We have designed this 7-night program for travelers who are visiting Costa Rica for the first time and wish to see the most interesting and popular destinations in the country in a coast to coast tour with beautiful landscapes and accompanied by a fascinating culture and the warmth of the Costa Ricans. Your Costa Rica vacation will begin with a night in San Jose, the country's capital and cultural center, located in the Central Valley known as the valley of eternal spring, with an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.

The second destination to be visited is Tortuguero National Park, a system of canals and exotic jungles that are accessible only by small boats or small planes. A true paradise for ecotourism in the middle of the rainforest, Tortuguero will provide a panoramic view of the Caribbean side of the country, with its meandering waterways and abundant flora and fauna. Your next stop will be the Arenal Volcano, one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world and one of the natural wonders of the country, which delights every visitor with its spectacular conical shape. Finally, you will visit Costa Rica's Pacific beaches that blend enchanting beaches with jungle and rainforest teeming with wildlife.

Program summary:

Day 1:  San José

Day 2:  Tortuguero // Visit to Tortuguero Village

Day 3:  Tortuguero // Visit to National Park Canals

Day 4:  Arenal Volcano

Day 5:  Arenal Volcano // Visit to Hot Springs

Day 6:  Selected Beach Manuel Antonio or Guanacaste (Hotel is Not Included)

Day 7:  Selected Beach Manuel Antonio or Guanacaste (Hotel is Not Included)

Day 8:  Tfr. to Int’l Airport (SJO)

Day 1:  SJO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – SAN JOSE

Upon arrival at the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica, one of our representatives will be waiting for you at the exit of the terminal to welcome you, provide you with the necessary information about your trip and then transfer you to the San Jose area where you will spend the first night.

Day 2:  SAN JOSE – TORTUGUERO                                                        Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This morning, we will head towards the Northern Caribbean Lowlands, the nature lover’s paradise. Just a few miles east of San José in Costa Rica’s lush Central Valley, the highway cuts directly through the Braulio Carrillo National Park, offering terrific views of the virgin forest alongside. Once on the Caribbean side, we will board a boat at the Caño Blanco Dock. For a scenic 2 1/2 hour, ride to Tortuguero National Park within the Tortuguero Conservation Area. This ride is often the highlight of the tour! The canals and rivers on route offer great photo ops of caimans and crocodiles dozing on the banks, fresh water turtles basking on rocks and carefree monkeys swinging through the canopy with clinging babies. The reserve hosts eleven different habitats, including rainforest, mangrove forests, swamps, beaches and lagoons. It is home to over 400 birds, 60 frog, 30 freshwater fish, and 3 monkey species. After lunch (included), we will visit Tortuguero, a quiet little car-free village located between the sea and the canals with strong Afro-Caribbean roots. It is best known for attracting 40,000 sea turtles a year and the significant conservation efforts non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have undertaken to safeguard them along the 22 miles of protected coastline. Overnight at selected lodge.

Day 3:  TORTUGUERO                                                                                         Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Our second day in Tortuguero National Park. Depending on the weather. (Having a tropical climate, the Park is very humid, receiving up to 250 inches of rain a year). We will enjoy a guided hike through the jungle and learn about the Park’s biological diversity and its ecosystems that support threatened flora and fauna species, such as the tropical gar--a living fossil now under protection--, and the marine turtles. The rivers are home to manatees, caimans and crocs, the forests house jaguars, ocelots, three-toed sloths, spider, howler and white-headed capuchin monkeys, Baird’s tapir and armadillos. Among the amphibians, some of the most colorful and exotic frogs in the world live here, like the poisonous red dart. For bird lovers, toucans, herons, pink spoonbills, cormorants and fisher eagles are easily spotted. Take time to explore the secondary canals of this paradise where you will have a more intimate encounter with the 400-plus tree species, including the giant mountain almond and about 2,200 species of other plants, such as orchids and bromeliads.  Overnight at selected Lodge.

Day 4:  TORTUGUERO – ARENAL VOLCANO                                                       Breakfast & Lunch

In the mid-morning hours, a boat transfer will take you to the local dock. From there, we will drive to Guapiles, located in the heart of Costa Rica’s banana growing region, the country’s gateway between the Central Highlands and the Caribbean coast. Here lunch will be served. Afterwards, we will continue towards the Northern Lowlands with their diverse scenery of pastures, wetlands, jungles, rain forests, cloud forests and river webs. On the way, we will pass by the agricultural town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui (where bananas, pineapples and sugar cane are grown), San Miguel and the lush green scenery of the village of Venecia and the hot mineral springs of Aguas Zarcas. We will reach the charming town of La Fortuna late in the afternoon, only 4 miles from where the imposing Arenal Volcano looms, with its massive iconic cone shape, on the edge of the region’s rolling flat landscape.  Overnight at selected Lodge.

Day 5:  ARENAL VOLCANO                                                                                 Breakfast & Dinner

Morning at your leisure to explore the area. We highly recommend a visit to the Arenal Volcano National Park (not included), the adventure center of Costa Rica. Although the Volcano is currently in a resting phase, it is assuredly still alive and gives off whiffs of smoke. The Park also offers a wide range of activities. For nature lovers--horseback riding, underground cave exploration, Sky Tram gondola, hiking, hanging bridge or nature walks. For the more adventurous, try canopy touring by zip-line, whitewater rafting, waterfall rappelling, and mountain biking. You can also visit the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge, Venado Caves and La Fortuna Waterfall. From the ranger station, request a free map to choose between trails through old lava flows, tropical rainforest or to the lake.

During the afternoon, you will visit the Hot Springs, which feature a hot river flowing through a series of pools and tributaries. With temperatures ranging between 77 and 122F, the thermal waters, heated by the magma in the Earth’s interior, rise to the surface, bringing minerals found in the earth’s rocky crust. Relax, enjoy and rejuvenate yourself! You will enjoy a local dinner at the Hot Springs restaurant before come back to your hotel. Overnight at selected hotel.

Day 6:  ARENAL VOLCANO – SELECTED BEACH (Hotel NO Included)                                           

Today you will continue your journey to the beautiful and paradisiacal beaches of the Costa Rican Pacific, which are known throughout the world especially for their impressive combination of tropical forests and multicolored beaches.

You will have the option to stay either in the Guanacaste area or in the Manuel Antonio area. (Cost of the hotel beach is not included in this program)

No doubt, you will have some unforgettable days where you can relax and enjoy your 2-night stay (suggestion) at the selected hotel.

Day 7:  SELECTED BEACH (Hotel NO Included)

Day at leisure to rest, enjoy the sun and the beach and eventually explore on your own some of the optional excursions (extra cost) offered in the area.  Some of these activities are hiking in National Parks, Canopy, boat tours and many other activities.

Day 8:  SELECTED BEACH (Hotel NO Included) – INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT                                      

After enjoying some unforgettable days in Costa Rica, for this day is scheduled to return to the International Airport.

On the way, you will be able to admire various landscapes along the way.

Please consider that the Costa Rican immigration authorities recommend passengers to be at the International Airport 3 hours earlier in order to proceed with the registration procedures with the airline and with the immigration authorities, in addition to the transfer time, so it is suggested to book your flight departing in the afternoon

END OF SERVICES