 Note: Please provide choice of activities for each person when you make your reservation.
Day 1 - Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica
Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel Real Intercontinental - 1 night
Day 2 - Tortuguero National Park
An early morning departure takes you through Braulio Carrillo National Park on your way to a boat bound for Tortuguero National Park. (A $10 per person Tortuguero Park entrance fee is not included and is payable directly at the entrance to the park.) As you wind your way through dense rainforest, keep an eye out for monkeys, tree sloths and birds. Arrive in Tortuguero in time for lunch. This afternoon you may choose to experience the local culture, walk nature trails or just relax by the pool. Tortuguero is the most important nesting site in the western half of the Caribbean for the endangered green turtle. Nesting season is July through September. Hatching season is November and December.
Accommodation: Mawamba Lodge - 2 nights
Day 3 - Tortuguero by Boat
This morning, explore Tortuguero's network of scenic waterways in special boats designed for better visibility. The natural vegetation of the area progresses from swamp forests in the lowlands near the coast to tropical wetlands and forests at higher elevations further inland. This afternoon, visit Tortuguero Village and the Caribbean Conservation Museum.
Day 4 - Arenal Volcano / Tabacon Hot Springs
Early breakfast followed by transfer to the Arenal Volcano area and Tabacon Hot Springs Resort. Relax and enjoy the natural hot mineral pools and waterfalls.
Accommodation: Tabacon Hot Springs Resort - 2 nights
Day 5 - Arenal Adventure
The day is free for a selected tour (included in rate). Choose one of the following:
• Arenal Hike Old Lava Flow Trails - On this outing you may observe the exotic inhabitants of Arenal National Park including toucans, monkeys, oropendolas, eyelash viper, boa and frogs. You will also have the opportunity to see lava paths, cross a stream and, if conditions permit, catch a glimpse of a shower of bright volcanic rocks. (3.5 hours)
• Canopy Tour - The tour consists of a series of platforms mounted in the trees of the nearby rainforest. You move from platform to platform using high-angle equipment and techniques. There are a variety of platforms: 2 horizontal traverses (zip lines), 2 rappels and an inclined glide from the treetops to poolside. (2 hours)
• Horseback Riding to Fortuna Waterfalls - This tour encompasses the perfect combination of light exercise: first a horseback ride to the reserve entrance, then a short hike to the falls followed by a refreshing dip in the crystalline waters at the foot of the waterfall. (4 hours)
• Arenal Suspended Bridges - Experience the rainforest from three perspectives: from the ground, from the midst of a canopy like a white-faced monkey, and high above like an eagle. Follow three kms of hanging bridges, one of which extends 98 meters and crosses a waterfall. (4 hours)
Day 6 - Arenal / Monteverde
Take the newest way to/from La Fortuna and Monteverde. Half tour, half transfer, a van picks you up early in the morning and drives you to the Arenal Lake Dam, where you take a 30- to 40-minute scenic ride aboard a comfortable and safe pontoon on Arenal Lake to Rio Chiquito. Drive to the village of Monteverde (approx. 3 hours) where you can explore a wealth of wonderful art galleries and handicrafts boutiques. The transfer to Monteverde also includes an afternoon coffee and sugar cane plantation tour.
Accommodation: Hotel El Establo - 2 nights
Day 7 - Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the spectacular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, rising nearly 5,000 feet into misty skies. Monteverde rainforests have majestically tall trees festooned with bromeliads, ferns, vines, mosses and 420 varieties of orchid. Visitors feel like they're walking in a grand green cathedral. The variable climate and large altitudinal gradient has helped produce an extremely high biodiversity. Spectacular wildlife includes the jaguar, ocelot, baird’s tapir, three-wattled bellbird, bare necked umbrella bird, and the famously elusive resplendent quetzal. Afternoon is free.
Day 8 - Depart San Jose, Costa Rica
Transfer back to San Jose International Airport for departure. Please book return flights for afternoon departure. Transfer time from Monteverde to the San Jose airport is approximately 3.5 hours.
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This vacation is an excellent introduction to Costa Rica’s pristine and varied beauty. Here, you’ll choose your fun. Whether hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park, wildlife spotting in Tortuguero, or soaking in the mist of a waterfall in Monteverde Cloud Forest, you’re sure to find an activity – and an ecosystem – to your liking.
Spend two days soaking away stress in the healing waters at Tabacon Hot Springs Resort. In Arenal Volcano National Park, choose one of four exciting tours - from hiking to zip lines to a canopy tour. Conclude your adventure with a guided tour of Costa Rica's most famous wildlife spot, Monteverde Cloud Forest, home to 400 bird species (including the rare and resplendent quetzal), 100 species of mammals, and an estimated 2,500 species of plants, including 420 varieties of orchids.