Costa Rica Tours from San Jose
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10 best Costa Rica tour packages from San Jose
Compiled by
MelissaCosta Rica travel expert at TourRadar
- Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste
- Costa Rica Highlights Adventure 8D/7N
- Costa Rica: Ocean Waves & Sunsets
- Costa Rica Adventure
- Costa Rica Experience (7 destinations)
- Tropical Costa Rica 5 Days, Short Break
- Costa Rica: Hike, Bike & Raft
- The Best of Costa Rica
- One Week In Costa Rica (7 destinations)
- Volcanoes, Nature and Caribbean
Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste
41 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Very organized. Good communication. Always kept me informed and answered all my questions in a timely manner.”
Mary, traveled in January
A Costa Rican adventure through Braulio Carrillo National Park leads to Tortuguero's canals and Arenal Volcano National Park. The 855km route includes an Arenal Lake crossing to Monteverde's cloud forests and Tamarindo Beach before returning to San Jose.
Duration 10 days Destinations San Jose, Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park, Monteverde, Playa Tamarindo Age Range Ages 10+ Operated in English, Spanish Operator Destination Services Costa Rica From $3,082
15% Off- NZ$2,620You save $462
Costa Rica Highlights Adventure 8D/7N
8 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Very well organised transport, always on time and glitch free. Monteverde has gorgeous horseback riding scenery.”
Hadi, traveled in December
A scenic route from San Jose leads to Tortuguero National Park via Guapiles, continuing to La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano, followed by Monteverde Cloud Forest. The 8-day circuit returns to San Jose, covering 350km through Costa Rica's varied terrain.
Duration 8 days Destinations San Jose, Monteverde, La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano National Park, Tortuguero National Park Age Range Ages 10+ Operator Bamba Travel From
15% Off- NZ$3,683
Costa Rica: Ocean Waves & Sunsets
43 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The white water rafting was amazing and the waterfall at the end was a nice touch.”
Kristina, traveled in February
An 8-day Costa Rican circuit connects 3 major destinations from San Jose. Local bus transport reaches La Fortuna (3-5 hours), continuing to Santa Teresa via van and ferry. The route returns to San Jose by 8-hour local bus through volcanic and coastal regions.
Duration 8 days Destinations San Jose, La Fortuna, Playa Santa Teresa Age Range Ages 18-39 Operator G Adventures From $1,499
15% Off- NZ$1,274You save $225
Costa Rica Adventure
1 Review by TourRadar travelers“The Costa Rica adventure is absolutely worthwhile and delivers what it promises.”
Luisa, traveled in May
The 13-day circuit weaves from San Jose through Costa Rica's natural wonders. Private transport connects the capital to La Fortuna's volcanic terrain, Rincon de la Vieja's jungle trails, and Samara's Pacific beaches, featuring stops at the Ox Cart Museum and Crocodile Bridge.
Duration 13 days Destinations San Jose, La Fortuna, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park, Samara Age Range Ages 18-39 Operator INTRO Travel From
15% Off- NZ$3,649
Duration 9 days Destinations San Jose, Santa Rosa de Pocosol, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Quepos, Manuel Antonio National Park Age Range Ages 15+ Operator Intrepid Travel From $2,230
10% Off- NZ$2,007You save $223
Tropical Costa Rica 5 Days, Short Break
14 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“All the hotels and lodges were very good, the staff very friendly, food tasty (especially the lodges in Tortuguero, Arenal and Monteverde were located beautifully in nature).”
CHRISTINA, traveled in April
This 5-day Costa Rican circuit covers 670km from San Jose. The route includes Arenal Volcano via Sarchi town and Tortuguero National Park, combining land and boat transfers, with convenient airport connections in San Jose.
Duration 5 days Destinations San Jose, Sarchi, Arenal Volcano National Park, Tortuguero National Park Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, Spanish Operator Destination Services Costa Rica From $1,556
15% Off- NZ$1,322You save $233
Costa Rica: Hike, Bike & Raft
2 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“A very nice sampling of Costa Rica: cloud forest, volcano, Caribbean beach. Good for those looking for moderate physical activity.”
Maya, traveled in February
The 8-day Costa Rican adventure spans 4 major destinations from San Jose. Shared vehicle and public bus transport connects the capital to Monteverde Cloud Forest, La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano, and Puerto Viejo's Caribbean coast, covering approximately 500 km round-trip.
Duration 8 days Destinations San Jose, Monteverde, La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Age Range Ages 15+ Operator Intrepid Travel From $2,805
25% Off- NZ$2,104You save $701
The Best of Costa Rica
9 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The hotels and transfers were all top notch.”
Marianne, traveled in October
This 10-day Costa Rican adventure spans 632km from San Jose. Modern shared transportation links five destinations, featuring a boat crossing at Lake Arenal and convenient airport transfers.
Duration 10 days Destinations San Jose, Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park, Monteverde, Tortuga Island Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, Spanish Operator Destination Services Costa Rica From $2,999
15% Off- NZ$2,549You save $450
A concentrated 250km Costa Rican adventure circles from San Jose. Public buses roll to Monteverde, boats cross Lake Arenal to La Fortuna, and private transfers reach Cahuita National Park and Puerto Viejo. Local experts guide orientation walks and nature hikes.
Duration 8 days Destinations San Jose, Monteverde, La Fortuna, Arenal, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Age Range Ages 18-35 Operator Intrepid Travel From
15% Off- NZ$1,110
Volcanoes, Nature and Caribbean
6 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Tour itself was very interesting, informative, particularly for nature lovers. Monkeys, snakes, caimans, birds, iguanas, etc - all in proximity.”
Adil, traveled in January
A 9-day Costa Rican circuit covers 800km from San Jose's Juan Santamaria Airport. The itinerary includes Arenal Volcano National Park, Tortuguero National Park via Guapiles, and concludes with a return to San Jose from Puerto Viejo.
Duration 9 days Destinations San Jose, Arenal Volcano National Park, Guapiles, Tortuguero National Park, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Cahuita Age Range Ages 10+ Operated in English, Spanish Operator Destination Services Costa Rica From $2,899
15% Off- NZ$2,464You save $435
What people love about Costa Rica Tours from San Jose
We had an amazing time in Costa Rica discovering two very different national parks (Monteverde - one out of 4 cloud forests in the world & Tortuguero - a real jungle experience). We loved the biodiversity in Tortuguero (we saw so many howler monkeys, spider monkeys, all different types of birds, a cayman, sea turtles laying their eggs, and even a dolphin). Our guides were fantastic. Especially Kevin in Tortuguero was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour had a good mix of freetime and guided tours. Moving from A to B worked perfectly fine except for the airport pick-up. The trip info is partially outdated. For example, there is no Grayline office at the airport anymore. Hopefully, Bamba is going to fix that. There are daily departures which means that you might end up on your own. In our case we met some other travelers on the shared shuttle buses and on the tours in Tortuguero but most of the time we were on our own. All in all, we enjoyed the trip a lot just that we would go for a better accommodation level.
Costa Rica Highlights Adventure 8D/7N
- Costa Rica: Ocean Waves & Sunsets
Overall the tour was great, it provide opportunity to explore costa rica in a short period of time. It would be more enjoying if private transportation was provided instead of public bus.
We enjoyed the tour a lot and recommend it to everybody. Due to covid, there were only few people everywhere, and I had a private tour where we mostly had guided tours and transfers just me or there was just one another couple joining. All the hotels and lodges were very good, the staff very friendly, food tasty (especially the lodges in Tortuguero, Arenal and Monteverde were located beautifully in nature). Everything worked as planned and on-time. Specially thanks to Paola she was help me for the hold time while I’m over there.... amazing country, will comes back November or December (stay more days in Tortuguero Thanks Christina
Tropical Costa Rica 5 Days, Short Break
What our customers ask about Costa Rica Tours from San Jose
What accommodation options are available in San Jose for the first night?
San Jose's hotel scene spans three distinct tiers catering to different budgets and preferences. The Standard category includes the practical Sleep Inn Hotel. Moving up the comfort scale Superior options feature the Holiday Inn Escazu while the Deluxe tier presents the Real Intercontinental. Guest feedback reinforces the convenience factor with one TourRadar traveler noting: "The Sleep Inn Hotel was comfortable and conveniently located for tour departures."
What are the common pickup locations for tours starting in San Jose?
Tour operators in San Jose concentrate their pickups around three key points: Juan Santamaria International Airport the downtown hotel district (including Sleep Inn Hotel and Holiday Inn Express Forum) and the Escazu area where Park Inn by Radisson stands. According to a recent TourRadar traveler: "We were greeted at the airport by the representative and assisted with hotel transfer to Sleep Inn Hotel which was just 15 minutes from the airport."
What should I explore in my free time starting in San Jose?
San Jose's cultural heart reveals itself through several noteworthy spots. The bustling Mercado Central houses more than 200 local vendors while the Metropolitan Church stands as an architectural landmark. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum offers historical context and Barrio Amón presents well-preserved colonial architecture. Both Country Inn & Suites and Park Inn provide easy access to these sites. A TourRadar traveler adds: "The central avenue is a place where you can interact with locals and learn about their way of living."
What's the average length of tours starting in San Jose Costa Rica?
Most San Jose-based tours run between 8 and 15 days with 10-day itineraries proving most popular among travelers. These routes typically include stays at upscale properties like the Real Continental while covering major attractions from Arenal Volcano to Manuel Antonio National Park. One TourRadar traveler reflects: "The 10-day itinerary was perfect - giving us enough time to explore each location while keeping a good pace through the country."
How long are the transfers from San Jose to the first destinations?
Travel times from San Jose hotels to initial destinations generally take between 3 and 5 hours. The journey to Tortuguero involves a 4-hour road trip followed by a 2-hour boat ride. A TourRadar traveler shares: "The drive from San Jose through Braulio Carrillo National Park was scenic making the long transfer enjoyable."
What are the most popular destinations visited on tours starting from San Jose?
Standard tour routes from San Jose encompass Costa Rica's natural highlights including Arenal Volcano National Park Monteverde Cloud Forest Tortuguero National Park and Manuel Antonio National Park. Most itineraries head northwest to Arenal (4 hours) or northeast to Tortuguero (5-6 hours). A TourRadar traveler reflects: "The itinerary from San Jose covered all the highlights - from volcanoes to cloud forests to beaches giving us a perfect mix of Costa Rica's diverse landscapes."