costa rica tour intrepid

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Costa Rica: 9 reasons to try an Intrepid tour for your next adventure holiday

Explore beyond the "Pura Vida" lifestyle

Morning mist hits my face as I step onto my balcony. The rainforest around me is waking up. Thick air hums with the melodies of exotic birds. I hear leaves rustling, insects chirping, and water flowing. I feel an overwhelming sense of calm rush over me; okay, this is it - I’m not leaving, I've found my nirvana.

If you’re craving adventure and an escape from the everyday, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Costa Rica. From wildlife, volcanoes, hot springs , to coffee to die for, it’s a country that’s always been firmly at the top of my bucket list. So high, in fact, that I had a plane ticket purchased back in May 2020. We all know how that ended…

So, imagine my delight when Intrepid invited me to try their tour of Costa Rica. If you're not familiar, they are a travel tour company that organises trips globally. This particular trip included their 10 new Indigenous community-based tourism offerings, alongside natural wonders, wildlife and a taste of the "Pura Vida" lifestyle. Meaning I could cover the very best of the country within a short time, without having to plan a thing myself. Result!

So, three years on from that ill-fated trip, I set off on a journey to discover the lush rainforests, winding waterways, and palm-fringed beaches, and to learn about the local communities that make this country so fascinating.

Never considered a group trip before? Here’s why you absolutely should.

The unique experiences

This trip was an endless combination of pinch-me moments, from searching for sloths, swimming in crystal blue seas to sitting in volcanic hot springs. However, as well as hitting all the tourist hot spots, it allowed me to have unique experiences that would have been harder to organise on my own.

On day 2, we left the comforting chaos of San Jose to drive to the Highlands. Out the window, buildings melted away and were replaced with emerald leaves snaking back as far as the eye could see. The air became thicker, and cooled as we ascended and arrived at our destination.

Tierra Amiga in San Marcos de Tarrazú is an ecological farm where coffee is produced organically, from seed to cup. We were greeted by Luciana, who owns the farm with her family. She had the kind of infectious energy that proved so contagious that I was able to leave my jet lag behind. Wielding a machete with strength and precision (she repeatedly said she had no need for a gym), she told us how they harvest and grow coffee and other vegetables in the traditional way.

After drinking coffee (from beans we roasted over an open fire), we sat down to a delicious meal made of food grown and produced entirely on this farm, including sweet syrupy kombucha. You can’t get more organic than that.

The opportunity to engage with indigenous communities

If coffee is not your warm beverage of choice, don’t worry, next, we headed to Térraba community, where we experienced the importance of the cacao plant and chocolate harvesting within their culture. The Térraba/Bröran people are an Indigenous community with a vibrant legacy. Situated on about 34.7 square miles (9,000 hectares) along the Térraba River, they have sustained themselves from the land for over 500 years. The community identifies as Matriarchal, where women serve as the educators, entrusted with sharing knowledge across generations.

Once the beans were roasted, emitting the most heavily of scents, they were ground by hand with large stones. The chocolate drink was rich and fragrant, traditionally enjoyed without sugar. Next, they showed us how to carve wooden masks by hand. These beautiful masks are used in local festivals such as the Danza del Toro y la Mula (Dance of the Bull and the Mule). They are now also sold to tourists, so they can invest money back into their communities.

It’s a more sustainable way to travel

I have been recently wondering about how I can be more conscious when I’m on holiday, and it seems I’m not alone. A report by Euromonitor International revealed that despite the cost of living crisis, nearly 80% of travellers will happily pay more for sustainable travel features. While Expedia Group Media Solutions found travellers are being more mindful by visiting local cultural spots and choosing greener transport choices. Although 70% reported still feeling overwhelmed about how to be sustainable while away.

Here's where advice from the pros becomes crucial. Intrepid , in particular, stands out as a top player in this arena. They are committed to “making a real difference – by investing in local communities, human rights initiatives, wildlife conservation projects and the environment” and they’ve recently received a B-corp certification - again.

Although the flight cannot be seen as sustainable, once you get to the country Costa Rica is well known as an eco-tourism leader in Central America, and these considerations are baked into how the trip is designed. The use of tour buses over private transport or internal flights, the inclusion of local tour guides and indigenous communities in decision-making - down to the discouragement of single-use plastic by having a tank of drinking water available on the bus.

Benefit from local knowledge

Our tour guide, Luis, was on board to answer any questions we had about Costa Rica (no matter how obscure) and to teach us Spanish phrases each day. "Pura Vida" (pure life) is the most important one, meaning anything from hello and goodbye to everything being great, as well as the response to any minor discomfort.

Having a local guide who knows the route inside out is invaluable, not only for learning more about where you are but also for those little things like finding a nearby pharmacy or knowing when to expect the best weather. Plus, planning a trip to a new place can feel like a job in itself, so why not leave it to the experts?

It fits into annual leave

The premium Costa Rica tour lasts 9 days and visits 4 areas, allowing you to get a great flavour of the country within annual leave constraints. Although, I would definitely recommend tagging a few days on to the end of the trip if you can. I was not ready to leave!

You won't be backpacking

While I absolutely adored hostel hopping around Thailand in my 20s, at 32, my tolerance for roughing it is much lower. The hotels on this tour are premium, featuring a balcony view overlooking the rainforest, on-site spas, king-sized beds, and luxury sheets for a good night's rest ahead of a day of adventure.

The transport for the trip is a private tour bus for a group of 12-16, so while it's not a personal chauffeur, it's definitely not a typical Euro coach trip. Remember, though, that it's still a tropical destination, so wildlife and bugs are to be expected. I made friends with a particularly beautiful green iguana.

It's an active holiday

As a Women’s Health reader, we know you enjoy a healthy balance of movement and rest. Intrepid’s itinerary delivers on that front.

We took our binoculars for a nature walk in Manuel Antonio National Park, while our guide pointed out birds and other wildlife like a resident David Attenborough. This was followed by a swim in the clearest blue sea I’ve seen!

Want to make use of your walking boots ? We enjoyed a hike around the lake in Arenal Volcano 1968 Park. The trail took us through the dwarf cloud forests, along the inside of the crater, ending with breathtaking views of the park below.

There is still time for R and R

While I personally enjoyed many bus naps, I utilised the free time one afternoon to explore the delights of the Hotel Lomas del Volcán spa. Nestled right in the centre of the rainforest, there was zero need for the ambiance to be set. I chose to try some treatments made out of locally sourced ingredients. First, I was exfoliated with Costa Rican coffee scrub, covered from the neck down with volcanic mud, and then massaged. It was bliss.

It is also worth mentioning: the Ecotermales in La Fortuna, these hot springs were the perfect way to unwind and soothe sore muscles post hike.

You don’t have to wait for someone else to go with

Once we reach a certain age, life becomes more hectic and it can be harder to coordinate calendars for a dinner, let alone a big trip. So, if you want to go somewhere, why wait?

You can join an Intrepid tour from age 15, but the average age is 44, plus you can always ask Intrepid who’s booked on your trip if you’re concerned. In my opinion it’s the perfect way to do solo travel, my group felt like a family by the end of the week.

Verdict - is it for you?

If your idea of a holiday is laying horizontal and not leaving a hotel (no judgment here), then it’s very much not. If you want to explore authentic local experiences, learn about different cultures, immerse yourself in nature - all within a period covered by annual leave - then this is the trip for you. While, there is free time (which I utilised for the aforementioned spa treatments), this itinerary is about making the most of your time in the country. You’ll see all the main sites, plus some beautiful local moments that would not been possible on other tours.

Where I stayed

San José: Hotel Presidente BOOK NOW

Manuel Antonio: Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge BOOK NOW

La Fortuna: Hotel Lomas del Volcán BOOK NOW

Intrepid Costa Rica tours

I tried a combination of the Best of Costa Rica (from £1722) and Premium Costa Rica ( from £2546).

The premium offering includes 8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners, private vehicle, airport transfer and all accommodation.

Rebecca is our SEO Manager. She is responsible for planning and updating product reviews across health and fitness, homes, food and drink, and beauty and grooming. With seven years’ experience in search engine optimisation, Rebecca has contributed to content marketing strategies for John Lewis, Kurt Geiger, New Look and more.  For the last five years, she has specialised in driving organic search for media brands including The Telegraph, Mail Online, The Sun and Newsweek. She has created successful content plans for events such as Brexit, the Olympic Games 2020, the U.K. and U.S. Elections, as well as big shopping events like Black Friday.  Rebecca has commissioned hundreds of search-led articles, with a particular interest in health, fitness and wellbeing, and has a Masters in Counselling Psychology from City, University of London and a BA in History and Literature from the University of Essex.  In her spare time, Rebecca can be found planning her next backpacking trip, hitting a crossfit class, or taking cute pictures of her cats. 

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Classic Costa Rica

Health Safety +

• Swap the concrete jungle for real jungle on this journey into the rainforests, waterways, hot springs and the palm-lined beaches of Costa Rica.
• Spot long-nosed tapirs, white-faced capuchin monkeys, ocelots and three-toed sloths on this wildlife adventure – Costa Rica is home to many exotic animals, and this trip puts you in the perfect position to see them all.
• Go deeper than the average tourist with a homestay in a quiet agricultural community – the perfect opportunity to experience local life and practice your Spanish. You’ll even have an informal cooking lesson with the locals to make dinner!
• Refresh yourself after jungle hikes, spotting wildlife in the rejuvenating hot springs of volcanic La Fortuna.
• Visit the indigenous Maleku community to share a traditional meal and learn about their way of life – this small tribe has big ambitions for regenerating local forests and natural habitats.

What's this trip about?

Travel themes.

• High Adventure
• Local Immersion & Homestays
• National Parks
• Nature & Wildlife

Destinations

• Central America

Attractions

• Manuel Antonio National Park
• Tenorio Volcano National Park
• Tortuguero National Park
• Historic sightseeing
• Wildlife viewing

Trip includes

• Tortuguero - Boat ride to Tortuguero
• Tortuguero - National Park Entrance
• Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Home-cooked Meal
• Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Homestay experience
• Leader-led Informal Spanish Lesson
• Guatuso - Maleku Community Experience
• Monteverde - Cloud Forest Entrance
• Manuel Antonio - Cooking Class & Lunch
• Manuel Antonio National Park - (Entrance fee)
• Manuel Antonio National Park - Tour with a Naturalist Guide

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Bid farewell to the coast and return to San Jose via public bus this morning. When you arrive, you’ll be free to relax or wander the city at your own pace. In the evening, you might like to head for dinner with your fellow travellers and group leader and toast to a trip well travelled.

With no further activites planned, your trip comes to an end today and you’re free to leave at any time after checking out. If you’d like to extend you stay, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

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Dates & Availability

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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Intrepid Travel Reviews & Ratings

Do not book any extra nights or transportation to the airport with Intrepid. If you have a change of plans they will not refund your money if you don't cancel 30 da...

Our guide was absolutely lovely and managed

Our guide was absolutely lovely and managed the group in a professional but relaxed and friendly way. The hotels chosen were very good quality. The balance and flexi...

Overall I think the trips are well

Overall I think the trips are well planned and offer interesting and diverse experiences that you wouldn't normally have the opportunity to experience if you were tr...

I would say it was Excellent from

I would say it was Excellent from the point of view of the commitment from the guide, and very good in terms of the overall result. I would suggest Intrepid to my f...

A really good experince with a good

A really good experince with a good guide (Randy) with lot knowledge of the nature, animals, the country, etc. Small, cool,group. Magic moments included, that i w...

Other Intrepid Travel Reviews

Michele Twigden

Completed 3 trips with Intrepid this…

Completed 3 trips with Intrepid this year. A prior last year. The Leaders are well organized, informative and fun. Travelling inland in Greece and the Greek Island...

jasonemeraldrealestate.com.au

The intrepid group were excellent to…

The intrepid group were excellent to work with and were very helpful at all times and made organising the trip a breeze. This was an excellent trip, and was enjoyed ...

Michael Campbell

Awful waste of time and money.

I’m aware that Intrepid responds to reviews, so here’s my updated take. I paid approximately $1,800 USD for a 9-day trip to Costa Rica. However, between the arrival...

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Tour operator, intrepid travel, the intrepid travel experience.

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

•   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
•   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
•   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
•   Local transport - get close and personal
•   Local accommodation - experience real living
•   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

• Integrity – Doing the right thing
• Responsible – Think global, act local
• Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
• Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
• Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
• Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer

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Costa Rica's Indigenous Population Is Working to Save the Planet — and This Tour Is an Inside Peek

Think of a visit to Costa Rica, and you’ll probably imagine zip lines and eco-lodges. But there’s a deeper way to interact with this environment: through the Indigenous communities that have called it home for centuries.

Lebo Lukewarm/Courtesy of Intrepid Travel

A friend once told me that traveling well means ending up in a stranger’s kitchen, and this one certainly proved his point. The room was open, a three-walled haven cooled by a breeze that sifted through the guava trees outside. It was a warm, sticky evening in the jungle of Térraba, an Indigenous territory in southern Costa Rica. A dinner table with a checkered blue cloth held plates of fire-roasted pork, peach palm, and ice-cold bottles of tamarind juice. 

Suddenly, a loud ping rang off the roof, startling me. “That’s a nance,” explained our host, Jeffrey Villanueva. “Have you tried it?” His mother, Eulalia, offered a handful of the yellow, almond-size berries, which had been harvested just feet away from her kitchen. When I took a bite, the tangy flavor was electrifying. Sensing my delight, Villanueva showed me star fruit, water apples, and four types of lemons — a tiny sample of the 25 types of fruits and vegetables he grows on the 47-acre farm that has fed his family for centuries. The culinary coup came later, with a warm chocolate drink, made from cacao that he grows on the property and crushes on a 2,000-year-old table-size millstone. 

“We are trying to preserve what our ancestors left us,” Villanueva said in Spanish. He is Brörán, a member of a 6,000-person-strong matriarchal community fighting to keep its traditions alive amid local discrimination and land disputes. Foods like these, grown in the soil worked by his forebears, serve as threads to the past. “This is me,” he said. “This is my culture.” 

How many travelers dream of going to Costa Rica to surf, raft, and hike among the toucans, sloths, and monkeys? The country’s devotion to conservation is legendary: a power grid crackling with nothing but green energy, wildlife-forward laws, and a new policy prohibiting single-use plastics in its 29 national parks. 

But it was the bedrock beneath all this that had taken me there. Unlike in Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru — whose Indigenous groups are the topic of entire units in high school history classes — in Costa Rica Native people live largely under the radar. These communities are the country’s original conservationists and keepers of tradition, and to spend time with them is to get a glimpse of the country in a genuine, timeless light. 

“It’s a very special heritage that makes me proud,” said Marlen Rojas Montero, who works with my host, Intrepid Travel. “We may not all look Indigenous, but it’s a part of who we are.”

Intrepid leads small-group trips that are considered “responsible”: they uphold standards in everything from staffing support to environmental impact. My custom tour had kicked off a few days earlier in the capital, San José. There, my 14-year-old daughter, Evie, and I had met our guide for the week, Flor de Liz Céspedes, a 36-year-old law student who farms much of her own food. She planned to take us to visit three of the country’s Indigenous tribes: the Brörán, the Boruca, and the Maleku. On the way, we’d visit timeworn ruins, hear stories from Indigenous leaders, and learn some of their crafts. 

All trips in Costa Rica should start, as ours did, at the Chietón̈ Morén̈ Museum & Market in San José. The name means “fair deal” in the Boruca language, and the shop sells hundreds of ceramics, masks, and textiles made by more than 250 Indigenous artists. In the museum, sobering displays show the shrinking territories and linguistic challenges these communities face. Of the country’s eight remaining Indigenous populations, only four have living languages. Two are reviving theirs, and two more — the Chorotega and the Huetar, which conceived the lingua franca for much of precolonial Costa Rica — are now extinct. 

We rolled east out of San José to the magnificent Guayabo National Monument, where we hiked around the ruins of a once-thriving city settled as early as 3,000 years ago. While Céspedes translated, a park naturalist told us about the Cabecar — with 15,000 members, the largest of the Indigenous groups — whose territories include the distant Talamanca Mountain Range. As we walked, a gray-headed chachalaca, a tropical cousin of the chicken, skittered into the forest.

We returned to our minivan for a five-hour drive south to our last stop of the day: dinner at Eulalia’s home, in the Térraba area. After our delicious meal, Evie and I stayed in Villanueva’s house, located a few steps away, as part of Intrepid’s homestay experience. It was easily my favorite accommodation of the trip: a home, unpolished but spotless, with family pictures on the walls. The room felt hot to my American sensibilities, but as any visitor to Costa Rica can do, I cooled off by drinking water straight from the tap. 

The next morning, we rode with Villanueva over bumpy dirt roads to the Boruca community where his daughter lives, catching glimpses of the Térraba River as we went. Villanueva told us stories about an Indigenous deity: “Sbö put my people here to protect this river. To us, this river is a living being.”

We spent much of that day watching artist Sergio González Rojas carve balsa wood into masks in the shape of jaguars and parrots, and sitting with Boruca women as they pounded twiza and suta plants to create gorgeous natural dyes for homespun cotton. “These techniques are so secret my grandmother didn’t even want to teach me,” said Marina Lazaro Morales, her fingers stained with turmeric. Her grandma changed her mind when the Boruca people’s collective knowledge began to wane. “The time has come to share it,” Morales said. 

Over the coming days we journeyed west with Céspedes. We hiked around Finca 6, a former plantation and now a museum and archaeological site with ruins and enigmatic stone spheres left by the extinct Diquís tribe. We saw a scarlet macaw in a fig tree by the road and a peevish monkey untroubled by cars near Manuel Antonio National Park. During the last days of the trip, we met members of the Maleku people, painted gourds, and listened to musicians play iguana-skin drums. Today there are fewer than 700 people in the Maleku community, making this group the most vulnerable in the country. “We are all family now,” Jaquíma “Elias” Elizondo-Castro said. “Our way ahead is very difficult.”

Our evening with Villanueva was the most memorable part of our trip. We sat up late talking about schools where the Brörán language is now taught, where kids can learn about the Indigenous cultures and beliefs that have helped shape them. “The tide has shifted,” Villanueva said. “I am hopeful.”

I returned to his house, which no longer seemed so hot. Then I collapsed on the bed and listened to the midnight rain popping on the tin roof, like a message from afar.  

Seven-day private trips in Costa Rica with Intrepid Travel from $2,472 per person for groups of one to 12 people.

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Intrepid offers small-group adventure tours that immerse you in the local culture of each place visited. While all itineraries travel to lesser-known spots and cater to those with an adventurous spirit, some Intrepid trips also include activities like hiking, biking, kayaking or camping.

Like other operators, Intrepid includes accommodations, transportation, some meals and guided sightseeing in the upfront price. To keep prices low and uphold the company's philosophy of sustainable tourism, Intrepid might use local transportation rather than a private motorcoach and family-owned cafes instead of larger restaurant chains. Accommodations are selected for their unique ambience and easy access to important sites.

A trained tour director will be with you along the way to share valuable insight and help you make the most of every new experience.

Trip ratings on this site are based on the quality of accommodations, the number of included meals and activities and the level of service delivered. Intrepid's vacations are categorized as budget on the industry rating scale (budget, first class or deluxe).

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• In-depth Cultural
• Fully Guided

Traveled in July 2023

Places You’ll See

• Explore San Jose's trendy neighborhoods
• Tour Arenal Vida Campesina farm
• Raft through Cano Negro Wetlands
• Zip-line across Monteverde Cloud Forest
• Discover wildlife in Manuel Antonio Park
• Introduction
• Day 1 San Jose
• Day 2 La Fortuna
• Day 3 La Fortuna
• Day 4 Monteverde
• Day 5 Monteverde
• Day 6 Manuel Antonio
• Day 7 Manuel Antonio
• Day 8 San Jose
• Day 9 San Jose

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Shana by the Beach Hotel (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)

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5 to 99 years old

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For over 30 years we've been taking travellers around the globe. That's over 30 years of adventures, of visiting new places and old friends, of countless unforgettable moments. More than 30 years of changing the way people see the world, on small group tours with like-minded Intrepid people. As a...

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Good to Know

• Currency ₡ Costa Rican Colon Costa Rica

As a traveller from England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types A, B.

• These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
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Classic Costa Rica

15 days | dive into diverse costa rica, from the towering jungle to the palm-lined coast.

Discover incredible, lush Costa Rica and understand why this part of the world is called the ‘rich coast’. This 15-day adventure, beginning and ending in lively San Jose, is a journey through the jungles, farmlands, beaches and cities of a pure Central American location. Stay with a local family in Santa Rosa de Pocosol and help your hosts prep a traditional meal. Soak in springs that get their heat from an active volcano in La Fortuna and take on a huge array of nature-based optional activities in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Spot three-toed sloths in the thickets of the Manuel Antonio National Park, then relax beneath swaying palms on the nearby beaches.

Trip overview

• Swap the concrete jungle for real jungle on this journey into the rainforests, waterways, hot springs and the palm-lined beaches of Costa Rica.
• Spot long-nosed tapirs, white-faced capuchin monkeys, ocelots and three-toed sloths on this wildlife adventure – Costa Rica is home to many exotic animals, and this trip puts you in the perfect position to see them all.
• Go deeper than the average tourist with a homestay in a quiet agricultural community – the perfect opportunity to experience local life and practice your Spanish. You’ll even have an informal cooking lesson with the locals to make dinner!
• Refresh yourself after jungle hikes, spotting wildlife in the rejuvenating hot springs of volcanic La Fortuna.
• Visit the indigenous Maleku community to share a traditional meal and learn about their way of life – this small tribe has big ambitions for regenerating local forests and natural habitats.
• Many of the activities (both included and optional) on this trip take place in the great outdoors. This means you'll need to be prepared to deal with insects and occasionally rustic conditions. It's all part of immersing yourself in this natural paradise.
• Costa Rica is generally hot year-round, and from May to October can be pretty wet too. At nighttime and in locations at higher elevations it can get chilly. Protect yourself from the sun, bring light clothing you can layer and a waterproof jacket, and stay hydrated. Please carefully consider which time of the year you'll feel most comfortable travelling.
• There are many opportunities to get active on this adventure. Some of the optional activities require a moderate level of fitness and sturdy walking shoes. If you'd prefer to take it easy, however, there are plenty of other things you can do instead.
• The homestay is a wonderful opportunity to witness everyday local life. A hearty homecooked dinner and breakfast will be served during your stay, which can be a lot more basic than what you're used to.
• With so much to see and do, Costa Rica can sometimes be expensive. Expect to pay more than you would in other Central American countries for a lot of things.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2025 - 31 December 2025

Hola! Welcome to Costa Rica. Your adventure starts in San Jose – with over a third of the country's population living within its parameters, San Jose is packed with both people and culture. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight to meet your local leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, why not visit the National Museum. This canary-yellow building houses everything from exhibits on pre-Colombian history to a garden filled with native butterflies. Early bird history buffs might be interested in the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum or the Jade Museum – both of which display a wealth of indigenous artefacts.

• Hotel (1 night)

There are no meals included on this day.

• San Jose - Pre-Colombian Gold Museum (Entrance fee) - USD17
• San Jose - Jade Archaeological Museum (Entrance fee) - USD17
• San Jose - National Museum (entrance fee) - USD12

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Leave the hotel this morning and descend to the Caribbean lowlands on a public bus journey that ends at the port of La Pavona. This rustic port is your entry point to Tortuguero National Park. When you arrive, hop aboard a small boat and take a ride into the depths of the Costa Rican wilderness. Arrive in the middle of this biodiverse area, where freshwater lagoons rest under the canopy of rainforest bordering the ocean. Many animals call this place home, including jaguars and turtles, so listen out for the sounds of the local wildlife as you fall asleep in your lodge tonight.

• Lodge (1 night)
• Tortuguero - Boat ride to Tortuguero

Your travel time today will be approximately 5.5 hours.

Today, you're free to explore the park at your own pace. If you're woken by the chattering of the forests birds, why not haul yourself out of bed for a sunrise canoe trip? It’s a magical way to see the maze-like canals of the park, and you can look out for otters and manatees in the morning light. Tortuguero National Park was established in 1970 and is now home to 13 of Costa Rica’s 16 endangered mammals. Among them are manatees, ocelots and jaguars, as well as over 300 bird species. This is also the nesting ground of the green turtle, which comes ashore to lay its eggs on the sandy beaches, and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, loggerheads and giant leatherbacks. During the day, you might want to return to the park’s walking trails or relax in your lodge. Many species are particularly active at night, so if you wish, you can head out in the evening on a turtle watching tour, with part of the cost supporting a program aimed to patrol the beach for poachers.

• Tortuguero - National Park Entrance
• Tortuguero - Sunrise canoe trip around canals - USD47
• Tortuguero - Turtle Watching Night Tour - USD47

Turtle Nesting Season typically happens between July and October each year. The optional activity will be subject to this natural event.

Bid farewell to the evergreen rainforest this morning and make the journey to Santa Rosa de Pocosol. Today, you’ll have a memorable homestay experience, but as the family you'll be staying with doesn’t speak much English, your leader will conduct an informal Spanish lesson on the drive. This afternoon, you’ll have the option to take a soap-making workshop or a guided hike to a nearby waterfall. In the evening, head back to your homestay for a cooking lesson – some of the dishes you make will be part of tonight’s dinner!

• Homestay (1 night)
• Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Home-cooked Meal
• Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Homestay experience
• Leader-led Informal Spanish Lesson
• Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Soap-making workshop - USD20
• Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Waterfall hike - USD11

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Tonight, you’ll be sleeping in guest rooms attached to family homes.

After breakfast drive to Tenorio Volcano National Park, where you’ll visit the Rio Celeste – a river fed by two different water sources. When they collide, the water takes on a distinctive light blue colour! On the way, stop off to visit an indigenous Maleku community, where you'll meet the locals and share a traditional Maleku meal with them. Hear stories of their history, culture and the challenges the community faces in modern Costa Rica. With only 650 people left, the Maleku Indian tribe is the smallest in Costa Rica. The community and the country share a common goal in reforestation, both working to regenerate forests and plant fruit trees, which encourage animals back to their natural habitats.

• Guatuso - Maleku Community Experience

Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.

Due to limited availability in Rio Celeste, we will occasionally use accommodation in Katira.

Today is as clear as the Costa Rica air, and with plenty of optional activities available, you won’t be short of things to do! How about a guided tubing excursion at Rio Celeste? The light-blue waters of the river are generally off-limits to travellers, but you’ll have the opportunity to float along the water in an inflatable doughnut and spend the day lazing along the river. Those who prefer a nature tour on foot might like to take a 3-hour safari cruise along the Rio Tenorio, with a guide who will help you spot howler monkeys, crocodiles, river otters and an abundance of tropical birds.

• Rio Celeste - River Tubing Adventure - USD58
• Rio Celeste - National Park Guided Trail Walk - USD74

Beneath the watchful eye of the immense Arenal Volcano lies La Fortuna – a sleepy town with an abundance of hot springs and natural pools to enjoy. This is your destination today and when you arrive, you’re free to choose your own activities. Perhaps grab some fresh fruit in town, hop in a taxi to the entrance and then hike to La Fortuna waterfall for a swim beneath the cascading waters that spill out of the towering jungle. In the evening, why not grab a classic local dinner with your travel buddies? Chifrijo (fried pork, salsa, beans and tortilla chips) is a great dish to try.

Due to limited accommodation availability in La Fortuna, rooms will occasionally be on a multi-share basis (single gender).

Enjoy a free day to explore La Fortuna as you wish. The region offers a range of sights such as stunning lush forest, rare plants, animal watching and water-based sports on the lake. The volcano’s inner workings also mean that the area has plenty of thermal springs where hot, lava-heated water gushes to the surface. These springs, often surrounded by foliage, make the ideal place to relax. Active types could try stand-up paddleboarding on Lake Arenal with the incredible backdrop of the volcano and rolling green hills. Animal lovers will have a good chance of spotting sloths, monkeys, crocodiles and basilisk lizards skipping across the water on a boat tour of Cano Negro Reserve. Have a chat with your leader about the options available.

• La Fortuna - Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Lava Trails (Entrance fee) - USD26
• La Fortuna - Ecotermales Hot Springs (entrance fee) - USD49
• La Fortuna - La Fortuna Waterfall (Entrance only) - USD21

Some of the optional activity prices include an entrance fee only. Transportation will need to be paid in addition to the entrance fee and is subject to change depending on the number of participants.

A morning of travel by bus and boat leads to incredible Monteverde. Settled by North American Quakers in 1951, this area was initially used as an environmentally conscious agricultural community and is now a biological preserve. The forest has near-constant cloud cover, providing consistent rainfall, which also gives the area an enchanted feel. Spend the afternoon in the cloud forest on a leader-led nature walk, looking out for hummingbirds, quetzals and even lazy sloths among the mist later in the day. You may even choose to return after dusk to seek the animals and insects that are largely hidden in the day.

• Monteverde - Cloud Forest Entrance
• Monteverde - Cloud Forest Night Walk - USD45

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

Make the most of your time in lush Monteverde and organise a local guide to take you on a nature walk. There also several local communities that operate cooperatives worth visiting with your free time. Maybe see a different perspective on the forest by walking through the canopy on suspension bridges, or perhaps watch butterflies at play in the Butterfly Garden. More than 2000 species of plants, 320 bird species and 100 different types of mammals call Monteverde home, and no matter what you choose to do, you should keep an eye out for the quetzal – one of the most elusive birds in the world.

• Monteverde - Butterfly Garden and Insects Farm (entrance fee) - USD22
• Monteverde - Coffee & Chocolate tour - USD47
• Monteverde - Suspension bridges tour - USD58
• Monteverde - Canopy Zip Lining (Entrance, Equipment & Transport) - USD65

Wedged between the beautiful Pacific coast and the national park, Manuel Antonio is a laidback town. Make your way there this morning, stopping in Quepos along the way – a chill town with a vibrant nightlife. This afternoon, you'll get the chance to meet three generations of Costa Ricans and tuck into a traditional cooking class and lunch with them in their home. Prior to the pandemic, the family ran one of the most popular restaurants in Quepos for almost 20 years. Now, you're lucky to learn the secret flavours and spices of their traditional dishes and get to know the whole family. After lunch arrive at your accommodation and enjoy some downtime. Perhaps head to Espadilla Beach to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

• Manuel Antonio - Cooking Class & Lunch

Today, feel the soft crunch of foliage underfoot while you hike the trails of the national park on a leader-led nature hike. Keep one eye on the scenic views and the other looking out for the abundant wildlife. Monkeys, armadillos, sloths and hundreds of birds all live here. Later, spend some time on the beaches surrounding the national park, and maybe hire a surfboard to catch some waves at Playa El Ray. If you want to spot wildlife and keep active at the same time, consider paddling through the mangrove forest on a guided kayak tour. It’s not unusual for curious monkeys to climb right onto the boat to say hello, and you’ll likely see snakes, crocodiles and plenty of birdlife too. Just remember your insect repellent! In the evening, maybe take a sunset sail off the coast – watching the blue sky turn orange is a spectacular sight.

• Manuel Antonio National Park - (Entrance fee)
• Manuel Antonio National Park - Tour with a Naturalist Guide
• Manuel Antonio – Cruise - USD100
• Manuel Antonio - Mangrove Kayak Activity (with lunch) - USD79

Visitor numbers to Manuel Antonio have been reduced from 3000 per day to 1000. This means it is more difficult to secure entrance tickets for both tour groups and individual visitors. Over school holidays and peak travel season, it is especially difficult. We do our best to secure entrance tickets, but it is possible that on occasion demand will be too high. In these instances, we will include a visit to Carara National Park – home to a variety of animals including crocodiles, monkeys, and two-toed sloths.

Today is free for you to do as you please. If you wish, you could return to Manuel Antonio National Park and continue your search for the solemn, white faces of the capuchin monkeys who live in the trees. Alternatively, why not kick-off your shoes and feel the sands of Manuel Antonio Beach between your toes? It’s easy to spend a whole day on this calm coastline. The towering green trees that line the coast provide solace from the sun, so this is a great place to sit by with a book (and maybe a guaro sour).

• Manuel Antonio National Park (Entrance fee) - USD19

Bid farewell to the coast and return to San Jose via public bus this morning. When you arrive, you’ll be free to relax or wander the city at your own pace. In the evening, you might like to head for dinner with your fellow travellers and group leader and toast to a trip well travelled.

Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

With no further activites planned, your trip comes to an end today and you’re free to leave at any time after checking out. If you’d like to extend you stay, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner

Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat

Hotel (7 nights), Lodge (6 nights), Homestay (1 night)

Dates and availability

Important notes.

1. Full passport details are required at the time of booking in order to purchase entrance tickets to Manuel Antonio National Park. Delays to provide this information may result in changes to your itinerary and we will not be able to guarantee entry. Details provided must be accurate as per your passport bio page.

2. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm on Day 1. There are no activities planned for the final day so you may depart at any time.

3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 5 & 6 (Rio Celeste) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

4. Please be careful when booking flights to/from San Jose; make sure you fly into/out of Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]. Please do not book flights to/from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport [SJC] as this is located in California, United States.

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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