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11 days

A touch of Costa Rica

Discover Costa Rica’s unique nature and exciting wildlife at Arenal Volcano and in Monteverde’s Cloud Forest. Round off the tour with relaxation at Manuel Antonio’s stunning beaches.

A touch of Costa Rica
A touch of Costa Rica
11 days
HomeLatin AmericaCosta RicaA touch of Costa Rica

A touch of Costa Rica

Discover Costa Rica’s unique nature and exciting wildlife at Arenal Volcano and in Monteverde’s Cloud Forest. Round off the tour with relaxation at Manuel Antonio’s stunning beaches.

HomeLatin AmericaCosta RicaA touch of Costa Rica
What is included in the price?
This package includes the following
  • Return flights from the UK to San José (enquire regarding direct flights)
  • Private transfer from/to San José airport
  • Minibus: San José – La Fortuna – Monteverde – Manuel Antonio
  • 9 nights at good hotels, including breakfast
  • Welcome meeting in San José
  • Guided walk around San José
  • Individual tour, where all excursions take place in small, international groups with local, English-speaking guides. Transfers also take place in smaller international groups
  • ATOL certificate
  • 24-hour manned emergency telephone throughout the tour
  • Departure guarantee – the tour will take place regardless of the number of participants
  • Possibility of daily departure

THE TOUR IN SHORT

On this tour, you enjoy a taster of Costa Rica’s unique nature, fascinating wildlife and welcoming people, known as “ticos”. You have the freedom to explore the towns and cities on your own, or you can choose to purchase extra excursions on the days when no activities are planned.

The tour kicks off in the country’s capital, San José, where you get off to a gentle start with a welcome meeting with our local partner and a guided tour of the city on foot around San José.

From here, you head for the iconic Arenal Volcano in the town of La Fortuna, where you can walk in Arenal Volcano National Park, bathe in hot springs, go mountain biking by Lake Arenal or discover Costa Rica’s nocturnal animals on an evening safari.

You will also experience Monteverde’s fairytale cloud forest, which offers lush nature and lots of birds. Try walking in the treetops along hanging bridges, or ziplining, where you whizz along cables in the treetops. The area is also known for its delicious Costa Rican coffee, and you also have the opportunity to visit a coffee plantation.

The tour rounds off at fantastic beaches in Manuel Antonio. Combine a relaxing beach holiday with a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park, which is home to iguanas, coati, sloths and several different kinds of monkeys, to name but a few animals.

Why choose this tour

  • Experience the diverse nature of Costa Rica on this short tour with the freedom to choose your own activities along the way
  • Go exploring in the lush nature at the Arenal Volcano, which offers sights such as hot springs, the 70-metre high La Fortuna waterfall and the gorgeous Lake Arenal
  • Experience the mystique of Monteverde’s cloud forest, which has a rich plant and animal life
  • Finish up in Manuel Antonio, which offers both a rich animal life in the national park by the same name, as well as fantastic beaches, where you can enjoy a relaxing beach holiday

Our tours always include

  • All international and domestic flights
  • All accommodations
  • All specified excursions and activities
  • 24/7 telephone – We’re with you all the way
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Departure from the UK and arrival in San José

Today, you leave the UK and head to the capital of Costa Rica, San José, with connecting flight(s) along the way. You will be met by a driver at the airport, who will drive you to your hotel. The drive from the airport takes around 45 minutes. The rest of the evening is yours to do as you please.

Situated 1,172 meters above sea level in the central part of the country, San José enjoys a wonderful spring-like climate all year round. Today, it is a modern city with bustling commerce and resplendent art and architecture, marked by the architectural style of the early 18th and 19th centuries, when the city was founded and then made the country’s capital.

Day 2: Welcome meeting and guided tour of San José

After a nice breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven to the office of our Costa Rican partner. Here, there will be a welcome meeting in which you go through your tour together. You can also get answers to any questions you may have.

Once the welcome meeting is over, you are picked up at the office by a local guide, who will take you on an exciting, guided tour of the city on foot. The tour takes you past some of the capital’s most important historical buildings and monuments, and guide will tell you about their history. On the tour, you will also learn all the weird and wonderful things you need to know about Costa Rica and the country’s traditions.

The tour rounds off at the city’s largest market, Mercado Central. Established in 1880, the market consists of more than 200 shops, stalls and cafés as well as restaurants. You can buy everything here, from Costa Rican coffee, fruit and spices to knick-knacks, shoes and local crafts.

You can choose whether to stay here longer to have lunch and perhaps shop for some souvenirs or to return to the hotel. Before you part company with the guide, he will tell you how get back to the hotel, which is an easy, 10–15-minute walk from there (transportation back to the hotel is not included).

The rest of the day is at your disposal.

Day 3: San José – La Fortuna

Today, the tour continues from the bustling capital to La Fortuna, which has a picturesque location at the foot of the iconic Arenal volcano. The drive to La Fortuna takes around 4 hours.

Arenal was dormant for over 400 years until it violently erupted in 1968, causing massive destruction and burying several small villages. The volcano has been dormant since 2010 and you can safely visit the area. Among other things, the city is known for its many hot springs, which are heated by volcanic activity.

Day 4: La Fortuna on your own

There are rich opportunities to stay active in and around La Fortuna. You can, for example, walk in Arenal Volcano National Park, go horseback riding, cycle by Lake Arenal or go on a night safari and discover Costa Rica’s nocturnal animals.

You can also take a taxi to the beautiful La Fortuna waterfall, located at the foot of the volcano Chato. The waterfall springs from the Tenorio River, which flows through the Arenal mountain range and the rainforest before cascading 70 metres into a lagoon. There is around a 20-minute walk from the car park through the tropical forest down to the waterfall. On the way, you may be lucky enough to spot toucans, monkeys and other tropical animals. Remember to bring your swimwear if you wish to enjoy a refreshing dip in the lagoon.

The choice is yours – the day is entirely at your disposal in these gorgeous surroundings.

Day 5: La Fortuna – Monteverde

After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to La Fortuna, and the tour continues by boat across Lake Arenal and then by minibus up into the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range towards Monteverde.

Monteverde is better known as the “forest in the clouds” because of its location and the high humidity that “traps” the moisture in the area, giving the rainforest its characteristic mist.

The drive to Monteverde takes around 4 hours.

Day 6: Monteverde on your own

You have the day to yourself in Monteverde, when a visit the cloud forest is must.

Monteverde Cloud Forest is a unique area of natural beauty located at an altitude of around 1,400 metres. The flora and fauna thrive here in the rainforest due to the high humidity. There are more than 400 bird species in the park, including 30 different kinds of hummingbirds, so don’t forget your binoculars! You may also be lucky enough to spot other animals such as sloths, white-nosed coatis, armadillos, and red-eyed tree frogs.

The fairytale landscape of the cloud forest can be experienced in various ways, including from above on a 2.5 km walk along hanging bridges in the treetops. You can also try ziplining, which is a thrilling activity, where you zip through the tree tops attached to a cable.

Monteverde is also known for its coffee production, and you have the opportunity to visit a coffee plantation and learn about the careful selection of the coffee beans and their processing until the delicious bean is ready for serving.

Day 7: Monteverde – Manuel Antonio

Your tour rounds off with three nights at the cosy coastal town of Manuel Antonio, which not only has beautiful beaches but a national park of the same name.

The park is Costa Rica’s smallest yet one of its most popular national parks – and for good reason! Here, you will be greeted by lush green rainforest extending all the way to the beautiful white sandy beaches and the turquoise sea. The park is also home to countless different species of animal, and you may be lucky enough to see common squirrel monkeys, white-headed capuchin monkeys, mantled howlers, spider monkeys, sloths, white-nosed coatis, iguanas, red-eyed tree frogs, toucans, hummingbirds and colourful butterflies to name but a few.

The drive to Manuel Antonio takes around 5 hours.

Days 8-9: Manuel Antonio on your own

Your days in Manuel Antonio are yours to do as you please. There is plenty to keep you occupied in the town, whether you’re into sporting activities such as kayaking and rafting, or perhaps just lazing in the sun by the hotel pool or on the beach.

We highly recommend that you visit Manuel Antonio National Park on one of the days and experience the park’s impressive flora and fauna. Ideally, you should head off early in the morning, when there are fewest visitors and the greatest chance of seeing wildlife. The park has marked paths and it is easy to find your way around in there. You can also choose to purchase a guided tour of the park if you would like to know more about the nature you are seeing. Remember to bring swimsuits and possibly snorkels as the beaches inside the park are nothing less than amazing!

Please note that the national park is closed one day a week, usually on Monday or Tuesday.

Manuel Antonio also has a cosy little town, where you will find several shops and restaurants which naturally serve all manner of seafood as well as local and international dishes, so there’s something for every taste.

When the day is drawing to a close, you will be rewarded with the most beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

Day 10: Manuel Antonio – San José – departure day

The time has come to say goodbye to Costa Rica. You will be picked up from your hotel and driven to the airport in San José, from which you will fly to the UK, with connecting flight(s) along the way.

Day 11: Arrival back home

You arrive in the UK after a lovely holiday.

Combine with
Choose from the options below
Corcovado National Park
4 nights

Dream of experiencing Costa Rica’s largest and most biodiverse national park, boasting unique nature and a wonderful abundance of wildlife? In that case, you should extend your holiday to include this tour to the jewel in the crown of the country’s national parks: Corcovado National Park.

The scenic national park is located in south-western Costa Rica on the Osa Peninsula, considered to be one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Here, you will find a unique ecosystem and diverse wildlife – both on land in the national park and under water by the island of Caño. The park houses one of the world’s largest populations of the scarlet macaw, and you may also see monkeys, tapirs, sloths and anteaters. If you’re extra lucky, you may also see some of Costa Rica’s rare cats such as the jaguar and the puma.

During your time at Corcovado National Park, you will stay overnight in Drake Bay, which is located on the northern part of the Osa Peninsula. Drake Bay is the perfect base for your exciting excursions in the area, as the remote town with just a few hotels and lodges is close to both the national park and the sea. Here, you can really enjoy the sound of the roaring sea and the birds chirping.

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Emily Roper

Emily loves to travel and is extremely passionate about helping others achieve their travel dreams.

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We offer a diverse array of destinations, each promising its own unique story, shaped by its local cultures, fascinating wildlife, and natural beauty. 

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