Discover Costa Rica

Day 1: Arrive San Jose, Costa Rica

Welcome to Costa Rica, or arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of your day is at your leisure in the San Jose, home to history and culture, outstanding architecture, friendly locals and bustling nightlife.  While San Jose sits in the middle of the country and is surrounded by untouched cloud forests, it is also the cultural center of Costa Rica with plenty of art galleries, museums, parks and dining.

Day 2: San Jose to Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Spend today exploring Poas Volcano, a coffee plantation and La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Drive by the city of Alajuela and the Agriculture Monument to Juan Santamaria as well as Mango Park. Learn how coffee is picked, milled, ground and roasted at a third generation coffee plantation. Continue to Poas Volcano, passing plantations and a changing colourful landscape. The Poas is one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the country, with an enormous 1 km wide crater, blue sulfur pools and steam rising from volcanic vents. Hike to Botos Lagoon and through trails leading to the White Magic Waterfall. Visit the largest butterfly observatory, hummingbird gallery, the serpentarium, old house, bird house and frog exhibit.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3: San Jose to Tortuguero

Depart early from San Jose, driving through Braulio Carrillo National Park and banana plantations to the pier where you join a 2-hour boat ride through canals.  In the afternoon, travel by boat for a guided walk along a private trail into the tropical rainforest. Visit the small town of Tortuguero, before walking along the beach.

Tortuguero in the Limon province is known as one of the jewels of Costa Rica! Popular for its natural beauty and biodiversity; its canals to navigate in search of animals and the small, simple town. Also enjoyed for its fascinating Afro-Caribbean culture that is a combination of Jamaican, Italian and Chinese immigrants.

With high rainfall and high temperatures, this region is humid year-round. The extensive Caribbean plains include the Pacuare, Estrella, Reventazon and Parismina rivers that join with the Tortuguero canals.  It is also a refuge for marine turtles to lay eggs.

Note: September to early December is Green Turtle Hatching Season: This is when baby turtles emerge from the sand to make their way to the ocean. The best time to witness this early morning or late afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Tortuguero National Park

Today you can enjoy the trails and gardens of your hotel.  In the afternoon take a canal boat tour through Tortuguero National Park. This national park was created to protect the most important nesting site of the green turtle in the Western Hemisphere.  Its extends 14 miles (22 Km) along the shore and 19 miles (30 Km) out to sea. The Canal de Tortuguero runs through the park, connecting a labyrinth of deltas, canals, and lagoons.

This are is best explored by boat, the wide canals allow incredible wildlife viewing including River Otters, Caimans and Howler Monkeys as well as many rare birds such as Toucans, Oropendolas and jacamars. For many the highlight is the green turtle, which nests June – November. Three other species of turtles also come ashore throughout the year.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 5: Tortuguero to Arenal

Travel from Tortuguero to Arenal today by boat transfer and bus. San Carlos offers beautiful landscapes including forests, lagoons, crops, rivers, hot springs and the most active volcano of Costa Rica (Arenal Volcano).

Optional Self Drive: ask us about prices to take a Costa Rica road trip, you can choose to drive a 4×4 SUV rental car picking up Day 5, returning Day 12.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 6: Arenal Volcano

This morning embark on a natural history walk along the Hanging Bridges, located in the corridor used by birds migrating between North and South America. The trails and bridges are an incredible way to get up close and immersed in the natural environment that is host to over 50 species of birds, many flowers and the lush tropical vegetation of the rainforest. You can also enjoy views to Arenal Volcano.

In the afternoon, discover Arenal Volcano. At 5437 feet, Costa Rica’s most active volcano in the last 43 years, Arenal has had a huge impact on the region and the people who live here. You will enjoy extraordinary views of Arenal Volcano during a hike along the lower slopes from one of the trails close to the volcano and through the forest to the area destroyed in 1968.
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7: Arenal to Monteverde

Travel to Monteverde, located at the south end of the cloud forest and one of Costa Rica’s major ecotourism destinations.  This town was established by Quakers who moved from the US in the 1950’s. This is an ecologically diverse area high in the mountains with pristine cloud forests and unique wildlife.
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8: Monteverde

This morning, visit Monteverde Cloud Forest. Costa Rica is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with 4% of all the known species of plants, Monteverde is one of the richest regions. One of the main attractions of Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and its 13km network of trails with many options of walks to explore. There are over 500 bird species living here including the majestic Quetzal and the Three-Wattle Bellbird, 120 species of reptiles and amphibians and more than 3000 plants including the highest diversity of orchids in the world.
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9: Monteverde to Tamarindo

Travel to the town of Tamarindo, located in the Guanacaste Province on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
Meals included: Breakfast

Days 10-11: Tamarindo

Enjoy two days in the beach community of Tamarindo or explore the surrounding area at your own leisure. This region is known for its surf culture and beaches such as Playa Tamarindo and Playa Langosta. North of Tamarindo, Playa Grande beach is part of Las Baulas National Marine Park and is a nesting site for huge Leatherback Turtles. The mangrove-lined estuary of Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge protects animals such as howler monkeys
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 12: Tamarindo to San Jose

Transfer back to San Jose today.
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 13: Depart San Jose, Costa Rica

Today your Costa Rica adventure comes to an end after a private transfer to Santamaria International Airport for your onward flight.
Meals included: Breakfast