Top Costa Rica Bus Tours

Explore the Costa Rican capital’s rich history, landmark buildings, and modern culture on a combo bus and walking tour of San Jose. Get a great introduction to city highlights like the National Theater and Art Museum, and stop to walk through bustling markets and public plazas to feel the pulse of this modern Central American metropolis. Get an extra boost of Costa Rican culture by listening to traditional folkloric music onboard the bus.

The Costa Rican province of Puerto Limon is known for its rich biodiversity, local food culture, and sandy Caribbean beaches. Experience Puerto Limon’s highlights in just a few hours during this shore excursion, which allows you to easily tour the city and see top attractions such as the Tortuguero Canals, a Banana Plantation, and Playa Bonita. Along the way, your guide provides helpful commentary.

Heading deep into Arenal's rainforest typically means renting a car and navigating unfamiliar roads. This small-group tour lets you skip the self-drive stress and takes you to directly to the area's highlights. Walk across the rainforest over a hanging bridge, wander along trails through lava fields for excellent views of Arenal Volcano, and, finally, rejuvenate in a natural hot spring.

Trek deep into the canyons of Rincon de la Vieja Volcano to reach the impressive La Leona waterfall on this private, guided day tour. The tour starts with a convenient pickup, and then you’re on your way. You’ll take an intermediate-level hike along Rio Blanco, where you’ll pass by caves in order to reach your ultimate destination, La Leona waterfall.

Many Costa Rican coffee and chocolate experiences require long travel days, but this hands-on tasting experience takes place near Playas del Coco, within easy reach of most hotels. Visit artisan producers, learn about and taste local products, try your hand at traditional grinding methods, and make your own coffee and chocolate.

Navigate the waters of Lake Gatun, an essential part of the Panama Canal, as enormous ships pass in the distance and the tropical jungle pushes through the islands that emerged after the lake's creation. In Monkey Island we will look for three species of primates: white-faced capuchin monkeys, Geoffroy's tamarins, and howler monkeys, whose powerful calls are often heard through the forest. During the tour we will also be able to find tropical birds, iguanas, crocodiles, and other animals in their natural habitat. But this experience goes far beyond observing monkeys. Your bilingual local guide will help you interpret the landscape and discover how the construction of the Canal transformed ancient valleys of the Chagres River into an extraordinary ecosystem of islands surrounded by the waters of Lake Gatun. Our small groups allow for a more personal, quiet, and close to nature experience. Nature, history, and engineering meet in one place: the Panama Canal.

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.

Soar over 11 waterfalls on this thrilling zipline adventure, less than one hour from the Puntarenas cruise port. Experience 18 zipline cables, a Tibetan bridge crossing, waterfall rappelling, and a refreshing dip in a natural pool. With stunning views of the Gulf of Nicoya, blends of adrenaline and nature in a short time frame that's ideal for cruise ship passengers.

Spend the day on a tropical island on this seamless full-day tour from Jaco to Tortuga Island. Board your boat and cruise across the Gulf of Nicoya, looking for dolphins along the way. On Tortuga Island, enjoy a snorkeling tour (conditions permitting) and free time to relax, sunbathe, engage in other watersports and activities such as kayaks and banana boats (extra expense).

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Costa Rica’s famous coffee industry with this tour to a coffee farm from San Jose. Learn first-hand how beans are grown, harvested, and roasted for the perfect cup of coffee. Plus, visit the towns of Sarchi and Gracia to visit popular monuments and learn how they keep handicraft traditions alive.

If you’re short on time in Costa Rica but want to see the country’s famous biodiversity beyond the concrete capital, this day trip to the Tortuguero National Park is ideal. Travel through the canals and lagoons on a boat and look out for toucans, crocodiles, sloths, iguanas, and much more. The highlight, though, is seeing the sea turtle nesting sites on the beaches, which give the park its name.

This Tortuguero Canals tour is a Limon classic. Drive along the coast, visit a fruit stand and banana plantation, and take a quick stop at the beach on your way to the Tortuguero Canals, a popular wildlife destination full of tropical plants and animals. Going with a guided tour keeps you on-time and organized for easy sightseeing.

Touring the Manuel Antonio National Park with a guide means you’ll see and hear things that it’s easy to overlook when visiting independently. On this two-hour small-group tour your guide will look out for slow-moving sloth, bright green frogs, tropical birds, and more. See for yourself with the provided telescope. Learn all about Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity and even spend some relaxing time on the beach.

Get to explore the rainforest of La Fortuna de San Carlos in the Arenal Volcano National Park for one hour in the daylight, and one hour in darkness on this small group night tour. Keep your eyes peeled for sloths, snakes, and all kinds of birds. Your guide will be right there to point the creatures out for you while you see the transition from day to night.

See the highlights of Limon on a full-day tour. Set off from your meeting point and visit a local fruit stand. Then, head to the rainforest to learn more about the area’s biodiversity. You’ll also see a banana plantation and explore the Tortuguero Canals, which teem with wildlife and vegetation. Finally, take a city tour of Limon with a stop at Playa Bonita.

Families looking for an adventurous but kid-friendly outdoor activity in Costa Rica will love this float through the jungle along the Sarapiqui River from La Fortuna. Rather than a challenging adrenaline rush, you can enjoy a relaxing yet fun trip down the river, bouncing on the waves and admiring the sights of the jungle and the sounds of the birds and wildlife.

Sample some of the best products made in Costa Rica on this group tour in Monteverde. You’ll explore the process of producing coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane on this family-friendly tour. You’ll be able to taste each product, too, while your guide tells you all about how each is made, and how important each product is worldwide.

Get ready for an adrenaline-pumping adventure with our ATV Adventure tour. Explore the picturesque Manuel Antonio countryside areas, unlike any other tourist. Feel the thrill while driving your ATV through the mountains, where you'll witness the lush greenery of the rainforest and an array of wildlife. Not only will you ride through the lush jungles of Costa Rica, but you'll also appreciate excellent views and can take amazing pictures of the beautiful landscapes. After experiencing the amazing ATV adventure, you will enjoy a unique nature experience at Rainmaker Park, a magical corner where lush rainforest meets the thrill of outdoor adventures. This park offers a stunning backdrop that immerses you in the rainforest. The constant murmur of water in Rainmaker Park accompanies you as you walk, creating a relaxing atmosphere and connecting you with the pure essence of nature. You will encounter majestic waterfalls that break the serenity with their comforting roar.

Explore one of the most important mangrove ecosystems in Costa Rica on this fun kayak tour. Just offshore from the popular Manuel Antonio National Park are thousands of acres of protected forest, home to all kinds of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. Your naturalist guide will tell you about the area’s biodiversity while you paddle peacefully in the shade of the mangroves.

Max out the adrenaline (and the fun) during this full-day adventure combining a white-water rafting trip and zipline excursion. Zoom through the rain forest canopy during a series of heart-pounding zipline rides, some on cable spans as long as 3,200 feet (980 meters). Then battle the Class II and III rapids of the Balsa River. Lunch, snacks, and rafting gear are all included.

Located in Mistico Park, Arenal Hanging Bridges is known as one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful environmental projects—a combination of trails and bridges through the rain forest near Arenal Volcano. On this tour you can travel through the park and across elevated bridges, see views of the volcano, and enjoy close-up encounters with native flora and fauna. Your guide, a wildlife specialist, provides helpful narrative along the way.

Visit Costa Rica’s highest active volcano on a full-day trip from San Jose to Irazu Volcano, the historic Orosi church, and Jardin Botanico Lankester (Lankester Botanical Gardens). There are just a few places in Costa Rica where it's possible to stand at the summit of an active volcano, but you can at Irazu Volcano National Park, with views from the rim into the massive crater.

Spend a day exploring Costa Rica’s beauty away from the beach on this guided shore excursion from Punta Arenas. Head out with a guide and a small group of 15 people or fewer to discover the region’s highlights, including the tropical fruits grown in nearby “fruit towns,” a wildlife area known for its population of white-faced monkeys, and a sail down the lush Tarcoles River. Tour includes entrance fees and all transportation with port or hotel pickup and drop-off.

Explore the delicious side of Monteverde with this coffee,chocolate, and wildlife night tour. You’ll be with a group, so you’ll keep costs down and meet a few new faces, too. First you’ll learn all about the coffee and chocolate production, with tasters. Then you’ll head into the Santa Elena reserve, where you’ll be given a flashlight to spot the critters that only come out at night.