Top San Jose Bus Tours

Just 90 minutes from San Jose lies a world of fiery, steaming, white-hot adventure, and with this private tour, you’ll walk into it yourself. Picked up from your hotel, you’ll make the drive to Poas Volcano National Park, where you’ll literally step into the volcanic crater. After getting your fill of this lava land, you’ll cool down with stops at a bucolic farm, coffee plantation, or other Alajuela attractions.

During this all-day guided tour, explore Monteverde, a popular wildlife sanctuary in the Costa Rican tropics. The 10,500-hectare reserve features incredible biodiversity including 400 species of birds, more than 100 species of mammals, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles, and about 2,500 species of plants, which you’ll be able to spot with the help of a guide. Take in the rainforest as you travel along a series of trails connected by suspended bridges.

See the active Irazu Volcano and other highlights of Costa Rica’s Cartago province at your own pace on a private tour from San Jose. Reach the summit of the peak known by locals as ‘El Colosso,’ famous for its modern eruptions and lake-filled craters. Soak up regional culture in the artsy, historic town of Orosi, and spend the afternoon relaxing in mineral-rich hot springs and dining at Hacienda Orosi.

Discover some of the most lush and unspoiled coastal landscapes in Costa Rica on this 3-day excursion to Tortuguero National Park. The first day you will leave your hotel in San José. After a tour of the city of Tortuguero and an overnight stay at the hotel, you will spend the second day exploring the national park, as well as its fauna and flora. On the third day you will make one last boat trip on the canals before departure.

Experience both extremes of Costa Rican nature on this wild and wonderful private tour: an active volcano and lush, serene waterfalls. Escaping the crowds, you’ll get personally picked up from your hotel and whisked off to Poas Volcano, an active, steaming giant. From there, you’ll explore La Paz Waterfall Gardens to take in serious natural beauty, hang out with toucans, and more.

Instead of just exploring it one way, see Monteverde’s cloud forest from every angle during a tour that combines ziplines and suspension bridges. Walk among the treetops on hanging bridges and have the chance to fly Superman-style over the forest. Combining three signature Monteverde experiences in one day saves you from booking each adventure separately.

Get away from the city and into a world of magic, relaxation, and beauty. After pickup from your San Jose hotel, you’ll travel via private, air-conditioned vehicle across the countryside to beautiful Arenal Lake. Here you’ll enjoy a private boat tour, take in views of the volcano, and grab lunch at Baldi Hot Springs. Then it’s time for a soak in Arenal’s thermal pools—and soaking in Mother Nature’s luxury.

The tour to Arenal Volcano includes a stop in Sarchí, renowned for its artisan tradition and for displaying the largest ox cart in the world. The journey runs through plantations of agricultural products until you reach La Fortuna, where you will enjoy lunch overlooking the volcano. The Arenal, although not directly visited, is noted for its spectacular beauty and its 1968 eruption that made it famous after years of inactivity. Then you will relax in one of the best hot springs in the area, where you will enjoy the purifying and rejuvenating effects of the hot springs and at sunset back to San Jose.

Visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 26,000-acre (10,500 hectare) oasis of virgin cloud forest. Visited by roughly 70,000 people a year, the reserve is home to about four percent of the world’s animal species. Walk across suspended bridges and hike among native flora and fauna. You can also pay extra to zipline through the canopy. Lunch and a guide are included.

With this private half-day tour, exploring active volcanoes couldn’t be easier. Picked up right from your hotel, you’ll make the scenic 1-hour ride to Irazu Volcano National Park and its namesake volcano—the highest in the country. You’ll explore this fiery wonderland with a guide (greenish-yellow crater lake and all), witness the old town of Cartago, and so much more.

Seeing Costa Rica’s wildlife is great—getting up-close encounters on a private tour, led by a naturalist guide, is even better. Picked up from your San Jose hotel, you’ll head to one of the best wildlife rescue centers in the country to spot tapirs, spider monkeys, pumas, peacocks, and more in their natural habitat. Great for all ages, you’ll get to discover this world and get all your questions answered.

Take a trip to the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park on a small-group tour. This park is known for its great surf, picturesque scenery, and abundance of flora and fauna. Choose your own activity for the day such as sunbathing, snorkeling, trekking or surfing—equipment is available to rent—and enjoy the beauty of the park. This tour is inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and park entrance tickets.

Explore three of Costa Rica's most incredible national parks in just three days with this tour. You'll spend time hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park, traversing the canals and rivers at Tortuguero National Park, and hanging out at the beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park. For added convenience and comfort, all accommodation, transportation, and meals are included.

Discover one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful national parks, Tortuguero, on a full-day private tour from San Jose. Travel comfortably with hotel pickup and board a private, fully-covered boat for your tour through the canals. Your guide sheds light on the ecosystem and points out wildlife like sloths, toucans, monkeys, and crocodiles. This moderate-level tour includes a nature walk and town visit for a complete experience.

Explore the biodiverse Corcovado National Park on this all-day guided tour from San Jose. First, sail through the largest mangrove in Central America before starting your walk through the park, which is filled with lush flora and fauna. Following lunch, visit the San Pedrillo waterfall for a refreshing dip in the waters.

Explore the natural beauty of Costa Rica's Arenal Volcano National Park during a stress-free day trip from San Jose. You'll jump from a walk through the rain forest canopy at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park to a soak in the mineral-rich thermal baths at the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort, traveling between attractions with ease in comfortable coach. A quick stop in the artisan town of Sarchi is also included.

✨ Indigenous Culture, Rainforest Wildlife & Coastal Beauty – All in One Day Embark on a full-day private tour from San José to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast for a unique blend of cultural immersion and natural exploration. Visit an authentic Bribri indigenous community to learn about their ancient traditions and chocolate-making process, then discover the wildlife-rich trails of Cahuita National Park, home to sloths, monkeys, and coral reefs. An unforgettable day of learning, tasting, and exploring in one of the most vibrant regions of the country. Tour Highlights: Bribri Indigenous Village & Chocolate Tour Meet local Bribri families and learn about their ancestral traditions Witness and participate in the chocolate-making process from bean to bar Learn how cacao is used in medicine, food, and rituals Cahuita National Park Nature Walk Guided walk along a flat coastal trail rich in wildlife and marine views

Your breath-taking, adventure begins with a pickup from your hotel and a relaxing private drive through the wonderful Costa Rican countryside. After a 90 minute drive from San Jose, you will arrive to Tarcoles River. The Tarcoles River is home to one of the world’s largest crocodile populations in the wild and they are very easy to admire during our 90 minutes boat tour. Get up close with American crocodiles of all sizes and observe an abundance of beautiful exotic birds! Enjoy spectacular rainforest scenery and cruise through dense mangrove forest canals. Spot jungle wildlife such as iguanas, lizards, and monkeys. After the tour, enjoy a delicious typical lunch and explore the souvenir store. Continuing our tour, a short drive to Carara National Park will allow us to get deep inside the rainforest in this unique ecosystem, where many beautiful wildlife species are common to see such as the Scarlet macaw, monkeys, snakes, armadillos and more.

Go beyond the city of San José and discover its beautiful surroundings on this full-day tour. Start your day with a Costa Rican breakfast at a local coffee plantation, then learn about the coffee-making process on a farm tour. Afterward, head to the active Poas volcano to explore its massive crater before heading to a nature park to see an animal sanctuary and picturesque waterfalls.

See Costa Rica’s iconic La Paz waterfall during this full-day guided, tour with animal sanctuary visit and an eco-boat ride down the famous Sarapiqui River. Get up close and personal with toucans and monkeys and learn about the five waterfalls, flowers, and rainforest within the sanctuary. Afterward, absorb the biodiversity on a relaxing boat trip down the Sarapiqui river ecosystem surrounded by wildlife in the water and on land.

From San Jose, the easiest way to take a day trip to Arenal Volcano is on a guided tour. All transportation is included by private vehicle so you don't have to deal with slow public transit, and logistics such as lunch, dinner, and entrance fees are already planned and included in the ticket price. After visiting Arenal Volcano with a guide, head to Baldi Hot Springs to soak in thermal waters before returning to you San Jose hotel.

See many of Costa Rica's most interesting attractions in just over a week with this tour package. You'll visit top attractions such as Manuel Antonio National Park and the Arenal Volcano, and have the opportunity to go on a Pacuare River rafting excursion, all with a professional guide. All accommodations, breakfast and lunch are included.

Head out from San Jose to explore two quintessential Costa Rican icons: volcanoes and the Sarchi ox carts. On this private tour, you’ll start at the active Poas Volcano, gazing from the edge into the water-filled crater below. Then you’ll head to Sarchi, the most famous craft center in the country, to learn all about the famous painted ox carts, the town’s internationally recognized woodworking scene, and more.

Drive rugged jungle trails in an adventure park outside San Jose on this private tour that’s all about wild nature—and includes a boat trip along the crocodile-filled Tarcoles River. Exploring with a naturalist guide adds fascinating insight. And, with an expert to help scan the forest canopy, it increases your chances of spotting free-roaming wildlife there.