San Jose Walking and Bus City Tour

Badge of Excellence

San Jose, Costa Rica

Popular pick

Booked 5+ times last week!

5 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.4

· Sheri_S ·

Mar 2026

This was amazing! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable! The central market was my favorite. The energy and local flavor was so cool!

· James_T ·

Jan 2026

Informative excursion to experience a taste of San José. Well organised with knowledgeable guide on board

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Overview

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.

Discover the history and highlights of Costa Rica's capital city
Stroll among local vendors and shoppers at the Central Market
Great way to get both an overview and a closer look at the city's culture
Perfect introduction for first-time visitors

What's Included

Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional art historian guide
Live commentary on board
Local guide
Lunch

Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Operating hours
.10:00 am

Itinerary

Teatro Nacional Costa Rica

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Central Market (Mercado Central)

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Plaza de la Libertad Electoral

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

VIP City Bus

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (Pass By)

Museo de Arte Costarricense

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible

Most travelers can participate
On Sundays Central Market is close, we visit Handcraft market of San Jose Downtown
No Health restrictions
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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.4

based on 351 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Nice view of downtown

lidia_p, Apr 2026

Excursion was worth it! Would have liked to spend more time in el Mercado since time given isn’t enough to look around or shop.

Loved this tour!

Sheri_S, Mar 2026

This was amazing! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable! The central market was my favorite. The energy and local flavor was so cool!

A disappointing experience of city tour in San Jose.

Mukund_P, Mar 2026

We made booking online and there's an option to choose the pick up point. So we choose hotel bougainvillea as our pick up point, since we're staying at that hotel. But to our surprise and shock, we received an email from the tour operator that hotel bougainvillea is not on their list of pickup points. They made us go to hotel radison for pick up. We had to spend for taxi on both the ways. This was very disappointing.

Only Okay

Holly_R, Feb 2026

There is a lot of time on the bus...We could have walked and seen more. We would have liked to see inside the theatre and had more time at the gold museum.

More a bus tour rather than a walking

Michel_B, Jan 2026

Guide was very kind. Knowing the area a true walking tour was possible and would have enhanced the experience and our knowledge of the city.

Informative excursion

James_T, Jan 2026

Informative excursion to experience a taste of San José. Well organised with knowledgeable guide on board

Great City Tour

Wayne_A, Jan 2026

Tour Gulde Spoke several languages and was very knowledgeable and and worked hard to keep the group together

History. Art. Lunch

Susan_S, Jan 2026

Edgar's guide was great, explained everything especially the history of Costa Rica. We had Spanish and English speakers so everything was duplicated but it didn't distract. Lunch was great.

Good overview of relevant...

michael_h, Jan 2026

Good overview of relevant sights to visit. Very good included lunch at local “soda” - a restaurant .

The guide was the best....

Arek_A, Jan 2026

The guide was the best. He was also very informative and he took us to lunch. We could not have asked for more.

Great overall experience....

Niro_W, Dec 2025

Great overall experience. Enrique was a great guide. The buses were comfortable and punctual. The lunch was at a Costa Rican restaurant which had a great atmosphere.

Exposure of San Jose.

Amina_K, Dec 2025

Over rated and expensive tour. The food and place was below average and public restrooms were nasty. Tour guide was knowledgeable and well versed. Team were supportive.

Good value for the money.

Dottie_S, Dec 2025

You need to able to walk and get on and off the bus. Tour guide was very knowledgeable. Enjoyed learning about the history of Costa Rica.

Great tour

Elizabeth_I, Dec 2025

Great tour. Organized company that will ensure they are on time for pick up. Also, very informative tour. Guides were great and kind. The lunch was phenomenal. Very much worth it.

Perfecto!

Butch_C, Dec 2025

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.

Not great

Paul_G, Dec 2025

Tour Guide Enrique was great, but the tour was really a bunch of nothing. It could be that there’s nothing really to do in the city, but most of the nice places were seen in traffic on the bus and places that we stopped for a long time like the museum, we’re hardly worth it. Lots of typical unwanted time wasters like 10% off at a market stall in the central market that is not at all interesting… And a lunch at a family style restaurant that is really subpar. I really learned nothing about the history, the city, or the culture, which would’ve been better Dunn in a walking tour, I’m sure.

Fantastic San Jose Walking & Bus City Tour!

Anitra_D, Nov 2025

I had an absolutely amazing time on the San Jose Walking and Bus City Tour! Everything was so well organized, and the guide was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire experience fun and engaging. I loved getting to see the city from both perspectives—walking through the historic streets and then relaxing on the bus while taking in even more sights. The pace was perfect, the information was interesting, and I came away with a much deeper appreciation for Costa Rican culture, history, and beauty. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. It was truly a memorable experience and well worth it!

Good tour of the city.

Vincent_O, Nov 2025

This tour is a good tour. It wasn't great. It was ok. When I booked the tour, I selected my pick up location which was listed in the selections of places they pick up from. Well, there was zero communication until the start of the tour. The tour starts at 10am and in the booking confirmation it says pick up starts 30 to 60mins prior. I was ready at 9am and didnt hear from anyone. At 10am when the tour was supposed to start, I reached out to them via viator and they told me they dont pick up at my location despite it being on their list of pick up locations. I had to uber to join the tour at the museum of arte which was the start of the tour. The tour itself is decent. Lunch was great but it is more of a highlight of San Jose. There isnt too much to do in San jose. As a first tour of the city, it is great but don't expect a lot.

The perfect option to learn about San José in 5 hours

Viviana_Q, Nov 2025

A great option for exploring and learning about the most important museums and sites in San Jose. It is very importante to mention and recognized the profesionalism, kindness and knowledge of Enrique, the tour guide, and Celso, the van driver.

We highly recommend!

Lynda_H, Nov 2025

We really enjoyed this tour! It was s great way to see San Jose. Enrique, our guide, was terrific and shared a wealth of interesting information and history. The tica lunch was wonderful as well.

Costarica Ttip

Jacques_J, Nov 2025

It was an excellent tour .We have learned a lot about the country.The tour guide was friendly and well articulated

City tour

Sheena_M, Oct 2025

This was an amazing experience!! The tour guides and bus drivers were fantastic! Everyone we encountered were professional, informative and extremely polite. We enjoyed the live music the Marachi played on the bus, the extensive history at the museums and picturesque parks. The food and drinks were completely delectable and savory. Although the Gold museum wasn't available today, we went to the National Theater instead. What a beautiful mirage of paintings and antiques trimmed in gold everywhere! Our tour guides Hector and Minor took good care of us and made us feel like family! Why wait, book today!!

Good way to start trip

Cece_W, Sep 2025

Very fun day! The guide and staff were very friendly which made the experience great! I learned so much about the culture & history of San Jose!

Pura Vida

Maria_C, Sep 2025

It was amazing all 4 of them, the tour to the volcano Poas all day highly recommended and Olman Arce our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the trip unforgettable. All the tours were very good

San Juan city tour

simoonhartley, Aug 2025

Hector was a knowledgeable guide, very interesting destinations with a good mix, delicious lunch, entertainment on the bus: a great first introduction to San Juan city

Very Pleased

John_S, Aug 2025

Excellent tour. I am so glad that we booked it. We learned a lot about the history and culture of Costa Rica. I highly recommend it.

A great way to learn...

JUSTIN_B, Jul 2025

A great way to learn about the history and culture of Costa Rica. Through many struggles in the beginning, the people here was able to start from nothing rebuilding the country back stronger. #Triumphant #PuraVida

Well Organized Tour

Enel_W, Jul 2025

This tour was well organized. The food was great and the customer service was awesome. (FYI give description of the meal just in case of food allergies)

Good overview of the main...

Alan_S, Jul 2025

Good overview of the main sights of San Jose. Great driver, knowledgeable and friendly guide. Broken air conditioning on the bus took away from a great overall experience.