San Juan is one of the most colorful cities we’ve visited. With the rainbow buildings, the flavorful food and the exciting culture, the one word to describe San Juan is vibrant. With such a vibrant city, it’s no wonder that you can find plenty of things to do in San Juan. Keep reading for our full list, along with suggested times and budgets for each activity. Whether you have multiple days or just a few hours, you’ll find fun things to do here in San Juan. Also, we’ve put it all into a two day San Juan itinerary as a bonus, just for you!
About Old San Juan
When we talk about San Juan in this post, we’re talking about Old San Juan or Viejo San Juan. This is the oldest city in America and it retains so much history. That history can be seen in the cobblestone streets, the colonial architecture, and the historic military forts.
Old San Juan is located on an island, connected to the rest of San Juan by bridges and ferries. The town was founded in 1508 by Ponce de León. This city is full of architecture that dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries such as blue cobblestone streets, stone buildings with flat roofs, and compact homes centered around city squares. While the town has been hit by numerous hurricanes over the years, the Old San Juan area remains beautifully preserved through hard work and pride of the citizens.
Getting There And Around
If you are arriving in Old San Juan via a cruise ship, you’re in luck. You’ll be dropped off at a dock right in the heart of the city! From here you’ll be able to walk to everything on our list of things to do in Old San Juan below.
If you’re arriving via the San Juan airport, you’ll need to take a taxi into Old San Juan. A taxi ride into town cost us about $25, including a tip.
Once in Old San Juan, plan on walking everywhere. Sure, you could take a rideshare or taxi, but once you’re in town, walking really is faster (and free!).
How to use this map: The map above has all of the attractions mentioned in this post. Click on each attraction to learn more about it. If you’d like to save this map, click on the square “View Larger Map” icon. This will open the map in your Google account (make sure you’re signed in). You can reference it in your account or you can create a copy to make your own edits.
Where To Stay In San Juan
Old San Juan is an extremely walkable city and it is extremely unfriendly for vehicles. So it is really important to pay a little extra to stay in the Old San Juan neighborhood. There are plenty of home rentals and hotels in this area. Home rentals are driving up housing prices in this area (as they are in many others tourist locations) so we chose to travel responsibly and stay in a hotel.
We stayed in this amazingly charming hotel. It was an old mansion turned hotel. It was beautifully decorated with antique furniture and located in a great place for walking to all of the things to do in San Juan below. We seriously recommend this hotel!
Top Things To Do In Old San Juan
Walk The Cobblestone Streets
Time: Several hours | Cost: FREE
Exploring the different neighborhoods of Old San Juan is one of the best things to do in town. The streets are beautiful with their historic cobblestone. The buildings are beautiful with their colorful paint and detailed architecture. And the streets are lively, with music coming out of shops and performers in the streets.
Wandering town is easy to do on your own. Use our map of attractions above to plan your route. However, if you’d like to do it as part of a historic or food tour to get some context, check out the tours below.
Peak At Fortaleza Street
Time: 5 minutes | Cost: FREE
Whatever you decide to do, don’t miss a peak along Fortaleza Street. This street is so popular with the photographers, that you can’t walk down the street most days. Instead, you get a great view of the art installation hanging overhead without people underneath it. The display swaps out with the seasons, with umbrellas being the most common sight. At the end of the street is the governor’s house, which is a beautiful seaside historic home. On most weekdays, you can get a tour of the house and learn more about how it was renovated.
Visit The Forts
Time: 2.5 hours | Cost: $10/person
Castillo de San Cristobal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro are the two forts that protected the once entirely fortified city of San Juan. Visiting these forts is the most historic things to do in San Juan. The forts give you a great perspective on how the city developed over the years.
We would highly recommend visiting both forts as they do offer different pieces of history and different views of the city. Castillo San Felipe del Morro was built first to protect the bay and helped make San Juan part of an important shipping route and increased the island’s prosperity. Castillo de San Cristobal was built second to protect the city from land invasions. The National Parks Service operates both forts and one admission ticket gets you in to both forts – just don’t forget to keep your receipt.
Pro tip: Plan on exploring the forts first thing in the morning. This is when they are most crowded but for good reason. It gets really hot mid-day in the forts. Exploring early in the morning allows you to explore the forts when the low sun will provide the most shade.
View The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
Time: 15 minutes | Cost: FREE
This historic city cemetery was built outside of the city walls to keep the ghosts out. The cemetery is in a beautiful location with lots of beautiful monuments dedicated to some of the most famous Puerto Ricans of the past.
Try The Original Piña Colada
Time: 10 minutes | Cost: $8
The birthplace of the piña colada is still hotly disputed. However, we’re pretty sure was developed in San Juan. The Caribe Hilton and Barrachina are the dueling bars wanting this title for themselves. The Caribe Hilton does require a bit of a trek to get there. So we went with Barrachina. They serve food and drinks in the bar, but you can also get to-go drinks if you choose.
Visit The San Juan Cathedral
Time: 15 minutes | Cost: FREE
Make a sort stop in the San Juan Cathedral (or the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John the Baptist if we’re being technical). The cathedral is beautiful from the outside and immaculately decorated on the inside. While the church is free to explore, it’s always a good idea to drop a few dollars in the donation box to help them keep their church beautiful.
Stroll The Paseo del Morro
Time: 30 minutes | Cost: FREE
The Paseo del Morro is a walkway on the outside of the city fortifications. Strolling along this walkway gives you great views of the wall around the city. This wall dates back hundreds of years to when the city was fortified against attack. Now, the wall serves as a beautiful backdrop to a stroll. As you walk along this route, don’t forget to keep an eye out for the gates. There are several gates, but the most famous of which is the San Juan Gate, the gate by which all the dignitaries and old famous people entered the city in ceremonial fashion.
Pro tip: This is another activity to do early in the morning or late in the day. There is no shade along this walkway so you want to make sure to do it when the sun isn’t as strong.
Bird Watch By The Capilla del Cristo
Time: 15 minutes | Cost: FREE
The Capilla del Cristo is a small sanctuary (can you tell San Juan has lots of Catholic roots) along the city wall. This sanctuary is lushly decorated and worth a peak. Additionally, there is a park next door with lots of pigeons. People visit to feed the pigeons which will land on you – which I guess is supposed to be fun. It’s not our cup of tea but it’s a popular spot to spend a few minutes.
Try Some Puerto Rican Food
Time: varies | Cost: $25/person
Throughout your day, make sure to stop for traditional Puerto Rican food. Food such as empanadas (hand pies; best at Empanadas and Beer), tostones (smashed and fried plantain), alcapurrillas (sweet plantain) and mofongo (mashed plantain with meat) are staples in Puerto Rico. Try them all throughout the day or consider taking a food tour like this one.
Visit The Plaza Colón
Time: 15 minutes | Cost: FREE
The Plaza Colón is home to the famous “I <3 SJ” sign. It also has some of the most colorful shops around it. Make sure to detour your exploration of San Juan through this square and take a peak.
Walk The Paseo de la Princesa
Time: 30 minutes | Cost: FREE
Take a stroll along the Paseo de la Princesa and see the many tents set up to attract the cruise ship tourists. While shopping isn’t our thing, the crafts here were cool to see. The walk ends at a pretty fountain worth a view.
Extra: Visit the Bacardí Factory
Time: 3 hours | Cost: $110/person
Located outside of Old San Juan, the Bacardí factory is a popular side trip. With a ferry ride/shuttle combination ticket, you can take a quick and easy journey across the bay to Casa Bacardí. While this is a pricy tour, it includes a bartender class where you learn to make two drinks. It’s a great extra to add on to your visit to San Juan if you are staying for more than one day.
How Long Should You Stay In San Juan?
One day in Old San Juan is plenty. We were able to do everything on this list in one day. So if you’re visiting as part of a cruise and only have one day in port. Don’t worry! You got this.
However, San Juan is a town that demands attention. And while you can see everything in one day, you’ll be wanting more. So keep reading for a two day itinerary that gives you a little extra time to explore the culture of Old San Juan.
How To Spend Two Days In San Juan – Sample Itinerary
Day 1 – Self Walking Tour
First, start your day exploring the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Spend the morning exploring the fort and then pop over for a short visit to the nearby Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis.
Next, grab lunch and a piña colada at Barrachina.
Next, take a peak at Fortaleza street to see what they have hanging overhead. Take a short to of the governor’s house if you’re visiting on a weekday.
Next, visit the San Juan Cathedral. If you have extra time, stop for a minute in the square across the street to hear a musician play – street performers are very common here.
Next, swing by the Parque de las Palomas to check out the pigeons and sanctuary.
Next, swing by the Paseo de la Princesa to view the street vendors. Maybe indulge in some fresh snacks.
This walk will end outside the city gate which is the perfect place to start a walk along the Paseo del Morro. Next, walk the entirety of this walkway, stopping to enjoy every gate you pass.
Lastly, stop at Birra & Empanadas for the best empanadas you’ll ever have. If you aren’t ready for your night to end head to La Factoría, with its four distinct bars for a taste of San Juan nightlife.
Day 2 – Actual Tours
First, start your morning with breakfast at Caficultura.
Next, spend a few hours exploring the Castillo San Cristóbal.
Afterward, head back to Plaza Colón to take a quick shot with the San Juan sign.
For lunch, consider taking a food tour of Old San Juan. You’ll have a variety of foods that will give you enough to eat for lunch.
Next, head to Casa Bacardí for their Mixology Class. This combines their standard tour and small tasting with a class that teaches you how to make a proper piña colada and mojito.
What To Budget For San Juan
We spent $630 for two people to spend two days in San Juan. Above we’ve included prices of individual activities. Below is the breakdown of the budget.
- $215 – hotel for two days
- $160 – lots of food for two people for two days
- $240 – Activities
- $25 – Taxi from airport
If you’re looking to save some money, cut out the Bacardi tour – it was very expensive. Also, we could have eaten much cheaper (aka less). But we really like food so that is always a splurge area for us. In all fairness, we did not eat fancy meals, we just ate a lot of food so it felt worth it.
What To Pack For San Juan
COMFORTABLE SHOES!!! Walking in San Juan is the only way to get around. Okay technically you can take taxis but walking is faster. So make sure you have comfortable shoes for your time spent in town. Additionally, the cobblestone streets are cute, but uneven. So those comfortable shoes will help to save you from a twisted ankle.
Safety In Old San Juan
Old San Juan is a party town and it stays up late. It feels really safe, even at night. The fact that there are people out and about at all hours gives you safety in numbers. Plus, Old San Juan receives a large portion of income from tourist dollars so they keep their city safe and clean. There is a visible police presence on the streets throughout the day and night. So feel free to enjoy the nightlife here but make sure you follow safe practices as you would in any other town; such as traveling in groups and leaving valuables at home. Also, make sure to party responsibly here. The most common thing we saw on the streets at night was folks having too much to drink and doing embarrassing (and sometimes illegal) things 😉
We hope this has provided you with all the information you need to plan the perfect trip to San Juan Puerto Rico. If you’re looking for more Puerto Rican vacation destinations, check out the rest of our posts here. We had a great time in the lively and vibrant San Juan and we hope you will too. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
