Highlights & Hidden Gems of San Jose in San Jose - San_Jose_HHG_MAIN.jpg
5.0

Highlights & Hidden Gems of San Jose

  • 3 hours
  • City Highlight Tours
  • San Jose
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Choose one of 2 locals available

Experience hosted by María José & Alberto

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of San Jose? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real San Jose!

Destination
San Jose, Costa Rica
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
3 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Español, Português
Included
  • Private Guide
  • 1 Local Snack or Drink
  • All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance to attractions

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Explore the best of the city in only 3 hours
  • Spot classics like National Theatre of Costa Rica & Metropolitan Cathedral
  • Discover hidden gems away from the tourist paths
  • Experience the city from a local’s perspective
  • Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
  • Privately guided by a local expert

What you can expect

Highlights & Hidden Gems of San Jose in San Jose - San_Jose_HHG_MAIN.jpg

San Jose, is a magical place! And with the local host of your choice, you are going to experience it all. So get ready; culture, history, and local lifestyle await!

Dive into the origin of San Jose as you see the city’s main landmarks like National Theatre of Costa Rica, Metropolitan Cathedral, and Parque Central de San Jose. And how about the hidden gems? Oh, you’re in for a surprise! Every host has its own story to tell, so pick your favorite, and you’ll discover the city through their eyes. Experience their San Jose to the max based on their passions and expertise. They’ll make sure you have fun enjoying a unique and local perspective of San Jose.

Want to take a break? Leave it up to your host! This is the perfect opportunity to visit that special eatery where only the locals come and your chance to enjoy a local treat hand-picked by your host. Feel free to ask your host more about their life in their city or get recommendations about the top things to do in San Jose. Remember, the locals know best.

The best part of any city tour is definitely the unique stories. Everybody has a story to tell, especially your host. Each one of the local hosts has a different background ranging from arts to history. They can’t wait to share their knowledge with you and exchange ideas and perspectives! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their San Jose, your San Jose!

Choose your local

Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

  • María José - A local artist with a storyteller heart

    María José

    A local artist with a storyteller heart

    5.09 reviews
    English・Español
  • Alberto - Everyday Magic Seeker

    Alberto

    Everyday Magic Seeker

    4.95 reviews
    English・Português

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

  1. Meeting point

    Meet at Meet at the entrance of the National Museum of Costa Rica - San Jose to start your journey

  2. Itinerary

    This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

  3. City Highlights

    See from Teatro Melico Salazar, National Theatre of Costa Rica, Metropolitan Cathedral, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes San Jose so uniqu

  4. Hidden Gems

    Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

  5. Magical Storytelling

    Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

  6. Special Treat

    Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

  7. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

  • Feel confident booking

    Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

  • Change of plans?

    Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

  • Loved by travelers worldwide

    Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

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Jolanda🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
2 March 2025
Alberto is een leuke gids, hij vraagt regelmatig wat wil je zien of doen, zodat de tour echt persoonlijk is. Heerlijke cevice in een zakje tortillachips en empanades gegeten. Dit zou je zelf niet vinden. Leuke weetjes over bv national museum en haunted house. Goede manier in vakantie te starten.Wandeling met persoonlijke touch
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Heike
(About local )
28 January 2025
Thank you for everything! We can recommend María as a tour guide. The exchange before and after the tour was great! Thank you for the possibility giving us a first impression of San José and asking for our wishes!Perfect!
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Richard
(About local )
7 January 2025
We had a nice 3-hour tour in San José, with Maria as our guide who truly brought the city to life. From the moment we met, it was clear we were in good hands. Our guide's knowledge of the culture, and hidden gems made the experience feel personalized and authentic. We got to explore local markets and taste traditional foods, everything we looked for. We even had the chance to visit the National Museum. The stories shared along the way added a unique, local flavor to the tour. I recommend this experience for anyone looking to get a local approach of San José!Just as expected
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Erin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 May 2024
María is incredible. I cannot say enough good things about this incredible woman. She is a local artist with murals all over town. Her art is breathtaking/ stunning. She is quiet and kind. She took me to all the local restaurants she eats at and that accommodated my vegan diet. I would pay 5 times what I paid to go spend a day with this inspirational woman who is making the city beautiful one mural at a time! María is a rare gem. Local celebrity arist
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Kathy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 May 2024
We had such an amazing tour of San Jose with Maria! We met her near the National Museum then started our beautiful stroll through the city. Maria took us through the downtown area and pointed out the important buildings and gave us a brief history of the area. We stopped at a restaurant in a beautiful old home where Maria suggested some local foods and drinks. Everything was so good and it was fun trying new foods and eating like the locals. We continued our walk through beautiful parks and stopped at another restaurant for some more tastings. One thing we really enjoyed was finding out that Maria is a local artist and has done several murals in San Jose. We asked her to take us to see the murals and they were fantastic. I got a picture of her and I in front of one of the murals. We would definitely recommend this tour as a safe, fun way to see the city.Spectacular Introduction To San Jose!
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Sabrina🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
15 April 2024
Alberto was amazing. Very knowledgeable and courteous. He showed us beautiful places of San José and the history. Answered all of our questions. Highly recommend. A must when visiting San José
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Diana
(About local )
8 March 2025
We struck gold with Maria. She was friendly, knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful taste of San Jose, its landmarks, its culture and history.She’s also a talented muralist and showed us a number of murals around the city. And when we asked if we could see some of hers, she obliged! So impressive and I would recommend her highly to anyone visiting the city. We LOVED Maria as our guide!
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Brenda🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
11 February 2025
We had a great time with Alberto. He is kind and engaging, a pleasure to talk to. He chose well for the 10 tastings. Great variety of food and locations, and at a casual pace. We were introduced to many new tastes even though we had been in Costa Rica for two weeks! Highly recommend.Fun evening with Alberto
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Susan
(About local )
10 February 2025
First of all, come hungry! The 10 food items advertised in this tour are no joke. This is a food tour of delicious "comida tipica" (traditional Costa Rican dishes) led by local muralist María José. Her knowledge of contemporary CR culture, arts, and politics adds depth to the tour. María Josés English is excellent AND she was happy to let us work on our Spanish by talking with us in both English and Spanish. We were lucky to be able to see several of her murals and to talk with her extensively about her obra and her methods of making art. María José is a very engaging and knowledgeable tour guide. Her flexibility, depth of knowledge, and engaging personality made It worth the cost of taking this private tour. Do it! And don't forget to come hungry!Fabulous Food Tour with Local Artist
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Marilyn🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 February 2025
Alberto was very personal. Asked us about ourselves and told us some of his background. He was very knowledgeable about San Jose and showed a real love and passion for his city. He showed us all the highlights as noted in the tour.Fun and fabulous walking tour
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Jen
(About local )
26 January 2025
Maria did an excellent job with our tour. We had only 2 hours one afternoon and had two kids with us. She somehow managed to tell us about history, current events, taught us some cultural tips, and showed us some beautiful spots. She balanced the needs of our children (start with ice cream, stop to run around a park, get balloon animals from a clown) and grown ups (historical, political, geographic questions). We even saw two parakeets and a bobo! Finally, Maria showed us two of her murals. She is such a talented artist!Great tour!
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Susan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 January 2025
We’ve done lots of food walking tours in all kinds of cities. We got to try a variety of delicious local dishes while learning about the cooking traditions, the people of San Jose and seeing some of the beautiful murals which Maria has painting. Don’t eat before and you will be very full by the end. Fabulous afternoon with Maria
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Lynn🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 November 2024
Three friends and I went on the walking food tour in San Jose with Maria as host. We couldn’t have been more pleased in the choices for all local dishes at various eateries. We had a lot of fun and I would recommend Maria wholeheartedly for this tour.Awesome San Jose Food Tour
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Debbie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 January 2024
Alberto did a wonderful job on our tour; he was careful to gauge our interest and accommodate them in real time. He assisted in finding our meeting spot and was on time. Getting a personalized tour from a local resident provides a unique perspective; we asked political questions, history questions, art questions ... Alberto was well informed and careful to couch his personal answers as "his opinion" when appropriate. We even contacted him later in our trip to ask for directions to a place he'd take us and he was quick to respond. Highly recommended. Special insight

Withlocals experiences
are always

Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

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