Top Costa Rica Culture

Explore San Jose on this guided half-day sightseeing tour. Great for first-time visitors to the city, the tour includes stops at historic and cultural sites such as the Costa Rican Art Museum in La Sabana, the city center, the National Theater, the University of Costa Rica, and the arts and crafts market. Plus, enjoy lunch at a local Costa Rican restaurant.

Costa Rica is famed for its lush coffee plantations and rugged volcanoes—but seeing one of each in the same day requires serious planning, and often your own rental car. Ideal for travelers who like leaving the complicated logistics to someone else, this small-group excursion takes in a behind-the-scenes tour at Hacienda Daka and a visit to Poas Volcano National Park, home to an active crater.

This is a unique tour that gives you the opportunity to enjoy the humid tropical forest like never before. Once we arrive at the Cahuita National Park, our guide will be in charge of showing you all the beauties within the park. We will walk for approximately 2 hours in search of wild animals. Once this time was over, we headed to the Bribri community to share the experience of making chocolate in a traditional way. We will arrive at a local family, where we will share for about 2 hours about the history, the way of life, the language and we will also have the opportunity to make 100% organic chocolate in a traditional way. To finish, we will enjoy a delicious traditional lunch prepared with local ingredients. Then we go to the waterfall where we will walk for approximately 10 minutes until we reach the waterfall where you can enjoy a refreshing swim and to finish we will have a delicious tropical snack.

Arenal Volcano National Park’s massive size and unique natural setting can make it an easy place to get lost in, if you don’t already know the area. This Arenal Volcano National Park Hiking Tour from La Fortuna allows you to explore one of the park’s beautiful trails with a guide who can navigate the steep slopes and volcanic landscape well. Plus, take in views of Lake Arenal, while your guide talks about the volcano’s history and forest formation processes.

Visit the impressive crater of Poas Volcano and go behind-the-scenes at a large commercial coffee farm on this full-day tour from San Jose. A guide shares fun facts about one of Costa Rica's most-visited volcanos and biggest exports on a field-to-cup tour of the coffee farm. Plus, private transportation and included lunch make this tour a breeze.

Discover the beautiful natural attractions of Costa Rica on this all-day tour from San Jose. Fly over the rainforest canopy via a zipline course and rappel down 150 feet (50 meters) at an adventure park. Visit two waterfalls and admire the local wildlife including iguanas. Stop at a coffee plantation where you'll learn how it's cultivated and harvested. Finally, relax in thermal mineral hot springs at the base of Arenal Volcano.

Discover the lush landscape of Monteverde at night on the guided small-group evening tour. As you walk the grounds, be on the lookout for insects such as walking sticks, tarantulas, and leafcutter ants and mammals such as porcupines, opossums, and olingos. Depending on the weather conditions, you might also spot snakes and frogs.

Cruise along one of Costa Rica’s most scenic coastlines on a sailing and snorkeling tour of Manuel Antonio. Relax on deck and sip unlimited drinks from an open bar as you get a new perspective on the unspoiled nature preserve and try to spot dolphins, turtles, and migrating whales. Stop to swim and snorkel among tropical fish in the clear waters off Biesanz Beach, and then reward your efforts with a gourmet lunch prepared right on board.

Enjoy the convenience of a small-group transfer from Liberia Airport to your hotel in Guanacaste. Whatever time your flight arrives, save yourself the hassle of navigating public transport or haggling with taxi drivers. Your driver will meet you just outside the airport and will be holding a sign with your name on it. Relax in comfort on the way to Guanacaste.

Enjoy a day with multiple adventures, including a Tour of Rio Celeste, visiting the Llanos de Cortes Waterfall and the beautiful Sloth habitat at the finca verde private farm. This is about a 10 hour day with a half hour hike through the rain forest, and then observing the wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and exotic birds. You’ll also get to take a dip in the blue river

Experience the best of Costa Rica's wildlife, cuisine, and natural beauty, without the logistical hassle, on this full-day shore excursion from Puntarenas. Look for white-faced monkeys, crocodiles, and birds on a boat cruise down the Tarcoles River. Learn the history of Puntarenas port, taste fresh tropical fruit, enjoy a buffet-style lunch at a local restaurant, and shop for authentic Costa Rican coffee.

Experience the best of Costa Rica’s adventure in one action-packed day at a private 850-acre river valley near Jaco. Ride horseback through lush jungle, soar across zip lines, rappel beside waterfalls, and rev up on an ATV ride—all led by expert English-speaking guides. Watch for monkeys and macaws, then enjoy an authentic Costa Rican lunch in a Jurassic Park-like setting.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens showcases Costa Rican wilderness at its most picturesque, with lush tropical rain forest, thundering cascades, white rivers, and a rich variety of wildlife. This tour provides round-trip transportation from San José and allows you to see the highlights of La Paz in a single day. Your guide navigates through the park’s many trails and takes you to White Magic Waterfall, the butterfly observatory, and other attractions.

This tour is the opportunity to understand the dynamics of the forest through birds, learning to identify them by their flight, singing, behavior and physical characteristics. This interaction with nature enriches the experience, making it more entertaining, formative and meaningful for the traveler. Each observation brings a deeper connection to the ecosystem, transforming the journey into an authentic and memorable memory.

See the vast diversity of Costa Rica on a 3-day tour that includes hiking at Arenal Volcano, exploring the Monteverde cloud forest, and enjoying the tropical white-sand beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. This expertly organized all-inclusive tour covers all of your transportation and accommodations, so busy travelers can maximize their time and not worry about any of the logistics.

Explore Tortuguero National Park in depth during a 3-day tour from San Jose that includes accommodation and transportation to this remote wilderness destination on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Travel by car and boat with a guide who shows you through the canals and rivers of Toruguero, and where you might spot Atlantic green turtles, monkeys, and other wildlife. This all-inclusive tour takes care of the logisitcs so you can have fun.

Visiting Monteverde from San Jose in just one day can be challenging on your own, but this guided tour streamlines transportation to make the trip a cinch. Arrive at Monteverde in the morning and head straight to a canopy tour: hike on hanging bridges and learn about the rich cloud forest environment before heading back to San Jose.

Nature hike in Curi-Cancha with Kevin | Monteverde, Costa Rica Discover the biodiversity of the Curi-Cancha Wildlife Refuge on a guided hike with Kevin. Explore this private refuge in Monteverde while learning about the plants and animals that inhabit Costa Rica's cloud forests. During the tour, Kevin will help him locate and observe the wildlife, sharing information about their behavior, habitats, and the surprising adaptations that allow them to survive. A professional telescope will facilitate the observation of birds and other animals in great detail, while maintaining a respectful distance. This experience combines wildlife observation and nature interpretation, ideal for those who wish to know the natural environment of Monteverde with the guidance of a specialized guide. Sightings vary according to natural conditions and animal activity.

Discover the natural beauty and heritage of Nicaragua with a full-day tour that travels round-trip from northern Costa Rica. Visit the active Masaya Volcano and the extinct Apoyo Volcano, view picturesque Spanish colonial architecture in Granada, watch monkeys in the jungle, and more. You’ll benefit from border-crossing assistance and hassle-free transportation that allows you to make the most of your day.

Experience all the best of what Costa Rica's Caribbean side has to offer during this 6-in-1 tour from Puerto Limón. Part history, part wildlife, part city, part nature, you'll have a chance to delve into the Afro-Caribbean culture that defines the region and enjoy the tropical landscape in which it's set.

Don’t sleep on this capital of culture, architecture, and food when you’re visiting Costa Rica. On this tour, follow your local guide across the city’s best parks, cafes, local hangouts, iconic landmarks, and more, discovering what makes San Jose the colorful heart of the country. You’ll end in the picturesque Barrio Escalante, one of the city’s best ‘hoods, with a long list of reason to stay longer in San Jose.

Get a taste of San Jose’s culture and cuisine on this walking tour that includes snacks. Explore Costa Rica’s capital alongside a guide who alleviates the hassle of navigating, and learn about the city’s history, architecture as you taste. Explore the produce stalls of two traditional markets and discover what makes Costa Rican coffee so delicious as you sample some local brews.

Immerse yourself in Costa Rican culture and history on this guided tour of the capital city. Highlights include the National Theater, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, the University of Costa Rica, the Supreme Court, and Central Market. A bilingual guide is on hand to answer questions and provide insight about what you see along the way.

A fascinating experience for foodies and culture lovers alike, this chocolate experience takes you into an indigenous village where you’ll learn about Bribri culture. You’ll learn all about their community and lifestyle from your guide. A tasty part of the visit includes an overview of the chocolate making process during which you’ll also have the opportunity to make your own chocolate pieces. End your tour with a swim at a nearby waterfall.