Day 1
Early Morning. Pick-up from your hotel in downtown San Jose by shared shuttle transport, Or if coming from the airport or some Alajuela hotels, you may need to take a five-minute taxi ride to Denny's Restaurant, to meet the shuttle.. For an extra cost, we can upgrade to private transport to pick up directly from any hotel and also from Liberia or other areas of Costa Rica.
Enjoy the scenery as you make your ascent to the beautiful green mountains of Monteverde (4 hours). There will be a stop along the way for a bathroom stop and a snack.
Afternoon. Coffee Tour or Local Horse Tour
Coffee Tour: Picking coffee in Costa Rica has been a family tradition and on the Don Juan Coffee Tour you get to share one of the most interesting activities of the Costa Rican culture. Bilingual guides will explain the whole process of coffee production, from the plant to the cup. You will learn how coffee is grown and harvested and see germination beds, plantations, sun dryers, roasters, and various machines involved in the process. Of course, the tour is not complete without tasting a delicious cup of Monteverde coffee! The tour takes about 2 hours.
OR
Local Horseback Ride
Doing a Horseback Ride in Monteverde Costa Rica is a great option! This 2.5-hour ride will take you through scenic countryside and is a perfect getaway from a hectic tour schedule. The ride offers spectacular views and the pace is leisurely enough that it’s a fun ride for everyone. However, please note it is in the mountains, and so the ride is adventurous!
The ride offers great views of cloud forest in the distance (we don’t ride inside the forest reserves as domestic animals are not allowed). There are stunning viewpoints where you can admire the Gulf of Nicoya and it’s not uncommon to see various tropical birds and sometimes monkeys. The ride is within a wild 60-hectare farm and no cars! The terrain is rugged and you will go up and down mountain paths on our sure-footed horses. This is a great opportunity to do a horseback ride in Costa Rica!
Early Evening. Night Hike Wildlife Refuge. A 2- hour, fun and informative hike with a bilingual guide, through a series of trails to observe the nightlife of a growing forest. The trails are well marked and easy to walk in the dusk’s failing light, yet rustic enough to remind you that you’re in a wilderness environment. The walk is generally flat, but there are some not-too-steep uphill and downhill sections. The type of wildlife you might see as day turns to night includes porcupines, toucans and other sleeping birds, owls, agoutis, coatimundis, snakes, walking sticks, tarantulas, katydids, and an array of other cool insects. Once it gets dark you will hear the creatures that move around at night!
Please bear in mind that there are no guaranteed sightings, so don’t expect all these creatures to be waiting just for you! Typically though, this time of transition into night offers a good opportunity to view nocturnal mammals as well as diurnal animals as they prepare for night.
Night at Hotel Monteverde Villa Lodge whenever possible. Small, charming bed and breakfast It is ideally located in a residential area a few minutes walk from Santa Elena village in Monteverde, where hotels, stores, and banks are located. Note hotels can be upgraded or changed with a price adjustment. Please contact us.
Day 2
EARLY am Guided Hike in the Cloud Forests of Monteverde (we use a private cloud forest reserve called the Curi Cancha Reserve which is far less crowded and you often see more birds, especially the famous Quetzal, in season). You'll be picked up at your hotel and taken to the private reserve entrance where your bilingual guide will be waiting. The guides have a wealth of knowledge about the cloud forests in Monteverde, including fauna and flora, the history, and the growth of Monteverde. There will also be a chance to visit the new maze at Curi Cancha. The hike will be about three hours around this wonderful forest.
There is an option to change this to the main Monteverde Reserve for an extra cost.
Afternoon: Selvatura Canopy Tour (Combo Tour Ziplines) or Guided Hanging Bridges
In the afternoon you will have a chance to enjoy the forest from a whole different perspective, high in the canopy of the cloud forest. It is a private park located near the Santa Elena Cloud Forest in Monteverde where you can do the canopy tour, one of the most thrilling and safest adventures in Costa Rica. The canopy tour is entirely built inside virgin and secondary cloud forests with a total of 15 ziplines and 18 platforms. Plus one amazing (and optional) Tarzan swing! Visitors will travel between 2 miles of cables attached by a secure harness and a maximum weight support pulleys plus other security gear to ensure safety. At all times guides will assist you on the tour. The tour takes 2.5 hours.
OR you can do a guided tour of the Selvatura walkways which are a series of suspended bridges, high in the canopy of the rainforest connected by hiking trails that wind between the bridges. In total, these trails cover 3.3km. Eight different bridges have lengths and heights that vary between 50 to 170m long and 12 and 60m high. Every bridge is 1.5m wide and has a capacity for 60 people. The hanging bridges are designed for people of every age and reasonable physical condition. The duration of the tour is usually about 1.5 hours.
Day 3
Morning. Today you will go to La Fortuna, the nearest village to one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Arenal Volcano. You will travel by what is locally known as "taxi-boat-taxi". This is a method of getting from Monteverde to La Fortuna and takes about 3 hours and involves the following:
A 1.5-hour microbus ride from Monteverde to Arenal Lake- a 30-minute boat ride on beautiful Arenal Lake on the foot of the volcano. then a 25-minute microbus transport from Arenal Dam to your hotel in La Fortuna. There will be a stop and some waiting time.
Late Afternoon. Paradise Hot Springs for a relaxing soak and dinner
A visit to Costa Rica is not complete without experiencing one of Arenal's famous hot springs with views of Arenal Volcano! Paradise Hot Springs is surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens containing exotic flowers and plants, with a view of the famous Volcano. There are 7 thermal pools 9(35ºC/95ºF to 41ºC/104ºF) which are heated by Arenal Volcano, including a swim-up bar plus a cold pool
To provide a peaceful atmosphere, numbers of visitors are restricted. There are changing rooms, toilets, showers, body treatment services (extra cost), reclinable beds, and relaxing music. Towels and locker keys are provided with a returnable deposit.
Includes: transportation, entrance to Paradise Hot Springs, and dinner
* WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE A GUIDED VOLCANO HIKE BEFORE THE HOT SPRINGS BUT PLEASE DISCUSS THIS WITH US
Hotels San Bosco (La Fortuna, Arenal): 1 night
Ideally located within walking distance to restaurants, banks, and stores, yet a short ride to the hot springs. Rooms are very comfortable with A/C, private bathrooms, and cable television There is a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. The volcano is visible from part of the hotel on a clear day.
Day 4
Safari Float. This is the ideal rainforest river float for those looking for a peaceful encounter with the plentiful wildlife that abounds along the Peñas Blancas river only 25 minutes from the Arenal Volcano. Our professional bilingual naturalist guide will assist you as you paddle along a smooth, class-1 river and explain about the various plants and animals of the area.
With a bit of luck you might spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, crocodiles and caimans, plus a large variety of species of tropical birds such as the Sunbittern, keel-billed toucan, herons, kingfishers and our favorite the Montezuma Oropendula.
Afternoon, Onward Transport. Shared shuttle transport back to San Jose or to one of the main beaches if available. We can also upgrade your private transport to private you can choose which time your leave.
Hotel Details
NOTE THAT WE CAN UPGRADE ANY OF THE HOTELS FOR AN EXTRA FEE
Hotels (Monteverde): 2 nights
In Monteverde we use Hotel Monteverde Villa Lodge whenever possible. Small, charming bed and breakfast It is ideally located in a residential area a few minutes walk from Santa Elena village in Monteverde, where hotels, stores, and banks are located.
Hotels San Bosco (La Fortuna, Arenal): 1 night
Located on the edge of the town of La Fortuna, Hotel San Bosco is a good-sized hotel with about 34 rooms. Rooms are very comfortable with A/C, private bathrooms with plenty of hot water and cable television There is a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. The volcano is visible from the Hotel San Bosco on a clear day.
Tour Details
Minimum 2 people (Double occupancy): Price FROM $681 per person. (please contact us for accurate prices for your travel dates)
* PRICES MAY INCREASE DURING EASTER WEEK, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
* HOTELS CAN BE CHANGED OR UPGRADED WITH A CHANGE IN PRICE, UPGRADE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE FICUS HOTEL IN MONTEVERDE AND VOLCANO LODGE & SPRINGS IN ARENAL
* YOU CAN ALSO UPGRADE FROM SHARED TO PRIVATE TRANSPORT
Dates of trip: We can schedule dates by request
Included on the Trip: All accommodation except in San Jose, all transport, all tours in the itinerary, and English-speaking guides.
Not Included: Flights to Costa Rica, hotels in San Jose*, meals, optional tours, or transportation to other tours.
What to Bring: T-shirts, shorts, long pants for riding, sweater or light jacket, sandals, light hiking boots, rain jacket, sunscreen, insect repellant, any personal medication, swimming wear, towel, traveler's insurance, full passport and a credit card (VISA and MC other cards may be harder to use).
NOTE:
Adventure tours such as whitewater rafting, horse riding, kayaking, canyoneering, and hiking require physical effort. Clients should be in good condition. For client safety and enjoyment, Monteverde Tours reserves the right to offer a substitution, postpone, change, or cancel any tour due to unfavorable conditions. A full refund is given if (on rare occasions) a tour is canceled by the operator. Monteverde Tours and its affiliates are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.
* Note we can arrange hotels and transport in San Jose and other parts of Costa Rica. Please let us know if you need our help.