 14) is the main thoroughfare connecting almost all of the attractions listed here. You will see street musicians, marimba players, vendors selling copos (Costa Rican shaved ice with condensed milk and fruit syrup), and locals passing in droves, on their lunch break. It's free, fun and the quickest way to navigate through the city center on foot.

Barrio Escalante is San Jose's food capital and a hub for food and wine experiences in Costa Rica. Once a coffee plantation, now a foodie haven along Calle 33 that the locals call Paseo Gastronomico. On the street you'll find everything from Costa Rican-French fusion at Kal, Lebanese mezze at Faqra, traditional Spanish tapas at Olio to the slowly growing number of craft breweries and third-wave coffee shops. For a laid back option, Jardin de Lolita is a permanent open-air street food yard. This area is most alive in the evenings so it's best for nighttime plans in the city.

A walk through Barrio Amón, one of the few remaining historic neighborhoods in San Jose, reveals affluent late 19th-century and early 20th-century mansions built by Costa Rica's erstwhile coffee barons. Several of these opulent houses have been painstakingly renovated as boutique hotels, innovative art galleries, cafes and design shops. Look around for City of Color murals hidden along the narrower streets, vibrant building-sized artworks that most tourists walk straight past. The area is best explored on foot, with a guided street art tour providing insightful commentary. 

The San Jose Free Walking Tour (also sometimes called the Chepe Walking Tour) is the perfect way to orient yourself on your first day, or you can opt for private guided tours in Costa Rica for a more personalized experience. This free tour departs from Plaza de la Cultura every day and takes about 2.5 to 3 hours as it explores the city's history, "Tico" culture, secret street art, and the local cafes and bars most visitors never see. Tips to the guides are voluntary, but the going rate is generally between $5 and $10 per person. In the high season (December-April) you should book this online in advance. 

A guided food tour is the quickest way to get to know Costa Rican food in one day. Tour operators such as Carpe Chepe have 3.5 hour walking tours that visit the Mercado Central and a handful of family-run sodas, or small neighborhood diners, bringing you a sampling of gallo pinto casado chorreadas, tres leches cake and a variation of tropical fruits that most visitors have never seen. Rates are $32 to $60 USD per person, depending on the operator and number in your group, with private and child-friendly trips available. 

Jazz Café is a long-standing institution in San Jose, nestled in the San Pedro university district, roughly a 10-minute Uber east of downtown. The name might be jazz-centered, but the acts are anything but that, bringing blues, reggae, indie, rock, and Latin fusion to the stage on different nights as the fully functioning bar and restaurant operates throughout the show. Cover charges on the door tend to be in the $5 - $10 range. Take Ubers both ways rather than walking back to your hotel, and you've got an easy, low-stress night out. 

Museo de los Niños, also known as 'El Castillo', because of its bright yellow turrets and central gatehouse, is a former prison turned into a fabulous interactive museum for children, making it a great stop for family travel in Costa Rica. The exhibits range from displays about the body to Costa Rican history to art to science and are spread over two floors and an outside exhibit area. Entry runs around $5 for adults and $4 for kids. It's aimed at ages 3 to 12, but older kids and adults find plenty to enjoy. 

Costa Rica's sole amusement park, Parque Diversiones,is a winner for kids of any age and a highlight of family vacations in Costa Rica, featuring everything from roller coasters and waterslides to less taxing rides for the little ones and a massive replica of an old Costa Rican town, Pueblo Antiguo, with costumed entertainers and folk dancing. The park is operated as a non-profit, so every admission ticket contributes towards the National Children's Hospital. Entry costs approximately $28 and is about 15 minutes by taxi from central San Jose. Operating hours change depending on the season. Check to be sure beforehand. 

Termed by many as the "Central Park" of San Jose, La Sabana is located southwest of downtown, covering 178 acres on site of what used to be Costa Rica's international airport. The park today is a haven for both locals and visitors, and a relaxing option for senior travel in Costa Rica, with lakes, jogging and walking trails, sports fields and the Museo de Arte Costarricense (free admission, inside the old airport building). Costa Rica's national football stadium, the Estadio Nacional is located on the west end of La Sabana. Admission is free. 

The Spirogyra Butterfly Garden is one of San Jose's lesser-known gems, a dense jungle reserve in what Costa Ricans affectionately call "the lungs of the city", living along the Río Torres just north of downtown San Jose. The reserve contains a butterfly garden (with dozens of indigenous butterflies gliding past just a couple feet away) as well as a short path through pristine jungle terrain along the river's edge. The entrance fee is about $5. Go early in the day and use mosquito repellent during the rainy months (May - November). 

Pico Blanco ascends a steep ridge above the upscale neighborhood of Escazú, about 20 minutes from San Jose's city center. It takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to ascend to the summit. It is a medium - hard hike overall. Reward yourself at the top with panoramic views over the entire Central Valley, San Jose's skyline and, on clear mornings, the Pacific in the far distance. Watch for blue-tinged morpho butterflies and the various local armadillos and deer on the trail. The trail is free, but parking at the trailhead runs at about $2 per hour. 

Ram Luna is a hilltop restaurant approximately 30 minutes south of the city center, perched above the sprawling city. The draw is the combination: a traditional Costa Rican set menu of casado, tamales and corn-based sides, paired with panoramic sunset views, making it perfect for honeymoon travel in Costa Rica. The worst part is often just figuring out how to get there. Most visitors book through a tour operator, which keeps the logistics simple. Expect to pay around $45 to $60 per person all-in, including dinner, the show and round-trip transport. 

Poás Volcano is the most popular day-trip from San Jose and a highlight of adventure travel in Costa Rica. The main crater is about 15 city blocks in size and has a steaming turquoise sulfur lake that can be glimpsed from a modest paved trail a few paces from the rim. It is an hour drive from the city center. Get there early. The clouds come in around noon and cover the entire crater. Most people combine a trip to the volcano with a trip to La Paz Waterfall Gardens or Doka Coffee Estate. 

Costa Rica's most-visited privately managed natural attraction is a clear crowd-puller for families and one of the top spots for nature and wildlife experiences in Costa Rica. The 70-acre park offers five waterfalls and enclosures of rescued animals (including toucans, jaguars, frogs and sloths), with a hummingbird garden where more than 50 species hover at your eye level. The jogging paths are paved and wheelchair / stroller friendly. It is an hour and 15 minutes from downtown San Jose and most tour operators' daylong combo trip arranges for it to be visited along with a Pos Volcano expedition. 

Doka Estate is located an hour outside of San Jose, on the slopes of the Poás Volcano and offers a 2-hour bean-to-cup tour of the plantation, making it one of the best cultural tours in Costa Rica. You'll walk the rows, watch the wet-mill processing, see beans roasted on-site and finish with a guided tasting of light, medium and dark roasts. Tours run about $25 - $45 per person and the estate provides free shuttles from most city hotels. Café Britt, just a half-hour from the city center in Heredia, and Hacienda Alsacia (owned by Starbucks and located an hour from the city in Alajuela) make good alternatives. 

The best time to visit San Jose is in the dry season from December - April, aligning with the best time to visit Costa Rica for clear weather and easy travel. The green season, from May - November, offers a 20 - 40% discount, and has sunny mornings and rainy afternoons. October is the wettest month. The temperatures are stable year-round at 65 - 75°F (18 - 24°C) but the city is high at 3,800ft / 1,160 m so nights can be cold. Book your trip around the Fiestas de Zapote, Costa Rica's largest street festival, which lasts from late December into early January. 

San Jose is compact and easy to walk around once you know your options. Most travelers mix walking with the occasional Uber ride.

The best neighborhoods to stay in are downtown along Avenida Central, Barrio Escalante for food, La Sabana for parks and a quieter feel, or Barrio Amón for historic charm.

Costa Rica is a safe country generally and you will notice that in the San Jose downtown core areas, like Barrio Escalante and La Sabana. Costa Rica is rated at Level 2 (Exercise Increased caution) by the US State Department, which is the same level for France or the UK. So as long as you take normal precautions, for example don't walk alone at night, don't display valuables, take Uber after dark, stay alert in busy markets such as Mercado Central, you will be absolutely fine. The local emergency number is 911. 

The best things to do in San Jose combine culture, amazing food and near-unlimited hiking and surfing in less than an hour's drive from the city center. Spend a day or two exploring the museums, Mercado Central and Barrio Escalante, then use "Chepe" as your launchpad to the rest of the country.Ready to experience Costa Rica the right way? Talk to Tailored by Locals. Share what kind of traveler you are and your personal preferences, and a local expert will craft a personalized itinerary where every moment reflects exactly what you're looking for.