Costa Rica Group Travel Guide: Friends, Family & Big Groups

Planning a trip to Costa Rica with a group of friends or extended family can be incredible, but it can also get overwhelming very quickly.

Different budgets. Different arrival dates. Different ideas of what “vacation” actually means. Someone wants adventure, someone wants the beach, and someone just wants coffee, a book, and a hammock.

Trust us, we’ve been there.

As a couple with family and friends in both the US and Europe (and as someone who without fail always takes on the role of Official Trip Planner) we have planned our fair share of big group trips in this country. Not to mention, we organized about 30 people who were coming to Costa Rica for the first time for our wedding several years ago. In other words, I know all about what to do and what can go wrong with group travel plans.

I made this guide is for anyone planning:

• A group trip with friends
• An extended family vacation
• A multi-generational trip
• A destination wedding or reunion

I’ve learned that group travel works best when it’s planned step by step, with fewer moving parts and clear systems.

This guide walks you through exactly what to do before the trip, how to keep things running smoothly during the trip, and how to handle tallying up who owes what after without it getting awkward.

Let’s get to it!

Step 1: Confirm the Group (and Choose a Decision-Maker)

Before booking anything, it is best to get clarity on the group itself. This prevents most group-travel problems before they start.

Figure Out:

• Who is coming for the entire trip vs part of it? I suggest making people come on the entire trip or not at all. Especially if you are staying at one accommodation the entire time.
• Are budgets roughly similar, or very different? This always makes things tricky.
• Is this a relaxed trip, an adventure-heavy trip, or a mix? Pick a place that offers something for everyone and you won’t need to stress about this (I’ll offer suggestions a bit further down)

One important rule: One person needs to be the final decision-maker. That is probably you if you are reading this post. Congratulations and good luck!

Travel Tip: I like to start a group on WhatsApp with everyone coming on the trip. This is an easy way to have a communication hub that everyone can contribute to.

Step 2: Pick Your Destination

For group trips, we almost always recommend staying in one place.

Costa Rica may look small on a map, but travel days are long and coordinating a group on moving days adds a lot of stress.

Staying put means:

• No repacking every few days
• Easier transportation
• More flexibility day to day

Before you actually choose a destination it is best to look at what airport makes the most sense for your group.

There are two international airports in the country. These are the San Jose International Airport (SJO) which is located just outsside of the capital city in the center of the country and the Liberia International Airport (LIR) which is located in the Guancaste Province on the North Pacific Coast of the country.

Personally, I suggest flying into Liberia International Airport. It is less hectic than the San Jose Airport and I think the Guanacaste area is the perfect spot for a big group trip with plenty to do nearby without any long drives.

At this stage, you don’t need to book flights, but you should check rough flight prices so everyone knows what they’re committing to before saying yes.

From experience, these towns work especially well for a group trip:

Flying into San José (SJO)

Flying into Liberia (LIR)

The town we suggest from Liberia Airport are:

A Great Non-Beach Option (From Either Airport)

La Fortuna

La Fortuna isn’t a beach destination, but it’s one of the easiest places in Costa Rica to plan a group trip. Roads are good, tours are well organized, and there’s something for every energy level.

• Best for: activity-focused groups, mixed ages, first-time visitors
• Vibe: adventurous, easy, very group-friendly
• Things groups love here:
  • Hot springs
  • Waterfall hikes
  • Zip lining and rafting
  • Easy half-day tours

Check out our complete La Fortuna guide to plan your trip

Step 3: Choose the Right Place to Stay

For group trips in Costa Rica, where you stay can make or break the entire experience. A great house makes everything feel easy. A poorly chosen one can add stress every single day.

For groups of 6+ people, we almost always recommend staying in villas or large vacation rentals rather than hotels. Not only are they often cheaper per person, but they also give you shared space to actually spend time together.

Where We Usually Start Looking

Our go-to platform for group trips is VRBO.

We like VRBO because:

• It’s easy to filter by number of bedrooms and guests
• Many listings are entire homes (not shared spaces)
• Communication with hosts is usually clear and direct
• Cancellation policies are typically shown very clearly

That said, Booking.com now has a surprisingly large number of villas and vacation rentals in Costa Rica, and we’ve had good experiences booking group stays there as well.

No matter where you book, the same rules apply: read everything carefully.

👉 Travel Tip: You’ll often see the same villa listed on multiple platforms, sometimes at different prices or with different cancellation policies. It’s worth comparing.

Decide Your Non-Negotiables (Before Browsing Listings)

Before I look at a single vacation rental house, I always ask the group for must-haves.

For one recent trip, ours were:

• Walking distance to the beach
• Enough bedrooms for everyone
• Enough bathrooms so we weren’t all sharing one bathroom
• A pool
• A layout that worked for shared living
• An outdoor grill (we like our grilling in my family)
• Some restaurants nearby
• Reasonably priced based on everybody’s budgets
• Things to do nearby within walking distance, driving distance, or by day tour

What to Look For (and Double-Check) Before You Book

This is the exact checklist we use when booking a group house in Costa Rica.

• 1. Read Reviews: Costa Rica has many amazing rentals, but reviews matter a lot here. Pay attention to comments about cleanliness, communication, and location. If multiple people mention the same issue, assume it’s real.
• 2. Check Cancellation Policy: With group trips, plans change more often than with solo travel. Before booking, check if the cancellation policy is flexible and how close to arrival you can cancel or modify. Even if you don’t expect to cancel, flexibility can be a huge stress reliever.
• 3. Layout Matters: A house can technically “sleep 10” and still be a nightmare for a group. From photos and descriptions, try to figure out:
  • Is there a central living space where everyone can hang out?
  • Are bedrooms spread out enough for privacy?
  • Are bathrooms shared in a logical way?
• 4. Location: After finding a place you like, we always open Google Maps and approximate where the house is located. Some listings are intentionally vague about exact location, which is normal, but you should still have a general sense of where you’ll be staying.
• 5. Road Access & Vehicle Requirements (Critical in Costa Rica): This is especially important for group trips in Costa Rica. Many beautiful villas are located on unpaved or rocky roads that are up steep hills. If you’re planning to rent a vehicle, we suggest asking the owner of the vacation rental about the access roads before booking.

👉 Travel Tip: Don’t hesitate to write to any host of a vacation rental before booking. I almost aways write to confirm certain questions I may have. If they don’t answer you, then you know it’s probably not a place you want to stay anyway.

Villas We Love by Location

⤷ Search for vacation rental on VRBO

⤷ Search for vacation rentals on Booking.com

Our Booking System (What Has Worked Best for Us)

Once I’ve found several places that meet all requirements, I:

1. Shortlist the best options (I usually aim for about 6 places)
2. Create a documents with links to all the houses I’ve selected with the price per person and any notable details
3. Label each house clearly (Option A, B, C)
4. Send the doc in my WhatsApp group and let the group vote in a WhatsApp poll

This keeps things democratic without opening the door to endless debate.

Once the winner is chosen, one person books the house and becomes the main point of contact with the host for keys, questions, and logistics.

Handle Payments Early and Clearly

On our last trip, I booked the house and had everyone pay me back via PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. Whatever was easiest. I made sure to share the total cost of the house upfront, set a clear payment deadline, and tracked who had paid.

Step 4: Transportation and Flights

Before anyone commits, we always recommend that everyone:

• Confirms which airport they’ll be flying into (try to make everyone fly into the same airport)
• Gets a rough idea of flight prices and arrival times

We usually check routes and prices on Skyscanner to see what’s realistic for everyone coming from different places.

Once flights are actually booked, that’s when transportation decisions become much clearer.

Once flights were booked for our last group trip, I:

• Collected everyone’s flight info
• Noted arrival times (especially late arrivals)
• Matched people to cars based on timing

Two people arrived much later than the rest of the group and simply took a taxi.

Rental Cars vs. Shuttles

There’s no single “best” option.

We often lean toward rental cars when:

• You are visiting more than one destination
• You want flexibility during the trip
• The town your visiting is remote/ not overly walkable

This setup will give your group the freedom to do different activities and avoids forcing everyone onto the same schedule.

👉 Travel Tip: For group trips, we recommend Adobe Rent a Car because they offer large vehicles, a free second drivers (which is great for group trips, and flexible pickup and drop-off options. Plus, we have a 10% discount and other great perks for you!
⤷ Check Rental Car Availability Here

As a group, you might opt to rent a few vehicles. This will give you more flexibility day-by-day or you can rent a 11 passenger van. Adobe has a Hyundai Staria AT that would be perfect. Keep in mind that it is actually best for about 7 passengers so you can have enough space for luggage.

Shuttles can be a great option if:

• Everyone arrives around the same time
• You’re staying in one place the entire trip
• No one wants to drive

However, if arrival times are spread out, a private shuttle often doesn’t make sense. You’d either have to wait for people or booking multiple transfers. In those cases, shared shuttles, taxis, or rental cars are usually more practical.

⤷ Check Private & Shared Shuttle Availability Here

Liberia International Airport is typically more straightforward for group arrivals. Many popular group destinations (like Papagayo, Playa Hermosa, and Tamarindo) are within about an hour of the airport, so same-day transfers are usually manageable.

Travel Tip: If you want help pulling your group trip together we work with a great luxury travel planning team. They will plan the trip of your literal dreams. You can reach out to them here.

Step 5: Plan the Trip Rhythm

On our last big family trip. I planned activities for some days, not all.

Because we stayed near the beach and had a pool people could relax without a car. I tried to make sure nobody felt completely trapped by a schedule and could opt in or out of any activity.

About two months before our trip, I researched some fun day activities and created a day by day outline. I created this outline as a document and sent it in our WhatsApp group.

I then asked everyone to tell me which activities they planned to join (if they needed to be pre-booked). Then, I pre-booked everything that needed to be reserved.

For Costa Rica, you can do a lot on your own if you have a rental car. If you are looking for day tours, we love Viator for that.

Travel Tip: Don’t forget that in Costa Rica you sometimes need to pre-book entrance into national parks. If you are planning to visit Manuel Antonio National Park, we suggest doing this as far in advance as possible.

Once all of this was sorted, I updated the daily schedule to be more detailed. I also included who was signed up to join what activities.

This document served as the backbone for our trip and helped me out a lot during our travels when people were like, “ummm what are we doing tomorrow?” I could just say, “Have you checked the schedule?”

And that is about all for pre-planning. Now it’s time to pack your bags, enjoy your flight, and get excited about seeing your whole group in Costa Rica.

Next, let’s talk about what you need to know while in Costa Rica.

Step 6: Day by Day on the Trip

• If you are the main trip planner, I suggest debriefing with everyone every evening to let them know what the plan is for the next day. For example, I like to tell my group if they need to be up at a certain time, when we will be leaving the house, what the need to bring or wear, etc. This definitely helps things go smoother.
• During the day, expect that you will be the point person. You need to make sure that driving directions are clear for everyone (I once failed at this and sent my dad on a 2 hour detour through cow fields near La Fortuna. Luckily, he thought it was awesome 😂), make sure everyone is physically able to do all activities (I’ve definitely also failed at this and caused some issues for my family), etc.

Step 7: Food Planning

On our last trip, we mostly cooked and ate at our villa.

Thomas and I did one big grocery haul at the beginning, and we loosely planned ahead of time who would cook on which nights.

We also bought a ton of breakfast foods such as eggs, bacon, cereal and milk. As well as plenty of bread and sandwich fillings. This worked out really well and on days we took day trips everyone just made themselves a sandwich to bring before we went out for the day. We also loaded up on snacks such as apples, nuts, and chips.

We luckily had a small grocery store in walking distance to our villa. And, we definitely ended up stopping there somewhat often to restock certain items.

We also, had some stuff left over at the end that we never ate or used. But, in general, I think we did a good job handling the food situation.

There were two nights when we went out to dinner. And also a few nights in which some of us went out to some bars later in the evening. Other than that, all meals were prepared by us.

Travel Tip: For a unique dining experience, its always fun to hire a priavte chef for one meal. Ask your vacation rental host. They can usually organize this for you.

Step 8: Money During the Trip

During the trip, I paid for most shared expenses and then had everyone reimburse me.

Our system was:

• We put a box on the table in the house with a pen in it
• Any shared receipt went in the box with the name of the person who paid on the back

At the end, I used my limited math skills to calculate who owed what. Trust me, this got super confusing since there were certain meals at restaurants for example, that not everyone went to.

Another option, is to have everyone download the Splitwise app. It is great for easily calculating this kind of thing. But, if you are traveling with people who aren’t so tech savvy, this might not work.

Final Thoughts

Group travel in Costa Rica takes more effort upfront (especially if you’re the planner). People will come to you with questions and you’ll feel “on” more than everyone else.

But with the right systems (one destination, simple transportation, and flexible days) it can go way smoother than you expect.

If you have any questions about planning your family reunion, friends trip, bachelor party etc. just leave them in the comment section below. I’m happy to help!

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