Plan Your Costa Rica Trip

As a rule, the further in advance you can plan, the more options you will have. We recommend planning a trip at least three to nine months in advance. However if you want to stay at very specific hotels, particularly luxury hotels, or travel during  a holiday, then we recommend planning at least nine months to a year in advance.

We offer both active and cultural tours that take you from volcanoes to beaches, with all of the natural beauty, wildlife, and adventure found in between. These itineraries vary in length and level of accommodation. Our Adventure Travel Coordinators would be happy to chat with you to help you find the itinerary that best meets your needs and interests.

Most of our Costa Rica trips are between 7 and 10 days, depending on how much of the country you would like to see.

Yes! We are happy to put together a custom Costa Rica tour for you if our current itineraries are not quite what you are looking for. We can also add extensions onto any of our existing tours.

Southern Explorations’ trips are generally private for you and your group, although some areas (all-inclusive lodge stays and cruises, for example) may require that we form groups with other Southern Explorations travelers.

Costa Rica is best visited during the dry season, which runs from December to May, with the busiest times of year being around Christmas, the New Year, and Easter.

Costa Rica’s mild, tropical climate makes it a great destination most of the year. From November to May you can expect temperatures in the low-70s to upper-80s, depending on the region you’re exploring, and little rainfall. The rainy season (May to November) offers similar temperatures with frequent afternoon rain storms. May and November are transitional months and can offer nice weather. Please see the weather tab on your specific trip for more details.

A typical day in Costa Rica will vary from tour to tour, but you can generally expect to start your excursions right after breakfast, with a full day of scheduled activities or sightseeing. A lunch break is included and you’ll retire to your accommodations in the late afternoon, with evenings free.

Our Costa Rica trips vary in level of activity, so the requirements differ based on itinerary. Tours on our website include a physical rating that indicates the itinerary’s difficulty level. If you have any specific questions, please contact your Adventure Travel Coordinator. We have personal experience with these activities and can help you decide whether a trip is right for you.

If you like an itinerary, but find a hike or activity too demanding, we’re happy to customize and find alternatives that match your preferred level of difficulty.

Our full terms and conditions can be found on this page just above these FAQs.

Our guides have been carefully selected for their knowledge, professionalism, experience and ability to effectively manage groups with finesse. We only hire guides who are native to the destination and licensed or certified in accordance with the government regulations of their country. All are fluent in Spanish and English. Most have advanced degrees in tourism, biology, native culture or other related fields. All guides are experienced in the outdoors and trained in basic first aid.

In major cities we offer a variety of hotels including boutique properties and larger business-style hotels. Throughout the rest of the country we work with a combination of resorts, small traditional hotels, and remote lodges. The majority of the properties are family-run or locally owned. All of our accommodations are clean and comfortable, with private bathrooms and hot water. We offer basic or luxury options in many locations, depending on taste and budget. All of our hotels are clean, comfortable, well-located, offer en suite bathrooms and have been personally vetted by a Southern Explorations staff member.

Travelers are responsible for their own international airfare into San Jose or Liberia.  Internal flights are quoted separately from our base trip costs. We will include any necessary internal flight pricing in your quote.

Breakfast is included every day and is served at your hotel. Lunch is included on full day excursions and some dinners are also included, depending on the itinerary you choose You’ll receive recommended restaurants for each city so that if your trip includes some dinners on your own, you’ll know where to go.

Our trips include most expenses. We do not include tips (guides, drivers, cruise/hotel staff), travel insurance, international flights, or other trip incidentals and personal equipment. There are occasional entrance fees that cannot be prepaid, but most are included in your trip costs and any exceptions will be clearly detailed.
 
The number of meals included vary by trip; you can tell which meals are included by looking for a B, L, or D at the end of each day’s description. This will indicate if (B)reakfast, (L)unch, and/or (D)inner is included.
 
Every trip is different, and each itinerary we send you, from initial trip proposals to your final confirmed itinerary, contains a detailed list of inclusions and exclusions. We also provide detailed tipping guides for all our confirmed travelers.

Eight travelers is the maximum for our Costa Rica trips, but the majority of our departures are private.

Costa Rica is safe for travel. However, travelers should take the same precautions that they would while traveling elsewhere, particularly in large cities like San Jose, to protect themselves from petty theft. Listen to the advice of your guide and hotel reception staff and take common sense precautions such as not going into unfamiliar areas alone, especially at night. Use the safety deposit box at your hotel for your passport and extra money (carry only as much as you might spend) and leave jewelry and expensive watches at home. 

Check your email for your payment confirmation and a link to access our online trip portal. Final payment due date is in your confirmation email, and we’ll send you a reminder later. Now is a good time to check into travel insurance!

Yes, travel insurance is highly recommended. There are a plethora of insurance providers but we recommend contacting Travelex Insurance Services or Travel Guard or using SquareMouth to compare other travel insurance websites.

If your plans are set and flights are available to purchase, then go ahead and book them! Some people like to watch fare trends before purchasing. Airlines post flight schedules about 10-12 months in advance, so for travelers booking trips over a year in advance, you’ll have to wait. It is relatively easy to find flights to our Latin American destinations, so unless you are traveling over the holidays or very last minute, don’t stress about finding flights!

After booking you will receive a link to our online trip portal, which includes all of the need-to-know information specific to your itinerary. This includes packing lists, restaurant recommendations, tipping guides, FAQs, electrical plugs and voltage, vaccine recommendations and money matters. Your Travel planner will also be a great resource for any other information you may need.

The typical day varies widely from trip to trip, but all tours include full days with guided explorations, rest and relaxation, and independent exploration of cities and towns. Due to the remote nature of Costa Rica’s most scenic areas, some long travel days might be required.

Yes! We are happy to modify any tour to meet your needs and also add pre and post-tour extensions.

You can find more information about packing in the online trip portal. We have packing lists, footwear details, and things to consider. Review your final trip details that we send a couple of weeks prior to departure for luggage limitations and restrictions specific for your trip.

Typically internal flights have weight restrictions for checked bags. Your travel planner will provide more details based on your specific itinerary.

Yes! Please notify us in advance if you are celiac, gluten free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, keep kosher, or have other dietary needs. If you have picky eaters in your group, the more information you provide us the better we can accommodate them. In the online trip portal, you will see a place to indicate allergies and dietary needs.

Check the online trip portal for the most up to date information regarding traveler health and immunization recommendations.

About two weeks before you depart, we will email your final trip details that will have all of the pertinent information you need for your trip. Generally, our trips do not require any physical vouchers or documents. Some trips may have informational documents which we will include in your final trip details.

When you arrive in San Jose or Liberia, you will be greeted by your guide just outside of customs. Your guide and a driver will transfer you to your hotel. Additional information and instructions will be included in your final itinerary.

Two weeks before departure, you’ll receive final trip details that indicate the start time for the excursions. Each evening, your guide will remind you about the next morning’s pickup time and plan, and will provide you with special instructions if needed. When in doubt, ask your guide.

Your guide’s primary goal is to keep you safe and make sure you have fun. If you have a scheduled activity but you’re not feeling up to it please discuss options with your guide right away. There are usually many alternative options available and the guides have the ability to make changes on the fly. This may be more difficult if you happen to be on a group excursion but the guides want you to have a great day and work very hard to make that happen, so just let them know how you’re feeling!

You can expect Wi-Fi access at most hotels. When in remote areas, Wi-Fi may be unreliable or unavailable. Cell phone service depends on your cellular provider and coverage plan. We recommend that our travelers be ready to disconnect when heading to remote destinations. You are, after all, on vacation!

Credit cards are widely accepted in Costa Rica, but there are some exceptions. If you plan on using your credit card frequently we recommend prior to departing inform your bank that you will be in Costa Rica. For your protection most banks automatically block transactions in foreign countries, so be sure that you advise your bank that you will be making charges while in Costa Rica. Mastercard and Visa are the most widely accepted. American Express is accepted at most hotels and some restaurants but not by local or small vendors.

Water is safe to drink throughout Costa Rica however we do recommend that you drink bottled water.

The electricity in Costa Rica is 110/220 Volts which is the same as the United States.

The hotels we work with will generally offer laundry service for an additional charge. If your itinerary includes several days in the same city, you may find it more economical to have your laundry done at a local lavanderia which will charge by the kilo.

All Southern Explorations’  travelers will receive a list of emergency contact numbers before departure, including a 24-hour emergency phone number. If your international flight is delayed please call the emergency line  so we can make the necessary arrangements and keep your trip running smoothly. After you begin your trip and are in contact with your local guide, please refer to them first with any issue you may have then contact the head office if you need additional assistance.

Some of our trips take travelers into primitive wilderness areas. To ensure the safety of our travelers, our guides are linked with outside emergency medical services 24 hours a day in all locations to provide assistance when necessary. Though our guides are trained in wilderness first-aid and carry extensive first aid equipment for minor ailments, injuries, and accidents, they cannot handle serious medical conditions, and travelers are advised to obtain health or travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. There are  hospitals, some with 24-hour medical assistance that can deal with injuries and illnesses. In the rare event of a more serious medical emergency, travelers would be evacuated from a wilderness area and driven to a medical center. Helicopters are also available for emergencies, but they cannot fly in high winds. Any traveler with a medical condition should discuss that with us prior to travel.