As an adult who likes to travel and choose my own unique path, I was afraid I wouldn't like the structure of an EF Tour. This was my first time with an EF Tour, as well as my first time with a tour group. After this trip to Costa Rica, I don't want to see the world any other way! Each day was jam-packed with activities so that there was no way I wasn't going to get a good experiential return on my investment. Our tour director was extremely knowledgable and all the planned activities helped form a cohesive picture of what makes the Tico culture unique in Latin America. Can't wait to go back. ¡Pura Vida! show less

Fantastic! That is my one word I keep using to describe my trip to Costa Rica with my child. From the moment we started getting information ahead of the trip to the moment we walked back into our home it seems EF has figured out how to make the word “tour” exciting again. The guides were very informative and thoughtful relaying local information to us. The animals, places, scenery, and everything in between was amazing. I really liked the interactions with locals and their food. The only dislike I had was the 8-hour layover on the way back. Otherwise, there is no hesitation on my part to recommend this trip to someone else. show less

I celebrated my 73rd birthday in Tortuguero, Costa Rica with a large group of high school bioscience whizzes, of which my granddaughter was one. We all agreed that this was a wonderful trip and one of the best of several I've taken. The only negative was a night walk, which after looking at my photos was better than I thought. But it was difficult because of too many students per guide (or too few guides) and we ran into other groups a couple times because they were so strung out along the narrow intersecting trails. But overall it was a great time for all at a great value! Our guide and bus driver were each terrific! show less

I have never seen my son come back home from something so excited in my life. He had hundreds of pictures to show me, tons of stories, and lots of joy. I'm so thankful he had this opportunity. It is definitely something he will never forget. show less

From the East Coast to the West Coast, it was a nature lovers dream vacation. Boat tours, rain forest, giant turtle laying eggs, white water rafting, kayaking, zip lining, snorkeling, volcanoes, and lots of beautiful vistas. The tour director was very knowledgeable of every aspect of the culture and nature and was very cooperative and helpful in making sure everything was well coordinated and carefully planned. It was fast paced and interesting. Food was very good, sometimes too much repetition of beans and rice but enough variety to keep it interesting. We saw the good side of the culture and were exposed to the not so good side with views of the cities to wild national forest. We saw banana plantations, pineapples, coconuts, cocoa, coffee beans, livestock and more. We came away with a real feel for the country, it's economy and culture. Had a great experience. show less

On this tour we had amazing experiences. It is a great tour since the participants are busy every day with new and exciting activities. For example we snorkelled, hiked to and swam in waterfalls, kayaked, whitewater rafted, went on several boat led nature excursions, visited and swam in hot springs and hiked on volcanoes. We saw fascinating birds, plants and animals. These included scarlet and green macaws, four species of Toucans, two types of sloths, three types of monkeys, bats, coati, agoutis and several animals we didnt even know existed like kinkajous. The pace was fast but manageable. The accommodations ranged from basic to very nice and the food was good throughout. The tour directors (we had 2) were awesome! This is a great trip and so easy to chaperone since the kids are busy and most all of the hotels we stayed in were rural.
Definitely would recommend this trip and feel it offers a great cross section of Costa Rica's amazing natural environment. show less

I was at first a little worried about being a country I had never been but as soon as we got picked up by our tour director I immediately felt safe and knew that our tour director knew what he was talking about. The first hotel we stayed at was in San José and was a quality in so there wasn't much culture there but as soon as we go to Tortuguero I felt like a native. The island was so beautiful and green and I saw monkeys on the tour around the river! It was a great place to stay and the hotel was so much fun and relaxing. Sarapiqui, La Fortuna, and Guanacaste were also beautiful places and I loved all the activities; the hiking to the waterfall, relaxing at the hot springs, an exciting adventure of white water rafting, the different fishes while snorkeling, creating new memories with people I've met and more, was a experience that you don't get anywhere or on any tour. Ef Tours created a memory that will stay with me forever and I would highly recommend this tour to anybody willing to try new things! show less

Costa Rica was the most amazing experience that I have ever had. There was never a dull day. Either we were going out and doing crazy things such as zip lining and white water rafting, learning all about the community of the country at schools and in town, or we were venturing through the wilderness to view the beauty of the biodiversity that the country has. I'd like to give credit to our tour guide, Victor, for creating such a family-like atmosphere and sharing all of the knowledge that he could give about Costa Rica and the Spanish language. Due to this positive experience, especially since it being my first time outside of the country without family members, I have already signed up for another EF tour, and I'm sure this won't be my last tour with them. show less

The Costa Rica trip was one of the best trips I have ever done. The tour guide was exemplary. Not only was his knowledge of the myriad places in CR unbelievable, but his professionalism, way with students, attitude, humor, and desire to be the best were commendable. He flawlessly and seamlessly connected an incredibly ambitious itinerary which left myself and our students with the educational experience of our lives. I can not say enough about how well put together our trip was. From the excellent bus and driver, to the details of our meals and multiple excursions, no detail was left out. EF, and it's contracted guides, and drivers should be commended on this Costa Rica trip. show less

I am so happy that we all had this amazing experience. Got to witness so may things that I would never have before dreamed of, like witnessing a Leatherback Turtle lay her eggs on the beach in the middle of the night in Tortuguero! Thank you so much to our tour guide who did an amazing job showing us all the different aspects of Costa Rican life, and to our wonderful bus driver who made sure we got to our destinations safely :) I would absolutely recommend this tour to a friend, it was an incredible experience and I'm sure the memories will always be cherished. show less