Take this comprehensive sightseeing tour of San Jose and discover the rich history and culture of Costa Rica. Learn about the popular monuments and visit the city’s museums as your guide educates you on the architecture and history of the downtown area.
Immerse yourself in Costa Rica's rich culture and history as you follow your local guide to San Jose’s best sites on this sightseeing tour. Visit the magnificent Opera House -- the pride and joy of Costa Rica. Learn how this century-old cultural symbol represents an important era in history. Visit the University of Costa Rica and the beautiful Sabana Park.
Take an informative tour of the national Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Transformed from an old military fort to display the country's peaceful tradition, this museum will give you a unique insight into the cultural heritage of Costa Rica. Weave your way through the museum with your guide and admire the stunning gold, jade, stone and pottery collection. Next, visit the historic National Theater, completed in 1897 and recognized as a masterpiece of architecture.
Please note: Museums are closed on Mondays and the National Theatre is closed on Sundays.
The confortable, roomy van picked us up on time at our hotel, Our tour guide was friendly and personable. We had a wonderful, thorough tour of the city of San Jose, including walks in the park, museum visits and a stop at a coffee shop. Highly recommend!
Review by: Darcy J, March 2018
We didnt get to see the national theater because a rehearsal was in session we didnt get to see the cathedral because it was apparently being cleaned we walked around a park but not long enough to really enjoy it and see the many sculptures. We went to the central marketplace, very cramped and foul smelling, but we were continually herded by the guide we went to a lovely old hotel and were served an empanada and mango juice but the emphasis was on getting us into the gift shop. When we got to yet another shopping destination we had had enough and stayed on the bus. It was mostly a long bus ride through San Jose. The nicest place we saw was actually the art museum, that was a converted train station, where the tour commenced. There is beautiful carved mahogany and a gorgeous mural room on the second floor. Again, we werent given enough time to really enjoy it.
Review by: Davin C, February 2018
Guide was excellent and the included lunch was great. The gold museum was closed on the Sunday we went so was not included - not sure if it is always closed Sundays or if this was because of the election._br/_ Im giving this a 3 as I think there was too much crammed into the tour and would have preferred an option to just wander the National Museum rather than go around as a group. The visit to the replica store could be dropped to increase the amount of time in museums.
Review by: DREW C, January 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Anne H, January 2018
Most of the worthy sights visited could be done fairly easily without the bus and the guide. The worst part though was the end of the tour when we were taken to an out of the way jewelry shop and made to wait for others to buy something before we could be taken back to the hotel.
Review by: Paul S, January 2018
Tour is good. Hits the highlights. Tour guides have great knowledge.. Its a little boring for kids.
Review by: marshall p, November 2017
Recommend that everyone take the 4 hour tour to experience the flavor and the history of the city. Guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable.
Review by: Shessnut, August 2017
The tour was ok... I feel like he was rushing into it. But very nice guy!!
Review by: Aimee W, July 2017
Tour was okay, but we weren't able to see everything promised.
Review by: svigallon, April 2017
Our tour guide was very informative. Through no fault of his own, our tour was on a Saturday afternoon, and a festival was going on at a big park, leaving us with a traffic jam, no parking available anywhere, and no time to see the Jade museum. But we did get to go inside the National Theater, and a Cathedral, both of which were very nice, and the gold museum. It felt a little tacky that you were required to walk through a jewelry shop pushing souvenir sales as the tour ended. Our guide Oliver was great though.
Review by: Kara H, November 2016
My guide was excellent. San Jose is a beautiful city with so much history and heritage.
Review by: Quinn B, July 2016
So many things to see in Costa Rica...this one was not needed.
Review by: Edward D, May 2016
Tour was a good overview of the city. Disappointed that our guide conversed in Spanish most of the time with other tour members that were Hispanic. Also, the stop at the gift shop at the end of the tour to sell us trinkets was a bit tacky.
Review by: Michael S, March 2016
picked up the tour guide at some low rental area and than dropped her off downtown. the tourist were than left in the hands of the driver which we did not even know who he was. We were to be on an English speaking tour but six Hispanics were on the bus and the tour guide had to speak Spanish and at times we would pass the place of interest and than she would inform us in English, once we passed the sight.
Review by: Joel L, February 2016
Very good City Tour. Informative, we got to see a lot and visited the National Theatre and the Gold Museum. Well worth the cost. The guide was great.
Review by: Thea S, November 2015
Our guide was very informative and friendly. We enjoyed the history of Jan Jose and the markets and museums.
Review by: Marina P, November 2015
It was ok tour. I don't think they are very organized on where to go and what to show to tourists but overall at lest you get to see the museum and theater inside and it is nice to see it.
Review by: importantmail112, November 2015
Great Tour!
Review by: Paul D, October 2015
very good
Review by: Mary P, October 2015
It was an excellent tour and our tour director was very interesting and informative. I would recommend this tour.
Review by: Jason H, June 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Wesley D, February 2015
Bus was late and we were waiting around for a long time to then be taken to a very big bus. Tour guide could not do anything as we had about 40-50 people to deal with instead of the normal small group. Not very informative. Did not like to be taken to a house at the end where they were trying to sell us jewelry.
Review by: Diana N, February 2015
The guide was BAD and off the "cuff" with very little information or in-depth preparation. The emphasis was taking us to these out-of-the-way, no good places that had obviously paid to have tourists brought in. It wasn't a tour but a money making tourist trap at our expense. We lost three parties after the first stops and when they stopped and ushered us off at an empty hole-in-the-wall, the disgusted looks on the other tour patrons faces said it ALL!!! More left including me. I hailed a taxi and went back to my hotel. _br/_
I will never take a tour from Viator again.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Larry W, December 2014
Good overview of city with many interesting sites. The obligatory "shop" at the end of the tour could be removed from tour.
Review by: Carol W, June 2014
Great tour !!! Saw San Jose at it's best. Enjoyed seeing the celebration at the win of the soccer match. Happy people who enjoy a good party. Thank you San Jose for all your hospitality.
Review by: Trent S, March 2014
Good overall city tour. Only downside was not having a stop and time at the central market.
Review by: Felicia L, March 2014
This was like Gilligan's Island: A five hour tour that should have been about three hours long. Between_br/_
San Jose traffic jams and picking up people at hotels most of the time was spent just driving around. Two stops were good (The Gold Museum and the Opera House) the others were not (the statue and the_br/_
tourist trap). Overall, I would suggest that people take a cab to the downtown area and do a walking tour_br/_
for a better experience of San Jose.
Review by: Felicia L, March 2014
This was like Gilligan's Island: A five hour tour that should have been about three hours long. Between_br/_
San Jose traffic jams and picking up people at hotels most of the time was spent just driving around. Two stops were good (The Gold Museum and the Opera House) the others were not (the statue and the_br/_
tourist trap). Overall, I would suggest that people take a cab to the downtown area and do a walking tour_br/_
for a better experience of San Jose.
Review by: Diana N, January 2014
The guide was BAD and off the "cuff" with very little information or in-depth preparation. The emphasis was taking us to these out-of-the-way, no good places that had obviously paid to have tourists brought in. It wasn't a tour but a money making tourist trap at our expense. We lost three parties after the first stops and when they stopped and ushered us off at an empty hole-in-the-wall, the disgusted looks on the other tour patrons faces said it ALL!!! More left including me. I hailed a taxi and went back to my hotel. _br/_
I will never take a tour from Viator again.
Review by: Eduard Z, December 2013
The tour was good on overall. We drove around the city and made several stops to see some things closer. I wish we'd have more stops to see more things. For those, who wants to see more I'd recommend walking tours.
Review by: Valerie C, December 2013
We had a guide, Jorge, who talked in English and Spanish throughout the whole four hours. He was very knowledgeable about the city, the culture, the church, the National theatre and went out of his way to describe everything in both languages - fluently. We were taken on a tour of the pre-Colombian gold museum, and found out from fellow travellers, that their guide didn't show them half the things in San Jose as our guide did. Bravo Jorge!! The bus ride was not for the faint of heart - people are crazy drivers in San Jose.
Review by: Sharon H, December 2013
The guide was informative, entertaining and very knowledgeable. It was a very well organized tour and very enjoyable. I learned a lot of history and saw a beautiful theater, and was surprised by the many parks right downtown. Thank you for a perfect introduction to the urban area of Costa Rica.
Review by: James B, September 2013
I enjoyed this tour and learned a lot about the map of San Jose and some of the more famous attractions. If it was longer, say a full day with lunch, I would pay more and recommend it even higher. However, I fully recommend this tour for someone like me, new to San Jose and Costa Rica who wishes to learn more in a short time.
Review by: Norma S, June 2013
This was a very good overview of San Jose for people that do not have a lot of time to explore the city in depth. Our guide was very proud of the culture and monuments of San Jose. We appreciated his knowledge and patience in answering our questions. This was a well paced pleasurable experience.
Review by: miguel, June 2013
worth doing to get to know san jose, especially if you will be staying there for awhile. you get to know a little of the area, streets of san jose is a bit confusing so this tour will at least give you an overview of the area
Review by: Mully, April 2013
Excellent tour, very informative and the guide was fantastic!
Review by: Britt B, March 2013
Great introduction to the best sites of San Jose. Learning about the history, culture and architecture from a highly educated and friendly guide made for a great afternoon. I highly recommend the tour. A taste of the national drink at the end of the tour was a pleasant and welcomed surprise._br/_
Britt B, Mountain View, California
Review by: Velma H, January 2013
The guide was wonderful but we had forgotten it would be done in several languages.....just two in our case. Everything else was fine.
RSS Feed