Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup
San Jose, Costa Rica
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of San Jose on an evening bus tour. Starting from your hotel, board a comfortable double-decker bus with a welcome drink. See over 25 of the city’s landmarks as you take a bus tour, and stop for bilingual guided tours at key locations, including the Costa Rican Art Museum. Enjoy an included dinner of local cuisine before drop-off back at your hotel.
- Enjoy stress-free hotel pickup and drop-off
- Have a full dinner to refuel in the evening
- Take a guided walking tour of downtown highlights
- A safe and easy way to tour the city after dark
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Dinner
- Round trip Transportation to your hotel
- Local guide
- Live commentary on board
- Professional art historian guide
- DVD (available to purchase)
- beers
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Every Hotels around San José Costa Rica
Operating hours.3:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Teatro Nacional Costa Rica
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Museo de Arte Costarricense
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Central Market (Mercado Central)
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Plaza de la Libertad Electoral
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
VIP City Bus
4 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- On Sundays Central Market is close, we visit Handcraft market of San Jose Downtown
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.8
based on 118 reviews
Rob_H, Mar 2026
Felt rushed as we experienced heavy traffic after being picked up at our hotel . Resulted in little time at stops. The art gallery and theatre and church were rushed visits and those places were locking doors shortly after arriving. Dinner was our final stop and there was a power outage which meant had dinner in a dark with no lights. We couldn’t see our food but for a few candles. It was unsafe and food was not really edible. The tour guide was really amazing though and I feel bad that he had to support such a subpar experience. I think this company should review their 3pm tour schedule to avoid this happening g to others.
Marcia_S, Mar 2026
Very informative, the tour guide Enrique spoke very good English he was very knowledgeable, the food was great and very filling I recommend this tour.
mandi_k, Feb 2026
Loved that they customized pick up at smaller BnB’s. Double decker bus was a nice touch but not really needed in San Jose. Overall okay.
Raelene_G, Nov 2025
This tour was perfect for the afternoon. The tour guide Sergio is extremely knowledgeable and very pleasant and accommodating. The history of Costa Rica is rich and interesting and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the country and have a good time.
Santosha_S, Aug 2025
The tour guide was not accommodating to English speakers, I always had to remind him there were English speaking clients in the group, the dinner at the end of the tour was horrible and most of the planned stops where closed or not accessible.
Kristina_L, Jul 2025
This tour was very educational. Hector made sure to give us everything we needed to be able to enjoy ourselves. I however booked this tour on the same day I flew in so I was super tired so it seemed a bit lengthy for me & my crew.
Dinner was okay
I definitely recommend wearing sneakers as you will be walking around .
Dominique_L, Apr 2025
It was interesting. Our guide was knowledgeable.
The pick up from the hotel was good.
I felt it was a shame that he didn't point out with more details the national museum (we had visited it that morning by ourselves)
It is an impressive building with fantastic information regarding the history of Costa Rica.
All you will visit are free sites, which is fine.
The market visit was fast, we were taken to an area which clearly has a deal with the tour operator but it wasn't outrageously expensive.
The dinner was sort of ready when we got there which is worrying as it contains rice, we all know that to be safe, rice needs to be pipping hot. It felt like the restaurant wanted us to leave as quickly as possible. The dessert arrived when we were half way through our main.
The guitar playing on the bus is cute but slightly gimmicky and of course, the player after a few songs leaves and expects a tip.
If you suffer from hearing loss and you sit at the back of the bus, with the noise of the traffic, you probably will not hear much.
At £55 ahead, it is not cheap but if you have little time in San Jose, it might be a way to have a quick overview of the capital.
KathrynG, Feb 2025
This was a nice overview of the city and to show what a lively interesting place it is. The brief visits inside each place helped me plan the rest of our visits to return to
Kathy_P, Jan 2025
David, the guide was excellent. Art museum was wonderful, particularly the garden. Good restaurant for local food
Yatika_K, Jan 2025
Good overview if you are short on time and have a Birds Eye view of San Jose in few hrs. Nice to sit on the upper deck of the double decker bus
Herb_W, Dec 2024
The trip was very informative about the historical areas in San Jose that represent the Costa Rican culture. We were able to see the market place , cathedral, art museum, theater, and town square. The guide was very passionate and explained everything well.
Cassandra_C, Dec 2024
My friend and I did a city tour yesterday and the tour guide was extremely courteous and patient. Lord, I forgot his name, but he was excellent. It was a great experience.
Uzma_O, Nov 2024
We were disappointed with the tour specially for the price. Hardly anything to see, the guide was fine but they do not keep people engaged throughout the tour. They just take you few spots in Downtown and that’s it. The dinner was fine at a decent restaurant.
vishakha_v, Nov 2024
San Jose city tour started at the museum in double decker bus . went to main attraction , on board live music was enjoyable.
Driver explained in details about all sites and told us history about San Jose.
After our trip, he took us in good restaurant. food was good and service was very quick.
over all we enjoyed the tour.
RUBY_O, Nov 2024
Our guide was great, as was transportation. Because it was an evening tour, it was hard to see some things. The food was good, but the steak was a little tough.
Dipanjan_C, Nov 2024
Overall this was a good tour. The guide kept switching between Spanish and English very first without pauses, making it difficult to follow initially. The tour description says that it includes the entry fee to the national theatre, however they only take you to the lobby of the theatre, visiting which is free. Tickets are required only to go inside. So either they should change the description or refund the ticket amount for the national theatre ticket. The dinner was nice in a small restaurant.
cooncasandra, Oct 2024
This was a nice taste of San Jose. It was raining off and on and dark so having the bus taking us from spot to spot was helpful. Our guide was knowledgeable and gave a nice history of the different stops. The dinner was good and a good way to end the tour. Wish we had time for more exploring, off to board a cruise.
Paul_C, Oct 2024
This was a totally disappointing tour. Didn’t live up to the hype. Restaurant was dreadful, not the place any tourists or for that matters local would visit through choice.
LaVerne_H, Aug 2024
RE VIP City Tour: This tour was great! Our tour guide and driver were very accommodating. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and courteous. I loved walking around the city and getting a feel for the culture and lifestyle in places like San Jose’s Central Market and downtown retail area. The highlight was the delicious meal at the end of the tour. I also liked that the tour was not too long but also not too short. Just the right length!
RE Viator: I was traveling solo and the Viator booking website said there was a two person minimum. So I booked for two people just to get the reservation. On the tour, I learned that other solo travelers on the tour had not been required to pay for two tickets. I’m not sure how they booked their reservation. But I definitely didn’t like the double standard. If a direct booking with the touring company would have eliminated the 2-person minimum booking, Viator should place that on their website and instruct solo travelers to book directly with the touring company.
David_R, Aug 2024
Great way to experience the city, no stress driving and amazing food. The Central Market was so cool wish we had more time there.
Tiffany_W, Aug 2024
This was an Awesome Tour and lots of information. My tour guide Hector was truly Amazing and excellent customer service!! I recommend this tour for anyone that want to know more about the history of Costa Rica!!
Marcie_W, Jul 2024
It’s was nice seeing everything but it was unnecessarily rushed. The tour ended up being 3 hours and not 5 hours like it says in the ad. Hector was nice and very knowledgeable! The pick up from hotels was a long process. The live guitar playing & singing was a nice touch. The dinner was very very good!
Zamantha_Z, Jun 2024
It was a great tour! Had a great tour guide, thanks to hector our tour guide we got to see and learn about Costa Rica and its history, also got to taste great Costa Rican traditional food
Kathy_C, Jun 2024
We signed up for a five hour evening tour and it was only 3 hours which included an hour for dinner. It was a good tour but wonder what was missed
KAWAINA_M, May 2024
Great evening tour. Lots of good information on the history of Costa Rica.Tour guide was very knowledgeable .
Jawauna_G, Apr 2024
What a great way to spend my 1st day in San Jose. The guides were kind, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic! We went out after a long flight and had a great time with tasty food!
Aisha_H, Apr 2024
It was rushed and minimal time to enjoy the locations visited. Dinner was good, it was great going to mass as well.
Jasmine_B, Mar 2024
We enjoyed Maria tremendously! She taught us a lot about Costa Rica’s History and the food was great!
JuanCarlos_V, Mar 2024
I don't recommend it to anyone, unless you want to waste your money and time.
The"tour" takes you to places with free admission like: Central market, National Theater( just the lobby) and the art museum.
The dinner... Is a " casado"( tipical rice and beans, plantain and a protein ) served in a place with a Chinese menu, it doesn't worth the experience.
When you pay almost $80.00 per person to enjoy a tour that satisfy your curiosity for a country you are visiting, you expect at least a better experience.
Go and enjoy San Jose by yourself and I assure you that you will have a better experience.
Mention apart to the staff, because they do their best, but even that, they do not have the right to have dinner with the group ( they stayed in the bus, while we have the dinner).
Unfortunately I wasted my money and time!
Anil_M, Mar 2024
This trip was not worth the money inpaid. The guide was not very informative and more over not very pleasant attitude. Through out the trip she was more telling about her life story and the bad experiences she had to face when she was in US and the sufferings of her people from the colonization. Past is past. Me and my family were very unhappy. The food was also not very good.
From $80.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup
118
5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$80.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in San Jose, Costa Rica
- National Museum (Museo Nacional) Tours & Tickets
- Poas Volcano National Park Tours & Tickets
- Arenal Volcano National Park Tours & Tickets
- San Jose Central Market (Mercado Central) Tours & Tickets
- La Sabana Park Tours & Tickets
- La Paz Waterfall Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Costa Rican Art Museum (Museo de Arte Costarricense) Tours & Tickets
- Jade Museum (Museo del Jade) Tours & Tickets
- Morazan Park Tours & Tickets
- Lankester Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanico Lankester) Tours & Tickets
- Plaza de la Cultura Tours & Tickets
- Braulio Carrillo National Park Tours & Tickets
- Doka Estate Tours & Tickets
- Sarchi Tours & Tickets
More attractions near San Jose, Costa Rica
- Arenal Volcano National Park Tours & Tickets
- Poas Volcano National Park Tours & Tickets
- La Paz Waterfall Gardens Tours & Tickets
- San Jose Central Market (Mercado Central) Tours & Tickets
- National Theater (Teatro Nacional) Tours & Tickets
- Braulio Carrillo National Park Tours & Tickets
- Sarapiqui Canopy Tours & Tickets