How Much Do Private Tours Cost in Costa Rica?
A straight answer from a Guanacaste naturalist guide: what a private day costs, what the price covers, and when a shared tour is the smarter choice.
A private day tour in Guanacaste costs US$500 to US$1,000 for two people, taxes included, depending on where you go. A shared tour to the same areas runs about US$155 per person plus 13% tax, around US$350 for two. The difference buys you your own guide, your own vehicle and your own pace.
Most visitors to Guanacaste see two kinds of day tour on offer: a seat on a shared bus, or a private day with a guide and a vehicle of their own. The private one costs more, and it is fair to ask what the extra money buys.
I have been guiding in Guanacaste for more than 20 years, and this is how I explain it to my own guests: the numbers first, then what a private day is really like, and then the cases where I would tell you to book the shared tour instead.
What does a private tour cost with us?
These are our published starting prices for two guests, taxes included.
| Sloth & Waterfall Rainforest Combo | From US$500 |
|---|---|
| Palo Verde National Park Experience | From US$500 |
| Miravalles Volcanic Activity, Hot Springs & Mud Bath | From US$600 |
| White Water Rafting on the Tenorio River | From US$600 |
| Rincón de la Vieja Combo | From US$700 |
| Rainforest Birding & Photography | From US$700 |
| Monteverde Cloud Forest Experience | From US$1,000 |
Larger groups pay less per person. Tips are not included in any of our prices; on a private tour, 15% to 20% of the tour price is normal, depending on how you felt about the service.
What does the price include?
A naturalist guide
With you the whole day, for your group only.
A private vehicle and driver
Your driver is part of the tour, not an extra.
Pickup at your door
At your hotel or rental, with no stops at other hotels.
We confirm the exact quote on WhatsApp for your group size and pickup location.
Private tour or shared tour?
| Private | Shared | |
|---|---|---|
| Who rides with you | Only your group | 10 to 15 guests from several hotels |
| Pickup | Your door, then straight to the first stop | A route of hotel pickups |
| Pace | You decide how long to stay | Every stop is on a timer |
| Guide’s attention | All of it | Split across the group |
| Price for two | From US$500, taxes included | About US$350 with tax |
The timer matters more than people expect. If you love frogs and someone else in the van is afraid of them, the group will not stay with the frogs as long as you would like. The same goes for snakes, birds or a waterfall you are not ready to leave. On a shared tour you see things. On a private tour you can stay with them.
We worked the same comparison out for guests at the RIU, along with the drive time from the lobby to each land tour: see our private excursions from the RIU Guanacaste and RIU Palace.
Sloths and a waterfall
- 7:30 a.m. We pick you up where you are staying.
- First stop, Llanos de Cortés Waterfall. It is about 30 minutes from Liberia Airport. Most guests stay 30 to 40 minutes, but that is your call.
- About 40 minutes on the road to the rainforest.
- A private reserve in the rainforest. There is a reception area, restrooms and tables. We walk well-kept trails looking for sloths, red-eyed tree frogs, poison dart frogs, birds and a great deal of plant life. On a typical morning we find 7 to 10 sloths; they are wild, so the number is never promised.
- Lunch, 10 minutes away, at a traditional Costa Rican restaurant. It is included in the price.
- After lunch, any add-on you chose. All of them are within about 15 minutes of the reserve.
- Back around 5 or 6 p.m., or earlier if you prefer. The return time depends on the add-ons you choose, where we start from and how long you stay at each place.
The time is yours, not ours. We come along, we guide and we explain, but you set the pace: how long to stay, when to move on and when to head back. If you want to be back earlier, we keep the visits shorter.
Private tour from Guanacaste
Sloth & Waterfall Rainforest Combo
A private day in the Tenorio rainforest: Llanos de Cortés Waterfall, a guided walk for sloths and frogs in a private reserve, and a traditional lunch. Your own naturalist guide and transport from your hotel.
What can you change on the day?
You can add an activity or swap one for another, as long as it is on the same route. Changing to a different region on the day is not realistic: the distances are long and the logistics are bigger than they look on a map.
When is a shared tour the better choice?
A shared tour fits if
You are on a tight budget, or you simply want to see a place and personal attention does not matter much to you. It does the job and costs less.
A private tour fits if
You want to stay longer with what interests you, ask every question, and move at your own pace.
We would rather tell you that than sell you a day you do not need.
How do you tell a good guide?
A good guide gives you context, not only names: the culture, the land, how the forest works. You can see it in how they react when an animal appears, even after years of seeing it. And a good guide is honest. They tell you what is worth your time and what is not, even when the honest answer earns them less.
On a shared tour you see things. On a private tour you can stay with them.
Private tours in Costa Rica: quick questions
It depends on what you mean by driver. If you only need a ride, a private airport transfer from Liberia to Playa Hermosa starts at US$95 one way for up to 7 people. If you want someone to drive and guide you for the day, that is a private tour, and with us the driver is already included in the tour price.
For a transfer, yes: you avoid driving unfamiliar roads after a flight. For a day of wildlife or volcanoes, a driver alone gets you there but does not show you anything. That is the job of a naturalist guide.
Between 15% and 20% of the tour price is normal for a private tour, depending on how you felt about the service. Tips are not included in our prices.
Tell us where you are staying, how many you are and what you want to see. We answer on WhatsApp with a plan and an exact quote, and day tours on land can be cancelled up to twenty-four hours before the start time for a full refund.
Plan a private day with us
Tell us where you are staying, how many you are and what you want to see. We answer on WhatsApp with a plan and an exact quote.