Practical Information

Passport

Remember to check the expiration date of your passport if travelling internationally. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date of your scheduled return.

Visa

Costa Rica

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica; however, proof of onward travel may be required – we suggest you take a physical copy of your flight details in case officials ask to see them.

Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/costa-rica
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/costa-rica
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/costa-rica/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Costa-Rica.html

If you are travelling via the USA and are eligible to transit under the Visa Waiver Program, you are required to register in advance for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). There is a US$21 charge, which is only payable online. Please see our website www.exodus.co.uk/usvisa for further information.

Please note, not all nationalities have the same eligibility for travel to or transit via the USA, and you may not be covered by the visa waiver program. Regulations stipulate that any person who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 2011, or have dual nationalities of these countries, may no longer qualify. In addition, if you have travelled to Cuba since 12 January 2021 you will not be eligible for the visa waiver program and should instead apply for a visa.

If you are in doubt of your eligibility, please check the visa requirements with your local US embassy.

Vaccinations and Health

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements; however, if you have travelled to a country at risk of yellow fever prior to arriving in Costa Rica, you will be required to have a valid Yellow Fever Certificate with you. It’s also recommended that you get a hepatitis A vaccine.

The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue and zika, both mosquito‐borne viral diseases, are also known risks in places visited on this trip. There are currently no vaccines or prophylaxes available. We therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Local Time

Costa Rica's time zone: America/Costa_Rica (UTC -06:00)

Electricity

Costa Rica's electricity: Plug types A (two flat pins, US standard) and B (three pins, US standard) – 120V, 60Hz

Money

Costa Rica's currency: Costa Rican colon (CRC); however, US dollars are widely accepted

ATM Availability

ATMs are widely available in Costa Rica, particularly in the main tourist areas. A flat fee of up to US$5-$7 and a small commission usually applies with debit card withdrawals. MasterCard and Visa are quite widely accepted in the bigger hotels, restaurants and tourist shops, though not in rural areas. Always check the handling fee when paying by credit card as it can be high. We recommend that you bring some small denomination notes (US$1 and US$5 notes) since getting change is often a problem when paying for small items.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

US dollars are widely accepted as payment in Costa Rica; however, change will likely be given in local currency and the exchange rate will fluctuate. We suggest taking some US dollars with you but then using ATMs to withdraw the rest of your money in local currency while you’re there. Allow extra to cover the cost of meals not included in the price of the holiday. Snack lunches are approximately US$15-US$18 and evening meals US$25-US$32 per meal (excluding drinks).
Average costs for drinks (in restaurants) are US$2-US$3 for mineral water or soft drinks, US$4-US$5 for a bottle of beer, US$7-US$10 for cocktails and US$7-US$10 for a glass of wine.

Optional excursions are available during this tour (bookable locally):

Tortuguero:
Turtle nesting tour (July to October only) – approximately US$50 and can only be booked directly with the hotel at check-in.
La Fortuna/Arenal:
Ecotermales hot springs (four hours) approximately US$45.
Sky Tram/Sky Trek (zip line) US$112
Sky Walk (hanging bridges) US$67
Sky Tram/Sky Walk US$98.
Please note: taking optional activities in Arenal may mean missing other included elements of the tour.
Monteverde:
Sky Walk suspension bridges approximately US$50
Sky tram + Sky trek approximately US$96
Coffee tour US$46
Canopy Tour US$70
Manuel Antonio:
Mangrove boat tour US$81
Sea kayaking (four hours) approximately US$77
Horseback riding US$86
Wildlife refuge night walk: $35
Biological Reserve night walk: $70

All prices are per person and some excursions require a minimum number of participants. Optional excursions can be paid for by cash, credit or debit card and can only be booked locally.

Tipping

Our local staff are paid well and fairly for their work. However, it is usual for groups to tip guides and drivers and it would be reasonable for each group member to contribute approximately US$5 per day for the driver and US$7 per day for the tour leader, although you may wish to tip more if travelling in a small group. Porters at the airport and hotels are normally tipped about US$1 per piece. Occasionally the tour leader will organise a tipping kitty to facilitate these and other tips (such as waiting staff in restaurants), which will be collected in advance at the start of the trip.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
• We use fairly small, family run and locally staffed establishments which ensures that we are benefiting local communities.
• Our activity also benefits the rural village of Copey, which is nestled in the highlands of the Central Mountain Range. By passing through this area, seeing how the locals live and work and having lunch in a typical home, we are encouraging cultural exchange and providing valuable avenues of income here.
• There is an option for clients to directly support local schools by packing a gift of educational supplies when we visit Copey area on this tour.
• This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people.
• Our local operator is very involved in supporting community projects. On International Tourism Day in 2019 they took part in cleaning a beach at Guacalillo. They collected a total 150 Kg of waste and all the plastic lids collected were donated to the Fundación Proparques, for a project developing walkways to improve accessibility for people with mobility problems in the country’s protected wild areas.
• In 2017 Exodus Travels introduced the Inspiration Project, where we’ve worked with our partners to take more than 6,000 children in 30 countries on a day of adventure and exploration. Each inspirational day out is designed to introduce young minds to the wonders of our world and their place in it. From visiting cultural heritage sites to natural wonders, each trip has been packed with firsts – their first time leaving their own village, their first time seeing the sea, their first time visiting a busy city. We continue to operate these days out to inspire children to protect and preserve the world as they grow up.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• Being a wildlife-based tour, we are very conscious of our effects on the environment and how we can reduce negative impact and aid conservation. We visit national and private parks, including the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the first community-managed reserves in the country. Our entrance fees also directly support conservation efforts in the areas we visit.
• Our local operator has a policy of Animal Welfare that requests suppliers to comply with the minimum conditions of animal welfare.
• Our local operator has been awarded by the Costa Rican Tourism Board for their sustainable tourism practice & dedication to improving sustainability standards. This means that efforts are made to rationally use water and electricity, provide adequate waste management, and positively impact communities, among many other actions.
• Most of the accommodation and restaurants we visit on this trip use locally sourced food such as fruit which is always sourced locally and abundant. Esquinas lodge have their own policy whereby they produce their own organic vegetables and fruit, marmalade, juices, mayonnaise, bread, chocolate and seasoning.
• Vegetarian options are available if notice is given which include a variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, and rice.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• Some departures of this trip provide the opportunity for you to collect water samples for the International eBioAtlas initiative which collects vital DNA information to assist in essential conservation initiatives.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
• To reduce our carbon emissions, we use a shared coach at the beginning of the tour to transport clients from San José to Tortuguero rather than an internal flight. During the trip, we travel responsibly using appropriate methods of transport; therefore, depending on group size, a minibus/coach will be used.
• An example of eco-friendly accommodation on this trip is the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, a model project combining conservation, environmental research and community development in a rural area. The plot is surrounded by approximately 3,000 hectares of untouched rainforest which acts as a carbon sink and the lodge itself is 100 % carbon neutral, meaning it will take action to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they produce.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own re-usable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.

Important Information

Optional activities and excursions

If you would like to join an optional activity or excursion outside those listed in the itinerary, your leader may be able to assist with selecting a provider. However, Exodus has not assessed the safety standards of activities or excursions that are not listed in the Trip Notes. All optional activities or excursions are undertaken at your own risk.

Water safety

This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.