Top San Jose Day Trips

Find your bliss with a classic Costa Rican experience that combines a seismic dose of adventure and relaxation! On this full-day trip from San Jose, visit the very active Arenal Volcano and explore its base with a guided nature hike. Then, unwind with a soak in a variety of geothermal pools at the luxurious Tabacón hot springs. The tour also includes a stop at the artisan town of Sarchí, plus delicious lunch and dinner.

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

Discover one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica on this full-day trip from San Jose to Manuel Antonio National Park. After a scenic drive along the Pacific coast, arrive at this protected reserve that features lush tropical rain forest, unspoiled stretches of white sandy beach, and coral reefs teeming with marine life. Relax on the shore or explore the jungle with a guided nature hike, where you have a chance to spot birds, sloths, monkeys, and other resident wildlife.

Visiting Monteverde from San Jose in just one day can be challenging on your own, but this guided tour streamlines transportation to make the trip a cinch. Arrive at Monteverde in the morning and head straight to a canopy tour: hike on hanging bridges and learn about the rich cloud forest environment before heading back to San Jose.

Visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 26,000-acre (10,500 hectare) oasis of virgin cloud forest. Visited by roughly 70,000 people a year, the reserve is home to about four percent of the world’s animal species. Walk across suspended bridges and hike among native flora and fauna. You can also pay extra to zipline through the canopy. Lunch and a guide are included.

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 is specifically timed to avoid the crowds, too, helping you have the best possible experience exploring.

See more of the Arenal Volcano region with the convenience of a full-day tour from San Jose. Take a scenic route to Arenal with views of farms, rain forest, and small towns, and stop at a coffee plantation where you can sample coffee and traditional snacks. Stop at a waterfall, look for wildlife, then have the afternoon to soak in hot springs set in a lush garden near the Arenal Volcano.

Satisfy your inner explorer on this half-day tour from San Jose that combines a trek to towering Irazú Volcano with a visit to the historic ruins and basilica of Cartago. Take in spectacular views from the summit of Costa Rica's tallest volcano, and uncover centuries of history among fascinating parish ruins and the rich iconography of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels.

Monteverde is a Mecca for nature lovers, and this full day trip won’t disappoint. On the way there, stop at the largest fruit stand in the country and sample a variety of tropical fruits. Once at the destination, ride the Sky Tram over the cloud forest canopy, then proceed on a guided hike along trails and hanging bridges suspended among the treetops.

Explore highlights of Costa Rica's Cartago province on this combo tour from San Jose that offers a mix of majestic natural beauty and cultural gems. Get a front-row view of one of the country's most mystical peaks at Irazú Volcano National Park, and then stroll among vibrant bromeliads, orchids, and hundreds of other plant species at Lankester Gardens in Orosi. You'll also visit the Virgin of the Angels Basilica, a popular pilgrimage site, in Cartago, and taste local flavor with included lunch at a restaurant.

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 is specifically timed to avoid the crowds, too, helping you have the best possible experience exploring.

Discover orchid gardens, colonial architecture, and a magnificent volcano on this full-day trip to Orosi Valley from San Jose. Admire Irazu Volcano—the tallest in the country—and wander the historic streets of Orosi’s town center. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and take a leisurely stroll through the gorgeous Lankester Botanical Gardens.

Discover the amazing treetop ecosystems of Costa Rica’s rain forest on this aerial tram tour near San Jose. Glide through the lush jungle canopy on a 90-minute gondola ride that offers a bird’s-eye view of beautiful hanging gardens and native wildlife not often seen from the forest floor. Optional lunch and transportation add-ons are available for a stress-free wait to explore Costa Rica’s famous biodiversity right from the capital.

Head to La Fortuna, home to the Arenal Volcano, on this guided all-day tour from San Jose. Sit back and relax as you travel through diverse plantations and cattle ranches on the roughly 3.5-hour drive. After arriving, enjoy lunch with a view of the volcano. Then, take a dip in the area’s thermal waters and indulge in an optional massage or other treatment.

Spend time in Costa Rica's famed rain forests and wilderness on this 9-hour tour to Irazu Volcano National Park and Orosi Hot Springs. Head to the summit of the volcano for panoramic views of the lush forests below, and then soak in natural mineral water for a relaxing end to the day.

Our tour is unique from San José. We left at 07:00 in the morning enjoying a delicious breakfast on the way to a town called San Ramón de Alajuela. Then, on our arrival to La Fortuna, we head to the fortune waterfall, where we will enjoy a refreshing swim in the river with the highest waterfall in Costa Rica. Then we enjoy a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch, our guide will offer us the different options to choose. After our lunch, we will have a walk through the treetops, we will have a tour of 6 hanging bridges up to 50 meters high and 120 long. To end our tour we enjoyed a delicious bath in the most natural thermal river in the area, with rejuvenating properties and many more rejuvenating properties, we guarantee your satisfaction and relaxation in this beautiful tour.

Visit the Irazú Volcano National Park and Lankester Botanical Garden on this all-day tour from San Jose. First, head to Irazú Volcano, the highest active volcano in Costa Rica at 11,260 feet (3,400 meters) tall and see its most popular attraction, the giant Diego de la Haya crater. On the return trip, stop at the Lankester Garden, which was established to protect types of flora.

Calling all nature lovers, this 9-hour tour of the Poas Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfalls showcases the best of Costa Rica’s natural landscapes. Departing from San Jose, you’ll eat breakfast and take a plantation tour at the Doka Coffee Estate before visiting the sulfurous crater of Poas Volcano. Then, take a rain forest trail to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, also home to a birdhouse and butterfly garden, Breakfast, lunch, and hotel pickup and drop-off in San Jose are included.

Get out of the city and experience Costa Rica’s rich wildlife heritage with this half day private tour to the Toucan Rescue Ranch. What started out as a rescue facility for toucans has expanded to include other charismatic species such as sloths, monkeys, parrots, and owls. Learn all about them from the dedicated staff committed to their care.

Support sustainable tourism with this eco-adventure to the Cinco Ceibas Rainforest Reserve and Adventure Park. On this full-day trip from San Jose, get an up-close peek at toucans, bats, red-eyed frogs and howler monkeys with a trek across an elevated jungle boardwalk. Create your own adventure with the choice of kayaking down the Rio Cuarto, horseback riding along a river trail or a exploring the reserve in an ox-pulled wagon. A locally sourced lunch, snacks and round-trip transport from San Jose are included.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens showcases Costa Rican wilderness at its most picturesque, with lush tropical rain forest, thundering cascades, white rivers, and a rich variety of wildlife. This tour provides round-trip transportation from San José and allows you to see the highlights of La Paz in a single day. Your guide navigates through the park’s many trails and takes you to White Magic Waterfall, the butterfly observatory, and other attractions.

Spend the day away from bustling San Jose and see the majestic Rio Celeste, one of the top attractions in Costa Rica. Located inside the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the deep turquoise waters of the river can be explored via a trail, which includes a waterfall, a suspended bridge, and a section of hot springs

See some of Costa Rica’s most famous cultural and natural attractions in a single day on this guided tour from San Jose. Travel quickly and hassle-free with a guide who takes you to must-see spots such as the Cartago ruins, the Irazú Volcano, and the Sarapiqui River for an animal-watching boat ride.

Escape the city for a day in the wild on this full-day tour from the San Jose area, including a cruise down the Sarapiqui River, visits to various animal sanctuaries at the Black Madero private wildlife reserve, and a typical buffet lunch. Make it easy to see Costa Rica’s famous wildlife on this inclusive tour featuring a sample of popular rain forest and river activities in and around Braulio Carrillo National Forest.