Best time to visit San Jose
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in San Jose
8 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on San Jose).
- 1
Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner - 2
Arenal Volcano Experience Full-Day Tour from San Jose - 3
Full Day Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Coffee Plantation Experience - 4
San Jose: Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets - 5
San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class - 6
Manuel Antonio National Park Sightseeing and Wildlife Day Tour from San Jose - 7
San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees - 8
Zip Line, Rappel, Hiking La Carpintera Tour in San Jose
Last refreshed 2026-06-08.
Similar climatesPanama City82% · Liberia81% · Bangkok73%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to San Jose (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against San Jose's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16–25 | 26 | 6 | 70 | 11.7 | 60% | 16 | 252 | 9 | Quiet | 9 |
| Feb | 16–26 | 26 | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 53% | 17 | 241 | 10 | Quiet | 10 |
| Mar | 16–27 | 27 | 9 | 85 | 9.4 | 53% | 15 | 261 | 11 | Quiet | 9 |
| Apr | 16–27 | 28 | 17 | 149 | 8.8 | 61% | 14 | 231 | 10 | Quiet | 7 |
| May | 17–26 | 29 | 25 | 260 | 10.4 | 74% | 12 | 212 | 8 | Quiet | 4 |
| Jun | 17–24 | 27 | 28 | 337 | 12.0 | 83% | 10 | 182 | 7 | Quiet | 3 |
| Jul | 17–25 | 27 | 25 | 258 | 10.3 | 76% | 12 | 198 | 7 | Quiet | 5 |
| Aug | 16–25 | 28 | 28 | 305 | 10.9 | 79% | 11 | 197 | 8 | Busy | 4 |
| Sep | 16–25 | 28 | 29 | 312 | 10.8 | 82% | 11 | 187 | 8 | Moderate | 3 |
| Oct | 16–24 | 27 | 29 | 351 | 12.1 | 84% | 11 | 186 | 7 | Moderate | 3 |
| Nov | 16–23 | 26 | 26 | 338 | 13.0 | 83% | 11 | 174 | 6 | Peak | 3 |
| Dec | 16–24 | 25 | 12 | 156 | 13.0 | 67% | 14 | 231 | 7 | Busy | 7 |
UV Index in San Jose by Month
UV index in San Jose peaks at 11 (extreme) in March, dropping to 6 (moderate) in November. January, February, March, April, May, August reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.
Best months in detail
February
10/1016–26°C · 4 rain days (41h) · 241 sun hours · 53% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)
January
9/1016–25°C · 6 rain days (70h) · 252 sun hours · 60% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)
March
9/1016–27°C · 9 rain days (85h) · 261 sun hours · 53% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 11 (extreme) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 14 (extreme)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
April
7/1016–27°C (feels 28°C) · 17 rain days (149h) · 231 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 14 (extreme)
May
4/1017–26°C (feels 29°C) · 25 rain days (260h) · 212 sun hours · 74% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 12 (extreme)
June
3/1017–24°C (feels 27°C) · 28 rain days (337h) · 182 sun hours · 83% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)
July
5/1017–25°C (feels 27°C) · 25 rain days (258h) · 198 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)
August
4/1016–25°C (feels 28°C) · 28 rain days (305h) · 197 sun hours · 79% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 8 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)
September
3/1016–25°C (feels 28°C) · 29 rain days (312h) · 187 sun hours · 82% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)
October
3/1016–24°C (feels 27°C) · 29 rain days (351h) · 186 sun hours · 84% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)
November
3/1016–23°C (feels 26°C) · 26 rain days (338h) · 174 sun hours · 83% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)
December
7/1016–24°C (feels 25°C) · 12 rain days (156h) · 231 sun hours · 67% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)
Frequently asked questions about visiting San Jose
When is the best time to visit San Jose?
February is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 16–26°C (4 rainy days). The top three months by score are February, January, March.
What is the worst time to visit San Jose?
October is the lowest-scoring month (3/10). Typical conditions: 16–24°C (29 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in San Jose?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in May and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in San Jose have good weather but fewer tourists?
February (climate 10/10, crowd index 1) and January (climate 9/10, crowd index 7) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in San Jose by month?
UV peaks at 11 (extreme) in March and is lowest in November at 6 (moderate). Monthly peak values: Jan 9, Feb 10, Mar 11, Apr 10, May 8, Jun 7, Jul 7, Aug 8, Sep 8, Oct 7, Nov 6, Dec 7. January, February, March, April, May, August reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.
What is the UV index in San Jose in March?
March is the peak UV month in San Jose, with a daily-peak UV index of 11 (extreme). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).
How high can UV get in San Jose on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. March is the worst case: typical days average UV 11 (extreme), but the top 10% of days reach UV 14 (extreme) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in San Jose bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 1 month: April. The worst month is May with a typical-day mean of 10 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 15 µg/m³ (moderate) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.