Costa Rican Vacations
Costa Rican Vacations, San Jose: Hours, Address, Costa Rican Vacations Reviews: 5/5
Costa Rican Vacations
Costa Rican Vacations
5
River Rafting & Tubing • Canyoning & Rappelling Tours • Scuba & Snorkelling • Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks • Bike Tours
Read more
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

About
Enjoy private, custom designed trips by Local Experts. From adrenaline-inducing adventures to relaxing beach vacations, our team will listen to your needs and craft the ideal experience to fit. No other agency can match our commitment to customers, local knowledge and expertise. We offer 24/7 In-country support, and 100% satisfaction guarantee. Let us design your perfect, worry-free vacation so that you can focus on enjoying it!
San Jose, Costa Rica
Features animals
Learn more about animal welfare in tourismAwards
Travelers' Choice
2021
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingCosta Rican Vacations
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravelers talk about

(58 reviews)

(125 reviews)

(114 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,229 reviews
Excellent
1,188
Very good
31
Average
3
Poor
4
Terrible
3
Aleli C
San Diego, California, United States5 contributions
May 2022
Our last day with Paddle 9. They are just an amazing group. We also had fun at the Orchid Garden, Coffee Farm and Sloth Sanctuary. We paid extra for other activities but was worth it. The hotel In Monteverde PocoApoco was just perfect. It was very comfortable and the gardens were lovely. Cleanliness was strictly observed.
Drove to Manuel Antonio where the views were absolutely breath taking. Pura Vida indeed, as long as you dont mind getting sick. It was a 4 hour drive but the first 40 minutes were all winding roads.
The hotel in Manuel Antonio , Shana, was nice but if you have bad knees, it s not for you. It still was a nice hotel.
Thank you Jessica Luecke for your amazing customer service. Thank you for all you have done especially when we had to cancel. Thank you too Elizabeth. The local number in Costa Rica to call was perfect!
It was a very good experience. Costa Rica is just a very welcome break. Too beautiful for words. Pura vida::)
Drove to Manuel Antonio where the views were absolutely breath taking. Pura Vida indeed, as long as you dont mind getting sick. It was a 4 hour drive but the first 40 minutes were all winding roads.
The hotel in Manuel Antonio , Shana, was nice but if you have bad knees, it s not for you. It still was a nice hotel.
Thank you Jessica Luecke for your amazing customer service. Thank you for all you have done especially when we had to cancel. Thank you too Elizabeth. The local number in Costa Rica to call was perfect!
It was a very good experience. Costa Rica is just a very welcome break. Too beautiful for words. Pura vida::)
Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Victoria R
5 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
We organized our honeymoon through Costa Rican Vacations and couldn’t have been more pleased! All of the accommodations, travel and excursions they planned were great and we would happily book through them again.. Highly recommend!
Written May 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hello B7958YIvictoriar,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with us. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dennis P
1 contribution
May 2022
My wife and I worked with Emilie Witham at Costa Rican Vacations to plan our 20th anniversary trip. Emilie was great to work with, being very patient and accommodating with our changes.
Give the COVID situation, we decided to delay our trip until May 2022 and were glad we did. While not back to pre-pandemic norms, it was a very comfortable trip.
We had a fantastic time on our first trip to Costa Rica and it will not be our last. We plan on contacting Emilie again very soon and even inviting friends down as well.
We highly recommend the Pacuare Lodge. The staff, lodgings, food, and experiences were excellent. Please plan a visit there when you can.
The Grano de Oro hotel in San Jose is not to be missed. It is a wonderful little oasis for relaxing.
Contact Costa Rican Vacations when you need an excellent vacation. You will not be disappointed.
Give the COVID situation, we decided to delay our trip until May 2022 and were glad we did. While not back to pre-pandemic norms, it was a very comfortable trip.
We had a fantastic time on our first trip to Costa Rica and it will not be our last. We plan on contacting Emilie again very soon and even inviting friends down as well.
We highly recommend the Pacuare Lodge. The staff, lodgings, food, and experiences were excellent. Please plan a visit there when you can.
The Grano de Oro hotel in San Jose is not to be missed. It is a wonderful little oasis for relaxing.
Contact Costa Rican Vacations when you need an excellent vacation. You will not be disappointed.
Written May 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hello dennispS9886IJ,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Emilie and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Veronica M
1 contribution
May 2022 • Couples
I used Namu Travel/Costa Rican vacations to help with all our travel needs and Mathew Briscoe my persona travel agent was absolutely fantastic. He planned the perfect itinerary for my husband and I. I told him wat I was and wasn’t looking for in this trip and he made it happen. He made everything seamless. Both our drivers for our personal transportation options were also amazing. Very knowledgeable and super helpful. I will definitely be visiting Costa Rica again. It’s a beautiful country filled with the most polite and helpful humans I have ever come across. If Costa Rica was a maybe on your travel list I would make it a for sure place to visit. If you want a stress free planning process I would use Namu travel for sure
Written May 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hi Veronica M,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Matthew and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Richard I
2 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
We just got back from our amazing honeymoon in Costa Rica. Vanessa planned us a once in a lifetime experience with a nice mix of adventure and romance/ relaxation. We couldn’t have asked for a better trip, everything was top notch from beginning to end. Every pickup and drop off from hotel to hotel was seamless and all the drivers were on time each step of the way.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hi Richeye29,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Vanessa and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Doug C
Wilmington, NC4 contributions
May 2022
Matt Porter and the team at Costa Rican Vacations were amazing. Having a stress-free experience from start to finish made the vacation even sweeter. We met a few other families while in Costa Rica who had also booked through CRV and they all shared similar positive experience.
The hotels were gorgeous and accommodating to everything we asked for. The experiences we booked were all incredible with knowledgeable and friendly staff (and great food). To be fair, most of the credit goes to how amazing Costa Rica and its people are, but having CRV guide us to the right places and not have to worry about anything was great.
We will be recommending them to our friends and family and hope to get back there ourselves.
The hotels were gorgeous and accommodating to everything we asked for. The experiences we booked were all incredible with knowledgeable and friendly staff (and great food). To be fair, most of the credit goes to how amazing Costa Rica and its people are, but having CRV guide us to the right places and not have to worry about anything was great.
We will be recommending them to our friends and family and hope to get back there ourselves.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hi wunderdug,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Matt and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Linda P
Monterey County, CA2 contributions
May 2022
Rebecca Porter at Costa Rican Vacations was absolutely the best travel agent. She was extremely knowledgeable about hotels, sights and getting around. She promptly replied to each and every one of my emailed questions with great patience. She never pressured me to book anything.
Victor at Travel Experiences handled my two requests once we were in Costa Rica. He did it with alacrity and pleasure.
We were there for two weeks in May 2022 (to raft the Pacuare River, to see Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Manual Antonio National Park. We took the Safari Float, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Manual Antonio National Park tours; our son did the Canyoneering/Rappelling tour. All were lead by excellent guides who were naturalists and knew just about everything regarding the plants and animals. We saw blue jeans frogs, white-faced monkeys, sloths, a fur de lance snake. iguanas, geckos and hundreds of plants.
Victor at Travel Experiences handled my two requests once we were in Costa Rica. He did it with alacrity and pleasure.
We were there for two weeks in May 2022 (to raft the Pacuare River, to see Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Manual Antonio National Park. We took the Safari Float, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Manual Antonio National Park tours; our son did the Canyoneering/Rappelling tour. All were lead by excellent guides who were naturalists and knew just about everything regarding the plants and animals. We saw blue jeans frogs, white-faced monkeys, sloths, a fur de lance snake. iguanas, geckos and hundreds of plants.
Written May 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hi Roam276569,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Rebecca and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Mary P
1 contribution
May 2022 • Family
I can not recommend Costa Rican Vacations enough! Vanessa planned the perfect trip for us, considering our interests, kids’ ages, and level of adventure. The Travel Experience Team is amazing - huge thanks to Victor and Issac for going above and way beyond.
Thank you CRV for the wonderful memories, family adventure, and incredible experiences ❤️
Thank you CRV for the wonderful memories, family adventure, and incredible experiences ❤️
Written May 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hi S5325CVmaryp,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Vanessa and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Trail547036
3 contributions
May 2022
Since my husband and I had never been to Costa Rica I let Costa Rican Vacations take the lead. Emilie was wonderful and planned our whole itinerary with my input. I did not want to travel far on land since we only had a week and Emilie was able to plan our visit to both the mountains and beach within an hours drive to/from the Liberia airport. We first went to Rio Perdido which is a resort that is eco friendly and had ziplining and tubing and lots of other activities on the property. Can't say enough good things about Rio Perdido! Then on to El Mangroove which is a Marriot boutique property on the beach though you'd never know it. It was heavenly! We (unknowingly) went during low season and there were no crowds. We had booked some tours and both Diamante Park and the personal boat tour including snorkling and lunch were wonderful. The whole experience with Costa Rican Vacations was the BEST!
Written May 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hi Trail547036,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Emilie and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dyson
2 contributions
May 2022
Our travel consultant Kayla Mae was nothing short of exceptional! She was clear in her communications, very patient with our many(many) questions and clarifications before booking and she was quick to respond to our email and/or voicemail messages. We couldn't have had a better experience if we tried to book everything ourselves and we highly recommend working with this professional, organized and reliable company. From the welcome team at the airport (before immigration!), the activities booked (and the companies chosen for each one), to the details in our hotel room, local recommendations and responsive local team - we had a great stay and will probably return and if we do, we will certainly work with Kayla and her colleagues again!
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Hello TeamDyson,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are happy to hear that you had a great travel experience with Kayla and the team. We really hope to have you back again soon.
Pura vida!
Written May 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rmich9963
Disputanta, VA1 contribution
With all the restriction of Covid in place. How hard was it to get back into the United States?
I have heard they a negitive Covid test is needed before you can get on the airlines. If I have to get a Covid test where can I go and how much do they cost?
Thanks,
Tobywaun
Bowling Green, KY71 contributions
Most hotels do testing on site but there are plenty of clinics wherever you go. We set an appointment with the concierge the day before we left. It cost us $55 per person and we had results by the end of the day through email. Then we just showed the email confirmation showing a negative result at the airport. It was no big deal, very easy.
Yessenia J
Hinesville, GA9 contributions
How much is just zip lining?
Jelena Radic
San Jose, Costa Rica13 contributions
Hi yessalfaro, ziplining cost depends on the area you are in, how many ziplines are part of the tour, and if you're booking transportation to and from your hotel. Sometimes they include lunch as well. Pricing starts ~$55 per person, and usually there is a requirement of 2 people minimum for the tour. You can look into Desafio Costa Rica, as they offer booking individual day tours across the country
Jenocallaway@hotmail.com
6 contributions
Traveling later this month with a family of four kids 9 & 12. 8 days in Manuel Antonio and Arenal areas. We have excursions and hotels planned. Any packing advice? Any other suggestions?
The Michaels
Eloy, AZ29 contributions
For the Arenal area you need Light weight rain coats with hoods. Some people wore ponchos to keep their pants less wet but we just wore light weight clothes that dried easily and always brought a change of clothes wherever we went. It rained most of the time we were there... but we loved it. It was warm but just wet. Also we wore hiking/water shoes. We hiked a lot so a good hiking sandal that is also a water shoe. The brand we used was Keen. A must have is bug spray or wipes. Lots of bugs in the forest. For Manuel Antonio there was lots of sunshine and beaches. Shorts, tank tops, the hiking sandals. At the beach just flip flops and bathing suites. Hope that helps! Enjoy your trip!!
Jenocallaway@hotmail.com
6 contributions
Are hiking shoes recommended for the volcano and jungle tours? Will heavier duty sneakers work? Trying to decide if purchasing 3 pair is necessary for 2-3 days.
Daisy K
home93 contributions
Sneakers are fine miners for hikers.
Eibern
Milwaukee, WI
We have a family including 7 adults and 3 kids 8, 6 and 3 1/2 . Is there any hotel that has a kids club so if parents wanted to zipline, there is a safe place to put the kids.What do you do with the kids who are all too young to zipline or go white water rafting.
Donald G
Tuxedo Park, NY45 contributions
You will need to make the call. When my wife and I went ziplining there was a family that had a 4 and 6? year old with them. The kids were allowed to go on all but one zipline. The guides were great with the kids and the two little ones had a blast. Again, your call, you are the parents.
purplecarrot914
Westchester County, NY5 contributions
What are best attractions - IYO - for kids ages 12, 10, and 6? Or what would you avoid?? Would prefer a response from people who had/have kids of similar ages and who recently went to Costa Rica.
Jelena Radic
San Jose, Costa Rica13 contributions
Hey Purplecarrot914,
When traveling to a destination like Costa Rica with kids like yours, we encourage our guests to consider a combination package. By combination, we mean enjoying some time in an inland destination where you can experience the rainforest, wildlife, volcanoes, thermal hot springs, adventure activities and more and then traveling to the beach for sun, surf and watersports, and the gorgeous Pacific sunsets. This way everyone can get a well-rounded experience of what Costa Rica is like.
Cheers!
buckeye0688
Batavia, IL20 contributions
What is the actual website you used for the booking?
Craig and Debbie
Jelena Radic
San Jose, Costa Rica13 contributions
Please go to vacationscostarica dot c o m ...
chris c
San Jose, CA2 contributions
Hi does your company offer introductory scuba diving tours departing from San Jose?
Jelena Radic
San Jose, Costa Rica13 contributions
Hi Chris,
Thanks for showing interest in our services. We'll be happy to help you planning your next trip to Costa Rica.
Scuba diving is best on the Pacific coast, and only a few places offer introductory classes. None of them is located near San Jose so the best way to overnight on the coast.
Should you have further questions, please feel free to contact us to our Facebook fan page and one agent will be happy to assist you.
The CRV Team