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Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste

10 days
Start and end in San Jose
4.5
34 traveler reviews
Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste - Destination Services Costa Rica
From
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-15%
NZ $2,558
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Plan your adventure:
Active
Thrilling adventures designed to keep you moving
Partially Guided
Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
Guided in English, Spanish
Group Size 1 - 30
Age range 10 to 99
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Explore Tortuguero's rivers and canals by boat
  • Relax in Arenal's renowned hot springs
  • Hike through Arenal Volcano National Park
  • Cross Arenal Lake by boat to Monteverde
  • Stroll through Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 ARRIVAL SAN JOSE
  2. Day 2 SAN JOSE – TORTUGUERO (135km – 4 hrs by road / 2 hrs by boat)
  3. Day 3 TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK
  4. Day 4 TORTUGUERO – ARENAL (210km – 5 hrs by road / 2 hrs by boat)
  5. Day 5 ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
  6. Day 6 ARENAL – MONTEVERDE (60km – 2.5 hrs by road / 45 min by boat)
  7. Day 7 MONTEVERDE
  8. Day 8 MONTEVERDE – PACIFIC COAST (190km – 4 hrs)
  9. Day 9 PACIFIC COAST
  10. Day 10 PACIFIC COAST – DEPART SAN JOSE (260km – 4.5 hrs)
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What's Included

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  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Customer Photos

Number of tours

72

Age Range

10 to 99 years old

Response time

9 hours

Response rate

100%

We are a leading company in Costa Rica, providing the best possible...

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Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Most Recent
  • Most Popular
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  • Lowest First
  • Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste reviewer 1
    · January 7th, 2025
    . Excellent! Very punctual, friendly and with excellent service
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Good Day!! It was a truly pleasure to assist you during the whole planification of your trip. We are very glad to know you have enjoyed this journey. Regards, Destination Services Costa Rica's Team
    Trip date: December 2024
  • Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste reviewer 2
    · September 17th, 2024
    The tour was efficiently organized and we have received all the support we needed from Destination Services. The hotels and arranged transportation were excelent, as well as all the guides and staff in general. The fact that it was a partially self-guided tour allowed us to travel at our own rhythm with more peace of mind. We certainly recommend this tour!
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Good Day Dear Ana We are very glad to know you have a great time during your trip! We hope you have the chance to come back someday to discover more from Costa Ricaand create more amazing memories with your family. It was for me a truly pleasure... Show more
    Trip date: August 2024
  • M
    · May 8th, 2024
    My son and I had a wonderful experience on this tour! The itinerary was very thoughtfully planned. The tour was impressively well-organized. We basically travelled across the country, from the capital to the Caribbean coast, to the central, mountainous region & then to the Pacific Coast. During the whole trip by land & boat with several transfers on route, there was never any confusion as to which transportation we would board or any other aspect of our trip. Our pick up transportation were always on time. The tour guides were very knowledgeable & friendly. The hotels were all very nice and located in areas with amazing views! The food was wonderful. The early morning boat tour around Tortuguero National Park was magical! Another special place was our hotel/resort in Arenal with a great view of the magestic mountain and wonderful hotsprings on the resort grounds. Karla, who was the contact person/tour organizer was wonderful. Her attention to detail, professionalism, responsiveness and caring were exemplary!! Thank you, Karla!! Our plane had to be redirected to Cancun on the first night & we were delayed by one day arriving in St. Jose but Karla & the team were on the ball immediately & made sure we caught up with the group as early as the next morning. I can't say enough good things about the way everyone did their job. Suffice it to say that I have decided to travel with this tour company to many all my desied destinations in the future!! Very highly recommend this company.
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Hi Mahin Thank you su much for your comments, I really appreciate your feedback. It was a truly pleasure to have the opportunity to e meet you and be helpful for you my assistance to plan all the details of your trip. Please dont hesiate to contact... Show more
    Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 1Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 2Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 3Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 4
    Trip date: April 2024
  • LR
    · April 29th, 2024
    Kjjhghhhghggdftyuiihhhgghh
    Show more
    Trip date: April 2024
  • MB
    · February 3rd, 2024
    Very organized. Good communication. Always kept me informed and answered all my questions in a timely manner
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday... Show more
    Trip date: January 2024
  • EB
    · January 25th, 2024
    Automatically translated. View in EnglishRate this translation
    Automatic translation available in English. View in English
    Leider war es keine gruppen reise aber trotztem git
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Good Day Dear Esther Yes, unfortunately not all the time people book the same itinerary and, in these cases, we schedule all the activities, hotels and transportation services for you. We are happy to know you like the trip even if you were not... Show more
    Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 1Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 2Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 3
    Trip date: January 2024
  • CU
    · December 4th, 2023
    We had a great time. Karla shared the details a few days before the trip and everything went smoothly. The pickups arrived on time and the hotels were decent. We would highly recommend our friends to book their vacations with Tourradar.
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday... Show more
    Trip date: November 2023
  • TB
    · August 12th, 2023
    We were impressed by the flexibility and organization of all of our transfers and transports to each of our destinations and activities. Our guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. We enjoyed all of our unique accommodations. We felt like we experienced the beauty and diversity of Costa Rica's landscape and wildlife.
    Show more
    Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 1Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 2Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 3Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 4Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 5Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 6
    Trip date: July 2023
  • Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste reviewer 9
    · May 18th, 2023
    My overall trip experience was great! My only feedback to Destination Services is to make the posting more clear about how the tours work. I was unsure if I was joining a group or how it was going to work and took a leap of faith when booking after looking at independent reviews of the company and checking Costa Rica’s tourism site to ensure they are legit (they are!) Once I booked, Karla answered all of my questions and concerns. She was really lovely throughout the experience. For other travelers, the way this trip works is Destination Services will do all of the foot work to book independent tours and transportation. You show up on time at the pickup spots, which is typically your hotel reception, and that’s it! Very simple. You do not have one guide throughout your trip. Costa Rica’s tourism industry is unmatched. I have travelled a lot and am even from a big touristic city and have never experienced such a seamless experience. Maybe it’s just all Tico’s or maybe it’s the companies that Destination Services partners with, everyone I met was incredibly helpful, caring, kind, and full of knowledge. Even the chauffeurs were super kind and always asked how my trip was going, what I had seen so far, etc etc. I told one chauffeur that I had heard but hadn’t seen howler monkeys yet and when he spotted some in the trees he slowed down and pointed them out to me. Luckily there were no cars on the road in that moment, we pulled over to observe them. The cool thing about the independent tours is that your guides are really experts! Every one of our guides (and chauffeurs) were excellent. Particularly, Eli who was the guide during the whole Tortuguero portion of the trip. He was super knowledgeable, caring, and on top of things. Same thing with Monica who led the hike in Arenal. Not sure of his name, but our guide for the Monteverde cloud forest hike was super fun and crazy knowledgeable. He found a snake in a tree based on the bird calls he was hearing. He even found a quetzal!! Super rare. Overall, it was a really great trip. The hotels we stayed at were very clean and the folks very professional and helpful. If there was anything I was unclear on I could ask and they would go above and beyond. I recommend booking excursions through Destination Services. All of the excursions I booked through them were great quality and experience with really professional staff. I booked some other excursions online and one through a hotel and they weren’t the same. In particular, I ziplined twice. Once in Arenal booked through Destination Services and it was super professional production. The guides were helpful, friendly, and went over safety measures diligently. They were good about accommodating people who were nervous and at the end everyone was having fun. The second zipline experience was bad in comparison to the first. I booked the second one in Monteverde through the hotel. I guess, the three people in my group were allowed to come in late to join a larger group so the staff skipped safety briefing and rushed us through the first three ziplines. None of the group realized we were “late”as no one told us. Luckily I had done a zipline a couple days before so I knew what to do but that just put a sour taste in my mouth. The staff were all young men and kind of just got the job done, didn’t interact with the group. And there were some steep walks involved to get from zipline to zipline. This was not the case with the first company as they had a skylift. Alas that is one experience of the many that occurred on this trip. I extended my stay in Tamarindo. It was a jam packed 12 days so it was nice to relax at the beaches for the last few. Overall I highly recommend this trip and booking through Destination Services.
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday... Show more
    Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 1Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 2Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 3Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 4Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 5Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste customer review photo 6
    Trip date: April 2023
  • DP
    · May 17th, 2023
    All of the scheduled departures were on-time and the transport was comfortable.
    Show more
    Destination Services Costa Rica commented on this review
    Thanks so much for your feedback! we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review! Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica
    Trip date: March 2023

Dates & Availability

10 days
Essential Costa Rica - Package with Guanacaste
From San Jose to San Jose

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From
$3,009
-15%
NZ $2,558
Find this price
Save and compare this adventure
Payment plan $512 now + easy payments of $136 Learn More

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Plan your adventure:

What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • S

    Sylvia

    Asked on April 5th, 2025

    Instead of finishing on the 16th June per itinerary, can you provide a quote for accommodation to remain on the Pacific Coast until Saturday the 21st June (5 additional nights), and then provide the airport transfer to San Jose on Saturday the 21st? We would both be working for those extra days, so we would need to ensure that the accommodation has a place to sit and a strong wi-fi connection to enable working and calls.

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    Transport
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten April 2025

      We can totally provide accommodation on the Pacific Coast (Tamarindo) which is beautiful after your program ends June 16th until June 21st. Please see the quote for the additional nights including taxes and breakfast: Standard Category: $213.57 per night ($1067.85), Superior Category: $252.00 per night ($1260.00), Deluxe Category: $378.32 per night ($1891.60). Regarding the transportation on the 21st, indeed, is including on the original package, then what we would do is provide that service on the 21st instead of the 16th with no additional cost.

    • S

      Sylvia

      TravelerWritten April 2025

      Is that pricing for the same hotels as listed in the itinerary for the tour (Arco Iris, Wyndham and Dirá)? Is it USD? As there will be 2 of us needing to work and do calls in the hotel for a week, I don't think a standard hotel room will be suitable, so I might look for an apartment or similar nearby and just move to it once I checkout of the tour hotel on the 16th.

    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten April 2025

      Yes, that pricing is for the same hotels, however, we can book any other hotel of your preference. Please note that standard doesn't mean no good facilities. Indeed, all of these places have pretty good Wi-Fi connections if you want to consider it. And yes, the price is in USD! About your question, it is still possible to provide you transportation on the 21st if you have your own accommodation, however, this will depend on where the place you select is located, it will need to be something nearby to town.

    • S
      2 more answers
  • B

    Barbara

    Asked on March 10th, 2025

    Is travel insurance mandatory for this trip?

    Travel Support
  • S

    Samuel

    Asked on January 19th, 2025

    Could we join this tour at a suitable point between San José and Tortuguero, maybe the breakfast or lunch stop? And what would be the price, without the airport pickup and San José hotel?

    Price / Availability
    Tour Details
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      Your idea is not possible because the connection from San Jose to Tortuguero is around 8:00 am to 09:00 am. Maybe, I recommend you that you spend one night in Limon area or go to San Jose to spend one night. The price of the transfer from Limon to San Jose is $280 approx. One night in San Jose for 2 is $135 per night.

  • C

    Casper

    Asked on January 18th, 2025

    Is transportation included in the package?

    Transport
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      The package includes air-conditioned transportation as indicated in the itinerary, including airport transfers, on a shared basis.

  • A

    Alexandra

    Asked on January 13th, 2025

    Want to confirm your refund policy. Is it fully refundable prior to a certain date?

    Payments
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      Of course, we have the following cancellation policy in place; so you could cancel until 2nd May. Cancellation fee of 100% is charged if cancelled 14 days or less before the event. Cancellation fee of 50% is charged if cancelled 20 days or less before the event.

    • A

      Alexandra

      TravelerWritten January 2025

      What is cancellation fee if cancelled 20 days prior to travel?

    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      Cancellation fee will the 50% of the total of the package

    • A
      2 more answers
  • M

    Melanie

    Asked on January 5th, 2025

    Are you able to do both the zipline and the waterfall adventure? Or only one if there is limited time?

    Tour Details
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      The itinerary already include some activities: All monuments and visits as indicated: Guided visit to Tortuguero village plus guided boat tour through Tortuguero National Park canals and entrance fee to Tortuguero National Park, guided hike in Arenal Volcano National Park, guided hike in Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. If you want to do Zipline and waterfall, should be on the same day but you will not able to do the hike per the limit time.

  • E

    Eileen

    Asked on January 2nd, 2025

    Would it be possible to extend the last section and stay in Tamarindo for another 3 or 4 nights, making the trip 14 days in total?

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      Yes, it is possible to add extra nights at the end.

    • E

      Eileen

      TravelerWritten January 2025

      Can you provide a quote and itinerary for the tour with hotel options please. We will need shared transfers.

    • E

      Eileen

      TravelerWritten January 2025

      Can you confirm the hotel grade included and how the rooms will be set up? Ideally, the children would be in a connecting room where possible, with twin beds rather than sharing a double.

    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten January 2025

      Hotel categories available: Standard Hotel Category (Pasatiempo or similar 3*), Superior Hotel Category (Wyndham Tamarindo or similar 4*), Deluxe Hotel Category (Tamarindo Diría or similar 5*).

    • E
      E
      3 more answers
  • J

    Jason

    Asked on November 20th, 2024

    Can you please provide more information what's the difference between included accommodation and extra accommodation in Tamarindo?

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten November 2024

      The regular itinerary already includes 02 nights in Tamarindo area. The addition seen on the website is the option to add extra nights in the Beach area for a final total of 04 nights. The price includes just 02 nights, they have the option to choose or not the addition at the time of confirming the booking.

  • A

    Adriana

    Asked on November 19th, 2024

    Would like to speak to someone regarding accommodations and pricing.

    Accommodation
    Price / Availability
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten November 2024

      The regular itinerary already includes 02 nights in Tamarindo area, probably the addition the customer saw in the web site is the option to add extra nights in the Beach area for a final total of 04 nights. The price includes just 02 nights, they have the option to choose or not the addition at the time of confirm the booking. Price may vary depending on the hotel category the customer prefer.

  • A

    Abigail

    Asked on November 14th, 2024

    Would like to explore additional destinations in Costa Rica, including Uvita, Liberia, Jaco, and other areas along Costa Rica's Pacific Coast. Interested in customizing current package to cover these regions, creating a comprehensive 15-20 day adventure. Prefers standard 3-star accommodation and group-operated extension.

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Destination Services Costa RicaOperatorWritten November 2024

      We can add extra nights as requested in Jaco and Uvita. We suggest 02 nights in Jaco and 02 nights in Uvita.

Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at Destination Services Costa Rica with your enquiry, they usually respond within 9 hours.

Good to Know

Tour ID: 103870

  • Currency
    Costa Rican Colon
    Costa Rica
  • Plugs & Adapters

  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Typhoid - Recommended for Costa Rica. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis A - Recommended for Costa Rica. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis B - Recommended for Costa Rica. Ideally 2 months before travel.
    • Yellow fever - Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an area with a risk of yellow fever transmission for Costa Rica. Ideally 10 days before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before August 6th, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after August 6th, 2025, a minimum payment of 20% is required to confirm your booking with Destination Services Costa Rica. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 60 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and Destination Services Costa Rica will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Destination Services Costa Rica" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.