Starting at $1999
12 days • 24 mealsExplorations rewards travelers with new perspectives. These are the personal adventures that today's cultural explorers dream of. (12-28 passengers)
Itinerary
Costa Rica: A World of Nature
Viewing itinerary for:
January 26, 2014, $2099
featuring Tortuguero National Park, Sarapiqui Rainforest & Manuel Antonio National Park
12 days • 24 meals
Price This Tour or call 800.340.5158
| Before your Tour Options: | Add an additional night to your stay |
- Hotel: Wyndham San Jose Herradura Hotel
On Tour Options
to see a complete list of options that will be available on your tour.
Day 1: San Jose, Costa Rica - Tour Begins
Journey to Costa Rica and discover the outstanding variety of flora and fauna of Tortuguero National Park, Sarapiquí Rain Forest and Manuel Antonio National Park • Embark on many exclusive excursions • Take time for independent personal discovery.
View AccommodationDay 2: San Jose - Tortuguero National Park
Begin the day traveling through the Braulio Carrillo National Park to the Caribbean low lands • En route, experience mountain scenery, changes in eco-systems, and Caribbean-style villages • Later, your guide explains the rain forest eco-system as you cruise the rivers and canals of Tortuguero National Park • Stay for two nights at your eco-lodge surrounded by the beauty of a tropical forest and wildlife • Learn more about your surroundings with a visit to the world’s first Green Turtle Research Station • Discover how to protect the turtle’s nesting habitat and eggs • Join your fellow travelers this evening for a welcome reception followed by dinner.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 3: Tortuguero National Park
Set out on an early morning bird watching excursion* that explores the variety of local species and migratory birds that flock to this area • On a boat cruise, keep an eye out for wildlife that includes howler monkeys, sloths, toucans and caimans, as well as exotic flora • Tortuguero National Park, a study in rain forest, freshwater, and marine biology, protects over 350 species of birds and mammals • Seek out green macaws; 57 species of amphibians; 111 species of reptiles; and 60 mammal species, including 13 of Costa Rica’s endangered animals, including jaguars, tapirs, ocelots, cougars, river otters and manatees.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 4: Tortuguero National Park - Sarapiquí
Embark on a leisurely boat ride to the mainland as you travel to the fascinating Sarapiquí region • Visit an organic pineapple plantation and learn about the various types of this exotic fruit and why Costa Rican pineapples are among the world’s best • Join a local expert at La Tirimbina Biological Reserve for a fascinating presentation on bats, explaining the biological importance of these flying mammals.
View Accommodation Today breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included.Day 5: Sarapiquí
See firsthand the process of producing chocolate from the cacao bean • Learn the history and continuing importance of cacao to Central America’s economy • Add some zest to your life with an exhilarating Sarapiquí River rafting adventure • Before tonight’s dinner, a Costa Rican chef offers a cooking demonstration including the palmito (Hearts of Palm) picadillo, tortillas, plantains and refried beans.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 6: Sarapiquí - Arenal
Begin the day with an early morning bird watching tour along the natural forest trails and nearby stream • Visit a local school** and learn about Costa Rica’s educational system and the children’s way of life in a small farming community • Later, in Arenal, behold the spectacular views of Arenal Volcano.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 7: Arenal
Share in the experience of a real “Costarican lechero” (Costa Rican milkman) • Learn about local fruits and organic farming during a tour of the family-owned Finca Don Carlos with fields of orchards, grasslands, medicinal plants, rivers and a private forest reserve • Follow a cheese-making demonstration with a traditional farm-style lunch • Spend the afternoon at leisure and enjoy the lodge’s amenities, relax in a hot spring, explore nature trails or go horseback riding.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and lunch will be included.Day 8: Arenal Hanging Bridges Tour, Arenal Canopy Zip-Line or Hot Springs
Today you get to choose*** from 3 amazing experiences! • Experience a one-of-a-kind combination of pure air and rainforest on a delightful "hanging bridges" tour • Or, choose to go to Arenal Volcano Rainforest for an amazing zip-line canopy tour • Gain a bird’s-eye-view of the endless primary forest, Lake Arenal and the majestic Arenal Volcano • Or, soak away your worries in the luxurious soothing waters of one of the region’s famous hot springs.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 9: Arenal-Tárcoles-Jungle Crocodile Safari & Bird Watching Boat Excursion
Travel the beautiful checkered landscape surrounding Lake Arenal while en route to the Pacific coast • Explore the natural surroundings and exotic wildlife of Tárcoles River during a sunset jungle crocodile safari and bird watching boat excursion • See the awesome mangrove ecosystem, one of the world's largest crocodile populations in the wild, resident and migrant waterfowl, iguanas and over fifty different kinds of birds, including the very rare scarlet macaw • Enjoy a wonderful "dinner under the stars" featuring local cuisine and entertainment.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 10: Tárcoles - Manuel Antonio National Park - Tárcoles
Explore spectacular Manuel Antonio National Park, known for its pristine beaches and primary forest • Spend the morning leisurely walking the forest trails in search of native inhabitants like the three-toed sloth, agoutis, squirrel monkeys and iguanas • Take a swim in the inviting blue waters of its beaches • Relax for the rest of the day by the pool and absorb the natural beauty of your surroundings • This evening, enjoy dinner by the beach, overlooking the Pacific Ocean (weather permitting).
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 11: Tárcoles - Sarchí - San Jose
After breakfast, travel to Sarchí, an important crafts center • Learn about the traditional crafts of this region and witness local artisans as they produce colorful oxcarts • Tour the Espiritu Santo Coffee Plantation which highlights the history and cultivation of coffee and its importance to the Costa Rican economy • Journey back to San Jose for your farewell dinner and overnight stay.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 12: San Jose - Tour Ends
Your tour ends today.
Today breakfast will be included.- PLEASE NOTE: Hotel check-in on your day of arrival is 3:00 PM. Rooms may not be available prior to that time.
- Due to luggage size and weight restrictions on the boats, please bring an overnight bag for the two night stay in Tortuguero National Park. Your main luggage stays in San Jose and joins you upon your return to the mainland.
- To complete your vacation, we include roundtrip airport-to-hotel transfers when purchasing Explorations airfare with your tour. If you have arranged for your own air, we are pleased to provide you the option of purchasing these transfers. Please note that all transfers will leave at pre-scheduled times.
- *Depending upon weather conditions (rain), the early morning bird watching excursion may be substituted with a canal cruise. The afternoon canal cruise will operate as scheduled. **The school is normally closed from mid-December to the end of February for the summer school vacation. ***Your choice of activity for Day 8 will be taken by your guide during the trip.
