Costa Rica - Wildlife, Volcanoes & National Parks

Tour Itinerary

• Day 1 • Flight to San Jose

  Touch down this evening in Costa Rica’s vibrant capital, San José, where you’ll meet your friendly, local tour manager before heading to your central hotel. After checking in, you’ll have the rest of the evening at leisure to find dinner locally and relax.

• Day 2 • Poas National Park, Doka Coffee Estate & Tour of San Jose

  After breakfast, enjoy a full day exploring Poás Volcano National Park, home to two craters including an active one with a blue-green sulphur lagoon, followed by a visit to Doka Estate for a guided coffee tour and included lunch. Return to San José in the afternoon for a guided city tour taking in La Sabana Park, historic neighbourhoods, 19th-century architecture, Plaza de la Cultura, the National Theatre, and Central Avenue’s markets and museums, before returning to your hotel for dinner locally.

• Day 3 • Tortuguero & Village Visit

  Travel through the dense jungle of Braulio Carrillo National Park as you leave San José, enjoying wildlife sightings along the road through this protected reserve, before arriving in Tortuguero and boarding a boat for a two-hour coastal journey through wildlife-rich backwaters to the secluded Pachira Lodge. Set in the heart of Tortuguero National Park and accessible only by boat or air, settle in with a welcome briefing and lunch, then visit a nearby village to learn about local life, conservation efforts, and coastal protection, including a stop at the Sea Turtle Conservancy Centre to discover its long-standing research and turtle protection work, before returning to the lodge by boat for dinner as the sun sets over the Atlantic Coast.

• Day 4 • Tortuguero National Park

  After breakfast, enjoy a full day of boat exploration in Tortuguero National Park, cruising the shoreline for possible sea turtle sightings before navigating rainforest-lined canals to observe the park’s diverse marine life with an expert guide. Return to the lodge for lunch, then head out again to explore the coastal lagoon, spotting elusive wildlife such as poison dart frogs, basilisk lizards, and three-toed sloths, before spending a relaxed evening back at the lodge with optional guided walks or poolside drinks ahead of dinner.

• Day 5 • Sarapiqui

  After breakfast, cruise along the coast to Caño Blanco and travel on to Sarapiquí via Guápiles, stopping for lunch in the lively town surrounded by cloud forests and thermal springs, before continuing into the scenic Sarapiquí Valley, known for its colonial plantations and migratory birdlife. En route, enjoy views of rural communities and mountain landscapes and visit a family-run farm to learn about heart of palm cultivation, its history, and farming challenges, with tastings of traditional snacks, before arriving at Selva Verde Lodge and Reserve to check in, enjoy an evening stroll through the jungle walkways, and dine at the lodge.

• Day 6 • Morning Rainforest Walk

  After breakfast, join an expert naturalist for a guided walk through Selva Verde’s private reserve, exploring rainforest trails while spotting birdlife, monkeys, and signs of wildlife and learning about the region’s rich biodiversity. Enjoy lunch at your own expense before spending the afternoon at leisure or joining optional activities such as visiting the nearby village of Chilamate or the lodge’s conservation centre, with the evening free for dinner at your leisure.

• Day 7 • Arenal & Puente de las Iguanas

  Leave Sarapiqui, after breakfast at the lodge, and drive west to Arenal’s glorious volcanic landscapes and hot springs. On the way, stop at the Puente de las Iguanas, a footbridge located in dense bamboo woodland, which is a popular spot for iguana sightings. Snap a few well-timed photos before reboarding your coach for the final stretch of your journey. Arrive in Arenal later this afternoon and have the rest of the evening at leisure at the resort, based in a stunning private reserve on the edge of Arenal’s impressive crater-strewn national park. After a busy day travelling, you can unwind in the sauna or take a dip in its outdoor Jacuzzi.

• Day 8 • Arenal Volcano Walk

  Enjoy a relaxed morning with breakfast and free time to use the resort’s facilities, join optional activities, or walk the hotel’s private trails with a local guide while taking in views of Arenal’s volcanic peaks and jungle landscapes. Later, explore the volcanic rock and calderas at the base of Arenal Volcano with panoramic views of its dormant fissures, then unwind in nearby hot springs before returning to the hotel for dinner.

• Day 9 • Traditional Chocolate Tour

  Enjoy a guided tour of a nearby chocolate plantation, learning about the cultural significance of cacao in Costa Rica, observing the farming and fermentation processes, participating in hands-on activities, and sampling a range of chocolate products. In the afternoon, relax at the lodge or join an optional visit to La Fortuna waterfall, hiking through rainforest with a local guide, spotting toucans and orioles, and swimming in the natural pool, before returning to the hotel for dinner.

• Day 10 • Drive to Monteverde

  After breakfast, leave Arenal and drive to Monteverde, taking in final views of Arenal National Park before arriving in Santa Elena, the gateway to the cloud forests. Check into your hilltop resort, enjoy lunch, then explore Santa Elena’s town centre on a brief guided tour with a tasting of its local cheeses, before returning to the resort for dinner.

• Day 11 • Monteverde Cloud Forest Excursion

  This morning, enjoy a guided walk through Monteverde’s Cloud Forest Reserve, crossing the famous hanging bridges and spotting canopy wildlife, including quetzals and hummingbirds. Return to the lodge for lunch and a free afternoon, with optional activities such as visiting a local sloth sanctuary to learn about conservation and observe three-toed and two-toed sloths, taking a gondola ride over Monteverde’s peaks for panoramic views of the cloud forest and Continental Divide, or joining a night wildlife tour in Curi Cancha to observe nocturnal species with a naturalist, before returning to the lodge for your final overnight stay in Monteverde.

• Day 12 • Manuel Antonio Beach, Tarcoles River & Carara National Park

  After breakfast, travel west to Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, stopping at the Tarcoles River to photograph its large crocodile population and abundant birdlife, then visit Carara National Park, a unique transitional forest where temperate and tropical flora coexist and rare bird species thrive, exploring its trails with an expert guide. Continue to your beachfront hotel in Manuel Antonio for check-in and dinner.

• Day 13 • Manuel Antonio National Park Tour

  After breakfast, visit Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica’s smallest yet most popular reserve, exploring its rainforest and beaches while spotting wildlife such as white-faced monkeys, three-toed sloths, basilisks, coatis, and the endangered squirrel monkey, before enjoying a swim on its pristine beaches, with the afternoon free for dinner at your own expense.

• Day 14 • Day at Leisure

  Spend your final day at leisure on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, enjoying your hotel’s rainforest trails or poolside, visiting Manuel Antonio’s beaches, or joining an optional catamaran cruise from Marina Pez Vela to spot dolphins, whales, and coastal birds, followed by snorkeling over vibrant coral reefs with parrotfish, angelfish, and starfish, before returning to shore for a buffet lunch and heading back to the hotel for dinner and your last overnight stay.

• Day 15 • Fly back to the UK

  Have breakfast, check out of the hotel and travel to Juan Santamaria airport for your return flight.

• Day 16 • Arrive back in the UK

  Touch down in the UK this morning at the end of your wildlife adventure.