There are a lot of tours and local events and doings in and from San José. Buses are well marked, pretty reliable and crowded.

• Butterfly farm
• Coffee farm
• Canopy
• Rafting
• Volcanoes: Buses to volcano Poas leave from Parque La Merced at 08:30h daily (2990 CRC).
• Casinos Many hotels have gaming.

Decent gym facilities can be found at the Spa Corobici (telephone: 231-5542) located behind the Hotel Corobici. The taxi ride from the airport is approximately $10 - $20 USD and entry into the gym is 5,300 CRC or $10 USD. The club has a good selection of free and machine weights as well as a cardio theater. The club also has an outdoor swimming pool for lap swimming, a jacuzzi tub, and a sauna.

• La Paz Waterfall Gardens An hour away from San Jose you can find lovely trails through primary rainforest that take you past five beautiful waterfalls. The La Paz water fall gardens also offer a hummingbird gallery, serpentarium, frog exhibit and large butterfly observatory.

• Museo Oro Precolombino (The Gold Museum), under Plaza de la Cultura. Tel 243-4202, museoro@racsa.co.cr, [7]. Tu-Su 10AM-4:30PM. Entrance fee $7 for foreigners. The collection consists of 1600 pieces of Pre-Columbian gold work dating from 500 AD to 1500 AD. Information is given on the processing and making of the pieces as well as their social, cultural and religious meanings. At the same place you will also find The Numismatic Museum and The Temporary Exhibition Galleries. There is a nice museum shop and a tourist office at the entrance.
• Museo del Jade (The jade museum), Avenida 5-7, Calle 11-13 bis, INS, now on the 1st floor. Tel 223-5800. Mo-Fr 8:30AM-3PM. Entrance fee 500 Colones.
• Museo de los Niños (The children's museum), antigua penetenciaría (the old prison). Tel 258-4929. M-F 9:30AM-3:30PM, Sa-Su 10AM-4PM. Entrance fee 600 Colones for adults and 300 for children.
• Museo Nacional, Calle 17 Avenida 2. Tel 257-1433. Tu-Su 8:30AM-4:30PM. Entrance fee 2000 Colones. The museum includes a large butterfly garden and a collection of large stone spheres from the Diquis Valley near the Pacific Ocean. The museum building is an old fort last used during the 1948 revolution.
• Museo de Arte Costarricense, east end of Sabana Park. This used to be San Jose's main airport terminal back when La Sabana was the airport. Tel 222-7155. Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00, Su 10:00-14:00. Entrance fee $5 (students $3).
• Insect Museum at the Universidad de Costa Rica A very elegant collection of exotic bugs. Only a few dollars, but check the times when they are open.

By plane

The airport is 17km or about 20 minutes by car from the center of San José.

There is a local bus stop outside the airport, but you might have to change buses to get to the city center. The taxis charge around 15 US Dollars to take you to the city, be sure to take one of the licensed reddish-orange taxis that say "Taxi Aeropuerto." There are many unlicensed taxi drivers who will charge you almost twice as much as Taxi Aeropuerto. The taxis gladly take Dollars, but the local bus only takes Colones.

There is an ATM by the entrance to the departures that will give you both Colones and Dollars.

By bus

Buses from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama both, arrive to and leave from San José.

The Tica Bus [2] terminal is the most common choice for locals and foreigners alike when it comes to traveling around Central America and even Mexico. Please take note that it has recently been moved to the other end of town, near the Mercedes Tower. (Address: 200 meters north and 100 meters west of Torre Mercedes (Paseo Colón), in front of the Magisterio Nacional Mortuary)

King Quality [3] is a new choice available, their prices are considerably more expensive or cheaper than Tica Bus depending on the destination. There is also Transnica, note they don't have a website up, for information their phone number is (506)2223-4123.

Of course most local buses start or end here. There are several bus terminals in San José. It is important to know which bus terminal serves your bus route. Bus stops are usually every few blocks in the city.

Taxis are generally cheap. All taxis should have a meter. The fare starts at 420 colones. Conversion is about 500 colones per USD. A ride inside the city center will normally cost 500-1000 colones. Basically a couple dollars, which they will accept, will get you anywhere in the city. Be aware that it is close to useless to give a taxi driver an exact street address. You have to point out some well-known building, park or hotel close to where you are going. Often there are no street signs and addresses are difficult to find, so be sure you know where you are going or you could get lost very easily. If you are driving in Costa Rica (one may see vehicles from Mississippi, British Columbia, Panama, and other places) note that the traffic lights don't have the yellow border around them and can sometimes be difficult to see, the road network is well utilized by locals (to overcapacity) so don't expect to get anywhere fast, also motorcycles weave in and out of traffic. Keep in mind the pet peeve most tourists have with tico kindness: often times when a tico has no idea where a certain destination you may have had in mind is, he or she will simply direct you to a random location. Often times simply incomprehensible, these directions are a reflection on the cultural approach to kindness many Costa Ricans adopt. Service Car Rental [4] has good chart about driving distances in Costa Rica. Or use the online route planner from YourTravelmap.com [5].

• Costa Rica Executive Transportation [6] Chauffeur Driven Luxury Transportation and Security Service. Providing Transportation to anywhere in Costa Rica, air charters, meet and greet services, airport transfers for all travelers to Costa Rica.

The Bus system is reliable, comfortable, extensive, and very cheap. For instance it costs about $5 to travel from San Jose to the Nicoya Peninsula.

• Boutique Annemarie, located inside Hotel Don Carlos, is a nice souvenir shop. But don't buy your stamps here, they'll charge you an extra 40% for the "service".
• El Pueblo shopping mall has lots of small souvenir shops.
• Mora Books Is a used book store on the corner of First Avenue and Street 3 in down-town San Jose. They have a great number of guide books. They will buy, trade, or sell for cheaper than I´ve found in other countries.

The best coffees have deserved reputations for superb quality. Super markets/grocers and small coffee growers usually have better prices than shops that cater to tourists. Often packaged in 12 oz. sealed bags, you should only purchase roasted, whole beans rather than ground...for epicures, "strictly hard bean" (SHB)). They will keep flavor longer...until you can store them properly at home (Google for methods), and won't include sugar as often found in Costa Rican ground. Roasted coffee also prevents you from running afoul of agencies such as FDA/APHIS that requires special licensing for importing unroasted (may be considered plant material).

• Ganesha Indian Restaurant, This is an Indian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant in Heredia, Costa Rica just about 15 minutes drive from the airport. Indian food lovers can get their garam masala fix here. Great Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Seekh Kebab and Chicken Tikka Masala. The lassis are great too. Located in Hotel America, 50 meters south of Central park in Heredia. Tel 8379-7951 or 8880-9238 for reservations and more information.
• Tin Jo, This is an incredible Asian restaurant featuring Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Indian food. Don't be scared by the looks on the outside, the restaurant is clean, beautifully decorated and offers the best service I experienced in Costa Rica. Paseo de los estudiantes.
• Machu Picchu Restaurant, The best international Peruvian Food & Sea Food, located at (Paseo Colón) 1st Ave. 125 meters north from Kentucky FC restaurant. Phone: 506.222.3679 (Extremely Recommended!! Try the Causa Rellena, Cebiche, Lomo Saltado, Ají de Gallina and Peru's traditional and landmark drink: Pisco Sour.
• Hotel Vesuvio Restaurante, Barrio Otoya, Tel 257-5411. Italian food, pastas 1900 Colones, chicken 2000-2500.
• La Palma, Avenida 9, Barrio Amón. Italian food, recommended by the nearby hotels. no longer in business
• Hotel Don Carlos, the Precolobian Lounge serves some small dishes that you probably should skip.
• La Cocina de Leña, Centro Comercial El Pueblo, Tel 255-1360. Cozy restaurant with good typical food and friendly service. 5500 Colones for a steak. Recommended by many tourist guides but very overpriced and touristy.
• Hotel Grano de Oro, Calle 30 Avenida 2/4. Tel 255-3322. Beautiful but expensive restaurant. A breakfast menu costs around 2400 Colones or treat yourself to the delicious banana-macadamia nut pancakes (2000 Colones).
• Cafetería Parisien Gran Hotel, between Theatro Nacional and Plaza de Cultura. Not the most exciting food, but elegant settings.
• Manolo's Churreria, Avenida Central, Calle 0/2. Popular soda. Try the chicken tacos, but stay away from the hamburgers. You may also see the local bookie here, taking bets from the regulars.
• Mercado Central This very old and interesting, bustling food market also contains a number of small restaurants and quick-serve counters for the locals. You will find fresh cooked fish and shellfish, sopa de pescado (fish soup) and such exotics as "squid in his ink", ceviche (small bits of raw fish "cooked" in lime juice) and more. Perhaps not for the faint of heart.
• Pizzeria Il Pomodoro One of the best known casual restaurants in Costa Rica, Cerca de Parque Kennedy y Banco Nacional en San Pedro. Italian cuisine, very good pizza and pasta, good cheap wine, from second floor great view or the mountains to the west.
• Mango: The street vendors often sell mango with salt and lime, it's great.
• La Calle Anything a street vendor is selling is probably good.
• News Cafe On Avenida Central and Calle 7, in the Hotel Presidente, a few blocks from the Plaza de la Cultura, the National Theatre and the National Museum. The News offers American Style "comfort" food at great quality and good prices. Daily specials are served during lunch hours and are outstanding value.

• El Cafetal de la Luz Hotel Plaza Amon, Calle 3 Avenida 11, Tel 2257-0191. Cocktails (1700-2900 Colones) served on the balcony. Slow service. This cafe is attached to the Clarion Hotel in Barrio Amon. Namesake of the coffee plantation that existed in this neighborhood when electricity was first introduced.

• El Pueblo [12] Is a shopping center which becomes a clubbing district at night. There are several bars and nightclubs cluttered in the tiny little alleyways. Just mention El Pueblo to your taxi and he'll know where to go. When leaving, the taxis parked outside the gates are cheaper than the ones that are waiting for you within the compound. Please note -- This place can be dangerous for tourists and locals alike, gunfights have occurred in the compound though it has been a couple of years since any was reported as of August 2008.

• San Pedro Is home to many bars and clubs, try to avoid the university of Costa Rica area at night as the many bars in the university district tend to attract brawls. The other bars/clubs in San Pedro are usually free of trouble.

• Barrio California Is the place to be if you're into the bohemian/rock crowd. Some of the bars have local bands playing a few nights a week. Many people just choose to sit right by their cars on the street and enjoy some drinks. Great place to go bar hopping!