Top San Jose Day Trips

Poas Coffee tour, La Paz Falls and Poas Volcano

Get out of San Jose on a day tour to the Arenal Volcano region, where you’ll get a glimpse of Costa Rica’s famous biodiversity and natural beauty. Travel through scenic farmland and villages to reach the volcano. Stop at a coffee plantation, waterfall, and look out for wildlife en route. In the shadow of the volcano, soak in natural hot springs for a refreshing experience, before returning to San Jose.

Arenal Volcano Experience Full-Day Tour from San Jose

14 hoursFree Cancellation

San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees

(1,517)

from $165

2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

(1,111)

from $35

This excursion is a full day we will travel to the beautiful area of Poás, our bus will travel through mountains and cattle farms until we reach the impressive Poás Volcano. We will take a short hike to the crater to see its beautiful lagoon, of course considering that its sighting depends on the natural weather conditions of the area. In the volcano there is a beautiful cafeteria we will give time to buy snacks at the end of the tour in the Volcano. Then we will visit the Peace Falls a beautiful, 37 meter high waterfall where you will have amazing photos. Finally, we will visit an authentic Coffee Hacienda, where you can see coffee plantations, know the process and also test coffee and chocolates produced on the estate. At the end we will travel back to your hotel.

Poás Volcano and Coffee Tour with Tasting and La Paz Falls

7 to 8 hoursFree Cancellation

4.2

(147)

from $105

Special Offer

Visit Tortuga Island with Lunch from San José

Discover the magic of this wonderful beach, Playa Tortuga, located in the Gulf of Nicoya, 12 nautical miles from Puntarenas, Playa Tortuga (called by the indigenous Tolinga) has an area of 120 hectares and is maintained as a protected forest; which has enjoyed the Ecological Blue Flag for more than five years. This distinction is awarded to beaches in our country that have pollution-free waters. Due to its geographical characteristic, its waters are turquoise in color and are ideal for swimming.

Visit Tortuga Island with Lunch from San José

12 to 15 hoursFree Cancellation

Zip Line, Rappel, Hiking La Carpintera Tour in San Jose

3 hoursFree Cancellation

San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class

(508)

from $51

4 hoursFree Cancellation

San Jose: Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets

(537)

from $49

3 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Full Day Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Coffee Plantation Experience

(1,855)

from $35

As one of the most popular parks in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park is a must for visitors. This guided tour from San Jose makes visiting on a time crunch a cinch—your guide takes the guesswork out of deciding which trails are worth the effort, plus helps you spot wildlife along the way. This tour includes breakfast and lunch, and is specifically timed to avoid the crowds, helping you have the best possible experience exploring.

(774)

from $180

Manuel Antonio National Park Sightseeing and Wildlife Day Tour from San Jose

Manuel Antonio National Park Sightseeing and Wildlife Day Tour from San Jose

12 hoursFree Cancellation

Rainforest Aerial Tram Half Day Pass – Braulio Carrillo Park

(802)

from $169

2 hoursFree Cancellation

4.3

(100)

from $78

Irazú Volcano Half Day Tour from San Jose

6 hoursFree Cancellation

4.0

(60)

from $87

Full Day Tour to Tortuga Island from San José

10 to 12 hoursFree Cancellation

4.2

(93)

from $129

Special Offer

From San Jose: Hot Springs Day Pass in La Fortuna with Lunch

Relax and unwind with a day at La Fortuna’s famous hot springs at the base of the majestic Arenal Volcano. On this tour, enjoy round-trip transportation from San Jose and relax at either Los Lagos or Baldi Hot Springs (depending on the option you've chosen), enjoying free time to rejuvenate at a pace that suits you. A delicious lunch at the resort is included, so you can focus on relaxing in the soothing thermal waters.

From San Jose: Hot Springs Day Pass in La Fortuna with Lunch

11 to 12 hoursFree Cancellation

Safely immerse yourself in Costa Rican nature and wildlife on a 7-hour tour to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Leave the busy streets of San Jose behind in comfortable air-conditioned transportation from your hotel. Discover more than 100 species at the sanctuary, including titi monkeys, 2-toed sloths, pumas, and toucans. You can even feed hummingbirds by hand. Have your camera ready for the cloud forest, waterfalls, and aviary.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Wildlife Refuge Tour from San Jose

7 hoursFree Cancellation

(292)

from $135

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

Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner

Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner

14 hoursFree Cancellation

This sampler adventure tour from San Jose fits the best of Costa Rica's rivers and rainforests into one action-packed day. En route, go croc-spotting at a famous overlook on the Tarcoles River. Then head to the jungle adventure park where you can choose two activities from a list of thrilling options, including ziplining, horseback riding, surfing lessons, an ATV adventure, and a mountain bike tour.

(3,632)

from $185

From San Jose: Zipline, Horseback, ATV, Surfing, & Chocolate Tour

From San Jose: Zipline, Horseback, ATV, Surfing, & Chocolate Tour

Monteverde Cloud Forest Hanging Bridges Tour from San Jose

4.7

(136)

from $171

12 hoursFree Cancellation

4.1

(95)

from $188

White Water Rafting Pacuare River From San José

Navigate Class III-IV rapids under the guidance of an expert during this white-water rafting course down the Pacuare River from San Jose. Paddle your way through one of Costa Rica's most picturesque river gorges, looking out for native wildlife between rapid runs, on an exciting day trip ideal for thrill seekers. Hotel pickup and drop-off, equipment, and lunch are all included, so you can focus on the thrills.

White Water Rafting Pacuare River From San José

San Jose Sightseeing City Tour

4.7

(237)

from $121

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

4.3

(60)

from $95

Explore Irazú Volcano, the highest volcano in the area, reaching 11,000 feet (3,432 meters) above sea level, on this full-day combo tour. After visiting the volcano, descend to the city of Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica, where you will stop at the Basilica of the Angels. Also see the Orosi Valley, known for its diversity of crops, such as coffee and sugar cane. Next, explore the ruins of one of the oldest ruined churches in Costa Rica in Cartago.

4 in 1 : Irazu + Orosi + Lankaster + Lake Cachi with Lunch

7 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Manuel Antonio National Park Day Trip from San Jose

(60)

from $150

12 hoursFree Cancellation

4.4

(102)

from $175

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.

Volcano, Waterfalls, Zipline, Hot Springs Full Day Tour

Volcano, Waterfalls, Zipline, Hot Springs Full Day Tour

14 hoursFree Cancellation

Manuel Antonio National Park Sightseeing and Wildlife Day Tour from San Jose

(149)

from $185

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Top Attractions in San Jose

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Attractions

What are people saying about San Jose

Kasia_S, May 2026

Jorge and Ronald were...

Jorge and Ronald were great! There was only two of us and they were still enthusiastic about giving us the tour and full experience. We saw lots of wildlife (sloths, toucan, monkeys, etc) and learned a lot about Costa Rica’s agriculture and history. There were lots of cool stops along the way that made the drive feel shorter too. Breakfast and lunch were delicious. Overall, a wonderful day and excellent experience!

Full Day Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Coffee Plantation Experience

Kristi_J, May 2026

Don’t wait, book this today!

This tour was incredible from start to finish! We packed so much into one day, and while it was a long day, it was worth every single minute to see so much of Costa Rica. Every stop was fantastic: the coffee plantation, the stunning volcano, and the beautiful waterfall. As a special bonus, we even made an extra stop at a strawberry stand for the absolute best strawberries I have ever had in my life! We also loved visiting the sanctuary and hearing all about the animals. Raquel and Oman were phenomenal hosts. Raquel was so incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, which made the experience even more special. To top it off, the buffet lunch was great, offering a perfect mix of local Costa Rican food and more Americanized options.

Poas Volcano waterfalls and coffee tour from from San Jose

cn2qqgrvp5, May 2026

Great experience!

The experience was amazing! Ricardo was very attentive with our group and very informative about every activity we were doing. The coffee tour was amazing. We even got to pick our own coffee bean. The Poás Volcano was breathtaking as well as the lake! The restaurant we stopped at had amazing food. Get the Chi-frio!!!! The La Paz waterfall was breathtaking. I would highly recommend Ricardo to anyone interested in visiting Costa Rica, PURA VIDA!

Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner

Miranda_B, May 2026

Best Tour!

Firstly, Steven our guide and Victor our driver were absoulutely wonderful. We love Steven! Absolute best guide and so blessed we had him for our trip. He also made little stops along the way to show us animals like a toucan, macaw, and sloths! The food included was great as well. The hot springs were beautiful. The ziplining was fun! Id definitely do another tour with Steven again.

From San Jose: Zipline, Horseback, ATV, Surfing, & Chocolate Tour

JOSHUA_C, May 2026

Amazing Adventure Day in Costa Rica

Outstanding day from start to finish. Everything was very well organized and thoughtfully planned. Daniel was an excellent ATV tour guide and made the experience both fun and exciting. The surfing lesson was also fantastic, and the instructors were patient and encouraging. A special thank you to Diego, our driver from San José — truly first-class service, always professional, friendly, and punctual. One of the highlights of our Costa Rica trip. Highly recommend!

Arenal Volcano Experience Full-Day Tour from San Jose

Nasim_A, May 2026

Long but really fun trip

It was a wonderful and fun trip. Our guide was Stephen and he was very knowledgeable and kind. At times he went out of his way to show us different birds/animals. The trip was a long one but everything went on time. We had a lot of stops but all of them were good and informative. The highlight was the relaxing hot springs at the end of the trip followed by a buffet dinner.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Wildlife Refuge Tour from San Jose

T_A, May 2026

Fun family adventure

Our guide, Mauricio was very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a great time at the La Paz Waterfall and Garden tour. We did this at the start of our trip. We wanted to at least see some of the animals native to the area in case we were not able to see them in the wild. I was quite happy that we did not run into any large cats outside of an enclosure. This day did not feel too long. There was a stop on the way to and from the gardens.

Poas Coffee tour, La Paz Falls and Poas Volcano

Sophie_K, Apr 2026

Viktor was a super nice...

Viktor was a super nice guide and very happy to answer questions. He even took us to an extra stop (strawberry - cheese - wine - shop and tasting) after the 3 stops. I didn't understand why we first went to the coffee farm and then to the volcano because it's better to visit the volcano early so you can actually see something. We were lucky, but 10-15min after we arrived everything was cloudy and you couldn't see anything anymore. I hope they'll change it for future tours, so people can actually enjoy a good view.

San Jose: Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets

Alana_M, Apr 2026

Andrea was a great...

Andrea was a great guide—she is very knowledgeable and taught us a lot about Costa Rica, I would highly recommend this tour. We started off with trying a bunch of different fruits, then a bit of ice cream, and concluded with tamales, a dessert empanada, coffee + a traditional drink. As a tip, I would recommend doing this tour earlier in the day. There were a few times when I wanted to purchase something and wished I could have gone back to the market. However, since I did the 3PM tour, everything was closed by the time I was done with the tour.

4 in 1 : Irazu + Orosi + Lankaster + Lake Cachi with Lunch

Lukas_R, Mar 2026

This tour is great if you...

This tour is great if you want to see a variety of places in one day. The lunch was a highlight — probably the best meal I had during my 7-day stay in Costa Rica. I also appreciated that the guide added an extra stop at the Cartago ruins when I asked. Highly recommended.

San Jose Walking and Bus City Tour

Butch_C, Dec 2025

Perfecto!

The entire process was flawless. Hotel pickup was on time, the tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Our tour included a Costa Rican style meal, which was very good. Everyone was there to ensure you have an excellent experience. Strongly recommend this company to any one considering this tour.