How to get from Tamarindo to San Jose

Why visit San Jose?

San Jose is a bustling urban landscape in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Being the capital city, it may not be as pretty as the beach and jungle destinations that the country is known for. But if you are stopping by anyway, might as well explore for a few hours or a day before moving on to your next stop.

You will find plenty of things to do in San Jose. Within the city, you can check out the colonial buildings turned museums at Barrio Amon, try out the famed restaurants at Barrio Escalante, or party the night away in El Pueblo. If you want to venture outside the city limits, the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens are highly recommended!

There are 4 ways to travel the 260 kilometres (162 miles) from Tamarindo to San Jose. You can choose between the bus, minivan, private transfer and flight. The journey takes 2 to 7 hours and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 6,900 CRC ($13.60).

The bus is the cheapest option when travelling from Tamarindo to San Jose with fares from 6,900 CRC ($13.60). However, they are not as reliable as minivans. Although the schedules show a duration of 5 hours 30 minutes, the number of stops and level of traffic along the way make it really more like a 7-hour journey.

Another reason for the delay is that some buses take the route via Liberia, which is 90 km northeast of Tamarindo.

Transporte Inteligente Guanacaste (TIG) is the only bus company operating on the Tamarindo to San Jose route. They offer four daily trips from Tamarindo to San Jose:

• Via Liberia: departing at 3:30 and 07:00
• Via Puente de La Amistad: departing at 05:30 and 15:00

Empresa Alfaro and Empresa Tralapa used to offer budget-friendly bus service, but it appears they no longer operate on this route.

The minivan is the most convenient way to get from Tamarindo to San Jose, especially for tourists. The journey takes 4 to 7 hours. And for 30,000 CRC ($59), you get an air-conditioned ride.

What we like about this option is that some minivan companies offer free hotel pickup and drop-off. This saves you the hassle and extra cost of finding your way to and from bus stations.

Shared minivans are generally faster than the bus because they don’t make as many stops. They’re also safer and more comfortable.

Interbus, RideCR and Amigo Transfer are the minivan operators for this route. We already found the best minivan rates for you and you can check them in the table below.

In a hurry? A flight from Tamarindo to San Jose takes only 2 hours, including airport transfers. Combined rates start from 83,000 CRC ($165).

This is an option to consider if you’re short on time. But we’d like to remind you that short-haul flights like this can be very harmful to the environment and not worth their excessive emissions!

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

You will find Tamarindo Airport some 5 km northeast of the city centre. The only way to reach it is by taxi.

It’s a short ride, so you can get to the airport in 10 to 15 minutes. Rates start from 2,520 CRC ($5).

Sansa Airlines offers several daily flights from Tamarindo to San Jose. Travel time is 50 minutes and airfares start from 81,000 CRC ($160).

Flights arrive at San Jose Airport, also called Juan Santamaria International Airport.

From San Jose Airport, you’ll then have to travel 17 km southeast to get to the city centre. You have two choices: a 1-hour bus or a 30-minute taxi.

The bus is the cheaper option at 755 CRC ($1.50). You can choose from two bus companies: TUASA (coloured red and white) and Station Wagon (coloured yellow and orange). You can hail them outside the airport, on the main road.

Buses are available every 10 minutes from 04:00 to 23:30. They park at TUASA Terminal in San Jose city centre.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi for 16,000 CRC ($31). They are available 24/7 from the airport. If you have an Uber app, then you can also try hailing one through it. Fares are similar to that of a taxi.

PRO TIP: Although Uber has been gaining public and government trust in Costa Rica in the past few years, it is still technically “illegal.” Many have had great experiences using them. But every now and then there would be an incident of the car being stopped and the passengers forced to find another ride.

Travelling in a group? BookAway offers various vehicle choices for private transfers from Tamarindo to San Jose.

Rates start from 159,000 CRC ($315) for a minivan that can fit 4 people. Larger vehicles are also available for groups with more people.

With a private transfer, you won’t have to worry about unnecessary stops. And when you split the cost, it can be even cheaper than that of a shared minivan!

Private Transfer options from Tamarindo to San Jose