Day 1

Early Morning. Pick-up from your hotel in downtown San Jose by shared shuttle transport (shuttles can also pick up from some airport hotels but usually you need to meet at Denny's Restaurant, which is 5 minutes from the SJO airport in Alajuela)

For an extra charge you can UPGRADE to private transport and your driver will be waiting at the airport or your hotel to start your adventure in Costa Rica!

PLEASE ASK US ABOUT TRANSPORT FROM LIBERIA

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. The views of the distant Monteverde Cloud Forest are amazing as well as the Gulf of Nicoya. Now with some road improvements to Monteverde the journey is less of a challenge and more of a wonderful photo opportunity (although it is still a bumpy route for the last 45 minutes)!

NOTE: IF YOUR FLIGHT ARRIVES THIS DAY PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH YOUR FLIGHT DETAILS (AIRLINE, FLIGHT NUMBER AND ARRIVAL TIME) TO MAKE SURE YOU WILL ARRIVE IN TIME TO CATCH YOUR SHUTTLE..

Afternoon Horseback Riding in Monteverde or  Coffee and Chocolate Tour:

For the horse ride we use Horse Trek Monteverde (highly recommended company with well cared for horses). The ride is 2.5 hours long and you ride along little used back roads and farmer's tracks, passing by farms of coffee, sugar cane and bananas. There are great views of the countryside and the Gulf of Nicoya. Your tour includes all transport, helmets and an experienced Costa Rican cowboy!

OR

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Production Tour. The tour offers an interesting opportunity to learn about coffee and Costa Rican folklore.  You will learn about the history, cultivation, and the operation of a functioning coffee 'beneficio'.  Visitors will have a chance see how coffee is picked and the different steps involved in coffee production.  The farm has a typical ox-drawn cart that you can take a very short ride in.  In total, the tour is approximately two hours and involves a half kilometer walk along an easy trail.

Day 2

Early Morning Guided Hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This morning you will enjoy an informative hike at the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest park with a bilingual nature guide. The guides at the Monteverde Reserve are some of the best in Costa Rica and they have a wealth of knowledge about the Monteverde Cloud Forest. You'll learn all about its fauna and flora, the history and the growth of Monteverde whilst trying to spot the beautiful Quetzal bird and other wildlife. Even if you are not lucky enough to see wildlife, the ecology of these unique Cloud Forests is fascinating!. You will go on a 2-3 hour hike around this wonderful forest and you will have time to have a coffee at the end as well as visiting the wonderful hummingbird garden, where you are guaranteed to see many hummingbirds!  All transport included.

Afternoon: Two Great Canopy Choices: Selvatura Canopy Tour or Monteverde Skytrek

Option 1:

Afternoon: Selvatura Canopy Tour

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. Selvatura is a private park located near the Santa Elena Cloud Forest, where you can do the Monteverde Canopy tour, one of the most thrilling and safest adventures in Costa Rica.

The canopy tour is entirely built inside virgin and secondary cloud forest with a total of 13 ziplines and 18 platforms. 1 cable is 1km long! Plus, there is an amazing Tarzan swing (this is optional)! On the canopy tour, you will travel over 3km (2 miles) along cables stopping at platforms and hiking, along the way. You will be attached to a secure harness plus other security gear to ensure safety. At all times guides will assist you on the tour. The tour takes about 2.5 hours.

THERE IS THE OPTION OF DOING THE HANGING BRIDGES INSTEAD OF THE ZIPLINES.  OR IF YOU DON'T LIKE HEIGHTS YOU CAN DO THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN OR REPTILE EXHIBITION.

Option 2:

Afternoon Skytram and Skytrek Monteverde. On this tour, a tram (cable car) will take you all the way up to the ziplines. On the way, you will have fantastic views of the cloud forests and surrounding countryside with plenty of time for extraordinary photos! The cable car transport means you do little hiking to get up to and between the ziplines (but there are 3 towers to climb up).

On the Skytrek (ziplines) Tour, there are currently eight zip line cables and they range in height from 40 meters to 100 meters and in length from 100 meters to 750 meters! 

 

 

Day 3

Morning Taxi-Boat-Taxi: A scenic way of travelling to Arenal Volcano. The taxi-boat-taxi service picks up at various hotels and you'll be with a group of people throughout the tour. The transport starts with a 1.5-hour drive to Arenal Lake, travelling through rolling countryside until you reach the picturesque village of Rio Chiquito and then onto Arenal Lake on the foot of the Volcano. There will be a quick bathroom stop along the way.

A covered boat will take you to the dam at Arenal Lake - about 30 minutes. Be sure to have your camera ready for some very great photo opportunities! After reaching the dam you will be taken to your hotel. The whole journey takes about 3.5 hours.

 

Early Evening Baldi Hot Springs with Dinner

A visit to Costa Rica is not complete without experiencing one of Arenal's famous hot springs with views of Arenal Volcano! We will take you to Baldi Hot Springs where you can soak any aches away from the past few day's activities. Located near La Fortuna, these Arenal hot springs are perfect to really relax and pamper yourself. Baldi's has a series of pools and hot springs fed by Arenal Volcano which are set amid glorious tropical gardens so that you can relax in the water while enjoying the surroundings. The pools vary in temperature, from the temperature of a swimming pool to the warmest at around 39C (102F). It's a place where, on a clear night, you can sit in a warm pool, sipping the cocktail of your choice.

NOTE: BALDI HAS QUITE A PARTY ATMOSPHERE SOMETIMES SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE A QUIETER HOT SPRINGS WE CAN UPGRADE THIS TO ANOTHER HOT SPRINGS (this may have an extra cost)

You might also decide to pamper your body by opting for one of the many body treatments which are available such as massage, reflexology, body polish, volcanic mud wraps, and facials (these are not included on the tour).

Includes: transportation, entrance to Baldi Hot Springs, and dinner

* WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE A GUIDED VOLCANO HIKE BEFORE THE HOT SPRINGS BUT PLEASE DISCUSS THIS WITH

 

Day 4

Morning.  Canyoneering (Rappelling Down Tropical Waterfall!

Go Big! Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering!

Imagine yourself in the midst of the cloud forest at the top of a series of tropical waterfalls. Prepare to get wet as our guides put you into your safety harnesses and assist you as you rappel through a magical canyon full of waterfalls with surprises at each step. 

There are several tropical waterfalls,  4 of which you repel down with the following heights:

Watefall One: 20 meters
Watefall Two: 150 meters
Watefall Three: 20 meters
Waterfall Four: 220 meters

Or for those who want a little less adventure and don't wish to do the canyoneering you can opt for a walk to the La Fortuna Waterfall. This is an opportunity to swim in the refreshing waters of the famous La Fortuna falls. You'll be picked up after breakfast and taken to the entrance where a 40 minute descent will bring you to the base of the waterfalls. You'll have time to relax and swim before beginning the climb back up.

Day 5

Morning. Adventure Connection: Rafting Rio Balsa (From Fortuna/Arenal to Manuel Antonio)

This morning you'll have a chance to experience rafting in Costa Rica. We will take you neaby Rio Balsa, a Class II-III river. The Rio Balsa is ideal for those first time rafters as it is gentle enough for those inexperienced rafters but enough of a challenge to make it exciting. The Desafio guides are very accommodating to those first time rafters, quickly earning the trust of their clients. As a result of their knowledge and care, first timers soon grow brave enough to enjoy a unique adventure!

You'll soon enjoy the challenge as you paddle yourself through fun & safe rolling rapids with names like "Morning Coffee" & "Rock around the Croc" and then play around in tranquil river pools in an isolated rainforest river canyon. Hopefully you'll get to see lots of wildlife like monkeys, sloths and tropical birds such as ospreys, oropendolas and toucans. This unique river trip is the best way to combine adventure and nature. The Río Balsa is dam-controlled, so you are guaranteed good water levels all-year long! After all the adventure you’ll drive to the beautiful and popular beach of Manuel Antonio.

Day 6

Spend your day relaxing at the beach!

Manuel Antonio is the one of the most popular beach areas in Costa Rica. Besides the spectacular beaches, there are several kilometers of well maintained trails in the National Park offering easy access to lowland rainforest.

Day 7

On your last day we arrange private transport from Manuel Antonio to San Jose or shuttle transport to other places.

We can also arrange airport hotels if needed - we use a wide range of hotels in the San Jose and Alajuela (airport area). 

* add another night in Manuel Antonio wtih breakfast plus a snorkeling and sailing tour with lunch (ask for prices) 

Hotel Details

NOTE FOR AN EXTRA COST WE CAN UPGRADE ANY HOTEL (THE HOTELS LISTED ARE JUST GIVEN AS AN EXAMPLE OF PRICES).

Monteverde Hotel: 2 nights.

In Monteverde, we use Hotel Rustic Lodge whenever possible. This friendly family run hotel is ideally located in a residential area in Santa Elena a few minutes walk to the center where shops, banks and restaurants are located. Rustic Lodge offers very comfortable rooms with private bathroom. Breakfast is included in the package in the hotel's quaint restaurant.

 

Arenal Volcano Hotel: 2 nights

Located on the edge of the town 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, 2 jacuzzis and some gym equipment. The volcano is plainly visible from the hotel San Bosco on a clear day.

Manuel Antonio Hotel: 2 nights

Hotel Plaza Yara 

The Plaza Yara is located in a quiet part of Manuel Antonio, away from the main tourist area (a very inexpensive beach bus passes every 30 minutes to take you to the white-sanded beaches and the Manuel Antonio Park, less than 10 minutes away). All rooms at the Plaza Yara are suites with living areas and kitchenettes. They are extremely spacious and comfortable, decorated­­ with stylish bamboo furniture. The back of the hotel faces a dense green jungle, lovely swimming pool and a relaxing balcony area. A bit of luxury in the jungle!

 

Tour Details

Minimum 2 people (Double occupancy):  Prices FROM  $1,159 per person   (Please inquire for specific prices for your travel dates)

NOTE:

 * PRICES MAY INCREASE DURING EASTER WEEK, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, PLEASE CHECK

 * FOR AN EXTRA PRICE YOU CAN UPGRADE YOUR HOTELS HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS (BUT WE CAN UPGRADE TO ANY HOTEL YOU WOULD LIKE) :

    -  IN  MONTEVERDE AN UPGRADE TO FICUS SUNSET SUITES HOTEL 

    -   IN LA FORTUNA AN UPGRADE TO VOLCANO LODGE & SPRINGS 

    -   IN MANUEL ANTONIO AN UPGRADE TO SI COMO NO RESORT 

 * YOU CAN ALSO UPGRADE FROM SHARED TO PRIVATE TRANSPORT

Included on Trip: All accommodation except in San Jose (which we can arrange for an additional cost), all transport, all tours in the itinerary, all breakfasts and guides.

Not Included: Flights to Costa Rica, hotels in San Jose*, evening meals and some lunches, optional tours or transportation to other places not included in the schedule. 

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 (to include white-water rafting and horse riding, full passport,  and a credit card (VISA and MC usually preferred, other cards may not be accepted in some places).

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 unfavourable conditions. A full refund is given if (on rare occasion) a tour is cancelled by the operator. Monteverde Tours and its affiliates are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items.