Costa Rica Natural Paradise
9 nights / 10 days
San José – Poas Volcano – Tortuguero – Arenal Volcano –
Guanacaste – Tarcoles – San José
Day 1 – San José, Costa Rica
Welcome to the “rich coast,” friendly land of democracy and rare natural beauty. With naturalist guides, see exotic birds and wildlife, hike in jungle rainforests, view volcanoes, soak in hot springs and cruise through biological reserves. Relax on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Meeting with the Bilingual-speaking guide at the airport. We provide transfers from the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José, Costa Rica to your hotel for a two night stay. Hotel Barceló San Jose Palacio. (D)
Day 2 – Poás Volcano, Cloud Forest
This morning, enjoy a drive through Costa Rica’s famous coffee growing region. Next, visit Poás Volcano. Weather permitting, you can see inside the active crater from an overlook. Next, hike the Escalonia Cloud Forest Trail, home to epiphytes, orchids, ferns and tropical hummingbirds. Next, visit Doka Estate Coffee Tour, a coffee plantation nestled close to Poas Volcano. Lunch. Visit to Butterfly Garden. Enjoy a guided tour and sample fresh Costa Rican coffee. Dinner. Hotel Barceló San Jose Palacio. (BLD)
Day 3 – Tortuguero Park
This morning drive by San Jose’s Plaza de la Cultura, Central Park and the National Theatre. Next, pass through Braulio Carrillo Park. Drive by a banana plantation. Then, cruise through rivers and canals to the 47,000 acre Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero is home to more than 300 species of birds. Look for toucans, parrots, kingfishers and the rare green macaw. Enjoy lunch. Free time to enjoy the swimming pool and tropical flower gardens at your lodge. Listen to joyful jungle sounds. Enjoy a two night stay at your lodge. Dinner. Hotel Evergreen Lodge. (BLD)
Day 4 – Tortuguero Park, Canal Cruise
Cruise this morning with naturalist guides along canals lined by raffia palm, the habitat of howler and white-faced monkeys, green iguanas and tropical birds. Look for white and snowy egrets and the amazing nests of the montezuma oropendola. Then, enter the mysterious reflecting waters of Caño Palma wildlife reserve. Next, visit the Green Turtle Research Station. Learn about efforts to protect the turtles. Walk along the Atlantic turtle nesting beaches with a naturalist guide. Next, to Tortuguero village. Return to your lodge for lunch.
Enjoy an afternoon boat excursion into Tortuguero Park. Look for otters, turtles and manatees. Dinner. Hotel Evergreen Lodge (BLD)
Day 5 – La Fortuna
Morning cruise on Tortuguero River. Enjoy lunch. Next, through scenic countryside to the San Carlos Valley for a two night stay in Fortuna. Dinner. Hotel Los Lagos / Arenal Manoa (BDL)
Day 6 – Hanging Bridges, Hot Springs, Arenal
This morning enjoy an unforgettable adventure in the heart of the rainforest at the Hanging Bridges, rated one of Costa Rica’s top tourist attractions. Hike on six suspension bridges, through lush tropical rainforest canopy. Enjoy views of a waterfall and look for tropical birds. Lunch. Afternoon you can discover the adventure of canopy tour at the Hotel Arenal Paraiso (optional tour for additional rate of $45 per person), consisting of sliding on a cable between platforms flying through the treetops. This canopy tour consists of 12 platforms. Return to the hotel. Then, enjoy a relaxing soak in the volcanic hot springs. Weather permitting, see nearby majestic Arenal Volcano. Enjoy dinner. Hotel Los Lagos / Hotel Arenal Manoa (BLD)
Day 7 – Guanacaste
After breakfast departure to Guanacaste province. Drive through the only tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. Stop in Liberia. Then, to Costa Rica’s beautiful Pacific Coast for a two night stay. Lunch and Dinner at your resort. Hotel Occidental Grand Papagayo, AI (BLD)
Day 8 – Pacific Coast, Guanacaste
Whole day at leisure to enjoy your magnificent beach resort. Swim in your hotel’s pool, indulge yourself in the world class spa or just simply relax. Lunch. Enjoy a carefree afternoon. Time to beachcomb or stroll the pristine beaches of your resort. Dinner. Hotel Occidental Grand Papagayo, AI (BLD)
Day 9 – Tarcoles Cruise, San José
Morning drive through the cattle ranches of Guanacaste. Lunch. Next, enjoy a bird and crocodile spotting cruise on the Tarcoles River, adjacent to the Carara Biological Reserve. Cruise through a mangrove reserve. This tropical bird and wildlife sanctuary is a nesting site for the scarlet macaw. Return to San José. Farewell dinner. Hotel President. (BLD)
Day 10 – San José
Your tour ends after breakfast this morning at your hotel. Breakfast begins at 6:30 a.m. We provide transfers to the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San José. ¡Hasta la vista! (B)
Costa Rica Within a Week
7 nights / 8 daysSan Jose – Poas Volcano – Arenal Volcano – Natural Reserve Monteverde – Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 1. San Jose, Costa Rica.
Meeting with the Bilingual-speaking guide at the airport, transfer and accommodation at the Hotel in San Jose: Barceló San José Palacio. (Without meal).
Day 2. San Jose – Poas Volcano – Arenal Volcano.
You will leave San Jose after breakfast and head to the Poas Volcano National Park , where one of the largest geysers with the diameter of 1.5 km is placed. Crater activity is represented by the periodical eruptions of steam and gas, but visiting the crater is absolutely safe for tourists. In the surrounding tropical forest you can see the ancient trees which serve as homes to the different types of orchids and bromeliads. Afterwards you will visit Doka coffee plantation, where the best Costa Rican coffee is being grown. You will have the opportunity to learn the processes of growing, collection, processing and roasting of coffee. Don’t miss the chance to buy coffee for the lowest price. Afterwards you will visit butterfly farm. After the farm you will have traditional Costa Rican lunch, then move to the Arenal Volcano, which is known for it’s activity – periodical lava and ash eruptions. Accommodation at the Arenal zone hotel: Hotel Los Lagos. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner).
Day 3. Arenal Volcano National Park – Tabacon Thermal Spa.
After breakfast you will have walking tour around the Arenal National Park. You will walk on the south-western Volcano slopes, on the road called Los Tucanes, which goes over the still lava flows, which have destroyed this zone in the 1986. The walk will take 2 ½ hours. Lunch in your hotel. After lunch you can take the canopy tour in the private territory of the Arenal Paraiso Hotel (cost is not included in the overall tour cost, price per person – 45$) – this will be an opportunity to get a bright experience under extreme conditions; you will be offered the zip line tour between the platforms placed on the trees, the instructors will be waiting for you on the every platform; you will have a great opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views from the air. At the evening you will be visiting Tabacon Thermal Spa (best thermal SPA in the country) where you can take hot and soothing bath in the natural environment, watching the Arenal Volcano eruptions in comfort; Dinner at Tabacon.
Accommodation at the same hotel (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner).
Day 4. Monteverde Natural Reserve.
Early in the morning you will head out to the famous Monteverde village, which is placed in the zone of the “cloudy forest”. Your trip will start with the individual tour Viento Fresco (Fresh winds) Waterfall, which will help you to feel the might and beauty of the nature, after visiting five waterfalls placed in the Cerro Pelado and Cerro San Jose cliffs. After an hour-long trip with the gorgeous view over the Gulf of Nicoya and the chance to swim in the crystal clear waters of the waterfalls, you will be offered to return back to the tour starting point on the horseback. The tradition Costa Rican lunch will wait for you there. Afterwards you will continue moving to the Monteverde Hotel Accommodation at the hotel (Ficus / El Establo). Dinner at hotel. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner).
Day 5. Monteverde – Manuel Antonio.
After breakfast you will have “Hanging bridges of Selvatura” tour, which serve as an example of engineering and constriction art, with the complete following to the safety regulations. Tour includes 8 bridges with the different length: from 62 to 146 m. Length of the whole tour – 3 km. After this tour you will drive to the Puntarenas heading towards central Pacific coast. Our individual tour will start at the coast of the Rio Grande de Tarcoles. During the next two hour you will visit real “Animal Planet”. You will have a boat trip on the river Tarcoles until it’s estuary and then move to the Guacalillo water channel. You will have a chance to see American crocodiles, which might be up to 4 meters long. You will see the variety of iguanas and birds (up to 50 species), which include famous macaws. After lunch you will continue your way to the popular tourist town – Quepos, which is placed near with the Manuel Antonio National Park, which is considered to be a “pearl” of Costa Rica. Accommodation at the Hotel Parador. (Breakfast/Lunch).
Day 6. Manuel Antonio National Park.
After breakfast you will visit National Park Manuel Antonio, which is placed in the tropical rainforest zone. This park holds ancient trees of the tropical forest, mangroves, and also coral reefs at the coastal beach zone. Almost all of the Costa Rican jungle animal species are living here: 109 species of mammals (badger, three-toed and Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, cappuccino and howler monkeys, jaguars) and 184 species of birds. Birds that can be found there : toucan, pelican, green kingfisher, sparrow-hawk. Also there is a huge number of insects snakes and lizards. Accommodation at the hotel Parador . (Breakfast)
Day 7. Manuel Antonio – San Jose.
After breakfast you will have spare time. After lunch you will return to San Jose. Accommodation in the hotel Barceló San José Palacio. (Breakfast).
Day 8. San Jose – Airport.
Individual transfer to the international airport after breakfast according to your flight. (Breakfast).