Costa Rica vacations 2024 & 2025

The best experiences in Costa Rica are about enjoying the natural beauty for which the country’s renown. Walk high amid the canopy of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on the raised Selvatura Walkways, go river rafting in the Sarapiqui River’s rapids while howler monkeys play in trees along the shoreline, or kayak in the calm waters of Lake Arenal, gazing up at the Arenal Volcano. In Arenal, you can also hike along the base of the volcano or bathe in the nearby Eco Termales Hot Springs. From touring coffee fields to riding horses, there are many things to do in Costa Rica to suit every travel style.

There are also plenty of experiences on Costa Rica’s beaches, whether it’s visiting the wild beaches of Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean Sea or heading to the Pacific coast to take surfing lessons on the consistent waves of Nosara Beach.

Costa Rica is synonymous with wildlife, such as monkeys, sloths, a vibrant birds. During a wildlife tour of Costa Rica, you might hear the loud cries of white-faced capuchin monkeys, see sloths leisurely hanging from tree branches, and see the bright feathers of macaws as they fly through the rainforest. Floating down Peñas Blancas River, you can spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, tortoises, crocodiles, and a variety of bird species.

For a real adventure, board a boat in Los Chiles for a three-hour journey up the Rio Frio to seek out sightings of caimans, lizards, turtles, and birds — from storks and ibis to anhinga and cormorants — in the highly protected Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge.

For Costa Rica’s nocturnal wildlife, a night tour of Monteverde will give you a chance to see snakes, tarantulas, bats, insects, and even sleeping toucans in the cloud forest.

Costa Rica is a birdwatcher’s paradise and you’ll have a chance to see a wide array of birds, from parrots and toucans to waterfowl. On a quetzal walking tour in Costa Rica, you’ll look for the aptly named resplendent quetzal, admiring its trio of long tail feathers and iridescent green plumage. Birders might also spot other endemic species, like the bright yellow silky-flycatcher, sprightly moving cerise-throated hummingbird, and the peg-billed finch, with its unusually long pointed beak.

The Osa Peninsula is home to the highest concentration of wildlife in Costa Rica, and birders who want to fly among their feathered friends can take a specially built zip-line to a platform to be immersed in the rainforest canopy.

From simple guest houses in the rainforest to luxurious beachfront hotels, there is a wide range of places to stay in Costa Rica. Lodges and hotels in Costa Rica  are good value but high in demand, so our specialists can advise on booking timeframes, so you don’t miss out on the best places to stay.

You can soak up the wildlife-rich Osa Peninsula with a stay at the El Remanso Rainforest Wildlife Lodge; stay at a beachfront bungalow at Nantipa, a resort set in the heart of a UNESCO-recognized Blue Zone on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast; and feel at home in the Spanish-style Hacienda La Isla Lodge set at the base of the foothills of the Braulio Carrillo National Park.

To get a mix of what Costa Rica has to offer, visit the rainforest and the beach, both of which are plentiful in this country. The laidback beach town of Tamarindo on the Pacific Coast has calm waves that are perfect for first-time surfers. Or head further south to soak up the wild beauty of the more remote beaches of Dominical, where jungle brushes up against the shore — it’s also a great place to see dolphins and humpback whales, the latter of which gather in Marino Ballena National Park from December to March and August to October.

Northwest of San Jose, visit the Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Once the most active volcano in Central America, Arenal towers 1,633 m (5,357 ft) above sea level. The misty Monteverde Cloud Forest stretches from the Arenal Volcano down to the hills of Guanacaste Province on the west coast. And visit Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast where you might be able to witness the nesting or hatching seasons of sea turtles in this marshy wonderland.

The flight time to Costa Rica from the US can be as short as just under 3 hours from Miami, 5 hours and 45 minutes from Los Angeles, and just over 5 hours from New York City.

The time zone in Costa Rica is UTC-6, the same as Central Standard Time (CST) in the US. Costa Rica has only one time zone and doesn’t observe daylight saving time.

The best way to get around Costa Rica is by car, either with one of our experienced drivers or driving yourself in a rental car. Self-driving in Costa Rica is safe and straightforward as there’s been a good deal of investment to pave roads, signs are all in English, and the rental cars we use are less than three years old and come with GPS or a Wi-Fi hotspot device, depending on availability.

You’ll still encounter some dirt roads and gravel paths leading up to remote lodges, which is why we recommend a 4x4. Despite the relatively small size of the country, at times we may suggest internal flights for some journeys.

According to the embassy of Costa Rica, US nationals don’t require a visa to enter Costa Rica.

Your doctor can provide you with immunization advice for Costa Rica, but you should also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country. You can also check the recommended vaccinations by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

US nationals must have a current valid passport and a return ticket to depart Costa Rica within 90 days from arrival.