Made In San Jose Shopping Tour: With Waterfalls, Coffee & Colonial Towns
San Jose, Costa Rica
From EUR 171.99
Office phone number: +506 4000 5730
Made In San Jose Shopping Tour: With Waterfalls, Coffee & Colonial Towns
San Jose, Costa Rica
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Don't know what to do with a full day in San Jose? We’ve got you covered with an adventurous shopping tour that does it all! Visit waterfalls, tour a coffee plantation, wander through colonial towns, browse street markets for one-of-a-kind souvenirs, and finish your day with an authentic Costa Rican dinner. It’s a bit of everything in one Best. Day. Ever.!
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Highlights
- Experience three different bustling street markets
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Escape the city limits to and explore La Paz waterfalls and Gardens
- Visit the largest coffee plantation in Costa Rica and learn everything you need to know about growing and producing coffee
- Go across the continental divide and come face-to-face with butterflies, monkeys and more
- Visit the colonial towns of Barva, Grecia and Sarchi, plus the oldest oxcart factory in the country
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Schedule details
- Duration: 7 hours
- Meeting point:
Northeast corner of España Park, in front of the yellow house avenue 7, San Jose.
View on Google Maps.
- Find the exact meeting point with what3words:
- Starting time: 8.00 AM
- Ending point:
Escazu Central Park, taxi stop
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, transportation during the tour, entrance fees to waterfalls, frog pond, and butterfly farm, coffee tour, and lunch
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide.
If your perfect day in Costa Rica includes coffee, tropical rainforests, spectacular waterfalls, plenty of wildlife, a bit of shopping, and a delicious dinner, then you’ll love this full-day San Jose adventure!
We’ll start our San Jose tour by driving up into the mountains of Barva de Heredia. Colonised by Spain in 1561, this town is home to many quaint and charming colonial homes. In the centre of town is the lovely Central Park, with a gorgeous white stucco church. The church and the central plaza around it have been declared national monuments, along with the many old buildings and houses in the area. The town is also surrounded by vast coffee plantations, and coffee cultivation is the town’s main industry. As well, the town boasts excellent artisans and craftsmen.
We’ll then drive through many picturesque towns on the fertile slopes of the extinct Barva Volcano in the lush Central Valley. At the top of the mountains, we’ll cross the continental divide to visit a series of waterfalls, as well as a cloud forest and rainforest. You’ll get to take the hiking trails to discover an aviary with numerous species of birds, insect exhibit, serpentarium and butterfly observatory, plus animals like capuchin (white-faced) monkeys, black-handed spider monkeys, hummingbirds, jaguars, pumas, ocelots and margays.
After this adventure walk, we’ll visit a 100-year-old coffee plantation. Here we’ll have a typical lunch before taking a coffee tour. You’ll also be able to buy their coffee to take back home with you if you wish.
We’ll then head to the picturesque town of Grecia, which has the distinction of being one of the cleanest towns in Central America. It’s also an important agricultural hub, where sugarcane is grown and harvested and is known for its unique gothic-style metal church, coloured in a deep, dark red.
We’ll continue to Sarchi, a key artisan town best known for the vibrant oxcarts made here — in fact, the largest and oldest oxcart factory in San Jose is in Sarchi. Oxcarts were used to transport coffee beans and other goods to markets and ports, and oxcarts were often the sole means of transportation for families in the 1800s. Today, they’re often used as decorations, elegantly carved and hand-painted in bright colours. If you find yourself in love with the carts, you can even buy one straight from the factory to take home with you — talk about a unique souvenir!
After all that exploring and shopping, we’ll drive back to San Jose. Before you go, don’t forget to ask your guide for more tips on what to see, do and eat during your stay.-
Additional information
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, transportation during the tour, entrance fees to waterfalls, frog pond, and butterfly farm, coffee tour, and lunch
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide.
Dress standard: Please wear hiking shoes and bring a sweater or long-sleeved shirt and sunscreen.
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure, you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.
Confirmation of booking: Please present this voucher to your guide at the beginning of your tour. Save this email on your phone or tablet, or print a copy, as you will need to show this to join the trip.
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.
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Dietary Notes
This tour can be customised to accommodate vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free travellers. Please notify us in advance if you have any dietary requests. You can do so in the ‘Additional requests’ box at checkout, or by emailing us at info@sanjoseurbanadventures.com.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +506 4000 5730
Email address: info@sanjoseurbanadventures.com
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