Best time to visit · Central AmericaOriginal Research
When to go to Costa Rica
Dry season (December–April) is peak time. The "green season" (May–November) brings afternoon rains but lush landscapes and lower prices.
Best: December–AprilPeak: December–March
Month-by-month
Jan
Great
14°–24°C · 5mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high
Crowds high · Prices high
Feb
Great
14°–25°C · 5mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high
Crowds high · Prices high
Mar
Great
15°–26°C · 10mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high
Crowds high · Prices high
Apr
Good
16°–27°C · 45mm rain
Crowds medium · Prices medium
Crowds medium · Prices medium
Semana Santa
May
Okay
16°–27°C · 230mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Green season starts
Jun
Okay
16°–27°C · 240mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Jul
Good
16°–26°C · 200mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Mini dry spell on Pacific
Aug
Okay
16°–27°C · 240mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Sep
Avoid
16°–26°C · 300mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Wettest month
Oct
Avoid
16°–26°C · 310mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Heavy rain continues
Nov
Okay
15°–25°C · 170mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low
Crowds low · Prices low
Dec
Great
14°–24°C · 40mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high
Crowds high · Prices high
Dry season returns
Advertisement
Festivals worth timing your trip around
Jan
Fiestas de Palmares
Two-week rodeo, concerts, and carnival in the Central Valley.
Feb–Mar
Envision Festival
Boutique music and wellness festival on the Pacific coast.
Sep
Día de la Independencia
Independence Day parades with schoolchildren carrying lanterns.
Ready to book for Jan?
Live prices from Expedia — we earn a commission when you book; your price is identical.
Common questions about Costa Rica
- When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
- December–April. Dry season (December–April) is peak time. The "green season" (May–November) brings afternoon rains but lush landscapes and lower prices.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Costa Rica?
- Prices bottom out in May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov — typically 20-40% below peak-season rates on hotels and flights.
- What months should I avoid in Costa Rica?
- Sep, Oct. Wettest month
- When is peak tourist season in Costa Rica?
- December–March
See also the full Costa Rica climate deep-dive with temperature heatmap and daily-rainfall breakdown.
Advertisement
— How we report this guide
What you read here, and where it came from.
- Climate data — temperature, rainfall, and humidity numbers cite WMO 30-year normals plus the most recent decade where available, cross-checked with the destination's national meteorological service.
- Crowd & price calls — sourced from our editors' on-the-ground reporting in Costa Rica plus published hotel ADR and visitor-arrival data. We tell you which months bottom out, not which ones marketing departments push.
- Festivals & seasonal flags — verified against the official tourism authority and re-checked at every review. Where dates shift year-over-year (lunar calendars, religious festivals), we flag it explicitly.
- Updates — this guide is reviewed by destination.com editors at least once a year and any time conditions on the ground change materially. Send corrections and we'll log them publicly.
✓ Last verified May 2, 2026