$104 Find Cheap Flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica departing on 3/3. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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Cheap Flights from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San José2 stops$262
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$271
San José
San José2 stops$262
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$271

Book Cheap Dulles Intl to Costa Rica Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica

Tue, Feb 17 - Wed, Feb 25
American Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 8:12 pm
IAD
-
SJO
16h 12m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
12:35 am - 4:50 pm
SJO
-
IAD
15h 15m
1 stop
$262American Airlines
Tue, Mar 3 - Sun, Mar 8
Volaris El Salvador Logo
1:35 am - 1:57 pm
IAD
-
SJO
13h 22m
1 stop
Volaris El Salvador Logo
4:17 pm - 12:27 pm
SJO
-
IAD
18h 10m
1 stop
$268Volaris El Salvador
Tue, Feb 24 - Wed, Mar 4
Avianca Logo
1:30 am - 7:45 am
IAD
-
SJO
7h 15m
1 stop
Avianca Logo
4:30 pm - 3:10 am
SJO
-
IAD
9h 40m
1 stop
$270Avianca
Mon, Mar 2 - Thu, Mar 12
American Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 12:37 pm
IAD
-
LIR
8h 37m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
12:21 pm - 8:48 am
LIR
-
IAD
18h 27m
2 stops
$271American Airlines
Sun, Feb 22 - Sun, Mar 1
Volaris El Salvador Logo
1:07 pm - 6:50 am
IAD
-
SJO
18h 43m
1 stop
Volaris El Salvador Logo
4:17 pm - 11:27 am
SJO
-
IAD
18h 10m
1 stop
$271Volaris El Salvador
Tue, Feb 24 - Tue, Mar 24
Avianca Logo
1:30 am - 7:45 am
IAD
-
SJO
7h 15m
1 stop
Avianca Logo
7:50 pm - 4:10 am
SJO
-
IAD
6h 20m
1 stop
$272Avianca
Thu, Feb 26 - Mon, Mar 2
American Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 12:37 pm
IAD
-
LIR
8h 37m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
3:29 pm - 10:53 pm
LIR
-
IAD
30h 24m
1 stop
$273American Airlines
Mon, Mar 9 - Wed, Mar 18
Avianca Logo
4:00 am - 8:40 am
IAD
-
SJO
6h 40m
1 stop
Avianca Logo
4:30 pm - 4:10 am
SJO
-
IAD
9h 40m
1 stop
$273Avianca
Mon, Feb 23 - Mon, Mar 2
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 11:40 pm
IAD
-
SJO
8h 25m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:17 pm - 11:27 am
SJO
-
IAD
18h 10m
1 stop
$277Multiple Airlines
Thu, Apr 16 - Mon, Apr 20
United Airlines Logo
10:11 pm - 12:10 pm
IAD
-
LIR
15h 59m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
3:25 pm - 11:35 am
LIR
-
IAD
18h 10m
1 stop
$282United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Dulles Intl to Costa Rica flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport found in the last 72 hours was to San José, at $127 round-trip. The most popular route is from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport (IAD) to San José (SJO), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $127.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $374 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica is October, when tickets cost $270 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are April and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $450 and $435 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to Costa Rica on a Tuesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Saturday is the most expensive day to fly from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Friday and avoiding Sundays for the best deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to Costa Rica, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 3 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$104
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 26% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 16% increase in price.
Flight from Washington Dulles Airport to San José

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • How do I get to Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve?

    Costa Rica is known for many nature attractions, including Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. If you’re traveling to this site, you should plan to fly to La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON), which is approximately 15 miles away from the reserve, but it can also be reached by flying to LIR airport, approximately 44 miles away, or SJO airport, approximately 36 miles away.

  • How can I make my trip from Washington to Costa Rica more sustainable?

    The airline you fly makes a big difference in sustainability. For example, Avianca has introduced a fleet renewal program to improve it carbon footprint. By adding over 88 new A320 NEO aircraft to its fleet, Avianca has achieved a fuel savings of 20% and reduced its CO2 emissions compared its previous fleet.

  • How many bags can I bring when I fly from Washington to Costa Rica?

    Delta, United, American, and Avianca all allow passengers to bring one personal item and one carry-on bag each into the cabin. These airlines charge fees to check bags, and the fees may vary based on class or airline status.

  • What are some typical layovers between Washington and Costa Rica?

    When not flying direct, Avianca has layovers at La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala and El Salvador International Airport (SAL). Flights between IAD and LIR airports may have layovers in Texas at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Texas (DFW), or at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from Washington Dulles Airport to Costa Rica up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Costa Rica?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $385 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $769.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Costa Rica

  • Travelers seeking flights from Washington, DC, to Costa Rica will find plenty of options from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to destinations throughout Costa Rica. First-time visitors will want to start their trips in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, located in the center of the country.
  • Passengers seeking the shortest flight times between Dulles International Airport (I (IAD) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), San Jose’s main airport, can find direct flights on Colombia-based airline Avianca and United Airlines. Direct flights between IAD and SJO take around five to seven hours. Flights with layovers can vary from about six to 18 hours, depending on the layover schedule, location, and direction of the flight.
  • Dulles International Airport (IAD) airport is a hub for United Airlines and also a major travel center for domestic and international flights throughout the world. SJO is a hub for Avianca Costa Rica and is the second busiest airport in Latin America.
  • Another popular destination in Costa Rica is Liberia airport, also called Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), located in northwestern Costa Rica. Travelers can find options of flights from IAD to LIR on Delta Air Lines, United, and American Airlines. Flights between IAD and LIR will typically each have one layover.
  • Travelers who want a relaxing experience before takeoff can take advantage of lounges at IAD airport. IAD offers United Club, Capital One Lounge, and USO Lounge, along with many other airline lounges. SJO airport offers Mastercard Black Lounge, available for Mastercard holders, Santamaria VIP Lounge, and VIP Lounge Costa Rica (Copa Club), which are available via payment to enter.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
DeltaOverall score based on 8124 reviews
7.8Entertainment
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
7.9Comfort
7.2Food
Airline reviews

It was last minute due to weather - considering - it was amazing! Good smiles, friendly staff and they were making sure we knew what was going on when and where.

10.0 ExcellentZebrina, Jan 2026
LGA - CAE
Read more Delta reviews

It was last minute due to weather - considering - it was amazing! Good smiles, friendly staff and they were making sure we knew what was going on when and where.

delta last minute gave me a boarding pass for a different flight with no confirmation that they were changing it

The flight was comfortable and uneventful, which is what I desire

The service from the flight attendants were of supreme quality. They greeted and treated everyone with a wide smile. This is totally absent nowadays. Kudos to them!!!!

Excellent flight and got us around tough weather. Only issue was seat TV did not work and crew tried to reboot.

Very large passenger too space from my own seat. Arm board couldn’t be lowered because of his size. It wads very uncomfortable trip, as the flight was full couldn’t move anywhere having back pain because of the position in which I was the entire flight.

was sitting in the jet bridge for 10 minutes in -20 degree weather waiting for my bag

Outdated equipment in disrepair, wifi inoperable. Broken seats, taped air vents, generally poor condition, the 717 showed its age and lack of upkeep.

My flight out of Baton Rouge to Atlanta was delayed by a half hour. This got us into Atlanta airport 30 minutes late. I ran through the airport to get to my connecting flight. As I approached the boarding gate, I saw the boarding door was still open and a passenger was being checked in. But when I got to the gate, the boarding agent told me they had already given away my seat and there were no empty seats on that flight. So I had to take a later flight. That has never happened to me before. Very frustrating.

Connection through Atlanta was difficult. Mechanical issue on plane caused a two hour delay. New gate was a mile away.

A lot things happened in this trip.The fly should be less stress.

There should be a warning regarding the quality of the aircraft on the website as we reserve the tickets. There was no TV or any type of screen onboard. The wifi they offer is good for nothing. Traveling 9 hours straight with kids and no type of entetainment was horrible. I wish I had been informed prior so I could buy a ticket with another airline. The food was a joke too. A very tiny portion per passenger. They also charged $100 per checked bag. With United I used to pay $60. So, fair to say that I wont be flying Copa anymore. Their aircraft was super old, outdated, no entertainment, with nearly no onboard food.

Very strict carry on rules meant most of the plane had to gate check their luggage. As is often the case had things that were broken because of this, but I appreciated not being charged to gate check. Otherwise good flight and great crew once on the plane

I liked the meatloaf the chicken was awful but the plane was on time and got there and the staff was nice.

Boarding was quick & efficient; they gave boarding groups due priority; staff & air crew were very cordial and helpful, pleasant flight.

As always, Copa Airlines is great to fly on. The flights are always on time, the staff are pleasant and helpful and it's always a wonderful flying experience.

We had a great flight just wished they had a tv so we can see a movie that would of made my trip excellent.

Very happy with my flight. I would definitely recommend it.

Did upgrade, travel in business it was great (more room I could sleep)

It was ok. However, the food was quite poor since I don't eat pasta.

Very good. Because of the delays with my previous flight, I missed my connection, but I was able to book another flight through the United app easily.

Was happy we finally got upgraded in 1st class. The seat getting old. The cushiness need some improvement.

Ineffective communication with United resulted in lost baggage. Their Baggage Tracing counter at MUC was shut down from 11:00-14:15 on my arrival. Undertrained, underinformed staff had me Running all over MUC to find someone to help me to no avail. Staff was rude, unhelpful, and unable to effectively use the systems they did have operational. They refused to contact United in any way or provide any accommodation or other resources while I waited for my luggage. This has destroyed my downstream itinerary. If they had even the slightest visibility I may have been able to reschedule/plan, but again, their staff provided nothing, and did nothing more than their website, which doesn’t even work on a standard phone browser. Miserable failure at all levels that weren’t associated with the operation of the aircraft.

Sat next to a one year old. She crawled all over the place and made me laugh.

The Crew and the food was the worst I ever had in Business Class. First they told us there were no space for carry on. It was plenty of space over our 2 row seats, we had to ask to let us travel with it which was accepted. They were aware that we had to run for the connection due to the previous flight delay. Have us one hour waiting for more customers and not even offer a glass of water. Then started the service and they started to serve other passengers drinks in business and did not offer any drinks until they serve our pre ordered meal and I ask for something to drink. I had to wait until they finished to serve all passengers until Inget something. The crew was the worts I ever had for Business Class in my life.

Not great experience - we were super late boarding due to issues with aircraft. Then when we finally all got onboard and seated and they started taxiing out to the runway they just stopped then turned around and went back to the airport. Apparently the crew “ran out of time” to legally fly us. They mentioned that they were about 2 minutes away from taking off. I understand the rules and safety but kinda wonder why they would have bothered boarding us in the first place? Had to go all the way back and de plane and then wait in a HUGE line to get a hotel (this is somewhere around 2:30am) finally got to hotel by Uber (no shuttle after 20min so gave up) and they ended up putting us all back on the same aircraft at 10am next morning so got about 2.5 hours sleep. They did give us. $250 credit, but it was a São Paulo Brazil flight out of Dulles. The flight and everything was fine.

Starlink wifi on the Embraer E175 is an excellent experience. I was able to connect and work from IAD all the way to approach into BTV.

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Short flight but an "eager to help" crew made the journey more enjoyable!

During booking, I kept trying submitting my payment from the Mexican website and it didn't work. After I had the idea to change it to the Canadian website, it worked but I had to be charged the equivalent of 50 CAD more. I received the clear instruction that I would only be able to check-in at the airport and that it was impossible to select a seat 24 hours before departure, that I had to pay 144 CAD to do so, although not only was I able to check-in 24 hours before departure, but I could have selected my seats for free then. All in all, I almost threw $200 out the window due to misleading information. Besides, the app kept crashing, the information to get to the gate on the app was inaccurate, my gate was switched and I was only informed once in the air (luckily I had noticed the departure pannel), I was not addressed in my language beforehand and even if I tried I was immediately answered in English (which meant the crew understood but didn't want to answer accordingly), there was only one snack & beverage service on my medium haul flight and no beverage service on my short haul flight. To be fair, the planes were comfortable, the crew apart from the language issue was helpful, dynamic and engaging, the plane was clean and the directions were clear and direct. United has a lot of potential to be one of my favourite airlines, but the devil is in the details and a lot of them missed the target.

On time on a day with lots of weather cancellations on other flights. Thank you for getting me home during a winter storm!

Don't change gate multiple times make people run across the airport. Announce delays in a timely manner. Have maintenance crew ready. Don't delay and keep passengers on the plane for 3 hrs. on tarmac.

The plane was experiencing problems with the HVAC system, it was very cold in the front of the plane and very hot in the back.

My flight to London from Philadelphia was cancelled due to weather.

The attendants were kind and helpful. A sugar-free drink would have been very welcome.

It was a little concerning to hear the ground crew arguing with the flight crew over baggage space. Instead of taking them and checking them, they started checking for space in the first class cabin moving items around like the flight crew didn't know what they were doing. I was embarrassed for them.

delayed due to weather. Could not communicate with family since the wifi was broken

I got sick nothing contagious but distressing and the care I received by Kayla? Keighly the flight attendant will be memorable for ever. Thank You

We were told the flight was delayed 5 times, then it was moved to the next day.

Flight delay was communicated before leaving for airport which caused it to be a non-event. Great flight and crew!

Boarding was late due to the company’s that cleaned the aircraft (very poorly done) and the catering company. The entertainment system was not working for this six hour flight, uncomfortable seats in business (barely any cushion or recline). The airline staff is very good but the planes are horrible and not well maintained.

Deplaning was a mess, I sat in business (seats are horrible) and the front door had a problem so we had to deplane from the rear exit. The stairs were not tall enough to reach so there was a large step down from the plane to the top of the stairs.

Staff are the rudest in the industry … awful customer service … will never fly Avianca again

Pros: we leave and arrive on time Cons: the most uncomfortable seats ever. You cant recline at all your seats. No entertainment No TVs flight attendants didn't provide even a glass of water. You have to go to back of the airplane and ask for one. I am Colombian and I remember seeing the flight attendants very neat, elegants which is or was a staple of Avianca.it was one with tennis shoes, no male up, the hair was messy... that was really odd.

Here we have another airline flying to Guatemala but doesn't have a plus or a less, just in the middle. Why? Well, first we don't have even free water Movie selection is poor Seats don't recline in some places Food selection is carb based Forgot to mention, customer service on the web is the worst. Good things; Very reliable on schedule Kind crew

Last seat of Bussines Class it does recline but passenger seating behind kept pushing since they did not have space once my seat was reclined

I like the crew they're very friendly. I don't like. on five hour flight they not offered snacks. Any drink. Not even coffee

Not even water is offered on the flight. You cannot lean back on the seats and the seats are so narrow you can’t avoid rubbing elbows with the person next to you.

I couldnt recline the seat. Other than that crew was very attentive and helpful. Thsnk you

I had to go to the boarding counter for them to enter my return flight as it’s not with Avianca. There was a long queue as there were lots of people being called to the counter.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Dulles Intl to Costa Rica

Information on your arrival and departure airports