excursions in costa rica san jose

Mytanfeet is full of local tips, detailed guides, photos, videos and maps to help you plan the perfect trip to Costa Rica. The following stop is made at the San Fernando Waterfall look-out point, here you will spend more time to take pictures of the beautiful waterfall, do degustation of authentic Costa Rican coffee with local snacks that Costa Ricans normally eat with coffee, and you will also have the chance to observe many bird species of Costa Rica at their bird observation station. A visit to the town of Tortuguero is included as part of the Caribbean Cultural experience of this tour. On this walk through the history of cocoa you will do different degustation of chocolate, the way our ancestors drank it, the raw products and the final product of chocolate when its processed in a traditional way. After lunch you will do a very short walk to the volcanos look-out point located at the base of the mountain, where you can take pictures of this beautiful volcano on clear days. This is the closest zip lining tour to the city of San Jose, located about an hour and 15 minutes outside of the city. The hike at the national park is easy, its all done on flat terrain. Read 10 reasons why you should! This chocolate tour also lasts for about 1.5 to 2 hours. If you have some days in the city, here are our recommended best San Jose, Costa Rica day trips. If you go ziplining, their canopy tour gives you fantastic views of the jungle as you fly over the trees! Some tour companies operate a Doka Coffee and Grecia, Sarchi and oxcart tour which is very nice. Following you will participate of a traditional chocolate tour. The tour continues to the Sarapiqui area where you will do a short rainforest walk in one of the local reserves, here you will learn a little more about the flora of Costa Rica. Here youll board a catamaran for an exciting cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya to Tortuga Island. Following you will stop at the famous La Paz Waterfall, here you will spend a few minutes to take great pictures of this natural wonder. Youll stop at Democracy Place and the National Museum, the Courts, Los Yoses, Hispanidad Fountain, and the Rodrigo Facio Campus in the University of Costa Rica. Youll also find out which tour companies we recommend for San Jose day tours and you can get our San Jose day tours discount! Youll sample the flavors of Costa Rica while you learn [], Youll depart your central San Jose hotel early in the morning on a drive to the Tropical Rivers Operations Center. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This national park is in Cartago and has some spectacular views along the way. Once at the island you will be able to relax on the beach for a few hours, or do some of the activities available, like beach volleyball, banana boat ride, snorkeling, etc. This tour is recommended for people of all ages and in any physical condition. Poas Volcano is only about a 1 hour drive from downtown, making it one of the best day trips from San Jose. At this rescue center you will be able to observe many wild animal species of Costa Rica that are treated there, including several sloths. Next to the crater there are other areas for hiking, like a plain called Playa Hermosa, as well as trails that go to the mountains around the crater. This San Jose Cultural tour starts in the morning at one of the local coffee plantations, where you will learn about the history of Costa Ricas most important agricultural product. Great souvenir! With your guide, youll hike along the park trails, observing rainforest vegetation and trying to spot wildlife along the way. If youre not on a budget, its worth the entrance fee to the gardens since the property has 5 different waterfalls! Costa Ricas capital city of San Jose and the surrounding Central Valley has the biggest urban developments of Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio National Park is another popular day tour from San Jose. With each new stop on the tour, your guide will familiarize you with local culinary history and culture. Spend [], This afternoon, explore Costa Ricas quaint capital, San Jose. Youll cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya for about 1.5 hours before reaching the island where you have 5 hours to relax and enjoy. On this full Nature Tour from San Jose you will ride on the Tortuguero Canals searching for the abundant rainforest wildlife, and you will also learn about the lush flora of the area. Tour companies offer tours with Doka Coffee Estate and La Paz waterfall Gardens, La Paz and Poas Volcano or all three. San Jose used to have many coffee plantations and many of the richest families in Costa Rica are ex-coffee plantation owners. All Rights Reserved. They also stop by Sarchi on their Arenal 1 day tour. Visit Irazu Volcano National Park to see the tallest volcano in Costa Rica. Costa Rica's capital city of San Jose is an up-and-coming cultural hot spot and the latest culinary epicenter prime for discovery. We offer a total of 3 tours to the Beautiful Beaches of Costa Rica, although 2 of them will be presented on the Combination Tours section because they are both combined with other intense nature activities: The Manuel Antonio National Park Tour and the Sloth Sanctuary and Caribbean Beaches Tour. These are the 2 options available from San Jose: This tour is meant for those travelers who are not looking to do a lot of exploring-adventure, but rather relax for a long time in the hot springs. Best Costa Rica Tours Day tours usually consist of breakfast, lunch, an Arenal volcano hike and Arenal hot springs (Baldi, the Springs or Tabacon). This day excursion will take you on a guided hike through the national park to see wildlife like monkeys and sloths. One bonus to going on a coffee tour is that you can buy coffee at the factory which is fresher and cheaper than the supermarket. Its one of the tours we offer discounts for. Here is a brief review of each one of our tours departing from San Jose, separated by themes and with some additional information that will help you determine which one of them better suits your needs and interests: Costa Rica is known worldwide for its amazing nature, there are several National Parks and Natural Reserves everywhere you go, with jungles, rivers, volcanoes and other natural attractions. First you will go white water rafting on the Sarapiqui River, which is the best river of Costa Rica for class II-III rafting. It goes to Irazu, Cartago and/or Hacienda Orosi. Since its towards the Caribbean side, this area has incredibly lush jungle and abundant wildlife. This tour is recommended for people in any physical shape, the amount of walking required is minimal. Since visitors can only stay 40 minutes in the national park, it makes for a quick nice stop to see a volcano crater in between the drive. At this National Park you will do a 1-2 hours hike searching for the local wildlife and you will also spend some time at its pristine and beautiful beaches. For those without a car, you can book an Irazu Volcano day tour. Its a must if you dont have more time to spend in La Fortuna! 2008-2022 Agencia de Viajes GO! After lunch you will return to San Jose, but you will do a few stops to admire some interesting things of Costa Rica that can be explored. After all of these stops you will be taken to your hotel in San Jose. On this tour you will spend about 4 hours on the river, making it the longest rafting tour in all Costa Rica too. The countrys varied climate and geography are very favorable for the formation of Rainforest, Cloud Forests, and Dry Tropical Forests, which are full of wildlife, the ideal environments for the most amazing Nature Tours. Afterwards you will go to the hot springs at the base of Arenal Volcano to relax for a couple of hours before going back to San Jose and dinner will be served along the way. Arrive at Poas Volcano, which is one of the more active volcanos in central Costa Rica. in Zurich & Berlin. Wait, you can go ziplining in San Jose? Since Irazu Volcano is about a 2 hour drive from San Jose, doesnt require a lot of walking and is a simple drive, its a very easy day trip from San Jose. The tour starts with a few of the regular zip lining cables, then about halfway through, you will do the Tarzan Swing, which is a large rope secured to the top of a big tree that will make swing in all directions, quiet an amazing experience. For travelers staying in the capital city of San Jose, a, To get a better understanding of San Joses culture, dont miss the, For an adventure around San Jose, check out the. This tour is recommended for people who are in a fairly-decent physical shape. After this visit you will be taken back to your hotel in San Jose. Its a beautifully designed park with walking trails, gorgeous gardens and nature all around. At this plantation you will learn the process of growing coffee, the way it is harvested in Costa Rica and the way it is brewed in a traditional way; degustation of local coffee is included as part of the tour and this activity lasts for about 1.5 2 hours. The first stop will be done in a coffee plantation, where you will receive a briefing about the Coffee of Costa Rica for a few minutes and will be able to take a close look at the coffee plants; we just dont go into the coffee processing plant because we have many other things to see later on. For us, one of the best coffee tours from San Jose is the Doka Estate Coffee tour. We have a special $10 discount for the Tortuga Island Day Tour with Bay Island Cruises. Whiz across 12 different zip lines and 18 platforms. Following you will visit the Capital City of San Jose, where you will walk on its streets with your guide to some of the most remarkable places, such as the National Theater, the Central Avenue and the San Jose Central Market, the most iconic cultural place of the city. Learn about the history of coffee and chocolate on this half day tour. It is also important to understand that the sloths cannot be held or touched, it is prohibited to handle wild animals in Costa Rica, unless is done by the workers of these places with their respective permits. Tortuguero is another great place in Costa Rica to see nature and wildlife. This tour is recommended for people in any physical shape because the amount of walking required is minimal, just about an hour at a slow pace during the rainforest walk. On this activity you will learn the whole history of cocoa in Latin America, the uses our ancestors gave to it and the history on how it turned out to be chocolate. A walk at the University of Costa Ricas Lankester Gardens will also be done, where the visitors will admire a very large variety of local plants native to Costa Rica, including many beautiful orchids. Follow your guide through the giant aviary, hummingbird garden, serpentarium, butterfly garden, the frog house, and the big cat exhibit. This adventure combination tour takes place in the Sarapiqui Rainforest area. A delicious lunch will be served on the island and towards the late afternoon hours you will board the boat to go back to Puntarenas and then the bus to San Jose, you should be back at your hotel around 7-8 p.m. (times can vary depending on logistics). Tours S.A. All Rights Reserved, Monteverde Sky Tram & Hanging Bridges Tour, Sloths Experience & Indigenous Tribe Tour. After boarding the boat, you will travel along the beautiful Gulf of Nicoya, where you will be able to admire its multiple islands; this boat ride lasts for about 1.5 hours as well. Right after the rappelling you will participate of a brief native tribe presentation for about 15-20 minutes, where local indigenous people will talk about their traditions, music, dialect, etc. After the Sloth Sanctuary Tour you will go to the town of Cahuita to have an authentic Caribbean style lunch, and then you will visit Cahuita National Park. This ride takes about 5 hours altogether, but thats including the time spent at the interesting attractions where the tour goes. Following will be zip lining, the adventurous part of this trip. The hanging bridges in the Monteverde Cloud Forests are the most famous of the country and the ones with better infrastructure for tourism. Other important landmarks will be visited by vehicle, such as the Sabana Park, the National Stadium, the Congress, the National Cathedral and other places of interests; the time exploring San Jose will be about 2-3 hours. Additionally, they have a small hotel in the park so visitors can take an overnight trip from San Jose. Costa Rica is also famous for its Adventure Tours, as a matter of fact, the country is very well positioned as an adventure travel destination. You will walk through the plantation and the coffee processing plant, where you will learn everything about Costa Rican coffee, the way is planted, the way is harvested and the way is brewed in a traditional way; this interesting experience takes about 1.5 to 2 hours all together. Poas Volcano National Park is the most popular park in Costa Rica because of its easy accessibility and incredible views of one of the largest geyser volcano craters in the world. If you want to use San Jose as your home base in Costa Rica and do day trips, it is possible and you can see many different parts of the country. Ed #2798 Oficina #8 A stop is done along the way at the folkloric town of Sarchi, where you will have the chance to visit the typical oxcarts factory and its big souvenir shop, where shopping can be done for a while. (If youre going on your own, click here to get our 7% La Paz waterfall gardens discount!). Mytanfeet LLC Copyright 2013 - 2022 - Thank you for supporting our Travel Blog! Please click to get your San Jose day tours discount! The Tortuga Island tour stars in the morning with pickup from your hotel in San Jose, you will go to the Port of Puntarenas on an approx. Get Exclusive Costa Rica Travel Tips and our Free Travel Guide Straight to You! Some of the best coffee in Costa Rica comes from the Doka Estate, and youll have the chance to witness the [], 1 hour north of San Jose is the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a sprawling animal sanctuary and nature experience that gets you up close and personal with wildlife and waterfalls. At Sarchi you will visit the Central Park to observe the World Guiness Record biggest oxcart in the world and you will also visit the typical oxcarts factory. Tortuga Island is definitely one of the best San Jose day tours and best beach trips from San Jose! San Jose, Costa Rica 10104. The hanging bridges and nature trails at Selvatura are mainly to observe the rare cloud forest eco system, your expert guide will walk you through this amazing gallery explaining many interesting aspects of our endangered Cloud forests. Located 12 nautical miles from Puntarenas, Isla Tortuga is a popular spot thanks to its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. Costa Rica has more than 300 beaches in the whole territory, with 1,200 kilometers of coast line (about 800 miles). Paddle through Class 3, 4 and 4+ rapids surrounded by lush jungle on this awesome outdoor adventure. After lunch you will visit the volcanos main look-out point, which is located at the base of the mountain, you will spend a few minutes taking pictures of the volcano (weather permitting), before going to Baldi Hot Springs. Costa Rica Experts 2022. This is by far the best class II-III white water rafting trip in Costa Rica. This tour is recommended for people in a fairly good physical shape, because a lot of paddling has to be done during the 4 hours that you will be on the river. Zarcero is famous for their church and topiary gardens, Grecia has a red metal church and Sarchi has the biggest oxcart and sells fine furniture. The whole rafting trip lasts for about 2 hours, and a fruit snack is served around the middle of the tour. The tour continues directly to the Arenal area, where you will have lunch upon arrival. The entrance fee ranges from $45-69 USD per adult with lunch so if youre on a budget, you can visit the free waterfall by the side of the road. On route to Arenal you will travel along jungles, farms and local towns, until reaching the town of La Fortuna where you will enjoy a delicious typical lunch. This zip lining tour lasts for about 2 hours, lunch would be served after the adventure, and then you will return to San Jose. The tour starts in the morning in one of the local coffee plantations located on the foothills of Poas Volcano National Park. Arrive at the small town of La Fortuna, with a stop to enjoy lunch at a cozy restaurant with a magnificent view of the Arenal Volcano. The tour starts in the morning by traveling towards the foothills of the Poas Volcano and Barva Volcano, on the most scenic route to Arenal (there are a few ways to get there), and you will do several stops to enjoy many interesting attractions. If youre lucky, you might [], Youll depart San Jose and head to Alajuela, driving through coffee plantations and strawberry farms before arriving at a higher cloud forest altitude. In fact, youre in one of the best locations since the city is right in the middle of the country! Then you will visit the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park (commonly known as the Arenal Hanging Bridges), where you will hike in the Rain Forest for about 2.5 hours; seeing wildlife on this hike is also very common. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You can drive yourself to the coffee plantations to do the tour or book a tour with a company. Join 10k+ in receiving Expert travel advice, news & promotions! On this tour you would stop in a coffee plantation where a briefing of Costa Rican coffee will be done, including degustation of coffee accompanied by local snacks (this degustation will be done in a typical restaurant further ahead). 2022 At the end of your day you will relax at the mineral hot springs of the area for about 2 hours before returning to your hotel in San Jose. Take an Arenal Volcano one day tour from San Jose to see the majestic volcano and relax in the hot springs. For those people with limited traveling time in the City of San Jose, we offer a few Combination Tours where the tourists are able to enjoy more than one activity or attraction in a single day, and in some of the cases, would be able to do several activities or attractions, these type of excursions are ideal for those who have just one or two days to see the most of Costa Rica. At the end of the day you will go to relax to Paradise Hot Springs, this is one of the many local parks where you can relax in mineral thermal waters that come naturally heated by the volcano. Then you will go on to relax at one of the best hot springs in the [], Set against a cloud forest background, the San Luis canopy tour will take you on an exciting and safe adventure in the treetops of the Central Highlands. This is another of the Nature Tours where you can visit the Cloud Forests of Costa Rica. For these day trips, you can do these one your own if you rented a car or you can book tours with transportation. In the mood for adventure? Here you will enjoy a Costa Rican breakfast before heading to the put-in on the banks of the Pacuare River. Each of these towns have their own special characteristics and offer a wonderful glimpse into local in Costa Rica. On a clear day, you can see the bright blue color of the crater lake! At Baldi there are also water slides for the visitors enjoyment, as well as many swim up bars for drinks and food while enjoying there. This is the absolutely best rafting trip in all Costa Rica and has being ranked as the 5th best in the world. However, the best way to visit in on an overnight trip from San Jose. This tour also includes visiting a monkeys observation place, where we normally observe lots of white faced capuchin monkeys in their natural environment. Get $5 USD off the tour! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Towards the evening hours you will enjoy a delicious dinner in one of the Tabacons fine restaurants before returning to your hotel in San Jose. 2008 There are many Tours from San Jose to explore volcanoes, national parks, rainforests, beautiful beaches; do adventure activities or to explore the local culture. If you rented a car, you can easily visit these places on your own. These are the Combination Tours available from San Jose: This tour is our best seller, considered the most complete combination tour offered from San Jose, which is a great blend of Nature, Culture, Adventure and Relaxation activities, all done in a single day. At the end of the tour you will enjoy a delicious lunch in a restaurant by the side of the river, and then you will head back to San Jose. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This tour is the absolutely best combination for those who seek to experience the amazing Nature of Costa Rica and its beautiful beaches. At the end of this Zip lining and Rafting tour you will be taken back to your hotel in San Jose. The tour departs from San Jose in the morning and goes to an animal rescue center located in a rural town not too far from the city. On this tour you will be on the river 2 hours approximately, which is normally what the rafting tours last in all Costa Rica; and a fruit snack will be served around the middle of the excursion. Rainforest Adventures is an eco-adventure park near Brauilio Carrillo National Park with a variety of activities such as hiking, bird watching, ziplining and an aerial tram. (some of these activities require an extra charge). Along the way, you can stop at Finca Sanatorio Duran, the most haunted building in Costa Rica! All of these activities are done near the Arenal Volcano National Park area, the best place for adventure activities in Costa Rica. After visiting the Arenal Volcano look-out point at the Arenal 1968 Trail, you will spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at Baldi Hot Springs, which is the largest hot springs park in Costa Rica. Most of the options for tours from San Jose involve nature or adventure type of activities, however, there are a couple of Relaxation Tours where you would have the chance to relax in mineral hot springs for a long time in the afternoon. This day of adventure starts with the zip lining tour in the rainforest, which includes a total of 9 adventure cables that are normally done in approximately 1.5 hours. The Rainforest Adventures aerial tram is the first in Costa Rica, taking visitors through the jungle and high up to a viewpoint. The tour continues with great views of the Caribbean Rainforests until reaching the Iguanas Center, here you will spend a few minutes to take pictures of the many iguanas in their natural habitat, and we sometimes observe sloths and monkeys as well. At Baldi there are multiple pools with water that was naturally heated by the volcano, where you can relax surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens. The zip lining is done at the lush rainforest near the Arenal River, where you will zip along 9 adventure lines for about 1.5 hours; and at the end you will have the chance to do a 50 meter-high rappel line over the Arenal River (this is optional). and it is done mostly on flat terrain at a slow pace. Arrive at tiny Manuel Antonio National Park, home to rainforest wildlife and beautiful Pacific beaches. The walk to the crater is very short, it doesnt take more than 5 minutes and its done on flat terrain. Finally, make a brief stop [], Youll depart San Jose on a 2.5-hour drive north to the Arenal area. On this tour you will hike on the trails and hanging bridges of Sky Adventures Park, where you will also be able to ride its tram and get the best aerial views of the Monteverde and Santa Elena areas. The name of this tour speaks for itself, this tour is all done in 3 different places where the rainforest and wildlife of Costa Rica can be admired. This is also an excursion for those travelers who are looking for a relaxing time during their stay in San Jose. Afterwards you will be taken to relax for the rest of the afternoon to the thermal mineral waters of Arenal Volcano, this tour is meant for people who are seeking to relax for a few hours, rather than doing other activities (we also have available the Costa Rica Full-Dall Combo tour, which is the same tour as this one but with the inclusion of zip lining or a rainforest hike with animal exhibits and less time at the hot springs). If you visit independently, make sure you purchase park tickets beforehand on the SINAC website. The white water tubbing activity in the Arenal River is done later on, which lasts for about 1.5 hours too. After all of these interesting stops you will reach the town of La Fortuna, where you will enjoy a delicious local lunch at the base of Arenal Volcano. For those booking tours with transportation, dont forget to get our San Jose day tours discount! There are also combo Tours that combine a little bit of everything. It is not uncommon to see a continuous flow of steam spewing out of the crater. As you can see, staying in San Jose doesnt mean its just city sightseeing. The landscape is very favorable for the practice of adventure activities, there many mountains for the practice of zip lining and horseback riding; rivers for white water rafting; waterfalls and cliffs to do rappelling, etc. The tour is rated as class III-IV, thats why we recommend experience, or it could be considered as an intense first-time rafting trip, basically for those people who have never done rafting but enjoy high adrenaline stuff (especially in the rainy season-months between May and December, when the river is higher). San Joses favorable location makes it easy for travelers to experience the highlights of Costa Rica. travel guide to San Jose Costa Rica sightseeing tours. There are some companies who offer 1 day tours to Tortuguero which give you just enough time to see the park, town and beach on a quick trip. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. After the visit to the rescue center, the tour takes a turn to explore the culture of Costa Rica at the town of Grecia, where you will observe its iconic metal church; as well as going to the town of Sarchi which is Costa Ricas artisans birth place. Although, there is just a handful of beautiful Beach Tours that can be done as a One Day Trip from San Jose. This tour is recommended for people in any physical shape, the amount of walking required is minimal. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. Yep! In the afternoon you will board a boat that will take you on the Sarapiqui River to try to spot some of the local wildlife, this is a 1.5-2 hours ride where is very common to see monkeys, sloths, toucans, coatimundis, crocodiles, and several species of native and migratory birds.

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excursions in costa rica san jose