Discover the hidden elegance of San Jose on a journey that blends urban storytelling with a sensory experience. Walk through San José’s most prestigious districts, nature-filled parks serve as the backdrop to stunning historic architecture and the city’s best-kept secrets. Then we transition from the streets to the sanctuary of a boutique coffee shop. Here, the experience reaches its peak with a coffee tasting led by a professional barista. Using a specialized brewing method designed to unlock the complex soul of our volcanic beans, complemented by a curated tasting of artisanal Costa Rican chocolate and raw cacao. Paired with a fresh sweet or savory pastry, this session offers a deep dive into the flavors and craftsmanship that define our world-renowned coffee culture. What’s Included: A guided historical walk through downtown’s finest districts and parks, followed by a specialty coffee tasting session, a guided artisanal chocolate/cacao flight and your choice of a fresh local pastry.
Pablo was really friendly and super nice. We enjoyed our tour except I wish we didn't have a Spanish/English tour. Also, unfortunately it rained in the middle of our tour but Pablo was quick to make a small adjustment and we still got to enjoy great cacao and coffee experience. Pablo also gave us several small gifts which we really appreciated.
Interesting History and Facts, funny
Pablo takes you to his local favorites. He’s a fantastic story teller with lots of country’s history to share along the way.
Really good tour, mixture of history, culture, architecture and food.tips
Jose was an incredible, knowledgeable friendly guide who has really great local contacts. He brought us to places we never would have found on our own. He was entertaining. He knows so much about the indigenous culture, coffee and chocolate. He showed us cultural sites and gave us an insight into Costa Rican life. We got to see so much in the 3 hours we spent with him.
I had an excellent tour with Pablo. He’s very knowledgeable, kind and has a great sense of humor. I feel that I learned things that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Very enjoyable tour!
It was very interesting and Pablo is a very friendly and motivated guide. Thanks for the experience!
Pablo is an incredible guide, super interesting and enthusiastic about his city! Super recommend
Amazing tour!! Can’t say enough about Pablo! His knowledge, enthusiasm and level of knowledge was superb!! Learned so much about Costa Rica and sampled some great new foods!!
JP was the best tour guide ever! He was funny, care free, full of information and history, he was easy to get along with all walks of life. Totally love his spirit! Go Pablo! You ROCK!
I booked this tour after going on a walking tour with Pablo (also 100% recommend!) and it was absolutely amazing! Pablo knows the city inside out and told me so many stories about the city, its buildings and its neighborhoods and on top of that taught me a lot about chocolate and coffee. I truly felt like I got to know San José and its local culture!
This was a great experience!! Pablo was so knowledgeable about San Jose and took me around to places that are often missed by other tour companies. I loved experiencing the cacao shop and the coffee library lol. This tour is a must see. Go walk with Pablo and explore the rich culture of San Jose. You dont want to miss it.
very unique and memorable experience to learn about the history of costa rica and see it in person. our guide was very informative and kind.
My husband and I chose this tour on a whim and I am very glad we did. Pablo was amazing. He's knowledgeable, funny and a joy to tour with. The coffee at cafetica was amazing, as well as the pastries. Pablo also gave us locations for things we asked for, like a great restaurant and shopping. I highly recommend this tour or any tour with him.
Juan Pablo was awesome and genuinely made our exploration of San José and Costa Rican culture so memorable that three months later, I’m still thinking about it, and I knew I needed to leave a review. He was not only knowledgeable about the history, landmarks, and surface-level details you hope to learn on a walking tour, but he also brought so much depth to the experience. He helped us understand the cultural nuances of Costa Rica: why the country is the way it is, what shapes the people and community, and why it feels so special to spend time there. He also really puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to supporting local culture. The coffee, snacks, and stops were all thoughtfully chosen from locally owned shops and people, which made the experience feel much more connected to the community. That matters a lot when you’re trying to travel in a way that is respectful, immersive, and rooted in the actual place, even when you’re only there as a visitor. I would absolutely recommend Juan Pablo to anyone who wants more than a basic city tour. He made San José feel unique and personal.
We had a great tour experience with Pablo, he is very knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend
This was a great tour! Pablo made the day so fun for us! Lots of laughs were definitely shared. I will definitely book a tour with him again! - Alicia 😄
He was a great guide, loved how flexible he was about speaking both Spanish or English. And he really cares for your experience in San Jose. Leaves you with a great impression of the city
I experienced a guided walking tour in Costa Rica (March 2026) with an incredibly enthusiastic man named José, who can be found on Instagram under #golocalcostarica. José has an unbelievable amount of knowledge and such a fantastic way of storytelling. On top of that, he is very flexible when planning your tour and really thinks along with you if you have specific wishes regarding timing, tour length, or places you’d like to visit — all to make it an amazing and unforgettable experience. He responds quickly to messages, and I can only say: go on a tour with him it’s truly so much fun and incredibly interesting. We were hanging on every word he said. I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Costa Rica- San José and another walk with José! Thank you so much!!
Really nice and fun. (José) Pablo has plenty of stories and theories to help you understand the history and spend a nice time
We booked this tour for our family visit which included my husband and myself as well as our 24 yo son and 80 yo mother-in-law and it was wonderful for all of us! Pablo was so knowledgeable and engaging and he had no problem shifting gears when it was a local holiday and things on the docket were closed. He made alternative plans and we couldn’t have loved the tour any more. Delicious food, local fruits and markets with all our questions answered as well as unique stories all within a radius of our hotel. And he gave us other recommendations for restaurants, shopping and museums over the rest of our stay in San Jose that made our time well spent and really enriching. Would absolutely recommend this tour for your first day in San Jose.
Amazing tour with surprises at every corner of San José and excellent explanations. Way beyond my expectations for a walking tour and great memories made 💖
He take time for us, waited until the rain got less and continued even with a small Group. Great Guy, great Tourguide.
I had such a good experience! Jose was great at connecting us and telling stories. He went above and beyond by walking me to his favorite local cafe after the tour. It was a great introduction to Costa Rica and I hope to come back and learn more.
Jose was an amazing tour guide with tons of knowledge and is incredibly funny. I highly recommend booking him for a tour!
Pablo was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable and friendly. Lovely 2-3 hr walking tour to understand key sights and get your bearings in the city. Super helpful by sharing location when I was late joining the tour too. He has lots of options- walking tour/ food, amazing local chocolate experience. Don't hesitate to book!
Just excellent! All ingredients of a good city walking are present with Paolo: informative part, sense of humor, adjusted for each particular group (some groups walk faster, some slower, some would like to hear more, some less, etc), very communicative but not “insisting” guide!
Pablo our guide was friendly and obviously knows locals; it made the experience feel very authentic. He took us to great local places, including specific stalls in the market, and included chances to try chocolate, coffee, fruit juice (guanabana). He gave good snippets of information on some of the interesting buildings. I needed to enquire about something before the tour and Pablo was quick to respond. Thank you Pablo for a great tour!
Was a really great tour. Pablo showed us a lot of the city and brouth great energy with him. We would defenetly recommend a tour:)
I did the free walking tour with Pablo in San José and it was an outstanding experience. We were a group of 8 people, and the main tour lasted around 3.5 hours, filled with interesting stops, stories, and local insights. After the official tour ended, Pablo went above and beyond. For those of us who wanted to see more, he walked us to the central market, and along the way he even stopped at a local chocolate shop where we got to do a tasting. He then showed us around the market, explaining the food, souvenirs, and local habits. This added almost another full hour, completely unhurried and generous. The atmosphere was extremely friendly, warm, and fun. Pablo has a great sense of humor and shares lots of insights from a true local perspective. He made us all feel less like tourists and more like a group of good friends exploring the city together. If you’re in San José, don’t miss this tour — Pablo is passionate, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about giving people a great experience.
The Barrio Escalante walking tour was easily one of my favorite tours in San Jose. I have joined Go Local Costa Rica for three tours and every tour with Pablo has been an absolute joy. He is a very kind, knowledgeable and generous guide with an endless enthusiasm for Costa Rica. If you want to see the hidden gems and try some of the best coffee and/or food in San Jose, I would absolutely recommend any tour with Go Local Costa Rica!
Pablo gave us all a brilliant tour of San Jose! He also had lots of great recommendations for our trip. Thanks for a fun and interesting start to our holiday :)
Pablo was very nice. The tour was conducted in English and Spanish.
Excellent tour with José Pablo. He guided us through the main points of downtown San José, and gave us enough information for different activities that can be done on one's own. His kindness and willingness to answer questions is worth highlighting, in addition to his extensive knowledge about the city and the country. Without a doubt, I recommend it.
The best experience ever!! Jose Pablo explains everything in a pleasant, fun, and interesting way. Relating history, culture, history, and even politics. He always has an answer to every question and gives extraordinary local recommendations.
Pablo was a wonderful guide; Go Local should be your first choice for a tour if you want to make the most of your time in San José :)
A very pleasant and fully recommended experience. We did the tour with Pablo and we really liked it. It allowed us to discover a face of San José that we did not know, full of life and interesting corners. Pablo makes the visit very fun. The tour is very enjoyable and has an in-depth knowledge about the history and culture of Costa Rica, which helps you to truly understand the essence of the capital. If you want to go beyond the superficial and connect with the city, this tour is essential.
The free tour of San Jose with Pablo was very enjoyable and fun. Almost three hours of curiosities that flew by! Recommended 100% if you have free time in the city.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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