Itinerary
- Day 1
San José
You'll arrive in San José and head to your hotel with a complimentary airport transfer included. This is a relaxed day to settle in and get your bearings. Around 7:30pm, you'll meet your tour leader and the rest of the group for a briefing and optional dinner together.
Optional Activities
- Explore San José further
- Optional dinner with group (included for all in 2026)
- Day 2
San José to Tortuguero
An early start takes you to Tortuguero National Park in the northeast, reachable only by boat or small aircraft. You'll board a motorboat for up to 1.5 hours to reach the lodge after a breakfast stop along the way. Later in the afternoon, there's a main welcome briefing, and you can walk through Tortuguero village to check out the Sea Turtle Museum (donations welcome). Total travel time runs around 6 hours for the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Main welcome briefing with tour leader
- Visit Tortuguero village
Optional Activities
- Sea Turtle Museum entry (donation requested)
Landmarks Tortuguero National Park - Day 3
Tortuguero
Start early with a morning boat trip through Tortuguero's waterways where wildlife activity peaks. Your expert guide will help you spot monkeys, caimans, iguanas, and butterflies, plus some of the 300+ bird species in the area. By afternoon, you'll have free time to relax at the lodge, take a second boat trip, or do a short forest walk if you prefer.
Included Activities
- Morning boat trip through Tortuguero waterways with expert guide
Optional Activities
- Second boat trip
- Short walking trail through forest
Landmarks Tortuguero National Park - Day 4
Tortuguero to Arenal
You'll depart Tortuguero by small boat to meet your bus for the drive to Arenal, passing banana, pineapple, and sugarcane plantations along the way. The volcano is resting but geothermal activity remains strong in the region. This evening offers a chance to visit hot springs, and on clear nights you can see Arenal from La Fortuna. The journey takes about 5.5 hours including a lunch break.
- Meals
- Lunch
Optional Activities
- Visit hot springs in the evening
Landmarks Arenal Volcano 
- Day 5
Arenal
Head to La Fortuna waterfall, a 213-foot cascade dropping into an emerald pool. A short rainforest trail has steep steps leading down to the base (the hike takes 20-30 minutes and requires moderate fitness). You can swim in the natural pools or stay at the lookout point. After lunch, you'll hike through secondary rainforest in Arenal National Park with views of lava fields and Lake Arenal, where birdlife is plentiful.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit La Fortuna waterfall
- Scenic hike in Arenal National Park
Optional Activities
- Swim in natural pools at waterfall
- Wait at lookout point instead of descending to waterfall
Landmarks La Fortuna Waterfall Arenal National Park Lake Arenal - Day 6
Arenal to Monteverde
Today you're traveling from Arenal to the Tilaran Mountain Range and your first cloud forest experience. As you drive toward Monteverde (which means 'Green Mountain'), you'll see beautiful views of the Gulf of Nicoya and islands below. The region has over 400 orchid varieties. Drive time is about 4 hours, and the last 25 miles are gravel roads that can be bumpy, especially after rain.
Landmarks Gulf of Nicoya - Day 7
Monteverde
A guided morning walk takes you through Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, one of Costa Rica's first community-managed reserves. The local high school manages it with funds going toward protection and environmental education. The thick misty clouds support orchids, ferns, mosses, and vines. Over 425 bird species live here, and it's one of the best spots to hear howler monkeys. Your afternoon is free or you can join optional activities.
Included Activities
- Guided walk in Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Optional Activities
- Coffee tour to learn about the crop's socio-economic importance
- Canopy tour for a different forest perspective
Landmarks Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve - Day 8
Monteverde to Manuel Antonio
You'll head south along the Pan-Am Highway toward Manuel Antonio, passing African oil palm and teak plantations. Manuel Antonio National Park combines a huge marine reserve, 1,700 acres of mangrove swamp, and primary and secondary rainforest. The forest goes right to the high-tide line with sandy beaches, forested islands, and rocky headlands below. The drive takes around 4 hours not counting rest stops and lunch.
Landmarks Manuel Antonio National Park - Day 9
Manuel Antonio
This morning you'll take a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park to see wildlife up close. White-faced capuchin monkeys play in the trees and on beaches, while howler monkeys are usually heard first. Watch for endangered titi monkeys, iguanas, agouti, and sloths. Manuel Antonio's beaches rank among Costa Rica's most beautiful, leaving your afternoon free to relax on the sand or try optional activities.
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
Optional Activities
- Optional activities and excursions in the region
Landmarks Manuel Antonio National Park - Day 10
Manuel Antonio to Dominical
You'll transfer south to Dominical, a beach town known for surfing, sunsets, and green landscapes. After settling in, visit one of the area's best lookout points on a forested hillside overlooking the coastal plains of Uvita. Relax with a tropical drink while taking in the forest views and Marino Ballena National Park, plus the Whale's Tail beach visible at low tide.
Included Activities
- Visit forested mountainside lookout point
Landmarks Marino Ballena National Park - Day 11
Dominical
A morning walk through Marino Ballena National Park gives you chances to see howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, sloths, bats, raccoons, and birds like scarlet macaws. The trail winds through mangroves and other coastal trees. The Tombolo, called the Whale's Tail locally, is a natural barrier reef shaped like a whale's tail from above. Your afternoon is free to relax, visit the beach, or join optional activities like a whale and dolphin tour.
Included Activities
- Walk through Marino Ballena National Park
Optional Activities
- Whale and dolphin tour
Landmarks Marino Ballena National Park Tombolo (Whale's Tail) 
- Day 12
Dominical to Savegre Valley
You'll travel northwest through San Isidro and over the Cerro de la Muerte mountains to Savegre Valley, about 4.5 hours from your starting point not counting stops. The cloud forest here is one of the best places to spot the shy resplendent quetzal, an endangered bird with a green crest, red breast, and tailfeathers up to a meter long. Bring binoculars to find them among wet leaves. You'll stay two nights, and the afternoon includes a short walk from the lodge into the forest.
Included Activities
- Short walk into cloud forest from lodge
Landmarks Cerro de la Muerte - Day 13
Savegre Valley
This is a free day to relax and explore Savegre Valley at your own pace. Bring binoculars and search for some of the 170 bird species in the area, trek through tropical cloud forest, or just soak in the views from the lodge. Your leader can suggest walks through steep trails with tropical cloud forest and sub-Andean vegetation if you want to get out.
Optional Activities
- Guided walks suggested by leader through steep trails
- Spot bird species with binoculars
- Trek through tropical cloud forest
- Enjoy views from lodge
Landmarks Savegre Valley - Day 14
Savegre Valley to San José
This morning you'll visit the Copey valley to see how highland residents live and work in the Central Mountain Range. A short walk through the area includes stops for snacks prepared by a local family, giving you a real taste of Costa Rican hospitality. Then it's a 2.5-hour journey back to San José with time to explore the modern capital before evening.
- Meals
- Snacks (Snacks prepared with local family)
Included Activities
- Short walk through Copey valley
- Snacks with local family
Landmarks Copey Valley - Day 15
San José
Have a final breakfast at the hotel, say goodbye to your tour group, and then head home.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Final breakfast at hotel)
Optional Activities
- Extend your adventure with additional hotel nights
- Relax on the beach
- Spa treatments
- Discover more nature
