I found this travel agency on Reddit of all places! After seeing their great reviews on Yelp, their years of experience, and that their US office was located in Chicago, my husband and I utilized their services to book our honeymoon. The booking process was very smooth. Andi was assigned to us and she took great care of us. I appreciated that she asked activities that we were interested in and planned our stays around that. The information provided to us was very detailed. The tours, hotels, and transportation were wonderful. The vans they had us in were super clean and drivers were friendly and bilingual. The transportation arrived at exact scheduled times for ALL of our tours and transfers. I also appreciated that they included what to pack for the different activities. I highly recommend this travel agency for your costa rica travel needs. PURA VIDA! read more

Shoutout to the good folks at Costa RIca Experts! Aaron and his team helped me plan a 7 day, 6 night trip to beautiful Costa this past week. They really listened to all my inputs, from locations to types of activities. The final result turned out to be one incredibly detailed itinerary that also had room for flexibility and spontaneous exploration. I'm writing this review literally still on my second to last night here and am so grateful to have found them on Yelp! read more

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Mathew of Costa Rica Experts arranged a lifetime trip for me and my family, Every arrangement and suggestion he made worked out perfectly. When they call themselves "experts" they really earn their name. There were 10 of us, all adults, and we were able to enjoy ourselves individually and as a group. Ziplining, animal sanctuary, sunset cruise, Golf and lots more. We did it all. We did it off-season (Mid June) and the weather was perfect- hot, but cooled by occasional rain or a dip in the pool or ocean. The W Hotel was outstanding and the staff was constantly helpful. When they say Pura Vida (similar to Aloha) they mean it. read more

All I can say was wow!!! Our trip was so organized and easy breezy. We stood in closta rica for 10 days and we chose 2 locations. I recommend staying at 3 locations with the amount of days. Renting a car in Costa Rica is very expensive And the roads are very stressful and confusing especially when it's raining. And remember, your in the jungle on a 2 lane highway, in mountains with no lights. itinerary was customized to us we are adventurous and wanted to experience Costa Rica at its fullest. Our trip included transportation from San Jose airport to Arenal (4 days) which was a 3.5hr drive which was very comfortable, we were in a large van with A.C and chairs that reclineed. All our excursions included round trip transportation. All our drivers were very knowledgeable of wild life, the area, and their country. All our tour guides were also very knowledgeable of the rain forests, and educated us about everything costa rica. We stood at Tabacon Thermal Springs Resort, jaw dropping. We had unlimited access to the volcanic thermal springs, the mineral water works wonders for your body, skin, hair, spirit. The higher you walk up the springs the hotter the water is. Pictures do no justice. The resorts shower water was from the volcanic springs, let's just say I took really long showers. Lol. 2nd location was Puerto Viejo. We went white water rafting on The Pacuare River, which was amazing!!! We showered then we had transportation to Puerto Viejo (Caribbean side) which was about 2.5hr drive. We stood at Aguas Claras, we had our very own bungalow in the Jungle right off the beach. We saw sloths outside our balcony, a family of monkey's, and much more wild life. We also did a few excursions. We had direct contact with the office in Costa Rica and they were so helpful confirming our excursions and transportation. It was super easy and they were so friendly. I highly recommend this travel agency, for all the excursions we did and the private transportation, and where we stayed, we paid less than other people we met. We booked in Jan, and had to pay the trip in full a month before departure which was May 4th for departure on Jun 4th. Excursions, highly recommend all: Arenal Hanging Bridges, Arenal Sky Tram & Canaopy Zipline, Pacuare River Whitewater Rafting Class III-IV (first timers and it awesome), Talamanca Bribri Reserve/Chocolate Process/waterfall tour, Cahuita Snorkeling and Rainforest hike. read more

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Phenomenal overall experience with Aaron Daker, Managing Director, and Costa Rica Experts for our honeymoon in Costa Rica! Planning started via Costa Rica Expert's website with a quick / easy questionnaire which included a helpful checklist, along with our preferred budget to work within. Personally LOVED this part, as it provided us with a helpful framework for our trip, without the hours of research ahead of time. Questionnaire covered our interest in activity type (i.e., hiking, massages, horseback riding, etc.) and destinations (i.e., Manuel Antonio, San Jose, etc.) which had detailed descriptions on category of area (i.e., beach, mountains, cloud forest, etc.). ~24-48 hrs. later, had a 13-day itinerary in my inbox complete with transfers, hotels, and excursions based on the questionnaire. This was HUGE to me, as it made the visualization process super easy, and we could get an idea of what we loved or wanted to tweak (which turned out to be very little!) prior to discussing. From there, Aaron let us know we could call him directly or schedule a call anytime to review. Did a video call w/ Aaron (super warm, friendly, and informative) who helped answer questions, and guide us on timing, as we were only about a month away. As timing was tight and hotels were booking up quickly, he did us a favor by putting a hold on them, while we made our decision (without forcing us to sign a contract / put money down) which not only made me feel more comfortable with him / the company but was also incredibly helpful. From the minute we engaged with Aaron after filling out the checklist, through the planning, to being onsite throughout our trip, he was incredibly responsive and informative. Our honeymoon trip itself was incredible, and truly the best trip either of us ever had. From the hotel selections, to the ease of transfers to and from locations, to the excursion recommendations, there was truly nothing we felt wasn't absolutely spectacular. It also opened our eyes to areas / places we likely would not have found on our own. Couldn't be more pleased with the decision to use Aaron and Costa Rica Experts, and will eagerly look forward to using them in the future. read more

So bummed they just focus on Costa Rica cause I would love to use Costa Rica Experts for all my upcoming vacations. I worked with Brandon starting about 6 months ago to plan an adventurous yet relaxing Costa Rican adventure to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. I did a little bit of research ahead of time (thanks to friends who had traveled to Costa Rica), but Brandon proved to be a wealth of info. There are so many different areas to visit in Costa Rica, but with Brandon's help we narrowed it down to Manuel Antonio and Papagayo. Brandon suggested to do all the adventurous stuff in Manuel Antonio, which included a moderate walk thru the national park (saw monkeys and other wildlife galore), horseback riding and white water rafting. All our activities, drivers, hotel reservations etc were organized perfectly and we woke up everyday not having to worry about what to do and how to get there. We basically just needed to walk downstairs at the times provided in our itinerary. In Manuel Antonio we stayed at the Gaia Hotel, an amazing 20 room boutique hotel. I had heard from friends that the rooms were a bit small so Brandon made sure we had a suite that was spacious. We then made a 5 hour drive (transportation also organized by Costa Rica Experts) to Papagayo where we planned to relax and enjoy the Four Seasons Resort. By far one of the (if not THE) best resorts we've stayed at. I didn't have Costa Rica Experts plan anything once we got here since I planned on just enjoying the sun, but we ended up taking advantage of many of the activities organized by the Four Seasons. We probably could have planned all our adventures thru the Gaia as well, but I liked having it all planned out ahead of time. Between 2 little kids and a busy job I don't have much time to spend researching vacations and Brandon did all the work for me. There is no extra charge (they make $ thru the hotels and activities they book). It was also just $100 to secure the trip when we booked it months ago and then the entire balance was due 2 months before the trip. I also liked that everything (besides food) was paid for when we got on vacation so we didn't need to worry about dealing with their currency outside of meals. We booked our flights on our own since we wanted to use miles, but they'll take care of that if you'd like as well. A snowstorm hit Chicago the day we were supposed to return from Costa Rica. I emailed Brandon in a panic for hotel suggestions near the Liberia airport in case we got stuck. He responded immediately with a suggestion and also the # of someone else at the agency who would be around to help us if our flight was canceled. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately since a longer vacation would have been lovely) we didn't have to use the #, but it was nice knowing we weren't on our own in case something did happen. I will definitely be using Costa Rica Experts again to plan future trips to CR and will cross my fingers they open up other divisions for travel to the rest of the world! read more

Costa Rica Experts - white water rafting in Manuel Antonio - Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We worked with Monica to book our fairly last minute trip. We were 1.5 month out. Just got back and I can rave enough about how well everything was organized for us. My husband and I are very pleased with all the arrangement Monica put together for us - everything was amazing! All the transfers were on time and the tours/adventures were spot on. We added on a couple more once on location. I would recommend having a slight idea of what you want to do and see there - so many cool things to experience in Costa Rica! Pura Vida read more

We emailed Costa Rica Experts when we decided planning a trip to Costa Rica for me, my wife, and our two boys was just too difficult due to the sheer number of options, most being local hotel chains and such we've never heard of. Matt at CRE asked me a bunch of questions and provided a sample itinerary that was nearly perfect. We made one or two tweaks with Matt and were on our way. We're finishing up our trip now and I have to say their selection of hotels, tours/adventures, and transportation were excellent. We had a great time and will definitely use them again when we travel to Costa Rica in the future. read more

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I highly recommend Costa Rica Experts (CRE) for anyone planning to visit this beautiful country! My family wanted to go to Costa Rica for my mother's 60th birthday, and I reached out to CRE to plan an itinerary. Aaron Daker was extremely thoughtful and accomodating for all my requests, and put together a wonderful itinerary for Bajos Del Torro and Arenal/La Fortuna. The trip itself was outstanding! Everything went smoothly, and every single tour operator and hotel stay had the nicest people! There was one day where a planned river safari had to be cancelled due to flooding, but Elfa (not sure of her name spelling) in the Completely Costa Rica office and Jacamar Tours were so helpful and efficient in organizing an alternate option. The hotel selections were amazing, and both hotels went the extra mile to make my mother feel special for her birthday. I've never had a trip go as seamlessly as this one did, and I cannot recommed CRE more! I've already shared my itinerary with several family friends who also plan to visit Costa Rica. Kudos to the entire CRE team! read more

Do NOT do it. Literally in CR right now and our honeymoon has been ruined. They will likely delete this, but we will be sure to review on other platforms if it helps even one person not have their honeymoon completely ruined. This company booked us at an AWFUL hotel, very dirty, and the "ocean view" is only there if you can look past the mountains of trash outside your window, they will do nothing to help us. Acted like they did us a favor putting us in a king bed room, which is what we should have had in the first place. If you want to eat in their restaurant, be prepared to share your lunch with a swarm of flies. So gross. read more

One of the best family vacations ever. Trustworthy Organized Reliable Diverse Well connected in country We chose the adventure tour. We were lucky to have fun activities everyday from hiking volcanoes, swinging bridges, zip lining, surfing and coffee plantations. Those were the highlights. There was more. All our lodging was tops: comfortable with great views and access to fun. We will definitely go back to CR and will use CRE to get us there and back. read more

I highly recommend using CRE for any trip to Costa Rica. I used them to plan a customized13 day self drive trip to the Pacific side that worked for my budget. The whole process was seamless and we were able to navigate from location to location very easily. The amenities were great and met all expectations. read more

I had never used a travel agency before but read great reviews about Costa Rica Experts and Megan helped me set up an absolutely phenomenal week. Everything was efficient, pickups and transfers were on time and well-organized, the activities were perfect, and my accommodations were far beyond my expectations. I highly recommend their services for an amazing Costa Rica trip! read more

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Nice job educating us before the trip. In small airport waiting to go to Lapa Rios. Full flight. No room for Anyone's luggage, something that apparantly happens "all the time" Lots of unhappy peeps and now we are delayed! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Stay tuned. More to follow! read more

CRE rocks. They arranged our honeymoon a month before and put us in three top notch locations and casitas. Details we never though of were covered and the cost wasn't much more than if we had reserved the trip ourselves. Loved the trip, love CRE. Makes me jones for the good old days of travel agents once again! read more

I worked with Costa Rica Experts (aka Panama Vacation Experts) to plan a trip to Costa Rica and Panama in March. They did an excellent job of booking hotels and transportation including a private charter from Panama to Costa Rica. Aaron at CRE is very professional and knowledgeable about the area. All of the local travel representatives they contract with were very helpful and customer oriented. We had to leave earlier than anticipated on our departure day because of road closures. A local travel agency advised us of the potential problem and arranged for an early hotel pickup and booked a tour at a coffee plantation to help fill in the time before our flight home. I would highly recommend CRE and will use them again when I return to Costa Rica or Panama. read more

Costa Rica Experts is the ONLY way to go if you're planning a trip to Costa Rica. My husband and I typically plan our trips on our own but we used Costa Rica Experts at the recommendation of a friend. They are outstanding resources. You can look at some possible itineraries on their website and then work with one of their people to customize it based on your budget and desires. The accommodations they booked were great, the local drivers prompt and courteous, and the excursions very informative and fun. Costa Rica Experts truly do know their stuff! While you're in Costa Rica, if any question or issue surfaces, you can contact an on-the-ground organization connected with Costa Rica Experts to assist you. We highly recommend Costa Rica Experts for your travel to this amazing country! read more

Although I am always a little hesitant to use a travel agent, we used Costa Rica to help plan our honeymoon, and they were fantastic! I spoke to several different people throughout the planning process, and everyone really knows their stuff! Our hotels and activities were fabulous, and our transportation was seamless --something I always worry about in a foreign country. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks Costa Rica Experts for making our trip so memorable! read more

My friend and I booked a trip to Costa Rica with CR Experts. My friend made the original arrangements and I followed up with my questions. We are in different states so I had a lot of questions. Megan at CR Experts was obstinate about helping me. She kept telling me that she already explained everything and I should get the info from my friend. Megan did this early in the reservation process and also right before the trip. In addition, the itinerary they send is terrible. It is 7 pages long and you have to read a bunch of narrative to find the critical facts. As a result, I had to rewrite my own itinerary so I would only have to carry a two page document as opposed to several sheets of paper to scroll through. In addition, Megan flat out lied and basically yelled at me about our airport transfers. Let's say it was a nerve wracking experience dealing with CR Experts and therefore I cannot recommend them. read more

We had a large group of 11 from grandparents to grandkids. Everything was so well coordinated and planned. We had people coming from different locations and one who had to return early. All pickups were on time with knowledgeable guides and drivers. Rooms or bungalows were top notch with beautiful views. We also had some vegetarians and vegans and each area had many options or would do what was needed for those eaters. Aaron told us he can also help with other international travel so he will be our first contact when we decide on the next trip. I would not try to plan a trip to Costa Rica without a knowledgeable agent. The distance between areas can be long and confusing so Aaron was worth every penny. I also don't think, after reviewing individual pricing of locations, that we could have done the trip as cheaply. Well worth using this company! read more

Couldn't have asked for a better company to help plan a vacation to Costa Rica for my parents 35th anniversary. We wanted to get away for a little fun in the sun, but needed help coming up with activities that would keep the interest of three generations. Aaron was a true joy to work with, he took a genuine interest in the occasion - was patient and helpful every step of the way - never making me feel like I was asking to many questions or changing my mind to often :) . Our trip was perfect from the time we stepped on the plane until the time we returned. He organized the great excursions ranging from horseback riding to a deep sea fishing trip - he also made some fabulous dining recommendations, and booked the most unbelievable hotels - all while staying within my budget. Thank you Aaron and Costa Rica Experts, you have a customer for life! read more

I Planned a trip with Costa Rica experts for my 30th bday and had a blast. All their recommendations were fantastic! I booked hotel accomodations, excursions and private drivers with them. I was happy with all them. I highly recommend Costa Rica Experts for your Costa Rica travel needs. read more

The knowledge and expertise of these guys it's impressive. My wife wanted to book a trip to Costa Rica and we're planning just a seven-day Vacation to the North Pacific side (Guanacaste) a friend of ours booked a trip with Costa Rica Experts and they referred us to them, they planned our vacation but including a Volcano part, Arenal, National Parks and the beach section was the last. Highly recommended. Very knowledgeable. We can't wait to book our next vacation. read more

Costa Rica Experts helped me plan an incredible romantic getaway. I had the pleasure of visiting the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts. The only snag we had was one of the roads were close because of a mudslide, but Costa Rica Experts local office was quick to the fix the issue and find us an alternative route to get to our destination. Both my partner and I were most impressed with Expert's recommendations to stay in a friendly safe secluded cabin located in our own little rainforest. We had, what felt like, a private beach at Almonds and Corals and the food was amazing. We were excited about how eco-friendly all of the accommodations were. I think my favorite part of the trip was spending time in Lapa Rios. The staff were awesome and knowledgeable about everything Costa Rica. We had an opportunity to visit an animal sanctuary (Cana Blanca) and discovered all the amazing work they are doing to save animals. I think anyone can go on a website and book a trip to Costa Rica, but you really need experts to design a trip that is unique and right for you. I'm happy to have used Costa Rica Experts, not only did they know what was a right fit for me but I felt like I had a friend in the country incase anything happened. I highly recommend Costa Rica Experts if you are planning a trip to Costa Rica. read more

Excellent! Our trip to Costa Rica was perfect. All of our connections were smooth and trouble free, we were upgraded for free in at least one hotel. The in country agency that Costa Rica Experts uses to help it's clients with any changes or modifications to their itineraries handled a couple of our special requests promptly, enthusiastically and at no extra charge. Their recommendations for hotels, destinations and activities were well thought out and perfectly suited to us. Using a knowledgeable agent, one who specializes in the country you are visiting, is key in planning your trip, especially if it is your first visit. The agents at Costa Rica Experts have been to Costa Rica repeatedly and know the country well. They have all the contacts to book a smooth trip as well as the knowledge to recommend an itinerary that is suited to your tastes. They also deal with the language barrier that you would face if you tried to book the trip yourself as well as the myriad of frustrating details that would take a first timer hours if not days to work out on their own. Agencies are compensated primarily discounts offered by the hotels and tour operators, so any minor cost to us of using an agent is more than off set by the convenience, security and hassle free travel. I highly recommend Costa Rica Experts. We worked with Brandon, but I heard good things about their other agents too from at least one other family that we met during our stay. read more

We recently used CRE to plan our family vacation. Aaron was our trip consultant. He did a great job listening to our interests and formulating several choices of itinerary. The trip was perfect; lodging, food, transportation, activities. I highly recommend them. read more

We just spent almost three weeks in Costa Rica, and with the help of the services of Costa Rica Experts, we had a life-changing vacation! Not only did we get to see a vast majority of this beautiful country, we had tours with private guides that were made our tour outstanding. All of our reservations were arranged and customized for our Costa Rica adventure through Ariana with the Experts. We had an itinerary and vouchers for our private tours and transfers, and it was so convenient and just perfect! Our accomodations were to our requests and it made our vacation stress free! I highly recommend using Costa Rica Experts to help plan a Pura Vida Adventure!! read more

I had booked a Costa Rico vacation with them for a lot of money for my family. My son ruptured his appendix a week before our trip. We contacted them to let them know and they said that they were sorry but that their policy was that they would keep 100% of the money that we had sent to them for our trip. That may be their policy, but they made a ton of money off of my son's ruptured kidney by canceling all of our excursions, hotels, airport pickups and then pocketing it all. I HATE THIS COMPANY!!!! Next time we would book direct and not go through a group like this. read more

Had an bad experience with this travel agency. Our trip was poorly planned (hotels not informed of early check-ins, birthday cake not arranged with hotel, pre-paid meal vouchers not honored by hotel etc.) and the transfer company they use stole items from our suitcases while we were not in the bus. Costa Rica Experts took no responsibility for their sub-contractors actions and are standing behind their sub-contractor (even against very strong evidence supported by the six people on the trip) and not the client/vacationers. Would not recommend this agency. read more

After a rough year the team at Costa Rica Experts, (shout out to Aaron), planned the trip I needed. I had no idea where I wanted to go or how I wanted to spend my time. Aaron listened to me and offered various options. His education is vast and he can actually has personally experienced every thing he recommended. I trust him and can't wait till my trip next week. Even if you don't know where you want your big vacation at least talk to Aaron. He wont steer you wrong or sell you things you wouldn't want. The service is very personalized. They DO NOT treat their clients like a number. Aaron is your man, read more

Costa Rican Experts are exactly that - Experts right down to every detail. My husband and my 2 very active daughters just returned from our 2nd trip with Costa Rican Experts and each time, we had an amazing experience for my husband and I and my high schooler and even our college age kid had a blast! I was impressed with the little information I provided that they were able to plan a wonderful itinerary for all to enjoy. They secured drivers, and outfitting companies in Costa Rica that really take care of their guests, all in a very relaxed manner. Our travel guide Brandon Hagg patiently listened to all of my requests till we got the trip just right, thank you Brandon! It was obvious that Brandon like the other travel guides there have traveled extensively in Costa Rica and were able to tell me 1st hand about many experiences. I highly recommend Costa Rican Experts. Costa Rica is a beautiful country - Don't miss the fun! read more

I highly highly highly recommend Costa Rica Experts. The last word in their name is there for a reason-- they truly are experts in all things Costa Rica. I had done quite a bit of research going into this trip and had a not- so- positive experience with a different travel agent before finding and settling on CRE. Once I found these guys, everything fell into place. They knew all the right excursion companies to work with, and knew the answers to trickier questions like coordinating travel and driving options there in the country. Every single thing they arranged for us turned out great-- and they really chose terrific excursion companies in Costa Rica because we LOVED all the guides who took us around. Now, there is one more major reason why I recommend CRE. Upon our return we had a very unexpected and very strange problem getting two pieces of our luggage back to the states (which had nothing to do with CRE). Long story short, CRE took control of the situation and resolved this for us in the most understanding and professional manner. It was a problem that lasted three full weeks upon our return, and they were totally on it, staying in touch with me almost daily with phone calls and emails. They did not have to do this-- they could have said it was our problem (after all, our trip with them was complete). But they went above and beyond and acted like the true professionals they are. Our bags finally arrived safe and sound-- thanks to CRE. I have never written a yelp review like this before, but I wanted to sing their praises because they honestly and truly deserve it. Thank you, CRE. read more