13 Full-Day Tours in Costa Rica to Build a Day Around

1.Tortuga Island Full Day Tour from San José with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 589 reviews · 12 to 18 hours (approx.) · from $115Our pick

Travel from San José to Puntarenas, then cross the Gulf of Nicoya by boat to Tortuga Island. You get dolphin watching, a 45-minute snorkel stop, lunch, and about five hours on the beach. Guides such as Memo, Percy, and Roy lead the trip. Expect an early start, a long day, and optional paid extras.

“For our final day before flying out we decided to sign up for this tour which was a full day of activity. Fun last day before our return.”

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2.Mineral Hot Springs Full Day Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 135 reviews · 1 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $47Best value

Spend up to five hours at Paradise Hot Springs in La Fortuna, moving between mineral pools, hot tubs, and hydromassage areas beneath tropical vegetation. Changing rooms, showers, lockers, and towels with a refundable deposit are available. Add lunch or dinner if desired, but arrange your own transport.

“We were very satisfied with the hot springs. There was plenty of space and several pools at different temperatures. The bar at the one pool was convenient and served delicious specialty cocktails. The whole area was covered with vegetation which made it feel like part of the rainforest and not a tourist location. We read that others were not happy with the dinner option so we decided to do lunch there instead and were happy with it. Overall a solid option to kill a few hours while in La Fortuna.”

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3.Full Day Tour to Tortuga Island from Jaco

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 108 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $146

This 12.5-hour Bay Island Cruises trip combines a Jaco-area pickup with a catamaran ride from Puntarenas, five hours at Tortuga Island, snorkeling, lunch, breakfast, drinks, and onboard music. Expect a lively party-boat atmosphere, scenic Gulf of Nicoya views, and crew-led activities such as a banana boat ride.

“Fantastic tour and team of professionals. Every detail was great. Rau, main guide was kind and funny. The team took drone videos which they shared with us of the whales we saw breaching and the banana boat ride. Edwardo was an excellent captain spotting the water wildlife, DJ Chapo was excellent, and his sax performance during lunch was extraordinary. All the supporting staff were friendly and helpful. Great day, even when the weather wasn’t perfect.”

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4.Full Day Tour to Tortuga Island from San José

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 92 reviews · 10 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $128

Start early from San José or Puntarenas, ride a catamaran across the Gulf of Nicoya, pass Islas Negritos and Isla San Lucas, then spend about five hours at Tortuga Island. Jordan, Eric, and other crew members help run the day, with meals, drinks, music, beach chairs, and optional snorkeling included.

“Every aspect of the tour was superb! Service was great, pleasant atmosphere and a perfect whether for nature's best”

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5.Full Day Tour with Safari Float, Waterfall and Volcano Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 89 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $210Top rated

You’ll combine four La Fortuna highlights in one small-group day: a gentle safari float on the Peñas Blancas River, La Fortuna Waterfall, a traditional lunch with the Rodríguez family, and a slow hike around Arenal Volcano. Guides such as Tony, Pepe, Oscar, and Carlos are known for spotting wildlife and explaining local nature and culture.

“Edgar and Tony were great! The family restaurants food was amazing and all staff was just so nice. Finished super tired and weather wasn’t ideal but overall great time. :)”

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6.6 in 1 Full Day Pass: Aerial Tram & Zipline-Braulio Carrillo Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $104

Spend about five hours at Rainforest Adventures Braulio Carrillo with a guided aerial tram, 10-cable zipline course, forest walk, butterfly and orchid gardens, and frog and snake exhibits. Guides such as Marvin and Marcos add useful nature and safety details. Hotel transfers and meals may be available as upgrades.

“The tour of the national park was a wonderful experience. We were so excited to see unusual animals, like a tapir and coati, besides sloth and many different birds. Because this is natural, not a zoo, we felt very fortunate. The tram ride thru the canopy was lovely. We got to see different levels of the eco system. The zipline was fast and exciting, including one of the longest lines in the country! My only criticism was the that the drive host and driver only engaged occasionally with our small group. Neither described scenery or location info. The driver made me feel uneasy during the extremely foggy and wet weather…”

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7.Arenal Best 4 Attractions Full Day Combo Incl. Lunch and Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 77 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $273

Spend 9 to 10 active hours around Arenal with guides such as Tony, Michael, Allen, or Anderson. Walk 16 hanging bridges, descend to La Fortuna Waterfall, hike among old lava flows, then soak at Paradise Hot Springs with dinner included. Pickup is available from downtown La Fortuna hotels, with groups capped at 15.

“Our guide Andres was great! We opted into the 4 excursions day which included Hanging bridges, Fortuna Falls, Volcano and Hotsprings with lunch and dinner included. For us it was personally way too long of a day. By the time we finished lunch we were ready to go back to our hotel but still had the volcano hike plus the hot springs remaining. 😅 I’d recommend 2 excursions MOST for one day”

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8.Tortuga Island Private Full-Day Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $203

Leave Jaco early with Captain Robert, Eric, or Jordan for a private speedboat ride from Herradura to Tortuga Island. Snorkel before the crowds, try the unusual subwing, look for spider monkeys, then enjoy fruit, beach chairs, SUP boards, drinks, and a choice of lunch. Ocean conditions can make the ride rough.

“Absolutely perfect day on the water with Robert! 10/10 recommend. We saw spider monkeys, javelinas, and even a whale! The whale was a very nice surprise.”

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9.Full-Day Adventure to Manuel Antonio National Park from San Jose

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 59 reviews · from $163

Leave San Jose early for Manuel Antonio National Park, with breakfast, lunch, transport, and admission included. A local guide leads a rainforest walk where you might spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and birds, followed by time at Playa Manuel Antonio. Guides such as Jose, Jorge, Erick, and Eduardo have received especially warm praise, but traffic can make this a very long day.

“Several hours on the way on the Bus 6:00AM to 1:30 PM We had only one hour on the beach. From 2:00 -3:00. We were Kicked off the beach at the 3:00 by Park staff. Our Tour guide did not share. This happens every day. Don’t waste your time on this.”

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10.Arenal Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $185

Start at 7:30 a.m. with Mistico’s hanging bridges, then hike the 1968 lava flows at Mirador El Silencio before lunch at the guide’s family restaurant. Finish with a swim at La Fortuna Waterfall. Guides such as Gustavo, Tavo, Luis, Daniel, and David are praised for wildlife spotting, local insight, and thoughtful care in wet weather.

“This was our first time in Costa Rica and we wanted to try to get the best experience as possible in the short time we had before moving on to another area. This day did not disappoint. Honestly, before our “tour” even started, he was already helping us spot a sloth we hadn’t seen in a tree at our hotel. Daniel was an awesome guide as we went to Mistico Hanging Bridges, El Silencio, his family’s restaurant (included), and La Fortuna Waterfall. Daniel didn’t rush us through our experiences, but made sure we spotted flora/fauna and were able to capture the picture of an animal that we had been wanting…”

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11.Full Day Class II-III Rafting and Canyoning Rappelling from La Fortuna-Arenal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · from $191

You spend a full day with Wave Expeditions combining waterfall rappelling, canyon climbing, zip-lining, and a two-hour Balsa River rafting run. Guides such as Super Mario, Sassy, Julio, and Jonathon have earned warm praise for safety and good humor. Hotel pickup, equipment, fruit, drinks, and a Costa Rican lunch are included.

“Our family’s favorite part of the day was the rafting and the monkey drop. The guides were excellent. We felt safe the entire time. My husband, who is afraid of heights, did everything. The guides helped him relax and have a good time. Super Mario was our river guide and was awesome! The food they provided was amazing!”

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12.Paddle Boarding & Waterfall Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $185

Spend about eight hours with Paddle 9 combining a short paddleboarding session in calm Maracas Bay with three waterfalls south of Quepos. Guides such as Roberto, Ismael, Reece, Mambo, Rasta, DK, and Alonso help with jumps, swimming, and a waterfall slide. You’ll also visit Playa Ventana and eat lunch in a jungle setting.

“What a great adventure! This ended up bring a solo private tour. My guide was Ismael. He took me paddle boarding, waterfalls, took pictures while i was in action, to lunch and the beach. Every stop was awesome. He also filled me in on history of the area. I highly recommend this tour! Thank you Ismael for everything!”

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13.Full Day Adventure Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $225

Start at 6:30 am for a private full-day trip from Tamarindo to Buena Vista. You’ll zip across mountain cables, cross hanging bridges, ride horseback through transitional forest, slide 420 meters, visit hot springs, and try sugar cane, coffee, snacks, and pottery. Expect a busy day and moderate physical effort.

“Bring small bills for tipping individual experiences -you will want to give these amazing folks a tip! Quite a bit of walking- not for anyone that doesn’t like exercise. Was a lot of fun, adventure and a bit of terror! Do not lay down on water slide! Zip lining was a blast, horseback riding- maybe wear long pants, bring change of clothes, water slide was once in lifetime, and hot springs were amazing! Truly a memorable day!”

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