Natural Wonders of Costa Rica with Guanacaste (SRE2)

11 Day Tour from San José to Guanacaste

2020 Tour Details View 2021 Tour Details »

Grab your camera and swimsuit, and get ready for a wonderful vacation to Costa Rica! Witness bountiful wildlife in their natural habitat, enjoy relaxing dips in ecothermal hot springs, and learn about the Costa Rican culture on this thrilling adventure. Among the many highlights of this tour is Tortuguero National Park, where you’ll take a boat ride along remote, unspoiled sections of the park to view wildlife. Your guide will look out for the wildlife—including freshwater turtles, egrets, toucans, and monkeys—so you can sit back, relax, and take plenty of pictures.

Another tour highlight is the Arenal Volcano, considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Relax as you soak in the ecothermal hot springs and perhaps watch the lava flow down the volcano—a spectacular sight! In Monteverde, visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, home to forest fauna such as jaguars, resplendent quetzal, monkeys, ocelots, and many species of birds—not to mention the large diversity of plant species. Even more amazing scenery awaits you in Guanacaste, where you’ll have three nights to partake in the many activities, including rainforest canopy tours, river rafting, horseback riding, snorkeling, watching breathtaking sunsets, hiking, or just relaxing on the beach.

On this Costa Rica tour, you’ll also have a chance to visit local farms to learn about the local culture and industries. It’s a trip of a lifetime—a trip filled with wildlife, scenic waterways, tropical rainforests, pristine beaches, and knowledgeable guides to help you learn about Costa Rica.

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Natural Wonders of Costa Rica with Guanacaste map

 Photo Highlights

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on this vacation:

  • Area de Conservación Guanacaste

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

Breakfast daily, 4 lunches, 5 three-course dinners including a special farewell dinner in Monteverde

 Itinerary

Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.

Day 1 ARRIVE IN SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA

Upon arrival, you will be met by your Tour Director, who will help you check into your hotel.

Day 2 SAN JOSÉ–TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

Journey east to the Caribbean shore and TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK. On the way, pass by several banana plantations and see one of Costa Rica’s main exports being harvested. Later, board a motor launch for your CRUISE along the Tortuguero Canals, waterways crisscrossing a national park dedicated to the protection of endangered turtles. The trained eyes of your guide and boatman help you spot freshwater turtles, caimans, herons, toucans, egrets, and monkeys. An afternoon at leisure lets you explore Evergreen Lodge until you meet for an informative slideshow presentation on the area.

Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 3 TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK TOUR & CANAL CRUISE

A local Naturalist accompanies you on a leisurely BOAT RIDE along remote, unspoiled sections of the park’s waterways, explaining the bountiful flora and fauna. Enjoy a fascinating stroll through an accessible portion of the nearby RAINFOREST. During the peak nesting season (mid-July to mid-October) you may be lucky enough to observe an endangered green turtle laying her eggs under the starlight on an optional tour. Later this afternoon, meet a local Naturalist for an informative PRESENTATION on the ecology of the area.

Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 4 TORTUGUERO–SARAPIQUI–ARENAL

A morning boat transfer begins your journey to the Sarapiqui area. Tour a Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite PINEAPPLE FARM, owned by a local family, and learn about the history, cultivation, and industry of pineapples. Continue to your hotel in the lush town of Arenal, located in the shadow of Arenal Volcano. After settling in, experience the magic of the resort’s pool and hot spring-fed jacuzzi, or consider a walk in the nearby nature trail in search of 300- to 400-year-old trees, poisonous frogs, monkeys, birds, and possibly small animals native to the area.

Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 5 ARENAL. EXCURSION TO LA FORTUNA & ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK

During your morning at leisure, you may wish to go on an optional horseback ride or float trip. Or, you can take advantage of your resort’s amenities by walking along the shaded trails nearby. Later this afternoon, visit ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK, where your guide takes you on a walk through lava trails of the volcano and shows you how nature has found a way to recover from past lava flows. Next, enjoy a walking tour of the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos, offering spectacular views of the active Arenal Volcano. This evening, drive to nearby famous Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite TABACÓN HOT SPRINGS for a dip in the curative and relaxing pools. Later, enjoy a dinner at the hot springs.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 6 ARENAL–MONTEVERDE

After breakfast, continue to MONTEVERDE, where you will enjoy two days in the cloud forest. This afternoon, take a guided tour on the SKY WALK hanging bridges, which combines trails and suspension bridges through the canopy of Monteverde Cloud Forest, to search for flora and fauna.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 7 MONTEVERDE

This morning, visit CHILDREN’S ETERNAL RAINFOREST for a guided walking tour. Over 600 species of butterflies and 400 species of birds have been recorded inside this private reserve, along with 100 reptile and 120 mammal species that hide within the dense vegetation. Later, visit the family-owned Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite ECOLOGICAL SANCTUARY, where you will explore the trails through coffee and banana plantations filled with endemic wildlife and beautiful scenery. After the walk, enjoy a COOKING CLASS to learn how to prepare authentic Costa Rican food like hand-made tortillas, picadillos, and gallo pinto. Dine on your creations for a homemade lunch! Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a farewell dinner, toasting an unforgettable discovery of Costa Rica.

Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 8 MONTEVERDE–GUANACASTE

Take a morning drive to Guanacaste. This part of Costa Rica’s North Pacific region offers hundreds of unspoiled beaches lining the shores, but Guanacaste is far from a traditional beach destination. Activities in the area include rainforest canopy tours, river rafting or floating down the Corobici River, horseback riding, fishing, snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean, or just relaxing on the beach.

Breakfast Breakfast

Days 9 - 10 GUANACASTE

Enjoy two days at leisure.

BreakfastBreakfast daily

Day 11 GUANACASTE

Your tour ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With GLOBUS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

JORGE AVILA

Escorting tours for more than 10 years

“Born in San José, I developed an interest in knowing the different attractions, customs and traditions across beautiful Costa Rica. I have always enjoyed at the fullest what I do, so I share my passion with everyone. I like making new friends, being helpful, leading groups, sharing my knowledge of my home country, and always having a smile for people around me.”

Tour Director - JORGE AVILA

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyGlobus site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Arenal
Guanacaste

Arenal

Arenal Hanging Bridges

Arenal Hanging Bridges

Along this guided naturalist walk, you will walk along 15 different bridges suspended in the rain forest canopy. Take in the sites from an unrivaled perspective, showing you the fascinating and colorful Tropical Rain Forest world.

Price Range: $$

Adventure at Sky Tram & Sky Trek

Adventure at Sky Tram & Sky Trek

Located in a unique area between the rain forest of the Arenal Reserve and the Monteverde Cloud Forest, on this tour you will experience full adrenaline and the most spectacular views of the Arenal Volcano & Lake from the aerial Sky Tram and the Sky Trek zip lines.

Price Range: $$$

Ecoglide Arenal Park

Ecoglide Arenal Park

Arenal Ecoglide Park is one of Costa Rica's newest adventure parks featuring a canopy tour built to highest safety standards. The canopy tour not only offers you a great zipline adventure but also an opportunity to observe all the animal life in its natural habitat.

Price Range: $$

Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall

Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall

This tour begins with a horseback ride through the beautiful countryside of San Carlos Valley with stunning views of the Arenal Volcano. Next take a short walk to La Fortuna Waterfall where you can swim in the natural pool.

Price Range: $$

Peñas Blancas Safari Paddle Trip

Peñas Blancas Safari Paddle Trip

Enjoy the sights and the sounds of the rain forest and experience its peacefulness while paddling the Penas Blancas River.

Price Range: $$

Guanacaste

Canopy Zip Line Tour

Canopy Zip Line Tour

This tour is a total adrenaline rush! The zip line system consists of a network of suspended cables that go from one platform to another and that will let you zip from tree to tree over the forest.

Price Range: $$

Palo Verde National Park

Palo Verde National Park

Take a river cruise through Palo Verde National Park to explore the 12 different types of habitats, including four different species of mangrove trees, 55 aquatic plants and 150 species of trees, like the one from which the Park's name is taken. Finish your day with a tour of Liberia.

Price Range: $$$



* The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Globus).

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