Top 4 Dining Experiences in Costa Rica

1.San Jose By Night: Sights & Culture Tour with Local Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 237 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $80Our pick

Spend four hours walking central San José with a local guide such as Esteban, Malo, Emil, or Paula. See Morazán Park, Casa Amarilla, the Metallic Building, National Park, and Barrio Escalante, then finish with a Costa Rican dinner and two beers, sangrias, or non-alcoholic drinks.

“Emil was very knowledgeable and personable. We learned about Costa Rica history, visited shops, a bakery, and tasted a variety of delicious food. Highly recommend Emil for your tour guide.”

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2.Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 112 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $80

Start at 3:00 pm with hotel pickup, then see San Jose by guided bus and on foot. Visit the National Theatre lobby, Costa Rican Art Museum, Central Market, and Plaza de la Libertad Electoral before dinner. Guides such as Hector, Sergio, David, and Maria have led this tour. Expect a useful city overview, but confirm timing and theatre access.

“Maria was our guide and she was an absolute delight! We was so enthusiastic about showing off the city she was proud of. She was informative, knew the history of the city and hustled along from place to place. She was very impressive! The not so great parts were the tour did not match the description of what would be offered. We spent more time sitting in traffic than actually seeing the sights. We only went into one museum and were rushed out. Were supposed to receive an alcoholic beverage with the tour and didn't.”

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3.Night Food and Culture Tour with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 107 reviews · 4 hours · from $79Best value

Walk San José with an English-speaking local guide, from Morazán Park and the Metallic Building to Barrio Escalante. Along the way, enjoy two drinks, then sit down to a generous Costa Rican dinner with dishes such as ceviche, chifrijo, empanadas, patacones, and caldo de pollo. Guides may vary, with past walks led by Joanna, Esteban, Karol, and Alejandro.

“We had terrible weather but our guide adjusted our plan to ensure we had a great evening. Could not have asked for better.”

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

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

Start at 7:30 am with a guided walk across Arenal’s hanging bridges, then descend to La Fortuna Waterfall for swimming. After lunch, explore trails at the volcano base before ending at Paradise Hot Springs with dinner. Expect about 9 to 10 hours, plenty of stairs, a small group, and guides such as Tony, Michael, Allen, or Anderson when available.

“Our family went on this tour. The hanging bridges and waterfall were nice, but you could do this on your own for a much lower price. The value-add of doing the tour is to have a guide who can spot wildlife. Unfortunately, our guide was not as skilled in this. The only wildlife we saw was as a result of other guides spotting them and us 'glomming on'. We also missed a number of species that other groups saw, perhaps because our guide was on his cell phone for part of the time. He didn't really seem to want to be there. The lunch at the coffee plantation afterward was…”

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