12 Days - Coast to Clouds

Day 1

Arrival in San Jose

After clearing immigration and customs, exit the airport terminal and look for a Costa Rica Sun Tours representative who will be waiting for you holding a sign that says “Costa Rica Sun Tours” with your name on it. He/she will greet you and present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Day 2

San Jose to Tortuguero

You will be picked up in San Jose by a transport representative from your hotel in Tortuguero. Drive through the magnificent Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Limon Highway. Once in the town of Guapiles, you will stop at a local Restaurant for a delicious breakfast. The drive in total will be approximately 3 hours. At the main port lining the canals you will board a boat for transfer to your hotel in Tortuguero, the boat ride will be approximately 1 hour. Upon arrival lunch will be served at the Lodge. In the afternoon your local guide will take you to the town for a leisurely walk where you will get a taste of local living.

Day 3

Tortuguero National Park

Free morning to enjoy the pool, walk a forest trail, or simply relax before lunch. In the afternoon, you will enjoy the wildlife-rich Tortuguero touring the navigable rainforest canals by boat. This tour will allow you the chance to see a large diversity of bird species, monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, and iguanas.

Day 4

Tortuguero to Arenal

After breakfast, board the boat to bring you back to the docks lining the Tortuguero Canals. You will stop for lunch along the way at a local restaurant, where you will be picked up by one of our transport representatives for transfer to your hotel in Arenal. Transport service will be in a minivan with AC, approximately 3 hours transfer plus any stops on the way. In north central Costa Rica, near the town of La Fortuna, rises the majestic Arenal volcano. Beneath the volcano’s steaming peak, the area offers natural beauty, amazing wildlife and plenty of outdoor activities for visitors including canyoning, horseback riding, rafting, mountain biking, zip line tours, canopy bridge walks and a gondola tramway above the forest. At day’s end, one can relax in an area resort that offers soothing thermal waters heated by the volcano.

Day 5

Arenal Skytram, Trek and Canyoning

Enjoy the Sky Tram and Sky Trek combination tour. The Sky Tram is a 20 minute gondola ride up the mountain to a stop on an observation platform where you can admire incredible views of Arenal Lake, mountains covered by rainforests and Arenal Volcano. The Sky Trek is a 3,280 foot long zip line system that gives you an exhilarating ride back down the mountain through the rain forest.

Near Arenal Volcano, the Pure Trek Canyoning and Waterfall Rappelling Tour is an exhilarating experience where you rappel down a series of 4 waterfalls and trek on trails in pristine rainforest. You will descend the waterfalls into river canyons secured by a safety harness. No experience is necessary, but you should be in good physical condition, willing to have fun and get very wet!

Day 6

Arenal to Monteverde

Today you will have a tour of the Arenal Hanging Bridges. This is a complex of suspension bridges and trails through beautiful rain forest. The terrain undulates and the trail crosses ravines with small waterfalls and travels over bridges with panoramic vistas over the treetops including views of Arenal Volcano. As you walk you may encounter wildlife including toucans, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys. The 1.5 mile trail is an easy walk for people in good condition and loops back to the starting point.

You will be picked up in Arenal by one of our transport representatives for transfer to your hotel in Monteverde. Transport service will be in a minivan with AC, approximately 3.5 hours transfer plus any stops on the way.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest in the Tilaran mountain range is one of the world’s premiere destinations for naturalists. A cloud forest is an especially beautiful and rare type of rain forest created by frequent mists from low lying clouds. This cool and moist environment is characterized by massive trees covered by thick carpets of small plants. Much of the resident wildlife is unique to these habitats.

Day 7

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the premier natural history destinations in Costa Rica. The forest is dominated by trees densely covered with mats of small plants known as epiphytes that include mosses, lichens, orchids, ferns and bromeliads. This cool, very green and often misty forest is home to a variety of wildlife. On your guided tour you may encounter monkeys, coatimundis, agoutis and birds such as Toucanets, Chlorophonias and seasonally Bellbirds and crimson and green Resplendent Quetzals. The Selvatura Walkways Guided Tour is an easy hike on a 1.7 mile cloud forest trail and suspension bridges through and above the tree tops.

Day 8

Monteverde to Manuel Antonio

You will be picked up in Monteverde by one of our transport representatives for transfer to your hotel in Manuel Antonio. Transport service will be in a minivan with AC, approximately 4 hour transfer plus any stops on the way. Recently listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the 12 Worlds Most Beautiful National Parks, Manuel Antonio is a combination of lush forests, warm water, gorgeous beaches and abundant wildlife. Friendly monkeys, sloths, iguanas and colorful birds live in the park assuring plenty to see while hiking the parks easy trails.

Included:

• Transportation and guide services as indicated

• Accommodations as listed based on standard rooms and double occupancy including all applicable taxes

• Meals as indicated

Not Included:

• Airfare to Costa Rica

• Airport departure tax ($29 USD)

• Travel insurance; gratuities

• Any lodging, tours or meals not specified in the itinerary

• Extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service, etc.)

• Personal equipment

• Costs associated with changes to your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.