Costa Rica

• Itinerary
• Prices & Information

1. Home to San Jose
Board your flight today for San Jose, Costa Rica. Arrive in San Jose and check into your hotel for a two night stay. Enjoy a welcome cocktail this evening at the hotel.
Hotel: Tryp Corobici Hotel

2. San Jose
Breakfast is served at the hotel this morning. A scenic drive to Braulio Carrillo National Park reveals some of Costa Rica’s distinctly different ecological habitat parks. Take a Rain Forest Aerial Tram Ride high above the park allowing spectacular views of the thick treetops, misty mountains, huge leaf plants, and lush green rolling hills. Later visit Cafe Britt Plantation for a coffee tour, a delightful lunch, and a chance to sample fresh coffees. Return to San Jose for some leisure time. Enjoy a typical “tico cuisine” dinner and a traditional show at Pueblo Antiguo.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

3. San Jose to San Carlos
After breakfast at the hotel take a scenic drive through the countryside, as you come to the centerpiece of the Costa Rica landscape, the mammoth Poas volcano. Continue to La Paz Waterfall Gardens where there are beautiful waterfalls, a hummingbird garden and a butterfly garden in one of the most beautiful settings in Costa Rica.  Explore the luxuriant gardens and learn about the suprisingly complex life of the butterfly in the world’s largest butterfly Garden. Next you’ll visit the Hummingbird Gallery, where you will be serenaded by the gentle hum of tiny wings lightly brushing the air as dozens of these colorful jewels buzz around you in search of food and a quiet resting spot. Later we leave civilization behind and enter the dense rain forest in search of magical waterfalls. This walk winds past four breathtaking waterfalls, each one appearing to fall from the sky into a river of sparklingly clear water below. Lunch is served after your breathtaking walk. Continue to San Carlos where you will enjoy two nights of relaxation in the midst of a tropical forest.  San Carlos offers a landscape of exceptional beauty with its forests, lagoons, fields of crops, rivers with hot springs, and the most active volcano of Costa Rica: Arenal. Dinner is served at the hotel this evening.

Included Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Hotel: Arenal Country Inn Hotel 

4. San Carlos
This morning after breakfast you will travel to the Nicaraguan border to Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge.  Motor along some of the most important groves and sugar cane plantations of Costa Rica. Arrive at the Los Chiles on the northern border and take a comfortable boat ride up the Río Frío, a tropical river alive with an immense variety of animals. Caño Negro consists of a 1,600 acres lake and over 18,000 acres of lagoons and marsh land (a tropical everglades). The great biological diversity and the fact that many species found here cannot be seen in any other part of the country, attract bird watchers and nature lovers. Capuchin, spider and howler monkeys, sloth, garfish, roseate spoonbills, many types of herons, caimans and turtles are commonly found at this unique reserve (as many as 60 different types of birds have been seen spotted on the tour). Caño Negro is a wildlife safari that you do not want to miss!! A lunch is served on the boat trip. Later travel to the spa and hot springs at Tabacon Resort offering outstanding therapeutic waters in its natural hot springs and amazing views of the volcano. This evening join us as we experience an open air dinner served overlooking magnificent Arenal Volcano as it displays its fireworks that light up the sky. Take time after dinner to soak in the natural pools and hot springs set among cascading natural pools filled with warm mineral water as spectacular Arenal looms in the distance.


Included Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

5. San Carlos – Monteverde
After a leisurely breakfast you may want to take one last walk along the inviting beach before we depart along the winding road to the tiny village of Monteverde perched on a high mountain ridge surrounded by green forests. The town of Monteverde, located at the south end of the cloud forest, had its beginnings in the early 1950s with the impetus of a group of Quakers from the United States, a group that came to Costa Rica attracted by its pacific inclinations and disarmament. They established themselves in the region and devoted themselves to prduce milk and quality cheeses. We’ll visit a local cheese factory for an opportunity to learn about the interesting cheese production process. Enjoy a two night stay at the El Establo Hotel.

Included Meals: Breakfast,Dinner

Hotel: El Establo Hotel

6. Monteverde
Exploring Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, our expert guide will escort us as we experience the Monteverde Sky Walk made up of hanging bridges and trails allowing you to observe the flora and fauna from the treetops. Dinner this evening is served at the hotel.
Included Meals:Breakfast,Dinner

7. Monteverde to Guanacaste
After breakfast leave Monteverde and travel to the beach resort area of Guanacaste, arriving at the Occidental Allegro Papagayo Resort set on the oceanfront. Enjoy a walk along or simply relax by the pool.

Included Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Hotel: Allegro Papagayo Hotel

8. Guanacaste
Sleep late and enjoy breakfast at your leisure today. Some may want to take an optional fishing excursion, horseback riding, golfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, or an array of other activities. Relax by the sparkling pool or take a walk on the beach. Dinner is served at the resort this evening.

Included Meals:Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

9. Guanacasate to San Jose
After a leisurely breakfast at the resort depart for the charming town of Sarchi, the home of native art. Take time to do some last minute shopping before arriving in San Jose. Browse the shops and find articles of leather and jewelry. Later visit the ox cart factory here in Sarchi. This evening dinner is at a local favorite restaurant the “El Rodeo.”
Included Meals:Breakfast,Dinner

Hotel: Tryp Corobici Hotel

10. San Jose to Home
After breakfast we board our flight for home, arriving in Minneapolis this evening. The group that is signed up for the Toruguero Extension will depart for Toruguero. Please see the extension following.
Included Meals: Breakfast

Toruguero National Park EXTENSION

1. San Jose to Tortuguero NP
After breakfast at the hotel we board flat riverboats at Cano Blanco that will take us to our waiting wilderness lodge in Tortuguero National Park, the amazon of Costa Rica. This amazing intricate network of jungles, canals, peaceful lagoons, and islands set along the Carribean Sea is a delightful adventure . You may see iguana, green sea turtles, and monkeys on your flat boat cruise today. Dinner is served at the lodge this evening.
Included Meals:Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Hotel: Mawamba’s Lodge or Pachira Lodge

2. Tortuguero National Park

Breakfast is served at the lodge this morning in preparation for a full day of exploring Tortuguero National Park. You may see spider, howler and white faced-monkeys, and the poison dart frog. Observe a variety of exotic birds including parrots, toucans, kingfisher, and an array of other rare types. Lunch is served at the lodge today. You may opt to take a guided canoe ride on the parks rivers with a nature walk to the black-water lagoons. This evening enjoy dinner at the lodge.

Included Meals:Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

3. Tortuguero National Park to Home
Breakfast is served at the lodge this morning before we depart for San Jose Airport. We’ll board our flight for home today with memories of a grand vacation!
Included Meals:B,Inflight Meals

EXTENSION Departure Date:

March 8-10, 2006
3 Days/2nights

EXTENSION Price Per Person:

Double: $399 (includes air)
Single: $499

Optional travel Insurance is available and recommended for the Tortuguero Extension.