Costa Rica route
San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal Shuttle Bus
Shared shuttle
$95 per person
Private shuttle
$180 per trip
Local Operator
Based in Santa Teresa
Certified Company
Insured and professional
Family Owned
Personal local service
Reliable Service
Door-to-door travel
Route overview
Tropical Tours Shuttles: from San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal, we offer daily shared shuttle bus services and private minibus transportation. Price ranges starting at: $95 per person on shared shuttles departing at 06:30am and 01:25pm. $180 per trip for a private minibus. It’s a 3 hours (depending on the road conditions) ride from San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Select your service to La Fortuna Arenal:
Shared shuttle selection
$95 per person
Door-to-door
- Departing time
- 06:30am
- Travel time
- 3 hours
- Arrival time
- 9:30 am
$95 per person
Door-to-door
- Departing time
- 01:25pm
- Travel time
- 3 hours
- Arrival time
- 4:25 pm
Private shuttle selection
$180 per trip
Door-to-door
- Departing time
- Flexible
- Travel time
- 3 hours
- Arrival time
- 3 hours later
San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal options and details
Shared Shuttle from San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal details:
- Bus departure time from San Jose area: 06:30am and 01:25pm
- Departure place: at your location (hotel, hostel or rental house) in San Jose
- Bus arrival time at La Fortuna Arenal area: 9:30 am or 4:25 pm
- Trip estimate duration: 3 hours
- Shuttle service frequency: daily service
- Vehicle: 10 to 15 passenger minibus
- Price per person: $95
- Surfboard fees: $15 per board under 6 feet; $20 per board 6 feet or larger.
Additional information:
- This service is operated by Tropical Tours Shuttles. Normally our vehicles are branded with our logo.
- Bus stops are provided along the way in specific locations.
- Our door-to-door minibus shuttle service will take you safely and directly from your hotel, hostel or rental house in San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal in Costa Rica.
- Surfboards on shared shuttles are $15 each for boards under 6 feet and $20 each for boards 6 feet or larger.
- We set a departing time for each destination, however the minibus has to go through town picking everyone up and that takes a few extra minutes.
- Costa Rica is a beautiful country, but the infrastructure is uncertain and our geography does not help either, so some sections of the route may include bumpy and dusty roads on your way to La Fortuna Arenal.
Private Shuttle from San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal details:
- Private shuttle departure time from San Jose area: Flexible pickup time
- Departure place: at your location (hotel, hostel or rental house) in San Jose
- Private shuttle arrival time at La Fortuna Arenal area: about 3 hours after departure
- Trip estimate duration: 3 hours
- Private service frequency: on request with advance reservation
- Private minibus price per trip: $180
- Surfboards: Included at no extra charge on private shuttles.
Additional information:
- Private driver and door-to-door transportation from San Jose to La Fortuna Arenal are included.
- Base price covers up to 4 passengers; additional passengers are $25 each.
- Late-night pickups may include a $50 after-hours charge.
- Advance reservation of at least 24 hours is recommended.
Tripadvisor
Erick was the best
Erick was the best driver we had in Costa Rica and went out of his way to make sure we had an amazing experience. Even though he was just our shuttle driver a couple times (San Jose to La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio to San Jose) he was full of knowledge and taught us many different things. He made any stops we wanted and even took us for smoothies at Crocodile Bridge! He also took us to La Paz Waterfall Gardens and was our personal “tour guide” around the park. He made our trip one we will never forget and we’ll be recommending him to everyone we know who visits Costa Rica.
Jaiden K
Tripadvisor
Prompt Service
Driver was friendly, on time and a good driver. Company was responsive to my inquiries. Was the quickest and affordable way to get from San Jose to La Fortuna
mtyq192
We used Tropical Tours for three internal transfers within Costa Rica (San Jose to La Fortuna; La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio and Manuel Antonio to San Jose). All drivers were exceptional. They helpfully pointed out interesting attractions and were flexible to stop whenever we asked. The vehicles were modern, air conditioned, and all drivers turned up on time. All in all we were really happy. The only negative was with our journey back to San Jose where one of our previous drivers suggested we check we were allowing for enough time for the journey given traffic concerns and that we were catching a flight. When we contacted Tropical Tours a few days in advance, they said our original booking time allowed for plenty of time but unfortunately when we were picked up for that journey our driver was immediately concerned timing was tight and his Waze had us scheduled to arrive over 2 hours later than expected. Thankfully traffic eased and in the end we made our flight all fine but had Waze traffic predictions be true this review could have been very different. I've decided to give four stars because everything else was really good and I don't want this to reflect badly on the drivers who were fantastic but five would be pushing it given our experience with the final leg. Overall though would definitely recommend.
Ross W
Tripadvisor
Excellent service
On time pick up and the vehicle was very comfortable and clean. Also they have wifi on board. Will definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a private shuttle around San Jose/ La fortuna area. I think they also service other locations in CR. Pura Vida!
Jeck0y
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