San José travel guide

At a glance

capital of Costa Rica. For a first visit, National Museum of Costa Rica, National Theatre of Costa Rica, Metropolitan Cathedral of San José are strong starting points. This guide brings together 7 places, practical 1/3/5/7-day routes and a concise food shortlist so you can understand the city before shaping the trip around your pace.

Highlight stops

• National Museum of Costa Rica — national museum in San José, Costa Rica
• National Theatre of Costa Rica — theatre in San José, Costa Rica
• Metropolitan Cathedral of San José — cathedral in Costa Rica
• Melico Salazar Theatre — theatre in San José, Costa Rica
• Post Bulding Central Office — building in San José, Costa Rica
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Alajuela — diocese of the Catholic Church in Costa Rica
• Biblioteca Nacional Miguel Obregon Lizano — national library of Costa Rica in San Jose

Food and drink

Use these well-documented flavours as a practical tasting shortlist; open an item to understand it and add it to your trip plan.

• Casado — traditional Costa Rican meal
• Imperial — Costa Rican beer brand

1-day itinerary

Day 1 · Architecture and city fabric

Post Bulding Central Office · Melico Salazar Theatre · Metropolitan Cathedral of San José · National Theatre of Costa Rica

3-day itinerary

Day 1 · Architecture and city fabric

Post Bulding Central Office · Melico Salazar Theatre · Metropolitan Cathedral of San José

Day 2 · Culture evening

National Theatre of Costa Rica · National Museum of Costa Rica · Biblioteca Nacional Miguel Obregon Lizano

Day 3 · History and landmarks

Roman Catholic Diocese of Alajuela

5-day itinerary

Day 1 · Architecture and city fabric

Post Bulding Central Office · Melico Salazar Theatre

Day 2 · History and landmarks

Metropolitan Cathedral of San José · National Theatre of Costa Rica

Day 3 · Museums and art

National Museum of Costa Rica · Biblioteca Nacional Miguel Obregon Lizano

Day 4 · History and landmarks

Roman Catholic Diocese of Alajuela

7-day itinerary

Day 1 · Architecture and city fabric

Post Bulding Central Office

Day 2 · Culture evening

Melico Salazar Theatre

Day 3 · History and landmarks

Metropolitan Cathedral of San José

Day 4 · Culture evening

National Theatre of Costa Rica

Day 5 · Museums and art

National Museum of Costa Rica

Day 6 · Museums and art

Biblioteca Nacional Miguel Obregon Lizano

Day 7 · History and landmarks

Roman Catholic Diocese of Alajuela

Before you go

This route distributes nearby source-backed stops across balanced days. Opening times and ticket conditions can change; check the official source before visiting.