Things to do in San José
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit San José
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season and best overall, with clear volcano views. January is arguably the single best month. Semana Santa empties the city and many businesses close.
Early green season and the local favourite, with vivid green, lower prices, bright mornings and afternoon downpours.
Heavy green season and worst window, with September and October wettest and volcano views a lottery. November is the shoulder back to dry.
What's on
- Festival de la Luz mid-December
Huge illuminated parade through the centre with bands, floats and fireworks.
- El Tope 26 December
The national horse parade, following Festival de la Luz in the festive season.
- Zapote festivals late December to early January
Fairground, bulls a la tica, food stalls and concerts in the Zapote district.
- Fiestas de Palmares mid-January
One of the biggest festival weeks in the country, about 45 minutes west of the capital.
- Annexation of Guanacaste 25 July
Patriotic celebrations and parades in the capital.
- Independence Day 15 September
Patriotic parades, with lantern parades on the evening of 14 September.
Best things to do in San José
Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica
Costa Rica landmark theatre from 1897, with gilded murals on coffee and bananas and a strong tour or performance.
Museo del Jade
The largest American jade collection, presented as a wider story of pre-Columbian life, craft and ritual.
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
National history inside the bullet scarred Bellavista Fortress, with stone spheres and a live butterfly garden.
Museo del Oro Precolombino
Around 1600 pre-Columbian gold objects under Plaza de la Cultura, plus the national coin collection upstairs.
Mercado Central
A working city market since 1880 for flowers, coffee, herbs and cheap soda lunches, best visited hungry in the morning.
San José Free Walking Tour
Tip based walk with local guides through the historic centre, giving downtown the context it needs on day one.
Carpe Chepe
Locally run city tours and an evening pub crawl variant for seeing San José nightlife with a local host.
Barrio Amón
A slow walk past coffee baron mansions, galleries and cafes in the best surviving historic residential district.
Where to stay in San José
Barrio Escalante
best overall base, food and nightlife
Leafy food district on Calle 33 with the best restaurants, cafes and bars, and a safer polished feel than the centre.
Barrio Amón / Aranjuez
character and downtown access
Boutique hotels in heritage mansion streets, walkable to museums by day and Uber door to door after dark.
Sabana
families, longer stays and drivers
Quieter greener districts around La Sabana Park with spacious hotels, parking and quick highway access.
Escazú / Santa Ana
luxury chain comfort
Affluent western suburbs with malls, big brand hotels and golf nearby, comfortable but least San José in feel.
Near SJO Airport / Alajuela
transit nights only
Correct for a late arrival or early departure, and the wrong base for sightseeing in the city itself.
Think twice about
- Downtown bus terminal and Coca-Cola district
Highest concentration of petty theft, scams and touting, and streets that feel unsafe at night. Visit the market and Teatro by day from elsewhere.
- Desamparados, Alajuelita, Barrio Cuba, Pavas and Hatillo
Residential districts listed as high crime with no visitor infrastructure. Do not base or wander here.
Best restaurants in San José
Restaurante Silvestre
Flagship contemporary Costa Rican tasting kitchen working through regional and indigenous traditions in Amón.
Soda Tala
Market counter serving casados and olla de carne at local prices to a mostly local lunch crowd.
Soda San Martín
Central Market soda serving honest Costa Rican set lunches and fresh fruit drinks at the counter.
La Sorbetera de Lolo Mora
Herbed sorbet style ice cream in the Central Market, operating since 1901 and a local institution.
Tin Jo
Pan Asian institution since the 1990s with Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Indonesian menus in one house.
La Esquina de Buenos Aires
Argentine parrilla in a handsome old house near La Soledad, with proper cuts, chimichurri and Malbec.
Tenedor Argentino
The other Argentine heavyweight, with grilled meats, generous salads and professional central service.
Café Rojo
Vietnamese inspired café in a leafy Amón garden house, with bánh mì, bowls, coffee and cakes.
Outdoor things to do in San José
Poás Volcano National Park
Huge active crater with an acid lake on a clear early morning, usually combined with Doka coffee and La Paz falls.
Pacuare River
Warm water Class III to IV rafting through primary rainforest canyon, with waterfalls and toucans between rapids.
Irazú Volcano National Park
Costa Rica tallest volcano with a colour shifting crater lake, paired with Cartago and the green Orosi Valley.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Five waterfalls on cloud forest trails plus a large rescued wildlife sanctuary and hummingbird garden.
Catarata del Toro
A 90 metre fall into an old crater in a blue green volcanic valley, with fewer tour buses than La Paz.
Cariari Country Club
Historic 18 hole championship course in a former coffee plantation, tree lined and walkable.
Valle del Sol Golf Course
Accessible public 18 hole course in the Santa Ana valley, the easier visitor round near the capital.
La Carpintera
Closest canopy fix to the city, with zipline, rappel and guided hiking over the Central Valley.
Best hotels in San José
Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton
The grand 1930 landmark hotel facing the Teatro Nacional, unbeatable by day and Uber only by night.
Hotel Grano de Oro
Converted coffee era mansion near Sabana with lush courtyards and one of the most praised hotel restaurants.
Finca Rosa Blanca
Small art filled boutique inn in coffee country above the valley, a calm green splurge to end a trip.
Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen
Full resort style Marriott with pools, spa and grounds, right for families and business over city texture.
InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall
Large upscale Escazú hotel with pools and grounds, comfortable and suburban rather than central.
Awā San José
Design forward boutique stay in a former presidential residence, walking distance to Calle 33 dining.
Hotel Fleur de Lys
Victorian mansion boutique hotel in Amón, each room different and a short daytime walk to the Teatro.
URBN Escalante
Modern apartment tower in Escalante with kitchens and skyline views, suited to longer and remote work stays.
Is San José expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CRC 25,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CRC 65,000 a person |
| Splurge | CRC 150,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica: a few days ahead
- San Jose Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour: a few days ahead
- University of Costa Rica Walking Nature Tour: a few days ahead
- Poás Volcano National Park: a few days ahead
- Pacuare River: a few days ahead
- Cariari Country Club: a few days ahead
- Rainforest Adventures Braulio Carrillo: a few days ahead
- Restaurante Silvestre: a few days ahead
- Poás entry must be reserved online in advance through SINAC, and Irazú also uses SINAC.
- Teatro performances and Silvestre and 11:47 dinners should be booked several days ahead in season.
- Day tours such as the Poás combo and Pacuare should be booked 2 to 4 days ahead in dry season.
- Feria Verde is Saturday only and Mercado Central is effectively closed on Sundays.
Is San José safe?
- Do not walk at night between neighbourhoods. Uber door to door after dark, even for short distances.
- Petty theft and pickpocketing are common downtown, around terminals, in markets and on buses.
- Escalante, Los Yoses, Sabana, Escazú and San Pedro need normal city awareness. Downtown and Amón are Uber only at night.
- Tap water in San José is generally drinkable. Emergency number is 911.
San José travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Pirate taxis and terminal touts at bus stations. Walk past and order Uber or use the official taxi rank.
- Street money changing has worse rates and counterfeit risk. Use banks and ATMs and carry small colones bills.
- Keep phones off tables and bags off chairs in markets, sodas and bus stations.
Getting around San José: public transport and more
- Uber is the default for cross city rides and night safety, and DiDi also operates.
- Official taxis are red with a yellow triangle, and airport taxis are orange. Insist on the meter for red taxis.
- Do not rent a car for the city. Rent on departure day if the wider trip needs one.
- Save pins in Google Maps or Waze and show the driver the pin rather than reading an address.
Who San José suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make San José your trip
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