Costa RicaJourneys: Highlights of Costa Rica
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included. If you arrive early enough, you'll have time to head into the city to visit a museum, shop, or visit the main plaza in the city centre. The plaza is a good place to people-watch. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Hotel Radisson San Jose
Awake in the Costa Rican capital and take a tour of a G Adventures–supported coffee cooperative. Meet local farmers, observe shade-grown coffee plants, and gain insight into the process of coffee production, from bean to cup. After a typical lunch—accompanied by an aromatic cup of coffee—continue to the town of La Fortuna, situated at the foot of the majestic Arenal Volcano. This evening, we’ll visit a local home to learn how to make tortillas. Chat with your welcoming hosts and dig into a traditional Costa Rican meal of black beans, plantains, and your own handmade tortillas.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your G for Good Moment: Mi Cafecito Coffee Cooperative Tour
Find out where your cup of java comes from. Visit the Mi Cafecito coffee cooperative in San Miguel de Sarapiqui, see shade-grown coffee plants, learn about everything from harvesting, to husking, drying, and roasting the beans before enjoying the best part – a fresh cup! Enjoy a typical lunch of plantains, beans, and freshly caught tilapia fish. Feel good about all this eating and drinking knowing that you are supporting a G Adventures for Good project that helps 200 farmers and their families.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Tortilla Making and Home Dinner
Learn the art of tortilla making from Doña Mara in her family home. Grind the corn, mix the “masa” (dough) into balls, flatten into circles, and then cook them up on a wood-burning stove. Relax with a fresh tropical fruit juice, get to know the family, and hear about the history of tortillas. Afterwards, dig into a tasty “casado” – a typical Costa Rican dish including black beans and plantains – complete with your own hand-made tortillas.
Accommodation
Hotel Monte Real
Spend the day on your own, exploring La Fortuna and its surrounding areas. In 1968, the Arenal Volcano erupted after centuries of laying dormant, converting this quiet agricultural town into a hot spot for adventure travel. Choose to go stand-up paddleboarding on the tranquil waters of Lake Arenal; relax in the shadow of Arenal Volcano at a naturally heated outdoor spa; take a boat tour of Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, one of the world’s most important wetlands; and more.
Free Time
Free day to set out and explore nature near La Fortuna.
Optional Activities - Day 3Show
Accommodation
Hotel Monte Real
Travel from La Fortuna to the leafy cloud forests of Monteverde—a nature lover’s paradise. This afternoon, choose to discover Monteverde’s breathtaking wilderness on a zip-lining adventure in the birthplace of the canopy tour, gliding high above the treetops or zooming through the misty foliage at exhilarating speed.
Private Vehicle
Climb aboard and make friends with your seat mate en route to the next stop.
Boat
Climb aboard and get your float on.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 4Show
Accommodation
Sibu Lodge
Set out on a hike in the stunning Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, treading past giant ferns and vibrant orchids. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the resplendent quetzal—a sacred bird in Maya and Aztec cultures. Afterward, visit the Monteverde Institute, a research and educational organization supported by National Geographic. Hear from a researcher about some of the institute's conservation initiatives, including a successful reforestation project.
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Guided Tour
Pull on your poncho and boots. It’s time to head into the cloud-covered forest, past over-sized ferns and exotic orchids. Harness your inner Tarzan and Jane as you imagine swinging from the giant vines. Walk along 2 to 3km (about 1.5 mi) of trails at a leisurely pace, watch for wildlife, and trek to the top of the observation tower. Be sure to stop and listen, too. Hear the haunting call of the bellbird and perhaps catch sight of the brilliant green and red resplendent quetzal. Feel good about protecting the forest and sustaining the quality of local schools through payment of your park fees.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Monteverde Institute Lecture
Visit the Monteverde Institute which has served as the base for numerous National Geographic-funded explorers and researchers studying the famed canopy of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Enjoy a lecture by one of the researchers outlining the various projects National Geographic has sponsored including new discoveries, insect and bird studies, and the reforestation of tropical regions.
Optional Activities - Day 5Show
Accommodation
Sibu Lodge
Leaving the cloud forest behind, head to Costa Rica’s sweeping Pacific coast and settle into your hotel in the seaside village of Manuel Antonio. Soak up the laid-back atmosphere of the area, and opt to go surfing, or sailing. You can also spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 6Show
Accommodation
Hotel Villas Lirio
Discover the lush tropical forests and white-sand beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. Costa Rica’s smallest national park—yet one of the most spectacular—boasts an abundance of wildlife, including monkeys, armadillos, sloths, iguanas, and countless species of birds. Hike through the dense forest, climb up to rocky outcrops for views of the dazzling Pacific Ocean, and go swimming in the park’s lovely lagoons and tidal pools. Opt to take a surfing lesson, go horseback riding, or kayak through the mangroves. The park has fabulous beaches, abundant wildlife, and a great trail system for those who want to spend the day hiking. Look for monkeys, armadillos, coatimundis, sloths, and some 350 species of birds that are present in the park.
Manuel Antonio National Park Visit
Pack your sunscreen, snack, and beach shoes and prepare for a great day in Costa Rica’s smallest, yet no less stunning, national park. Manuel Antonio offers four white-sand beaches separated by jagged rock outcrops and tidal pools where you can swim, snorkel, and sunbathe. When you’re all beached out, head to the shade of the nearby hiking trails to search for sloths, monkeys, and armadillos. Climb to the lookout to capture views of the pristine Pacific Ocean and the area’s off-shore islands. Today's walking distance within the park is 3km and will take about 2-3 hours.
Optional Activities - Day 7Show
Accommodation
Hotel Villas Lirio
Return to San José. Tonight, choose to join the group for a farewell dinner at a popular local restaurant.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Hotel Radisson San Jose
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your Expedition Leader can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
