San José Free Walking Tour — Local services in Carmen

The tour was 3 hours (incl a 15min stop) and our guide was Iso. However, she acted more like a salesperson. Wherever we would go she would recommend us restaurants/tours that she had coupons/discounts for. I wouldn't even mind much but it became tiring after a while. Especially since noone in our group of 8 people would stay in San José and she knew that 6/8 would leave the city right after the tour. So there was really no added benefit for any of us.

I don't think San José has much to offer but that's not the guide's fault and she tried to make it as interesting as possible. But I would not recommend to do this tour, especially at the "price" that they sell it. Free walking tours are supposed to be free and based on voluntary tips. Believe me, I participated on many tours before and the average tip would be around $5 per person (this includes much more expensive European countries). However, Iso already pitched at $15-$20 per person at the very start. I hardly ever had a guide telling me how much I should tip and never ever heard such an outrageous number.

At the end I decided I want to give her $6 in local currency (approx 3000) but I wouldn't have the exact amount so I asked if she could change. She said she doesn't have any change which was obviously a lie because she showed all of us the 2000 bill previously. Another tourist only had $100 and Iso was urging her to go to the bank with her. I said that I am not willing to go there and that I am really sorry but could only give her the rest that I had left which was 1100 and some coins if she cannot change.

She then got really upset and said that it is disrespectful to give anyone coins in this country. I apologised and said I don't mean to be disrespectful but she said I should take my money and leave. I don't know, I am still quite shocked about how she treated me and money. As a backpacker you only spend $8 for your accommodation and then the $6 seem like a good tip (also bearing in mind that lots of people here earn very little money).

I think they should not continue with a free walking tour format but just make it a paid service from the very beginning to avoid situations like that. And I think paying more than $6 would not be worth it. But find out for yourselves.

Ohh and I am all about safety first but I think Iso really took this to a next level. Whenever she saw a poor person on the street she would waive her hand and tell all of us to immediately change to the other side of the street. I've been travelling Central America for a while and the way she treated these people upset me a bit, I never witnessed something like this before. Of course you need to be cautious and mindful but poverity is...

I learned a good amount. Some sections we sat for quite a while and I wasn't super interested in the information, but most sections I was engaged. I liked the sites she took us to and the places she recommended. The empanadas at the place she recommended next to the souvenir market were so good! Pricier than other places but a bit better. Made me want to come back one day to see some museums and a show at the theater. Also was nice to try a spoon sample of cass juice because otherwise I'm not sure I would have thought to try it on my own!

I think saying Costa Ricans take being given coins as tips was more so you would be guilted into tipping ₡1000 or more. Which is fine, but set a lower limit (I've enjoyed tours that set a minimum $5 tip) and tell us ahead of time not to bother bringing coins. I had accumulated many coins and was planning to tip ₡3000 worth of them, but since she said it's taken as an insult I gave only a ₡2000 note instead.

I think the logic of "giving a few coins doesn't help when you're homeless because you need 100 of them for it to be worth something in Costa Rica" was quite backwards. Especially when 100 and 500 coins exist, and you can buy 5 tomatoes or 3 maracuyas (granadillas?) or a cup of fresh squeezed juice with 1000 or less. Why would you not want the extra money?

Every homeless person I've met appreciated whatever someone could give because they know if they refuse every coin, they'll never get 100 coins and that's less money to help them out of poverty. So I'm not so sure if I believe that part of her story because what homeless person is in a position to be picky about if they receive ₡5000 in coins versus paper?

So it felt more like a marketing tactic for bigger tips on the tour company's part. Whether there is truth behind it or not, they should definitely include "don't bother weighing yourself down with coins in the hopes to tip with them because they won't be accepted here" in their information email (which is otherwise very...

That was the WEIRDEST walking tour I´ve joined in in my entire life. I´ve already been to more than 30 countries and took loads of walking tours around the world, but this was the only one that - once we arrived - stipulated a minimum price of 15 dollars per person, with the average price of 20 or 25 dollares.

Furthermore, our tour guide, a woman called Iso, emphasized that coins would not be accepted because it´s disrespectful and something you give for beggers. I still don´t know why they still call it a free walking tour.

The guide seemed so desperate for money that at the end she even told people to go to a ATM nearby to get money.

As far as I know, a free walking tour is based on tips according to what you think it costs - if it´s good, you give more - and I personally don´t thing that tour was outstanding. For me, the average price of 5 dollares would be pretty good for what it was offered, also considering the fact that we were in a big group of 19ish people at that day and we didn´t walk much.

If you LOVE history you might like it, but if like to walk around a bit more or if you´re more interested in curiosities about the country/city that tour may not be the best for you.

I gave it 1 star because I felt REALLY uncomfortable about that money subject and I´ve heard the same from the other tourists...