This trip is available as either a group departure or as a private, all-inclusive tour with your own guide and vehicle! Great for families, couples and groups of friends! See the Dates-Rates tab for more information.

Custom itineraries are also available - just contact our Costa Rica expert in our office: 800-808-4492!

And now save $200 per person off the list price on our regular departures. See the Dates & Rates tab for details!

Day 1: San José, Costa Rica
At your arrival in Costa Rica our representative will meet you at the International Airport, Juan Santamaría and will drive you to the Grano de Oro Hotel, located just 25 minutes away from the international airport.

Days 2 & 3: Tortuguero National Park
Travel through some of the richest rainforest on earth at Braulio Carillo National Park on our way to Limón, where we board our boat for Tortuguero, considered by many the best place to view wildlife in Costa Rica. Our regular boat cruises along canals that wind through the dense jungle and may reveal spider, howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, tree sloths, caimans and a spectrum of colorful birds. Here in the tropics, steady sunlight, constant rain and warm temperatures create an intense incubator for a profusion of species. Overnight at Pachira Lodge, BLD.

Days 4 & 5: Monteverde
We fly back to San José, and drive to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve in the cool high country. Monteverde means “green mountain,” though moisture comes not so much in the form of rain but in the constant mists that swath the mountaintops. More than 400 species of birds flourish here, including the rare resplendent quetzal. A hundred mammal species live in the cloud forest, as well as an estimated 2,500 species of plants, including 300 different orchids. We spot wild relatives of many familiar houseplants, such as philodendrons, bromeliads, ficus trees and ferns. A walk over a network of suspension bridges and platforms lifts us into the lacy forest canopy. A tour of nearby Sendero Tranquilo offers excellent wildlife viewing. We return in the evening to the Hotel Fonda Vela, where the picture windows in our rooms look out onto elegant gardens and wild forest. Overnight at Fonda Vela Hotel, BLD.

Days 6 & 7: Arenal Volcano
Journey by road and crossing Lake Arenal by boat, we reach Costa Rica’s most dramatic landmark, Arenal Volcano. Costa Rica lies on the edge of two tectonic plates, one of the most dynamic such junctures on earth. Molten rock, created by the friction of the plates, is occasionally forced up through fissures, emerging as fiery magma. Enjoy excellent views of the volcano from Arenal Observatory Lodge, where seismologists monitor its activity. Overnight at Arenal Observatory Lodge, BLD.

On Day 7 we’ll explore the rainforest on a morning walk over trails and hanging bridges with the volcano looming in the background. There is usually geothermal activity, too, which we embrace with a soak in natural hot springs this afternoon by visiting the Arenal Volcano & Tabacón Hot Springs & Spa. Overnight at Arenal Observatory Lodge, BLD.

Day 8: Arenal / San José
After breakfast in the shadow of the volcano, visit Danaus Eco Center for a close-up look at Costa Rica’s famed red poison dart frogs and other wildlife as we walk among the conservation project’s 300 species of tropical plants. We return to San José, stopping en route for a farewell lunch at the Botanical Garden. Our final destination, Xandari Plantation Resort & Spa is situated on a coffee plantation overlooking the broad Central Valley. Xandari offers spa treatments, swimming pools, tropical fruit orchards and trails leading to waterfalls, which you will have time to enjoy at your leisure. Overnight at Xandari Plantation, BLD.

Day 9: San José / Home
According to your International Flight, our representative will meet you at the lobby of the hotel and will drive you to the International Airport, Juan Santamaría. B.

B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner 

Book now and save $200 off the prices listed below!
(Regular departures only, limited time offer and subject to availability)

December 01, 2011 to April 30, 2012 
Rate Per Person in Double Room = $2,950
Supplement Per Person in Single Room = $610
Reduction Per Person in Triple Room = $145

PRIVATE-GUIDED SUPPLEMENT :

Rate Includes : 

• 1 Night Accommodation at Grano de Oro Hotel.
• 2 Nights Accommodation at Pachira Lodge. Full Board.
• 2 Nights Accommodation at Fonda Vela. Breakfast
• 2 Nights Accommodation at Arenal Observatory Lodge. Breakfast
• 1 Night Accommodation at Xandari Plantation. Breakfast.
• Regular Tour: Tortuguero Town
• Regular Tour: Sendero Pachira Lodge
• Regular Tour: Tortuguero National Park. Entrance Fee
• Regular Tour: Sky Tram & Walk (Monteverde)
• Regular Tour: Sendero Tranquilo
• Regular Tour: Hanging Bridges (La Fortuna)
• Lunch (Arenal Observatory Lodge)
• Regular Tour: Arenal & Tabacón Hot Springs.
• Regular Tour: Danaus
• Shuttle Transfer International Airport – Hotel – International Airport
• Shuttle Transfer: San José – Tortuguero & Lodge, Tortuguero – Local Airport, Tortuguero
• Regular Flight: Tortuguero – San José
• Private Transfer: San José – Monteverde
• Shuttle Transfer: Monteverde – La Fortuna (Lake Crossing)
• Private Transfer: La Fortuna – Poás Area. Lunch (Botanical Garden)
• Hotel & Local Flight Taxes.
• All meals

• Personal Expenses
• Tips 
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Departure Tax ($28.00 Per Person – Subject to Change)

Grano de Oro Hotel

Converted from a Tropical Victorian mansion, the 40-room hotel maintains the warmth and comfort of a private home.

Hallways lined with period photographs and original art meander through the building and present lush tropical flower arrangements and luxurious plants at every turn. Spanish tile fountains grace intimate atriums, ensuring that one is never far from the soothing melody of falling water. The entire Hotel is non-smoking.

Pachira Lodge (Tortugero)

Hotel Fonda Vela

Arenal Observatory Lodge

A paved wheelchair-accessible trail extends 800 meters into the rainforest; in addition, 7 miles of bicycle, horseback riding and hiking trails wind throughout the volcano lodge's property through rainforest and over a hanging bridge. Just around the bend on every trail is a magnificent new view of the impressive volcano. The volcano observatory lodge offers daily complimentary walks led by resident naturalist guides.

The Arenal Observatory Lodge features 48 rooms in various buildings spread over the property. Five rooms are fully equipped for disabled travelers, with rooms, bathrooms, hallways, parking areas and even the new swimming pool designed accordingly. Most have a view of the volcano and all overlook verdant gardens. Everywhere you can feel the volcano's commanding presence.

The dining room overlooks the volcano southern slop with floor to ceiling windows and opens to a wide deck to enjoy a majestic panoramic view of the lake and Arenal volcano.