Highlights of Costa Rica & beach holiday in Tamarindo

Your tour will begin today from your selected airport bound for Costa Rica, with connecting flights along the way. Upon arrival in the capital, San José, a driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel, and the transfer from the airport takes around 45 minutes. The rest of the day is at your leisure, giving you time to settle in after your flight.

San José enjoys a pleasant, spring-like climate all year round and sits 1,172 metres above sea level in the country’s central highlands. The city was founded in the early 18th century and was named Costa Rica’s capital in the early 19th century.

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up and driven to our local partner’s office for a warm welcome. Here, you’ll go through the tour programme together, and you’ll have the chance to ask any questions you may have so you get the best possible start to your tour.

After the meeting, the rest of the day is free for your own explorations in San José, or you can choose to book an optional excursion. The city is home to several fascinating museums where you can delve into Costa Rica’s history, discover contemporary art, or learn more about its pre-Columbian heritage.

You can also take a leisurely stroll in Parque Metropolitano La Sabana, the city’s largest park. Here, you’ll find the national stadium, a museum, a large lake, and various sports facilities. The park is a popular gathering place for local “Ticos”, who meet to exercise, picnic, or simply spend time together.

Early in the morning, you’ll leave San José and head for Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast. En route, you’ll pass vast banana plantations, an important part of the country’s economy. There’s a stop in Guápiles, where breakfast is served in peaceful, green surroundings. If time permits, you can follow a small path through the lush vegetation down to a gently babbling stream.

As there is no road all the way to Tortuguero, you’ll change transport at the end of the road. From here, you’ll continue by boat along narrow canals through the rainforest to your lodge, set amid the lush scenery of the national park.

Upon arrival, a delicious lunch awaits in the lodge’s restaurant, before you’ll visit the small village of Tortuguero in the afternoon. During the boat trip, the guide will share stories about life in this remote community, which can only be reached by boat or plane. In the village, you’ll have free time to stroll along the main street, where little cafés and souvenir shops sit side by side.

As evening draws in and darkness falls, the rainforest’s many animals and insects awaken. From your veranda, soak up the sounds of the jungle as the sun dips behind the treetops.

Today, you will explore Tortuguero National Park’s unique landscapes and abundant wildlife on a boat tour along the park’s canals. Keep an eye out for the area’s exotic residents – caimans, turtles, sloths, river otters, tapirs, and iguanas – as well as the park’s three monkey species: spider, howler, and capuchin. You will also get a feel for the park’s rich, tropical plant life.

Spend the rest of the day at your own pace at the lodge. Unwind by the pool, wander the little rainforest trails, or enjoy the beach. You can also book optional tours at the lodge reception.

The name Tortuguero comes from the Spanish word tortuga, meaning turtle, and the area is famous for these fascinating creatures. Between February and July, several turtle species – including the green sea turtle, the leatherback, the hawksbill, and the loggerhead – come to lay their eggs along the Caribbean coast. The turtles typically come ashore after sunset, so access to the beach is only permitted with an experienced guide. It is important to keep completely quiet and avoid using torches and flash photography so that the animals are not disturbed. As with all wildlife, sightings cannot be guaranteed.

After breakfast, you’ll retrace your route by boat through the canals and continue by bus to Guápiles, where lunch is served (included). You’ll then carry on to La Fortuna, a small town best known for its spectacular surroundings.

La Fortuna sits at the foot of Costa Rica’s most famous and active volcano, Arenal. The volcano was dormant for more than 400 years until a powerful eruption in 1968 covered three villages with lava. Since 2010, however, it has been quiet and is now classified as dormant, making the area safe to visit.

You’ll arrive in La Fortuna in the afternoon, and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

The morning is free, as today’s scheduled excursion takes place later in the day. You can relax by the hotel’s pool or enjoy the surroundings at your own pace.

In the afternoon, you’ll head to a private reserve close to the Arenal volcano. Together with your guide, you’ll walk to a viewpoint with impressive views of the volcano, Laguna Verde, and Lake Arenal. You will then continue through the forest at the base of the volcano, learning about the area’s unique flora and fauna. With a bit of luck, you might spot monkeys, sloths, and colourful birds such as toucans and peacocks.

After the excursion, you’ll be driven back to your hotel. You can extend your day with a visit to the hot springs La Fortuna is famous for – see the options below.

Please note: The minimum age for the hike at Arenal Volcano is 8 years old. If you’re travelling with children under 8, a boat trip on Lake Arenal is offered instead, with a guide sharing the volcano’s history. This tour is available for a small supplement.
As the hike takes place on uneven terrain, the boat trip is also recommended for guests with reduced mobility.

Today is free for you to experience La Fortuna at your own pace. The area is surrounded by lush nature and offers a wide range of activities such as cycling, kayaking, horse riding, and zip-lining. Excursions can be booked in advance, or you can explore independently.

We recommend visiting La Fortuna Waterfall, which sits at the foot of the dormant Chato Volcano. Fed by the Tenorio River, it plunges 70 metres into a beautiful lagoon where you can take a refreshing dip. From La Fortuna, you can take a taxi to the car park and then walk for around 20 minutes through the rainforest to the waterfall.

After three adventure-filled days in La Fortuna, the journey will continue to another scenic region – Monteverde. Sitting at around 1,400 metres in the Cordillera de Tilarán mountains, it’s known as the ‘forest in the clouds’ thanks to the dense mists and low-lying clouds that often envelop the forest.

You’ll first travel by bus to Lake Arenal, which you’ll cross by boat. On the far side, the journey continues along winding mountain roads to the small town of Santa Elena, just outside the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. All in all, the journey takes around 4–5 hours.

Today, you’re in for a special experience in Monteverde’s unique cloud forest. Set off on an exciting walk along suspension bridges that will take you high up into the treetops. The route is about 2.5 kilometres long and showcases the forest’s impressive trees, orchids, ferns, mosses, and a wealth of plants that grow directly on the trunks.

Along the way, your guide will tell you about the area’s rich wildlife, plant life, and insect life. For bird lovers, this is a true paradise with more than 400 species, including the colourful resplendent quetzal and the tiny, energetic hummingbird.

After a couple of hours, you’ll be driven back to your hotel, and the rest of the day is yours. You can book an optional tour or head off to explore on your own, for example in the centre of Santa Elena or at a nearby orchid or butterfly garden.

After a few adventure-filled days in Costa Rica, the tour will head for the Pacific, where relaxation and a beautiful beaches await at one of Costa Rica’s most popular beach destinations, Tamarindo.

In the late 1980s, Tamarindo was just a sleepy, out-of-the-way village known only to locals and a handful of hardcore surfers. Not anymore! Today, Tamarindo is one of the most developed and popular beach destinations on the Nicoya Peninsula, attracting visitors of all ages, young and old alike, and still plenty of surfers keen to take on the waves.

Despite the many visitors to the area, Tamarindo’s beautiful, wide sandy beach rarely feels crowded.

The drive to Tamarindo takes around 4½ hours.

The days in Tamarindo are entirely at your leisure, and it’s up to you whether to add even more experiences to your itinerary, or simply unwind by the pool or on the golden sandy beach with a good book after an adventure-filled tour of Costa Rica.

Tamarindo sits on the edge of Las Baulas National Park, which was established, among other things, to protect the surrounding beaches where the mighty leatherback turtle comes ashore to lay its eggs between October and April. The park also encompasses a large area of mangrove forest, home to a wealth of birdlife and wildlife. We highly recommend a trip into the often-overlooked mangroves, where you’ll experience nature from a completely different perspective.

Its location makes Tamarindo an ideal base for exploring the north-western corner of Costa Rica. One popular option is a day trip to Rincón de la Vieja National Park, which impresses with its wildlife and dramatic geothermal activity, including fumaroles, hot springs, and bubbling mud pools.

You can also spend a day strolling along Tamarindo’s main street, where you’ll find plenty of shops, trendy cafés, bars, and some of the area’s best restaurants.

As the day draws to a close, there are ample opportunities to enjoy the sunset from one of the beach’s cosy restaurants, or perhaps from a boat on an atmospheric sunset cruise.

In the evening, the town really comes alive with live music, lively bars, and a wide choice of places to eat. We recommend a visit to the popular open-air street food market, Jardín Tamarindo Food Truck Park, where everyone can find something they fancy and dine together in relaxed surroundings. Every Thursday there’s also a night market at Plaza Palmas with stalls, food, and live music.

In short, Tamarindo has something for everyone – whether you’re dreaming of lazy days on the beach or a stay packed with activities and new experiences.

It’s time to say farewell to Tamarindo and Costa Rica. You’ll be picked up at your hotel and driven to the airport in San José, from where you fly to your selected airport with connecting flight(s) along the way.
The drive back to San José takes around 5–6 hours.

You’ll land at your selected airport with your luggage full of memories after an unforgettable tour in Costa Rica.