Top San Jose Full-day Tours

Visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 26,000-acre (10,500 hectare) oasis of virgin cloud forest. Visited by roughly 70,000 people a year, the reserve is home to about four percent of the world’s animal species. Walk across suspended bridges and hike among native flora and fauna. You can also pay extra to zipline through the canopy. Lunch and a guide are included.

In just one day, it’s possible to visit top Costa Rica attractions like Arenal Volcano, La Paz Waterfall, and Arenal Hot Springs when you book this guided tour from San Jose. All-inclusive private transport smooths over otherwise tricky transportation logistics, and your guide keeps you well entertained and informed as you explore. This tour includes all entrance fees plus two meals, adding up to a great value.

Be immersed in the Costa Rican rainforest on this easy tour to the Braulio Carrillo National Park from San Jose. Active travelers can embark on an optional nature walk before joining the open-sided aerial tram for a more leisurely trip through the forest. Spot a variety of orchids and learn to identify birdsong from your naturalist guide. This tour is ideal for families and groups with mixed mobility levels.

Discover the beautiful natural attractions of Costa Rica on this all-day tour from San Jose. Fly over the rainforest canopy via a zipline course and rappel down 150 feet (50 meters) at an adventure park. Visit two waterfalls and admire the local wildlife including iguanas. Stop at a coffee plantation where you'll learn how it's cultivated and harvested. Finally, relax in thermal mineral hot springs at the base of Arenal Volcano.

See more of the Arenal Volcano region with the convenience of a full-day tour from San Jose. Take a scenic route to Arenal with views of farms, rain forest, and small towns, and stop at a coffee plantation where you can sample coffee and traditional snacks. Stop at a waterfall, look for wildlife, then have the afternoon to soak in hot springs set in a lush garden near the Arenal Volcano.

This sampler adventure tour from San Jose fits the best of Costa Rica's beaches, rivers, and rain forests into one action-packed day. Catch some sun at popular Jaco Beach, one of the closest to the capital, and go croc-spotting at a famous overlook on the Tarcoles River. Then head into the lush jungle for a thrilling zipline canopy tour plus your choice of a horseback ride to tropical waterfalls or an ATV safari.

Visit the Irazú Volcano National Park in just half a day with this excursion from San José. Your driver will pick you up early in the morning and take you to the volcano, where you can see the crater and learn about the history of the area from a local guide. Next, you'll head to the Los Angeles Basilica, a church and museum with a holy water source.

Get out of the city and experience Costa Rica’s rich wildlife heritage with this half day private tour to the Toucan Rescue Ranch. What started out as a rescue facility for toucans has expanded to include other charismatic species such as sloths, monkeys, parrots, and owls. Learn all about them from the dedicated staff committed to their care.

Visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 26,000-acre (10,500 hectare) oasis of virgin cloud forest. Visited by roughly 70,000 people a year, the reserve is home to about four percent of the world’s animal species. Walk across suspended bridges and hike among native flora and fauna. You can also pay extra to zipline through the canopy. Lunch and a guide are included.

Home to over 100 species of animals, five waterfalls and a cloud forest the Wildlife Refuge La Paz Waterfall gardens is bursting with bio diversity. Visit, explore, learn and even hike among the sloths, monkeys, tropical birds, pumas, ocelots and more who call Costa Rica’s most visited private ecological reserve home. Take in the incredible plant life like wild orchids on this full-day, small group tour with lunch included.

Explore the Orosi Valley and the Lankester Botanical Gardens on this guided combination half-day tour from San José. The gardens, which are located outside of Cartago, serve as a center for orchid research, including more than 800 species of orchids, bromeliads, and other plants. Following the gardens, head to the town of Orosi to view the 18th-century Iglesia de San José de Orosi and colonial churches.

Explore the Costa Rican capital’s rich history, landmark buildings, and modern culture on a combo bus and walking tour of San Jose. Get a great introduction to city highlights like the National Theater and Art Museum, and stop to walk through bustling markets and public plazas to feel the pulse of this modern Central American metropolis. Get an extra boost of Costa Rican culture by listening to traditional folkloric music onboard the bus.

Visiting Monteverde from San Jose in just one day can be challenging on your own, but this guided tour streamlines transportation to make the trip a cinch. Arrive at Monteverde in the morning and head straight to a canopy tour: hike on hanging bridges and learn about the rich cloud forest environment before heading back to San Jose.

Experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of San Jose on an evening bus tour. Starting from your hotel, a comfortable double-decker bus with onboard WiFi serves as your transportation for the evening. See over 25 of the city’s landmarks and stop for a bilingual guided tour at key locations, including the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. Enjoy an included dinner of local cuisine, before drop-off at your hotel.

Enjoy an insider’s perspective of San Jose on this half-day city walking tour. Accompanied by an expert guide, you’ll get a sense of daily life in the Costa Rican capital as you ride public transportation, stop by a beautiful local park and visit the artisan workshop of a third-generation craftsman. Taste local flavors while you browse stalls at the historic Central Market, savor a traditional lunch at an 80-year-old inn and learn to make tortillas.

Explore three of Costa Rica's most incredible national parks in just three days with this tour. You'll spend time hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park, traversing the canals and rivers at Tortuguero National Park, and hanging out at the beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park. For added convenience and comfort, all accommodation, transportation, and meals are included.

Escape from busy San Jose for an action-packed full-day tour in the Jaco Beach region. Stop at the beach, then continue with a zipline tour and ATV tour in the rain forest nearby. You’ll also see crocodiles at the Tarcoles River, and get great views of the Pacific Ocean from the ATV and zipline course. Includes lunch, and all necessary equipment and instruction.

San Jose is filled with amazing attractions to see such as the National Theater of Costa Rica and the Metropolitan Cathedral, but if you’re not familiar with San Jose, it could take you ages to see everything on your list. Take this San Jose nighttime city tour and travel with a guide who knows their way around under the city lights. Plus, dinner and round-trip transport are both included.

Go beyond the city of San José and discover its beautiful surroundings on this full-day tour. Start your day with a Costa Rican breakfast at a local coffee plantation, then learn about the coffee-making process on a farm tour. Afterward, head to the active Poas volcano to explore its massive crater before heading to a nature park to see an animal sanctuary and picturesque waterfalls.

Immerse yourself in Costa Rican culture and history on this guided tour of the capital city. Highlights include the National Theater, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, the University of Costa Rica, the Supreme Court, and Central Market. A bilingual guide is on hand to answer questions and provide insight about what you see along the way.

Head to La Fortuna, home to the Arenal Volcano, on this guided all-day tour from San Jose. Sit back and relax as you travel through diverse plantations and cattle ranches on the roughly 3.5-hour drive. After arriving, enjoy lunch with a view of the volcano. Then, take a dip in the area’s thermal waters and indulge in an optional massage or other treatment.

Explore three levels of lush Costa Rican rain forest from the floor to the canopy on a guided tour tour of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Learn about local flora and fauna as you walk along nature trails, explore specialty gardens, and glide over treetops in an aerial tram, all narrated by a guide with extensive knowledge about the local ecosystem. Optional upgrade includes pickup and drop-off from your lodging in San Jose and a typical lunch.

Discover San Jose’s hidden delights with this unique evening tour of the Costa Rican capital. Get up close and personal with the nightlife in San Jose, starting with the Morazán Park where we will learn post-colonial Costa Rican history. From there, our appreciation for San Jose’s historical architecture continues, with a walk by the Metallic Building, then on to Spain Park for a fantastic view of the Yellow House (now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). We’ll continue to charming Barrio Escalante, one of the oldest residential areas in San Jose. Finish the night with a 3-course meal and wine or beer pairings at a gourmet Costa Rican restaurant.

San Jose is the cultural capital of Costa Rica and boasts a rich and varied history. Get acquainted with the city’s charms on a private tour, featuring a customizable itinerary of must-see attractions and private transportation through the city’s maze of trafficked avenues.

Experience a fun-filled day in the jungle at the Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic eco-reserve. Your multi-pass gives you access to six different activities throughout the beautiful tropical park. Get a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy with an aerial tram ride, encounter native critters at a butterfly and frog garden, cross a hanging bridge, and explore the jungle on a nature hike. Get your adrenaline pumping as you soar through the treetops on ziplines, including one of the longest and fastest in the country.