Day 1 · San José
Arrive in San José
You are met at the airport and taken by shared transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free in the capital.
- Travel
- 20 km, about 30 minutes
10 days · 9 nights
Jungle canals, a volcano and cloud forest, then two days by the Pacific to finish.
Choose your dates when you enquire
Ask about datesFly into San José and head straight for the Caribbean side, where boats carry you through the canals of Tortuguero. From there the road climbs to Arenal and its hot springs, crosses the lake to the Monteverde cloud forest, and drops down to the Pacific at Manuel Antonio for two nights by the sea.
The same person from your first question to the flight home, with a wedding or vow renewal planned alongside if you like.
How the days unfold. Your advisor tailors the pace, the hotels and the extras to you.
San José
Day 1 · San José
You are met at the airport and taken by shared transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free in the capital.
Tortuguero
Day 2 · Tortuguero
An early start takes you through Braulio Carrillo National Park and down to the Caribbean plains, with breakfast on the way at Guápiles. A boat carries you along the rivers and canals to your lodge for lunch, and in the afternoon a guide walks you through Tortuguero village and its turtle museum.
Day 3 · Tortuguero
A naturalist guide takes you out by boat for two hours on the canals and lagoons of the national park, home to dozens of species of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. The rest of the day is yours to rest or join an optional outing.
Arenal
Day 4 · Arenal
Leave by boat and road for Guápiles, stopping there for lunch, then continue by shared transfer to the Arenal area. You arrive in the late afternoon with the evening free.
Day 5 · Arenal
Walk the old lava trails with a guide who explains the volcano's history and points out the plants and wildlife along the way. Back at the hotel, the afternoon is for soaking in the hot springs warmed by the volcano.
Monteverde
Day 6 · Monteverde
Cross Lake Arenal by boat, then drive up into the cloud forest at around 1,200 metres. The rest of the day is free to explore Santa Elena, a small town of cafés and craft shops on the edge of the forest.
Day 7 · Monteverde
A free day in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, to walk its trails or simply rest.
Manuel Antonio
Day 8 · Manuel Antonio
A shared transfer brings you to the small village of Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast. There is time in the afternoon for the beaches near your hotel and a first swim.
Day 9 · Manuel Antonio
From the marina at Quepos, paddle an open ocean kayak along the coast to Biesanz Bay for a swim, a snack and snorkelling over the reef close to shore. Continue towards Manuel Antonio National Park with a naturalist guide, then finish with a Costa Rican lunch near the beach.
San José
Day 10 · San José
After breakfast, a shared transfer takes you back to Juan Santamaría International Airport for your flight onward.
The hotels for each stop. Your advisor confirms them, or something just as good, for your dates.
San José · 1 night
Or similar
Tortuguero · 2 nights
Reached by boat. Or similar
Arenal · 2 nights
With hot springs. Or similar
Monteverde · 2 nights
Or similar
Manuel Antonio · 2 nights
Close to the beach. Or similar
Tell us when you would like to travel. Your advisor confirms dates and hotels, tailors the trip to the two of you, and stays with you until you are home.
Costa Rica
4 days · 3 nights
La Fortuna → Monteverde
Two nights in La Fortuna, in sight of Arenal Volcano, with a guided walk to look for sloths and time for the hotel's thermal pools. Cross Lake Arenal by boat to the misty highlands of Monteverde for a guided night walk in the cloud forest.
Costa Rica
4 days · 3 nights
San José → Arenal → Monteverde → San José
Fly into San José and head north to La Fortuna, at the foot of the Arenal Volcano, for two nights of hot springs, a gentle river float and lunch with a local family. Cross Lake Arenal by boat to Monteverde for a guided walk in the cloud forest, then return to the airport on day four.
Costa Rica
3 days · 2 nights
San José → Arenal → San José
A short trip from San José to La Fortuna, the village beneath the Arenal Volcano. Your one full day crosses the hanging bridges of Mistico Park and ends with a swim below the La Fortuna Waterfall, with two quiet evenings in the rainforest either side.
Fly into San José and head straight for the Caribbean side, where boats carry you through the canals of Tortuguero. From there the road climbs to Arenal and its hot springs, crosses the lake to the Monteverde cloud forest, and drops down to the Pacific at Manuel Antonio for two nights by the sea.
Every trip can be shaped around you before you book.
Arrive early or stay on at the end, in the same hotel or somewhere new.
Your travel expert books flights that fit the first and last day.
Choose a better room or a hotel with a view for the nights that count.
A honeymoon, an anniversary or a birthday, planned into the trip.
Other ways to see Costa Rica, closest in length first.
Small group tour | 10 days | San José · Tortuguero · Monteverde | Price on enquiry.
Small group tour | 10 days | San Jose · Tortuguero · Samara
Self-drive | 10 days | San José · Tortuguero · Monteverde | Price on enquiry.
Small group tour | 10 days | San José · Tortuguero · Tamarindo | Price on enquiry.
