15 Best Tours in Costa Rica in 2025
Costa Rica’s one of those places where it’s almost impossible to run out of things to do. Rainforests, beaches, wildlife. It’s all here, packed into a country that’s smaller than West Virginia. Whether you want to hike up a volcano, float down a river, or just watch the sunset with a drink in hand, there are tours in Costa Rica for it.
The best part? Most of these experiences are easy to join, even if you’re short on time or traveling without a plan.
To save you hours of research, here’s a list of the 15 best guided tours to try when you visit Costa Rica. We picked for what they actually offer, not just how good they look online. Each one gives you a real feel for the country, from the jungles of La Fortuna to the canals of Tortuguero.
Top 15 Tours in Costa Rica
Costa Rica isn’t the kind of place you visit once and tick off your list. It’s a country that keeps pulling you back with its mix of jungle and laid-back energy. With so many tours around, figuring out which ones are actually worth your time (and money) can be tricky.
That’s why we pulled together a list of the best experiences across the country. Tried-and-true tours that show what makes Costa Rica special without feeling overdone. These tours are some of the best ways to experience Costa Rica beyond the typical tourist stops.
La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Volcano, Hot Springs Full-Day Tour
🕛 Duration: 11 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group Experience
If you want a full day of nature, outdoor adventure, and a bit of relaxation, this excursion around La Fortuna is what you need. It starts with a pick-up at your hotel, and you’ll head straight to La Fortuna Waterfall after this.
You can swim at the bottom or stay dry and take in the 70-meter drop from above (it’s a real leg workout on the way back up). After that, you’ll explore the area (great option and the perfect alternative to Arenal Volcano tours), hiking through old lava fields and rainforest with a local guide who points out sloths, toucans, and frogs hiding in plain sight.
The short hike takes you through rainforest packed with natural beauty at every turn.
Lunch is included, and later you’ll unwind in a natural hot spring river with a cocktail. It’s not a rushed tour and you’ll actually have time to enjoy each stop. An amazing Costa Rica tour for sure.
Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour with a Nature Specialist
🕛 Duration: 4 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group
Manuel Antonio National Park is relatively small, but it’s packed with wildlife you’d never find on your own without a trained eye. On this half-day tour, you go with a naturalist guide and he will take you on shaded trails through lush rainforests.
The national park borders one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, so you can take the remaining half a day to work on your tan.
You’ll use a high-quality spotting scope to see sloths, white-faced monkeys, toucans, iguanas, and even tiny frogs up close. The guide takes photos through the scope so you’ll go home with clear shots instead of blurry guesses.
The tour includes transport from Manuel Antonio or Quepos, snacks, and plenty of time for questions. Once it’s over, you can stay inside the park to enjoy the beach or walk back to town. Bring sunscreen, a swimsuit, and patience (wildlife doesn’t perform on command), but when it shows up, it’s worth it.
Palo Verde Boat Safari With Coffee Tasting
🕛 Duration: 7 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group
This full-day trip combines the best of Costa Rican nature and local life. After a scenic drive through the countryside, you’ll hop on a covered boat for a two-hour cruise along the Tempisque River in Palo Verde National Park.
The area is a major bird sanctuary, home to herons, spoonbills, and even roseate spoonbills during migration. You’ll likely spot howler monkeys, iguanas, and crocodiles too (some of them huge).
Back on land, lunch is served the traditional way: cooked over a wood fire in a rural kitchen. Later, you’ll stop by a small Chorotega pottery workshop to see how artisans still use pre-Columbian methods, and finish with a visit to a local coffee shop.
There you’ll learn about roasting and taste some of the country’s best beans. It’s a full, relaxed day that feels local, not staged. You’ll get a genuine feel for Costa Rican culture through food, stories, and small-town stops.
Guachipelin Adventure: Zipline, Horseback, River Tubing
🕛 Duration: 12 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 4.8/5 | Small Group Experience
If you’re after a full day of excitement, this combo tour at Rincón de la Vieja has everything. Ziplining, horseback riding, tubing, hot springs, and even a volcanic mud bath. It’s the perfect Costa Rica adventure for a good reason.
You’ll start in the canyon with eight zip lines, hanging bridges, and a Tarzan swing that’ll test your nerve (it’s wilder than it looks). After that, you’ll saddle up for a ride through forest trails before grabbing an inflatable tube to float and bounce down the Río Negro.
Lunch is a full buffet with plenty of local options. Vegetarian and gluten-free plates too. The day ends with something calmer: soaking in natural hot springs heated by the volcano. You can even upgrade to include an ATV tour if you want to keep the adrenaline going.
You can cover yourself in mineral-rich volcanic mud, rinse in the river, and just let your muscles rest. It’s the kind of day that makes you sleep like a baby that night.
Tortuga Island Full Day Tour from San José with Lunch
🕛 Duration: 12-18 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 | Small Group
This full-day trip to Tortuga Island is one of those classic Costa Rica days. It’s long, sunny…and totally worth it. Especially if you only have a week in Costa Rica.
You’ll leave San José early and head to Puntarenas. This is where the boat takes you across the Gulf of Nicoya (some people visit from Nosara, but this tour from San Jose is excellent as well).
Keep your camera ready because dolphins often follow the boat, and the small islands scattered across the gulf are beautiful to see up close. Once you reach Tortuga Island, you’ll have plenty of time to snorkel (gear is provided, don’t worry) and spot tropical fish.
After lunch on the beach, you get five full hours to do whatever you like. Maybe swim, rent a kayak, or just lie under a palm tree with a cold drink.
The ride back to San José is long, but it’s the good kind of tired you get from salt, sun, and sea. Honestly, the day goes by fast. Don’t forget sunscreen!
Full Day Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Coffee Plantation
🕛 Duration: 9 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 4.9/5 | Group Tour
This combo tour from San José is the best if you want to see a bit of everything in one go. We’re talking coffee, volcanoes, and waterfalls. The day begins in the coffee region of Alajuela. This is where you’ll visit a plantation and learn how Costa Rica’s most famous export is grown, roasted, and brewed (you’ll taste the difference).
Then it’s off to Poás, one of the country’s few active ones. The crater is huge and the views can change in minutes depending on the clouds. It’s unpredictable yet pretty impressive.
Afterward, you’ll head to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. It’s a private reserve with more than 100 rescued animals including jaguars, sloths, and toucans. You’ll also see five waterfalls along the trails, each with a different angle for photos. Lunch is a big buffet with more than 35 options, so no one leaves hungry. It’s a long day, but it’s one of the best tours in Costa Rica.
The catch though is that it sells out quickly and we recommend booking as soon as possible.
La Fortuna Waterfall, Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano National Park Tour
🕛 Duration: 9 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group
We offer a similar day tour to the La Fortuna but this one’s got something special: the famous Hanging Bridges. Some of the best places in the country.
It’s perfect if you want to spend more time walking through the rainforest rather than soaking in it. The day starts with a hike in Arenal 1968 Volcano Park, where you’ll see old lava flows from the eruption that reshaped the area.
Then it’s on to La Fortuna Waterfall. It’s 70-meter drop where you can swim in the pool below or just take in the view (we mentioned it before, but we repeat: the climb back up is no joke).
The highlight, though, is Mistico Hanging Bridges Park. You’ll walk a 3.2 km trail across 16 bridges. Six of them suspended high in the canopy. It’s one of the best ways to see the rainforest from above, with great chances to spot toucans, monkeys, and even small snakes.
Corcovado National Park Sirena Station with lunch from Drake Bay
🕛 Duration: 9.5 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group
Considered one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica, Corcovado National Park is also one of its wildest. This full-day guided trip to Sirena Station gives you a real sense of what untouched rainforest feels like.
The guided tour starts with a boat ride along the Osa Peninsula coast. It’s scenic, but depending on the tide, it can also be bumpy (that’s part of the fun, pura vida). Once you reach the park, your naturalist guide leads you through dense jungle trails where you’ll likely see monkeys, tapirs, peccaries, and bright scarlet macaws.
Corcovado has some of the highest biodiversity on Earth, so keep your camera ready. Lunch is included, and there’s plenty of time to rest by the ranger station before heading back by boat in the afternoon. It’s long and humid, we admit that. But this is Costa Rica at its most raw and real.
Walking and Food Tour in San Jose
🕛 Duration: 3.5 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group Experience
This walking food tour through San José is part history lesson, part tasting adventure. You’ll see how locals actually live, eat, and shop, not just the tourist version (that’s also what a vacation is about). There are amazing day trips from San José, but this is the right tour for a day in town.
Here’s what’s included:
- You start at the Monumento de los Presentes. A symbol of how the city’s identity has endured through modernization.
- Visit Mercado Borbón and Mercado Central. Here’s where families have sold produce, spices, and coffee for generations. You’ll learn how Costa Ricans cook and the ingredients we typically use in the kitchen.
- See the Correos de Costa Rica, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the stunning Teatro Nacional. All are within walking distance so that’s convenient.
- You’ll taste tropical fruits, coffee, tamales, ceviche, and even chocolate empanadas during a hands-on cooking demo at Mr. Sloth Coffee Shop.
It’s an immersive look at everyday life in the capital. It’s a few hours of walking, eating, and chatting with locals. A great mix of flavor and history without ever feeling rushed.
Balsa River White Water Rafting from La Fortuna
🕛 Duration: 5 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Small Group
Rafting down the Balsa River is hard to beat for adrenaline and nature. It’s class II and III rapids. So exciting enough to get your heart racing, but not so wild that you need experience.
You’ll paddle about 10 kilometers through rainforest surrounded by monkeys, tropical birds, and sloths (you might spot one hanging above you if you’re lucky). The guides here know what they’re doing (most have over 15 years on the river) and they’ll keep things safe while still letting you enjoy the thrill.
After about two and a half hours on the water, you’ll finish with fresh fruit, a cold beer, and a traditional casado lunch. Bring clothes you don’t mind getting soaked, a change for after, and a sense of humor. Because someone’s definitely falling in.
Mangrove Boat Tour to Damas Island from Manuel Antonio
🕛 Duration: 4 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 4.9/5 | Small Group
This boat tour through the Damas Island mangroves gives you a look at Costa Rica that most people miss. It’s only about ten minutes from Manuel Antonio, but you’ll feel like it’s far from everything. You’ll glide along a quiet stretch of coastline surrounded by mangroves and birds everywhere.
It’s quiet, except for the sounds of monkeys jumping in the trees or the splash of a fish now and then. You’re going to see iguanas, crabs, and even a boa or two. The guide points out things you’d never notice on your own and talks about how the mangroves protect the coast.
Lunch and water are included, and pickup depends on the tide. It’s simple, peaceful, and it’s nice to have a break with fewer crowds.
Coffee and Chocolate Tour in La Fortuna
🕛 Duration: 2.5 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Group Tour
This tour near La Fortuna is heaven for anyone who loves coffee. Or chocolate. Or even just learning how real Costa Rican products are made.
It takes place on a small family-run farm where you’ll see how coffee goes from bean to cup. You learn how they plant, harvest, roast, and grind right there. You’ll also try sugarcane, crushed fresh so you can sip the sweet juice, and make your own chocolate from roasted cacao beans.
The guide walks you through each step, explaining the process in a way that’s easy to follow (and a little addictive, you’ll never drink cheap coffee again!).
The 2.5-hour visit ends with tastings of everything you’ve seen made, plus a few surprises. Transfers from most La Fortuna hotels are included, or you can meet directly at the farm. It’s low-key, tasty, and genuinely educational.
Sunset Catamaran in Playa Flamingo
🕛 Duration: 4 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 5/5 | Group Experience
This afternoon catamaran trip from Playa Flamingo is one of those simple but perfect days. It starts around 2 PM, and you’ll sail along the coast toward a quiet snorkeling spot about an hour away.
You can jump in to explore the reef with your guide, take a kayak or paddleboard, or just swim to the beach nearby. There’s plenty of time to relax before heading back as the sun drops into the Pacific. That part’s honestly beautiful every single time.
The crew keeps the drinks flowing (beer, wine, soft drinks) and brings out snacks through the trip. You might spot dolphins, turtles, or even whales if it’s the right season. Everything’s included (gear, drinks, transport from nearby beaches) so you can just show up and enjoy the ride.
The sail back along the Pacific Coast at sunset is always the highlight!
All-inclusive 3-day Tour to Tortuguero from San Jose
🕛 Duration: 3 Days | ⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 | Small Group
This 3-day trip to Tortuguero is the easiest way to see one of Costa Rica’s most special areas without worrying about logistics. It starts early from San José, crossing the Braulio Carrillo National Park (all mountains and waterfalls) before breakfast at a small local restaurant.
Then you board a boat and cruise through the canals that make Tortuguero famous. You’ll see monkeys, caimans, and plenty of birds along the way. The lodge is tucked in the jungle with walking trails, a pool, and meals included.
You’ll visit the small town of Tortuguero and the Turtle Museum, where guides explain the nesting work that keeps this place world-known. Also, the area’s known for sea turtles nesting between July and October.
On the last day, you return by boat and bus, with one last stop for lunch before heading back to the city. It’s quiet, green, and feels completely cut off from the rest of the world.
Nicaragua Full Day Tour from Costa Rica
🕛 Duration: 15 Hours | ⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 | Small Group Day Trip
This day trip takes you across the border into Nicaragua for a quick but full look at the country’s highlights. You’ll start early with breakfast near the crossing, then drive to the Masaya Volcano. It’s an active and always impressive, similar to the Arenal Volcano.
Next stop is the Masaya Artisan Market, where locals sell handmade crafts and pottery (bring a bit of cash if you like souvenirs). After lunch, you’ll explore Granada, a colonial city with colorful buildings and views of Mombacho Volcano.
To finish the day, you’ll take a short boat ride on Lake Nicaragua, passing small islands and saying hi to the monkeys that live there. It’s a long day, but it’s well organized and worth it if you want a quick taste of Nicaragua’s nature, history, and culture all in one trip.
FAQ About Costa Rica Day Trips
If it’s your first trip to Costa Rica, joining a guided tour saves you a ton of planning. Before ending this guide, let’s answer a few questions that we regularly receive from our readers.
Is it Worth Taking a Guided Tour in Costa Rica?
Yes, it really is. Guided tours here aren’t just about convenience. They give you access to places and wildlife you’d probably miss on your own. Local guides know every sound and trail, and they’ll spot a sloth or frog you’d walk right past.
Plus, many areas have tricky roads or park limits that guides help you navigate easily. If you’ve only got a few days, Costa Rica tours make everything simpler and a lot more interesting.
Can you Take a Day Trip from San Jose?
For sure. San José is a good base for quick trips around the country. You can easily visit Poás Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, coffee plantations, or even Tortuga Island in a single day.
Most tours from San Jose include transport, meals, and a guide, so you don’t have to stress about planning. Just be ready for early starts because traffic out of the city can be slow, but the scenery more than makes up for it once you’re on the road.
How Much do Day Trips in Costa Rica Cost?
It depends on what you’re doing. Basic day tours, like coffee or wildlife trips, usually start around $60–$90 per person. More active ones like ziplining, rafting, or full-day volcano tours can run from $100 up to $150.
If it’s a luxury catamaran or a multi-day trip, expect a bit more. Most prices include transport, a guide, and lunch, so you’re not just paying for the activity but for a whole, worry-free day.
How Long do the Best Day Trips in Costa Rica Last?
Most tours last between six and ten hours, depending on how far you’re going. Trips from San José tend to be full-day since there’s travel involved, while tours near La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, or Guanacaste often run half a day.
Expect early morning pickups and late afternoon returns for longer ones. The nice thing is that guides keep things flexible. There’s always time for a coffee stop or a quick photo break along the way
Conclusion – Best Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica’s one of those places that feels made for exploring, and it just feels right to add one of these tours to your itinerary. Whether you’re chasing waterfalls, rafting through jungle rivers, or just cruising at sunset with a drink in hand, there’s no shortage of activities. Guided tours make it easy to explore Costa Rica without worrying about logistics.
Guided tours make it easier to see the best of Costa Rica without missing what makes each place special. The wildlife, the sounds, the people. Pick a few that match your pace, pack light, and just go. The country does the rest, so mix a few of these tours into your plan for more Costa Rica travel ideas!