Costa Rica route
San Jose to Samara Shuttle Bus
Shared shuttle
$95 per person
Private shuttle
$340 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 Samara, 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. $340 per trip for a private minibus. It’s a 5 hours 30 minutes (depending on the road conditions) ride from San Jose to Samara beach in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Select your service to Samara:
Shared shuttle selection
$95 per person
Door-to-door
- Departing time
- 06:30am
- Travel time
- 5 hours 30 minutes
- Arrival time
- 12:00 pm
Private shuttle selection
$340 per trip
Door-to-door
- Departing time
- Flexible
- Travel time
- 5 hours 30 minutes
- Arrival time
- 5 hours 30 minutes later
San Jose to Samara options and details
Shared Shuttle from San Jose to Samara details:
- Bus departure time from San Jose area: 06:30am
- Departure place: at your location (hotel, hostel or rental house) in San Jose
- Bus arrival time at Samara beach area: 12:00 pm
- Trip estimate duration: 5 hours 30 minutes
- 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 Samara beach 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 Samara.
Private Shuttle from San Jose to Samara 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 Samara beach area: about 5 hours 30 minutes after departure
- Trip estimate duration: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Private service frequency: on request with advance reservation
- Private minibus price per trip: $340
- Surfboards: Included at no extra charge on private shuttles.
Additional information:
- Private driver and door-to-door transportation from San Jose to Samara beach 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
Great service
We hired Tropical Tours Shuttles to take 2 people between San Jose and Samara, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica in March 2022. The booking was easy and responsive, the shuttles on time (and waited for us as we were significantly later than our anticipated pick up time due to airport volume) and efficient. I'd highly recommend this service.
kirmcghee
Tripadvisor
More convenient than the public bus
I booked a trip from San José to Sámara with tropical shuttle. Since it was operated by Interbus, I will only evaluate my experience with the booking process/communication and the information I would have received previously from Tropiacal shuttle. The registration form in the booking process asks where you are staying, so I was a bit confused because I had to go to Denny's restaurant next to the airport. Luckily, I arrived earlier, so there was only one bus, but it was Interbus and not Tropical shuttle. Later, there were 5 interbuses, so it's really difficult for the passengers to find their bus, and it would be helpful if tropical shuttle tells you in advance to search for Interbus. Another thing I did not expect was that I had to change buses and wait for almost an hour on the other bus (but thats organised by Interbus). This information can be communicated during the booking process or in the e-mail that passengers know about their route. Overall, I was not faster than the public bus, but it was more convenient and I had air condition * lol *.
Sandra P
Tripadvisor
Vacation
Very professional, courteous, and on time. The ride was long but enjoyable. We traveled from San Jose to Playas Samara. The scenery was priceless.
Rhea D
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