EF Go Ahead Tours 12+

This tour was wonderful. It was the first organized tour I have taken and my first visit to Costa Rica. Saw much and learned a lot. It is impossible to pick one thing as my favorite. Our guide Alonso was fantastic. He was so knowledgeable. He shared info on environment and ecology, flora and fauna, history and culture, and the everyday life and philosophy of the Costa Rican people. It is all those things that makes it such an amazing country. He did a great job of making sure all went smoothly with a full schedule and 20 different personalities. Accommodations and food beautiful and plentiful. He also generously gave helpful suggestions to me and my friend for the days that we did a week of independent travel after the tour. He scheduled our COVID tests to accomodate our own travel dates making himself available to us as a “lifeline” even after the tour! Kudos also to Harold the bus driver. You couldn’t pay me enough to drive a bus through those narrow twisted steep roads and tight parking spaces! I strongly recommend this tour for seeing wildlife and some very amazing places in Costa Rica as well as having great first hand experiences to see and learn about many aspects of this unique country under the guidance of Alonso. Pura Vida!

Vanesa , our tour director , went above and beyond with her job ! Not only was she Extremely kind and helpful, she was by far the most knowledgeable historian I have ever listened to !!! She also tells you stories packed with humor , as to keep you interested , because the amount of history she teaches you is mind blowing !

The only thing I would suggest is double checking with the group in the hotel lobby ( before we get on the bus ) to make sure everyone has their passports (if necessary that day ) . Also , making sure (if passports are need that day ) to post it on our guide sheet. One day when passports were mandatory, it was not posted at all on the guide sheet , but it was posted on the app . There is probably always one idiot in the group that forgets to look at the app!!!

In conclusion , Vanesa was by far the best tour director we have Ever had ! She is absolutely the best !! We love her and hope to do future tours with her !

My first trip abroad was amazing and everything I had hoped for. Suzy, our Tour Director, was awesome. She is very knowledgeable in every aspect, including history of each country, languages spoken there and the culture. I don’t think she was ever stumped by any questions asked and there were a lot! My hotel rooms at each location were superior. The breakfasts each morning were good and the group dinners were also very good. I went on every excursion EF offered and was not disappointed. There were many moments of awe and wonder. I highly recommend this tour. The only reason I gave four stars was this: I am an active 68-year-old woman. When I signed up for the tour, I specifically asked what the activity level was. I was told “moderate” and “1-3 miles of walking per day”. I walk 2-3 miles four times per week on my treadmill or at the track field. I believe it should have been strongly emphasized that it is walking on cobblestones, very old walkways, stairs and uneven terrain. Also, there are many different modes of transportation and that was mentally taxing. I do not regret going on this tour, I absolutely loved it. I plan to book another European tour in 2025. But, beware of the “moderate activity” rating by EF Tours.