San José with kids

Best things to do with kids

Museum · Barrio Amón

1.Museo de los Niños

The children's museum occupies a former penitentiary, a castle-like building north of the centre. Interactive rooms cover science, the human body, space and Costa Rican culture, and some former cells have been preserved to show the building's past.

Allow a few hours with younger children, and take a taxi or ride-hailing car from the centre rather than walking.

Time needed

2–3 hours

Cost

Low cost

• Kids
• Rainy day
• History

Museum · Centro

2.Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

The national museum occupies the Cuartel Bellavista, a yellow fortress-like former barracks whose towers still bear bullet marks from the 1948 civil war; Costa Rica abolished its army that year. Exhibits cover pre-Columbian cultures, including the stone spheres of the south, and colonial and modern history, and a butterfly garden fills the entrance.

Begin in the butterfly garden, then look for the bullet holes on the outer towers before going inside.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Cost

Low cost

• History
• Kids
• Rainy day
• Iconic

Museum · Centro

3.Pre-Columbian Gold Museum

Beneath the Plaza de la Cultura, the Central Bank's museums display a large collection of pre-Columbian gold pieces — frogs, jaguars, eagles and shamanic figures cast by Indigenous goldsmiths — alongside a coin and banknote museum and temporary art exhibitions.

Start with the gold collection on the lowest level, where the lighting is designed to show off the metalwork.

Time needed

1.5 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• History
• Art
• Rainy day
• Kids

Park · La Sabana

4.Parque La Sabana

The city's largest park occupies the site of the old international airport, with a lake, running paths, sports fields and plenty of space for picnics. The former terminal building, now the Museo de Arte Costarricense, stands at its eastern end, and the National Stadium is on its north side.

Visit on a weekend morning, when local families, cyclists and runners fill the park.

Time needed

1–2 hours

Cost

Free

• Free
• Outdoors
• Kids
• Active

Architecture · Centro

5.Teatro Nacional

Costa Rica's national theatre opened in 1897, financed by a tax on coffee exports, and its marble staircase, gilded foyer and painted ceilings were modelled on European opera houses. The foyer ceiling painting of coffee and banana harvests is one of the country's best-known images. The building still hosts concerts, theatre and dance.

Take the guided tour to see the auditorium and the upper foyers, then have coffee in the theatre's café off the main lobby.

Time needed

1 hour

Cost

Low cost

• Iconic
• Architecture
• History
• Rainy day

Rainy-day ideas

• Pre-Columbian Gold Museum — Start with the gold collection on the lowest level, where the lighting is designed to show off the metalwork.
• Museo Nacional de Costa Rica — Begin in the butterfly garden, then look for the bullet holes on the outer towers before going inside.
• Museo de los Niños — Allow a few hours with younger children, and take a taxi or ride-hailing car from the centre rather than walking.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• Go to Poás or Irazú early in the morning, when the crater is most likely to be clear of cloud.
• Bring warm clothes for volcano trips; summits can be cold and windy.
• Taxis and ride-hailing cars rarely have child seats; bring a travel seat or book a transfer that provides one.
• Plan outdoor activities for mornings in the rainy season.
• Pavements in the centre are uneven; a carrier is easier than a stroller.

Day trips for families

• Poás Volcano (About 1.5 hours by road) — An active volcano with one of the world's largest craters, where a viewing platform looks into an acidic turquoise lake when the clouds part.
• Irazú Volcano (About 1.5 hours by road) — Costa Rica's highest active volcano rises to about 3,400 metres, with a lunar landscape of craters and, on clear mornings, views towards both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
• La Paz Waterfall Gardens (About 1.5 hours by road) — A private nature park on the slopes of Poás with trails and stairways past five waterfalls in the cloud forest, plus a hummingbird garden, a butterfly house and animal exhibits.
• Sarchí (About 1 hour by road) — A craft town in the coffee hills known for the hand-painted oxcarts that are a national symbol, with workshops where you can watch artisans paint the intricate patterns.
• Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River (About 1.5–2 hours by road) — A transitional forest between the dry north and the humid south, Carara is one of the best places to see scarlet macaws.
• Manuel Antonio (About 3–3.5 hours by road) — The small Pacific national park combines rainforest trails with white-sand beaches, where sloths, monkeys and iguanas are often seen.

When to go with children

The best months overall are December–April. December is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask