Top Things to do in Province of San Jose
What to do and see in Province of San Jose, Costa Rica: The Best Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in Province of San Jose, Costa Rica including Teatro Nacional Costa Rica, Jade Museum, Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Chirripo National Park, Multiplaza, Refugio Animal de Costa Rica, Nauyaca Waterfalls Nature Park, Parque National Los Quetzales, Museo Nacional De Costa Rica.
Restaurants in Province of San Jose
1. Teatro Nacional Costa Rica
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,540 reviews
Since 1897, this elegant theater has been a source of pride.
Reviewed By stjepkog - Gela, Italy
If You Have More then a Day - Visit the Teatro Nacional Costa Rica - It is a Beautiful Theater Built in the 19th Century - Take a Guided Tour.
2. Jade Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,301 reviews
The Jade Museum and of precolumbian culture is positioned as an innovative state-of-the-art cultural proposal in the protection and conservation of archaeological heritage in Central America. Located in the center of Costa Rics's capital, the building was especially constructed to house the museum's collection, its architecture evoking a cut jade block. Its five levels exhibit objects crafted by artisans specialized in solving their daily subsistence needs, their spiritual and political world.
Reviewed By jbourgeo - Seattle, United States
This museum, also reviewed by Trip Advisor visitors under its name, Museo de Jade (ha-day), has an overwhelming collection of jade and pottery (and a few gold works) recovered from parts of Costa Rica. At first I was a bit frustrated by the volume of materials without much information, until I learned that there were supposed to be (and are) computer screens/kiosks which will tell you more; many of them were not working, but many were (I learned). In any case, soon I was immersed in the experience, as there are many informative displays, including dioramas. The "day" and "night" exhibits, and the "memories" exhibit, are stunning. I spent more time than most people (based on being "passed" many times), I was enthralled. Do allow at least a couple hours. There are quite a few activities for young people, I think it's a good family museum, overall. Spanish is of course the dominant language, but there are many signs and subtitles in English. In sum, this museum helped me realize just how complex and complete pre-Columbian Costa Rican culture was. Fascinating art and artisanry, you will make an authentic connection with these peoples.
3. Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,405 reviews
A large collection of indigenous gold art.
Reviewed By F912ZCjosem
It's an excellent option while in San Jose. In particular, during rainy days. This attraction is very affordable and will entertain you and your family for 3-5 hours. I've spent 5 hours in there, but you can make this attraction as long or as short as you want. However, it's a very interesting collection.
4. Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 329 reviews
Reviewed By judybS8317YH - Annapolis Royal, Canada
Beautiful hike in the thick forest protected from the rain. We had rain and sun and a beautiful morning. First hike is about an hour, second one across the highway about 30 min. The friendly ranger pointed out a three toed sloth in a tree near the parking lot . Pack a lunch as there are picnic tables, bathrooms and drinking water.
5. Chirripo National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 171 reviews
Reviewed By 330baileym - Philadelphia, United States
My husband and I had a very positive experience climbing Cerro Chirripo and dealing with the red tape in order to register, etc. We followed a blog that really helped with the process of registering for the park and the overnight at Crestones Base Camp. It was sort of a pain but nothing that could not be accomplished with some patience. FYI if you're reading blogs that discuss having to pay through a bank or something, those are old. You pay for everything on the park or base camp website. Once we got to San Gerardo, checking in at the TWO different locations the day before the hike was easy (one for the park, the other for the base camp). It is a small town so it is all very close together. Also, San Gerardo is a sweet little town, there happened to be a soccer tournament the day we arrived and we had a fun time watching most of the afternoon. I would have liked to spend an extra day at San Gerardo if we had the time. BASE CAMP: Food was great, staff was friendly! You'll likely be sharing a room unless you're traveling with 4 people. Walls are very thin and you can hear pretty much everything so bring ear plugs. Most people wake up around 2 or 3 AM so you'll hear all the alarms too. It's a pretty basic bunk bed, and you're provided a sleeping bag and pillow. My husband and I found this to be enough and we chose to not bring up an extra sleeping bag or blanket. I was warm the entire night and happy I did not have the extra weight on our hike. Although, you can pay by the pound to have horses carry up your things, like sleeping bags or backpacks, etc. THE HIKE: I'll start off by saying I am in average shape, I do weekly activities like tennis and ballet and we hike on the weekends when we can. We also live at sea level. I probably could have worked on my cardio a bit more in preparation. All this said, we were able to complete the hike and felt pretty good the whole time. The first day we started around 5:30 AM and arrived at base camp around 2:30/3 PM. There are many blogs that go over in detail each kilometer and the trail conditions, etc, so I won't be going over that, but I will say the trail was very muddy in the lower kilometers. The second day, we began for the summit at 2 AM (bring head lamps!) and made it to the top by 4:45 AM. (The last bit of the hike is STEEP!) We stayed at the top for maybe an hour or so and then went back to base camp to get our stuff. We ate a quick breakfast and then began the trek down. At first, we had a really quick pace but around kilometer 9 we slowed down. We took a break at the snack shop/water refill station and then continued down. My knee began to really hurt and it slowed us to a snails pace. We eventually made it to the trail head at 4 PM. Despite the pain, this was an amazing experience that I would highly recommend!
6. Multiplaza
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 403 reviews
Reviewed By 576lynng - Escazu, Costa Rica
For me living near Multipliza, and being a place where you can find everything, I can really recommend it, you can go to see movies, to the super market, Auto Mercado, with is the best here, as you can find local and foreign kind of cloths, and just to go for a walk, to drink coffee , is a nice place, also have a place for kids entertainment,
7. Refugio Animal de Costa Rica
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 96 reviews
We are a rescue center for wildlife, every year we received more than 1500 animals, our main goal is to provide a rehabilitation and release of theme but at list the 30% have to stay in the shelter for environmental education. Monkeys, slots, snakes, crocodiles, raptors, owls. Come to see and learn about us
Reviewed By calldoug
Excellent my favorite animal-zoo place that I have visited, guides are very knowledgeable Some animals are rescued and returned to the wild, some cannot make it on their own and live here. Super guides, they know a lot, For example our guide was a doctor MD from Europe taking a break after her medical school. This place is well worth the $20. ( and the money is used to feed and rescue these amazing animals) Tour last about 45 minutes, we saw so many animals its hard to list them all. Lots of super cute monkeys, huge Crocodiles, Cayman, deadly bush master snake, big mean looking rattle snakes, 12 foot pythons, ocelots, parrots ( they say ola + hello and more and they whistle at you ) , turtles, deer. owls, .... By the way, look down and or look on trees and you are likely to see jungle ants carrying big green leaves, just like on the jungle documentaries. And the entrance fee helps feed and rescue these animals like the hawk who was shot, or the deer whose mother was killed by hunters ( a real life Bambi ) This is my favorite thing that I did in the San Jose area
8. Nauyaca Waterfalls Nature Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 800 reviews
Reviewed By Margo7850p
The waterfalls are absolutely gorgeous, powerful and impressive. The hike from the parking lot all the way to the falls is long and mostly uphill but worth the effort. If you hike make sure you are wearing hiking shoes. It's good to have a backpack with a towel, extra sunscreen, a light snack, water . If you aren’t a frequent hiker it could be better to take the tour truck because the way in is a bit steep. Water was so refreshing and the view was breathtaking. The upper set of falls are great for photography while the lower set is good for swimming. The water at the falls where you can swim is deep once you get away from the shore, and the rocks are very slippery and sharp, so be careful & wear water shoes. t's a great place for a refreshing dip and pictures. If you only can, do not miss visiting this natural wonder. Enjoy!!!
9. Parque National Los Quetzales
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 120 reviews
Reviewed By _r_staveren - Heenvliet, The Netherlands
Thanks to our guide Michael Granados Romero we had an amazing day at parque national Los Quetzales. He brought us to a private property where we had the luck to spot and photograph several Quetzales (male & female). Definitely book Michael Granados Romero as your private guide instead of booking a trip with the hotel. It is worth your money (not even much more expensive).
10. Museo Nacional De Costa Rica
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,451 reviews
This 19th-century building contains a well-organized exhibits on Costa Rica's history and culture.
Reviewed By SilverTraveler2 - Castle Rock, United States
First off, children will love this museum because it's a real fort with bullet holes in the walls and all. It's just a short walk from the Gold museum and Theater. Entrance was about $7 per person and you enter the fort in the courtyard that has been turned into a tropical garden. You then ascend up a couple of levels and start the self walking tour. The museum covers it all from pre columbian history through the Spanish conquest. Wonderful exhibits that show a proud history are located throughout the museum. Another must see location.
