Your itinerary
Day 1
Adventure starts in San José
Begin your adventure in San José, the culture-rich capital of Costa Rica. A complimentary transfer from the airport to the hotel is available. Check in and take it easy, there’s plenty of excitement on this trip, so today’s all about relaxing and easing ourselves into the adventure.
Around 7.30pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers when we gather as a group for a short briefing. Our main briefing takes place tomorrow afternoon in Tortuguero due to the late arrival of some flights today.
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Meals: Dinner
Day 2
To Tortuguero National Park
Our adventure begins early this morning, leaving San Jose behind as we travel to Tortuguero National Park in northeast Costa Rica. Accessible only by boat, Tortuguero has a vast network of waterways, canals and swamps that are remarkably tranquil, unspoilt and devoid of noise pollution. On reaching the pier, we board a small motorboat for the journey to our lodge (up to 1hr 30min) , which is a short distance from the main lagoon. Please note the transfer from San José to Tortuguero is not private for our groups.
This afternoon your tour leader will host the main welcome briefing when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. We also visit Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to enter the Sea Turtle Museum (a donation is requested at the entrance).
Tortuguero is probably most famous as a nesting site for the endangered green turtle, which can be seen coming ashore to lay eggs from late July to October (as part of an optional excursion). Hawksbill, loggerhead, and giant leatherback turtles also nest in this region, and from late August through to November, baby turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean. Today’s travel time will be in the region of six hours including a stop for breakfast.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 3
Boat tour around Tortuguero waterways
This morning we board a small boat, enabling us to discover the extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero as we pass serenely along the waterways. In the morning wildlife is usually at its most active and with the help of our expert guide we are likely to encounter monkeys, caiman, iguanas, butterflies and many of the 300-plus bird species recorded here. We’ll take a second boat trip this afternoon or you can relax at the lodge and enjoy the facilities.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 4
To Cahuita; relax on the Caribbean coast
We leave Tortuguero the same way we arrived, by taking a small boat to Siquirres pier. Our bus will be at the pier waiting to drive us to the Cahuita region on the Caribbean coast, where we check into our hotel. Caribbean culture pervades this part of Costa Rica and is reflected in the music, food and laid-back lifestyle. The sandy beach here is fringed by tall palms, behind which is the dense, wet tropical forest of Cahuita National Park.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 5
Wildlife walk in Cahuita National Park
Cahuita National Park has 2,711 acres (1,097ha) of land and 600 acres (243ha) of coral reef, the largest reef system in Costa Rica. Today we visit the national park, taking a walk that follows the coastline through rainforest and past impressive Caribbean beaches. Although fairly small in size, there is plenty of diversity in the park. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the beach, join an optional snorkelling excursion (subject to local conditions) or simply relax.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Free day in Cahuita
Today is yours to relax into the Caribbean pace of life and enjoy free time around Cahuita. It is possible to join an optional excursion to the indigenous communities of Kekoldi & Bri Bri Reserve, where you’ll learn about the properties and uses of native plants, plus the process of making artisanal chocolate. Chocolate is very important in Bri Bri culture and used for purification rituals, food and medicine. During the excursion, there is also the opportunity for a refreshing swim at a waterfall.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7
To Turrialba Valley; afternoon coffee tour
Our next destination is Turrialba Valley, a rich agricultural region in the Central Highlands. The topography of this region is mountainous, with waterfalls, rivers and caves – the varied elevation supports a wide range of plants (including orchids, bromeliads, lichens and mosses) and animals (including anteaters, ocelots and tapirs).
In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour around Aquiares, one of the most prominent coffee estates in Costa Rica. Of course, you’ll learn about the coffee-making process and taste the final product, but the tour also reveals how the Aquiares team is putting a strong emphasis on sustainability by reducing their carbon footprint and supporting the local community.
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Meals: Breakfast
Day 8
Visit to CATIE research centre; to Savegre Valley Cloud Forest
After breakfast, we depart for CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), an international institute for agricultural development and biological conservation. Our visit includes a guided walk in the Dr Jorge León Arguedas Botanical Garden, during which we will see and learn about the approximately 400 different species that are observed and interpreted here, as well as receive an explanation of myriad exotic fruits that are found at the facility.
After lunch, we continue to San Gerardo de Dota and Savegre Valley Cloud Forest. This is said to be one of the best places in Costa Rica to see the beautiful, colourful and notoriously shy resplendent quetzal and we have two nights here to discover the region. These endangered birds rely on the cloud forest for their habitat; the males are particularly striking with a green crest, red breast and tail feathers that can reach a metre in length. A good pair of binoculars will be helpful for quetzal spotting as these birds camouflage themselves well among the wet leaves. After lunch, we take a short walk into the cloud forest.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 9
Free day to discover walking trails in Savegre Valley
Today is free to relax and explore Savegre Valley. Bring your binoculars to spot some of the 170 bird species, trek through the tropical cloud forest or simply enjoy the incredible view from the lodge. Your leader will suggest walks for today so you can discover the tropical cloud forest and sub-Alpine vegetation of the area. Birds here include hummingbirds, woodpeckers tanagers and trogons, and if you are lucky tapirs and squirrel monkeys.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 10
To Sierpe; boat to Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula
Early in the morning, our journey continues towards the small town of Sierpe, where we board a small motorboat to Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula. Passing the huge mangrove swamps that line the Sierpe River, our boat crosses the ocean before arriving at Drake Bay. This region is very remote and with extremely limited road access, which means most supplies, visitors and locals, must arrive by boat. Getting here is part of the adventure. The bay is spectacular, with just a handful of lodges on the horizon and the rest thick verdant forest and rocky coves as far as the eye can see. Our next three nights will be spent at the Drake Bay Wilderness Resort, a family-run property close to the ‘town’ of Drake Bay and with ocean views from every corner.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 11
Snorkelling near Caño Island and walk to secluded Cocalito Beach (December to August) OR walk the Trillo de la Danta (September to November)
December to August (drier months)
This morning, we board a small boat towards Caño Island. During this 45-minute boat ride, there may be opportunities to spot migrating whales or playful dolphins (orca are occasionally spotted here between December to April and humpbacks might be seen in July and August). Marine life is the biggest highlight of this area, with hawksbill and olive ridley turtles, manta rays and white-tipped reef sharks just some of the likely encounters on today’s snorkelling excursion. This area has been rated as having some of the best snorkelling in Costa Rica, with a huge marine diversity living in the protected reef (visibility subject to weather conditions).
On returning to Drake Bay, we enjoy lunch then embark on a 1mi (1.5km) walk to Cocalito Beach. Wildlife including iguanas, macaws and toucans are often spotted along the route, and elusive tapirs are also seen less frequently. There is time to rest on the golden sands and take in the secluded beauty of Cocalito before returning to the hotel.
September to November (wetter months)
Today we visit a community rural tourism project that has developed to protect the area’s flora and fauna, and provide an economic benefit to the local people. We start the day with a short boat ride to the village of Drake Bay then take a 30-minute transfer to Finca Paz y Flora, home to many bird species who are attracted by the resplendent gardens.
We walk on the Trillo de la Danta, or Tapir’s Trail, within a primary tropical forest. Keep an eye out for collared peccaries, agouti, monkeys and shy tapirs. Towards the end of the walk, we reach a scenic waterfall where it’s possible to cool off with a dip in the clear waters. We enjoy a traditional lunch served in banana leaves before returning to our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 12
Boat trip to Corcovado National Park; discover the park on foot
When National Geographic describes an area as “the most biologically intense place on Earth,” it must be worthy of investigation. This morning, we board a small boat for a 30-minute journey to San Pedrillo Ranger Station, our entrance point to Corcovado National Park. This is undoubtedly the most secluded and tranquil region in Costa Rica. Protecting around one-third of the Osa Peninsula (some 164sqmi/425sqkm), Corcovado is the largest national park in Costa Rica and encompasses 13 major ecosystems across various elevations, with montane forest, cloud forest, fresh water and mangrove swamps among them.
Scientists have recorded half of all the species in Costa Rica on this peninsula alone. On today’s hike along the parks trails, we may see all four monkey species in Costa Rica (squirrel, howler, white-faced capuchin and spider), tamandua (anteaters), two- and three-toed sloths, peccary, tapirs (including the endangered Baird’s tapir) and many reptiles, insects and amphibians. Puma and jaguar also prowl this area, but are very difficult to see. With more than 500 tree species, the bird count stands at an impressive 365 and the park protects the largest population of scarlet macaws in the country, which can frequently be seen and heard flying overhead. In October, when the national park is closed, we typically visit El Camino de la Danta, a wildlife-rich trail home to white-faced monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans and more.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 13
Mangrove boat trip; to Sierpe; to San José
After an early breakfast, we board another boat and return to Sierpe town. On the way, our boat will take a short tour of the huge mangrove forest that lines the Sierpe River. Delving into the network of tributary rivers and streams offers a chance to learn more about the role of mangroves in the ecosystem and the numerous creatures that depend on them, including fish, crabs, birds, molluscs and shellfish. In Sierpe town, we transfer to our private minibus and commence our journey to San José.
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Meals: Breakfast
Day 14
Visit the Irazu Volcano National Park; San José highlights tour
Begin with a trip to Irazu Volcano National Park in the Cartago province, located within the Central Mountain Range around a 90-minute journey from San José. Passing different vegetation, we drive towards the summit and then follow a path that leads to a wonderful view across the huge crater. Irazu is one of the most active volcanoes in Costa Rica, though it has recently entered a dormant phase – a relief to the farmers and property owners who make their living on the fertile slopes. On a clear day, you can see both the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines from the summit. Remember to bring a jacket as it can be windy and cold at the viewpoint of this elevation (Irazu summit is 11,260ft/3,432m high).
After, we continue to Cartago city, home to a spectacular domed basilica, where we have lunch. It’s then back to San José, where we visit Avenida Central and explore the main city highlights. We stop at the Central Market, a lively and traditional space where you can find a variety of local goods, including souvenirs, handicrafts, coffee, and typical Costa Rican snacks – a great spot to pick up gifts.
Tonight we have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, a chance to toast the end of our adventure and look back on the highlights of the trip.
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Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 15
Adventure ends in San José
Our adventure comes to an end today after breakfast and it’s time to bid Costa Rica and the rest of the group goodbye.
If you aren’t quite ready to leave, speak to your sales representative about extending your adventure – relax on the beach, treat yourself to some spa time, or discover more nature. To ensure total relaxation, you can stay for as many nights as you wish in a range of hotels, and we’ll organise airport transfers in either direction for you.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Food
Hotel breakfasts are normally buffets, and lunches and dinners at Tortuguero are also buffets. Vegetarian and vegan options are limited but food is plentiful and tasty – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests.
Costa Rican specialities include gallo pinto, a black bean and rice dish, which is a staple part of the local diet. Soups and stews are also common, and fresh fruit is abundant and will no doubt be one of the highlights of your time in the tropics.
Caño Island Snorkelling & Cocalito Beach Walk (Dec–Aug)
Boat across sapphire water to snorkel Caño Island Biological Reserve, drifting over protected reefs where schools of surgeonfish swirl. Keep watch for white-tipped reef sharks, manta rays and sea turtles in clear Pacific water (visibility varies with conditions).
Back on the Osa coast, follow a forest path alive with macaws and toucans to secluded Cocalito Beach. In season, boat passages may reveal dolphins or migrating whales, adding a pelagic flourish to this marine day.
Farewell Dinner in San José
Gather for a hosted farewell dinner at a local restaurant to raise a final toast to coast-to-coast adventures. Share highlights over plates that taste classic Costa Rican dishes—think casado, fresh ceviche, and tropical fruit—paired with conversation and camaraderie.
It’s a warm, convivial close that celebrates wildlife sightings, rainforest hikes and Pacific sunsets before you part ways with new friends and lasting memories of pura vida.
Tortuguero Village Walk & Sea Turtle Conservancy Museum
Stroll sandy lanes to visit Tortuguero village, meeting the Caribbean community that lives between jungle and sea. Step inside the Sea Turtle Conservancy Museum to understand the turtles’ epic life cycle, threats they face, and how research has transformed local stewardship of this fragile coastline.
During green turtle nesting season (late July to October), the village’s rhythms shift around nightly patrols and hatchling releases that symbolize community-led conservation. Your visit helps sustain education, research and protection programs in one of the world’s key turtle rookeries.
Cahuita National Park Coastal Rainforest Walk
Explore Cahuita National Park on a gently undulating coastal rainforest trail that threads between sea grape and palm to secluded Caribbean beaches. Watch the wildlife-rich canopy for capuchins, sloths and toucans as the surf hushes through driftwood coves and sea almond leaves.
Though compact, Cahuita protects dense jungle and Costa Rica’s largest fringing coral reef. Your guide reveals medicinal plants, animal tracks and reef ecology, weaving natural history with Afro-Caribbean culture that has long shaped this shoreline.
Aquiares Coffee Estate Sustainability Tour & Tasting
Walk the rows of shade-grown arabica on the Aquiares Coffee Estate, learning how volcanic soils and precise processing yield distinctive flavor. On this sustainability tour, visit the mill and drying patios before you sample single-origin Costa Rican coffee roasted on site.
Hear how Aquiares advances carbon reduction, reforestation and supporting the local community through fair employment and habitat corridors. From cherry to cup, trace coffee’s journey while taking in misty Turrialba valley scenery.
CATIE Botanical Garden & Tropical Crops Guided Walk
Visit the renowned CATIE research centre for a guided walk through the Dr Jorge León Arguedas Botanical Garden. Stroll beneath cacao and coffee, smell crushed leaves of spice trees, and encounter tropical crop collections that underpin sustainable agriculture across the Americas.
Discover how living gene banks safeguard biodiversity and how resilient varietals help farmers adapt to climate change. With around 400 interpreted species, the garden showcases pollinators, shade trees and agroforestry design in action.
Savegre Valley Cloud Forest Introductory Walk
Immerse in the hush of the Savegre Valley Cloud Forest on an introductory walk among towering oaks draped in moss, orchids and bromeliads. Watch mist curl over ridges and listen for the flute-like call of the resplendent quetzal in epiphyte-laden branches.
Learn how cloud-forest ecology depends on altitude, humidity and ancient trees. Your leader points out fruiting aguacatillo (wild avocado), a key quetzal food source, while hummingbirds flash among dew-bright heliconias.
Finca Paz y Flora Tapir’s Trail & Waterfall Swim (Sep–Nov)
Support community rural tourism on a guided hike along the Trillo de la Danta (Tapir’s Trail) through primary rainforest. Listen for monkeys, spot peccary tracks, and learn about medicinal plants before cooling off with a waterfall swim and traditional lunch served in banana leaves.
Set amid bird-rich gardens near Drake Bay, Finca Paz y Flora channels visitor income into conservation and local livelihoods while revealing the Osa’s remarkable biodiversity beyond the coastline.
Corcovado National Park Hike via San Pedrillo
Arrive by boat to the San Pedrillo Ranger Station and hike deep into Corcovado National Park, often hailed as the most biologically intense place on Earth. Watch for all four monkey species, sloths and anteaters while scarlet macaws flash above towering buttress-rooted trees.
Protecting one-third of the Osa Peninsula, Corcovado spans 13 ecosystems from coastal forest to mangroves. In October, when the park closes, routes typically shift to wildlife-rich El Camino de la Danta for a comparable jungle experience.
Sierpe River Mangrove Wildlife Boat Tour
Navigate the Sierpe River mangroves on a guided boat safari, entering a labyrinth of tidal channels where herons, egrets and kingfishers hunt. Learn how these forests form a vital coastal nursery for fish and crustaceans while fiddler crabs and mudskippers animate the exposed banks.
Among Central America’s largest mangrove systems, Sierpe’s red, black and white mangroves anchor shorelines with stilt-like roots. Your guide spotlights adaptations that let trees breathe salt-laden water and shelter roosting birds.
Irazú Volcano Crater-Rim Visit
Ascend to Irazú Volcano National Park and follow a cinder path to the crater-rim viewpoint. Gaze into an ash-grey amphitheatre edged by windswept páramo; on clear mornings the Pacific and Caribbean horizons appear like twin bands beyond the cordilleras.
Once highly active, this stratovolcano’s fertile slopes now support farms and dairy pastures. At 3,432m, temperatures and winds can bite—bring a jacket for this high-altitude encounter with Costa Rica’s geologic heart.
Cartago’s Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels
Visit Cartago’s Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, a domed sanctuary where mosaics, arches and soft light frame the legendary image of La Negrita. Learn how centuries of faith shaped Costa Rica’s former capital and its enduring pilgrimage to La Negrita.
The basilica blends Byzantine and colonial motifs and anchors national identity; each August, devotees journey here on the Romería, filling plazas with prayer and candles that reflect off polished stone.
San José Highlights Walk & Central Market
Explore Avenida Central with your leader on a San José highlights walk through historic downtown. Step into the bustling Central Market, where stalls brim with fruit, spices and handicrafts, and traditional sodas and coffee stands hum with local life.
Absorb stories of the capital’s evolution while browsing for gifts and soaking up everyday Tico culture—colorful murals, lively sidewalks and the aroma of freshly ground coffee drifting from tiny counters.
Tortuguero Night Turtle-Nesting Watch (Seasonal)
Join a guided night turtle-nesting watch along a protected Caribbean beach, using red lights and strict conservation protocols to minimize disturbance. Witness green turtle mothers heaving ashore to lay eggs as surf hisses and stars brighten above the darkened coastline.
This seasonal experience (late July to October; hatchlings often late August to November) is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Access depends on weather and park regulations, with group sizes tightly controlled.
Cahuita Coral Reef Snorkelling
Board a local boat to snorkel Cahuita’s coral reef, drifting over Caribbean coral gardens where angelfish, parrotfish and sergeant majors weave through tropical fish and sea fans. Learn how rangers manage this weather-dependent excursion to protect delicate habitats.
Conditions and park regulations determine access; this activity is at additional cost and bookable on tour. When visibility cooperates, the interplay of reef color, warm water and palm-lined shore is sublime.
Kekoldi & Bribrí Communities Tour with Chocolate Workshop
Travel into the Talamanca foothills to visit indigenous Bribrí and Kekoldi communities. Discover native plant traditions and join an artisanal chocolate workshop that traces cacao from roasted bean to rich ceremonial drink, with a chance for a refreshing waterfall swim.
This respectful cultural experience supports local initiatives, is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Expect hands-on learning, stories of lineage and land, and sweet aromas rising from hand-ground cacao.
Tortuguero Waterways Wildlife Boat Safaris
Glide by small motorboat to cruise the Tortuguero waterways, where mirror-still canals slice through lowland rainforest. With your naturalist guide, scan for monkeys, caiman and iguanas along the banks and listen for trogons and herons in the canopy. The stillness and lack of road noise amplify every rustle and wingbeat across these quiet jungle canals.
Learn how this protected wetland network shelters 300-plus bird species and myriad reptiles and amphibians. Early and late light often heightens wildlife activity, revealing basilisks skittering across water and kingfishers diving for prey amid floating lilies.
