San José Free Walking Tour

I joined the San José Free Walking Tour and found the overall experience to be both well-organized and engaging. It's a great introduction for anyone who has just arrived in Costa Rica. The tour provides interesting insights into the country’s culture and history while giving you a good overview of San José. The whole tour lasts about two and a half hours, so it does require a bit of physical stamina. If you have the time, I highly recommend doing this tour at the beginning of your trip — it will definitely make your time in Costa Rica more meaningful.

We had an amazing experience with Braulio on the San José Free Walking Tour. Just like the other reviews said, he really knows how to bring the city to life. He gave us a solid understanding of both the rich history and the more recent social and political context of Costa Rica. It never felt like a dry history lesson — Braulio made it engaging, relevant, and personal. He also shared thoughtful recommendations and practical tips for exploring the city beyond the tour. You can tell he’s passionate about his work and genuinely loves his city. ¡Muchísimas gracias, Braulio! Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get a deeper feel for San José.

This was a very nice nature walk. In the most unusual place. On the campus of the University of Costa Rica. Our guide Isma was very knowledgeable and nice. I would never thought it could be possible to see sloths in the city. We saw them. I saw more sloths here than I did on a hike in Arenal. We saw some birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and a fuzzy caterpillar. I recommend this walk if you don't want to do a strenuous hike. Many trees and plants. Perfect for children.

Our first activity in Costa Rica was a San Jose Walking Tour with Guille, which provided a great introduction to the city and Costa Rica’s history. We visited architectural highlights and sampled fresh fruit at a local market. Guillermo was informative and offered excellent restaurant and activity recommendations. Highly recommended!

The best thing we did in San Jose. 100% recommend because you will learn some of the fascinating history of the city, and of this beautiful country. We did a 9am tour with Jorge. He was fantastic. His passion for the city and its history shows in his captivating delivery of so many interesting facts. If you only have time to do one thing in San Jose, do this tour. And do it at the start of your stay, because you will also get some good tips about where to eat in the city.

I really enjoyed this walking tour with Braulio. He is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, sharp, and genuinely funny. He explained the city with real facts, clear history, and great local stories that made everything easy to follow. He kept the pace comfortable and answered every question with patience. You can tell he loves his city and loves what he does. I definitely recommend this tour and especially Braulio.

Sandra and I absolutely loved Iso’s Free Walking Tour of San José! In just 2½ hours, she guided us through the heart of the city in a tidy loop—no back-tracking—which felt just right. Her passion for local history shines through her fast-paced (and delightfully accented) storytelling, and she always made time for our questions. We appreciated the fuss-free email instructions before the tour and a follow-up with our group photo. She was clear about the pay-what-you-want model—no suggested donation—so we tipped what felt fair. Even though the group was a bit large (and we missed the coffee break), Iso kept everyone safe at busy crossings and pointed us toward charming nearby shops. A warm, genuine way to get to know San José!

We had an amazing tour with Jules. He was well prepared and knowledgeable about San Jose and Costa Rica. We learned so much about the area and loved his ‘Fun Facts’. He worked hard to find topics that interested us and then shared lots of information. The tour was enjoyable and made us definitely want to come back and see more. We only came for a weekend but this tour was the highlight and we definitely will be back! So much more to see and do!