Local Experts · San José, Costa Rica
More than a Tour Company, we are your Local Guide to Costa Rica
30+
5
8
100%
ICT-registered tour operator
CST Sustainability Certified
100% local Costa Rican team
Personalized service on every trip
Our story
Born in Costa Rica. Built on 30 years of pura vida.
Costa Rica Top Tours was founded in San José by a team of Costa Rican tourism professionals who believed that the best way to experience this extraordinary country was through the eyes, and the hands of people who truly know and love it.
Based in San Rafael de Escazú, we have spent over two decades building deep relationships with the national parks, local guides, lodge owners, and communities that make Costa Rica one of the world's great travel destinations. Every itinerary we create draws on that local knowledge.
We are not a booking platform. We are not a global chain. We are a dedicated team of Costa Rican professionals who take genuine pride in showing our country to the world responsibly, personally, and at a standard of quality we consider non-negotiable.
"We invite you to explore Costa Rica through our eyes, and we will be more than glad to assist you."
Proud members
What drives us
Our mission, in our own words
We believe the best tourism is tourism that benefits everyone, the traveller, the destination, and the communities and ecosystems that make it extraordinary. These are the principles that guide every decision we make.
High-quality service, every time
To provide a consistently high level of personalised service to every client on every trip, on every day. Quality is not an option for us. It is the foundation on which everything else is built.
Building real relationships
We believe in building genuine professional relationships with our clients. Understanding your needs, your travel style, and your expectations so we can exceed them. We are reliable. We keep our word.
Sustainable development first
Sustainable development means meeting today’s needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet theirs. Every supplier we work with, every route we choose, and every experience we offer is assessed through this lens.
Protecting Costa Rica’s wildlife
We actively denounce the extraction and illegal captivity of animals and plants. We fight against the illegal trading of flora and fauna. And we expect the same commitment from our suppliers and guests. Costa Rica’s biodiversity is not a commodity.
Community and social responsibility
Sustainable tourism is not only environmental, but it is also social. We develop projects that involve and benefit local communities, employ local professionals, and promote the traditions and authentic culture of Costa Rica.
Original, creative, dynamic
Tourism demands constant innovation. We maintain an original, creative, and dynamic team. Always looking for new ways to show travellers the real Costa Rica, beyond the postcard, and beyond the ordinary.
Our commitments
The standards we hold ourselves to every single trip
These are not marketing promises. They are the internal standards our team has maintained for over 30 years. The reasons clients come back, and the reasons they recommend us to others.
Reliability
We do what we say we will do. Our clients trust us with their holidays. We take that seriously.
Personalisation
We develop the best tools to give every client a personalised, tailored service. No two trips are identical.
Identity
We maintain our own identity as a proudly Costa Rican company, with local knowledge, local expertise, and genuine local pride.
Sustainability
We implement sustainable development policies across all our activities for mutual benefit, for our business, and for the environment.
Teamwork
We work as a team internally and with the guides, drivers, lodges, and operators who make our tours extraordinary.
Excellence
We keep ourselves as leaders in our field with a standard of service that matches the extraordinary destination we represent.
Sustainability & certifications
Certified. Responsible. Proudly committed to Costa Rica.
Sustainable tourism is not a trend for us. It is a founding principle. We are proud members and certified partners of Costa Rica’s most respected tourism and sustainability organisations, and we hold ourselves accountable to their standards on every trip we operate.
Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (CST)
Issued by Costa Rica’s Tourism Institute (ICT), the CST is the country’s most rigorous sustainability certification, covering environmental management, social responsibility, and community impact.
Safe Travels WTTC
Certified under the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Safe Travels programme. Assuring our clients that our health, safety, and operational standards meet global best practice.
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)
Officially registered with Costa Rica’s national tourism authority. Assuring our clients that they are booking with a legitimate, regulated, and audited tour operator.
Costa Rica Convention Bureau
Costa Rica Top Tours is a registered member of the Costa Rica Convention Bureau, the national body that promotes Costa Rica as a world-class destination for MICE tourism, incentive travel, and professional congresses.
Travel with purpose
We believe every journey should leave something behind worth more than footprints. For every confirmed itinerary booked through Costa Rica Top Tours, we make a contribution to the Los Niños Pintan para Los Niños Association — a programme dedicated to expanding access to primary education for children living in social vulnerability in Costa Rica.
When you travel with us, your trip supports a child’s right to learn.
Memberships & certifications
CST Certified
Safe Travels
ICT Registered
ACOT Member
Essential Costa Rica
SICCS
Chamber of Tourism
Code of Conduct
Our team
Well-trained, passionate, and 100% Costa Rican
At Costa Rica Top Tours, our greatest asset is our people. We are a dynamic, close-knit team of tourism professionals, guides, coordinators, logistics specialists, and client managers who share a common passion for our country and a commitment to showing it at its very best.
Every member of our team has been trained to the highest professional standards. Our guides are expert naturalists and cultural interpreters. Not just people who know the route, but people who can bring the forests, the rivers, and the communities you encounter to life.
We believe strongly in involving our staff in the wider sustainable tourism world, in the principles behind it, the certifications that define it, and the community programmes that make it meaningful. Our team doesn't just work in sustainable tourism. They believe in it.
Multilingual
Your language, your guide. Tell us how you prefer to communicate, and we’ll arrange an expert who speaks it fluently.
Naturalist expertise
Deep knowledge of Costa Rica’s ecosystems, wildlife, and national parks.
Dedicated support
A responsive team available before, during, and after your trip.
Local partnerships
Built over 30 years with lodges, guides, and communities across Costa Rica.