City Square Tours

An enterprising company, City Square Tours has started a new service for $25 per person taking visitors from attraction to attraction within San Jose. The bus has a bilingual guide familiar with the functioning and history of the various attractions, and San Jose in general. There are eight different attractions they stop at beginning at 8:45 am and finishing the day at 4 pm. You can stop at each attraction for 45 to 90 minutes, then go on to the next. Included are the ornate Teatro Nacional, the Museo Nacional, the Paseo Gastronómica LA LUZ (maybe for lunch), the Museo for Dr. Calderon-Guardia, a visit to the historic neighbourhood of Barrio Amon with the zoo, parks and monuments, the Children's Museum, the Central Market and nearby ornate buildings, and the Museo Nacional de Arte.

What we didn't like about it

Admission is not included, and some places like Barrio Amon would be difficult to navigate around. Perhaps they will provide a hiking map for some of the more spread out locations.

Other options

Actually all of the places except the Museo Nacional de Arte in Sabana Park and the Museo for Dr. Calderon-Guardia are within walking distance of each other, and if you pay someone knowledgeable like one of the Adventure Inn drivers, they could walk you to all of them. You'd be tired after a day, but probably not much more tired than taking the City Square tour as the distance between each attraction would only be a few blocks.

The City Square initiative is supported by various government agencies, though funding was not mentioned, and apparently some percentage of the profits will be given to cultural, environmental and social programs. Even though San Jose is not a spectacular breath-taking capital city the way other world capitals are, it is something to consider.

Book your tour with Adventure Inn

Another professionally-guided afternoon tour of San Jose booked through Adventure Inn on our tours page. It costs $48 per person (at the time of writing) for five hours and includes hotel pick up and drop off. It includes a drive through Sabana Park (San Jose's old airport), a walking tour at the Plaza de la Cultura and the Teatro Nacional, admission to the Gold Museum and National Museum, the University of Costa Rica and the Supreme Court buildings. Later you will be given time at a beautiful art and souvenir shopping place before returning to Adventure Inn.