Two week holiday showcasing Costa Rica’s remarkable landscapes and wildlife. This itinerary is perfect for the August – November period, bypassing Costa Rica’s rainy western shores, and maximising the superb sunny weather along the Caribbean Coast. Experience Monteverde’s amazing Cloud Forest by night. Wander the lava fields of Arenal, and relax in hot springs. Explore teeming jungle and tranquil waterways, concluding with an idyllic four night beach stay. Accommodation includes upmarket resorts and chic eco-lodges.
Tailor-made Classic 2 weeks
'From Price' is the average price per person for ground arrangements for two people sharing.
Flights are typically an additional $0 per person economy class from London
'From Price' is the average price per person for ground arrangements for a family of four (two adults + two children under 12).
Flights are typically an additional $0 per person economy class from London
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DAY 1: Arrive San Jose International Airport
On arrival at San Jose you will be met at the airport by our representative and travel by private transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel Grano De Oro, San Jose
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 2: Private transfer to Monteverde Cloud Forest (3 hrs). Night hike in Cloud Forest
You will transfer by road to Monteverde. This evening you will be picked up for a night tour of the Monteverde Reserve. This fascinating nocturnal tour begins just before sunset, and continues into nightfall. The 1.8 km trail features a host of nocturnal mammals, birds, and insects including flying bats, fireflies, and distinctive plant life such as the phosphorescent mushroom. This atmospheric experience is unique to the Cloud Forest.
Accommodation: Senda Monteverde Hotel, Monteverde
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 3: Cloud Forest hike
Today you will hike through the well-marked trails, waterfalls, rivers, and observation areas of this prestigious reserve. Acclaimed as one of the ‘seven wonders’ of Costa Rica, the Cloud Forest’s geographical, topographical, and climatic conditions have spawned a remarkable diversity of wildlife. The reserve’s forests house numerous ecosystems inhabited by mammals, birds, reptiles, spiders, and insects, along with indigenous trees, plants, mosses, and tropical epiphytes and lianas. You may be lucky enough to spot the splendidly exotic Quetzal.
Accommodation: Senda Monteverde Hotel, Monteverde
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 4: Transfer to Arenal Volcano (2 hrs). Sloth tour
The Arenal area is well known for its diverse, distinctive wildlife. Today, enjoy a guided vehicle excursion around La Fortuna, in search of the iconic sloth, whose benign smiling face has become an iconic symbol of the country's amazing rainforest wildlife. La Fortuna is home to two sloth species, the two- toed and the three-toed sloth, along with the splendid multicolored toucan, the blue jeans dart frog, monkeys, iguanas, and a multitude of birdlife.
Accommodation: Arenal Nayara, Arenal
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 5: Arenal volcano hike and Tabacon Hot Springs
Hike the trails of Arenal Volcano National Park and learn about the history of this rugged and fascinating area. Weather permitting, you will enjoy spectacular views of the volcano, along with the opportunity to walk on the dry lava fields. Although there have been no eruptions since 2010, visitors may occasionally hear the volcano rumbling and observe vapour clouds emerging from the crater. There should be good potential for wildlife viewing, as the ash layer in the soil has limited the surrounding tree growth. After the hike, relax at the hot springs in Tabacon Thermal Resort.
Accommodation: Arenal Nayara, Arenal
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
DAY 6: Rivers safari float trip
Today enjoy a delightful river excursion along the tranquil waters of the Peñas Blancas river. This relaxing half day tour is led by an informed guide and nature specialist, who will point out the beautiful flora and fauna of this region. Keep a look out for a variety of creatures such as sloth, monkey, crocodile, lizard and turtle, plus toucans and other tropical birds.
Accommodation: Arenal Nayara, Arenal
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 7: Transfer to Tortuguero National Park (5 hrs)
Take a road transfer, followed by a one hour journey by motorised canoe to Tortuguero National Park, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. Arrive at your accommodation in time for lunch. Known as the ‘little Amazon’, Tortuguero is home to an impressive variety of birds and animals, including large numbers of caimans, macaws, and howler and capuchin monkeys. Activities available during your stay include a guided jungle walk, a visit to the local village, and a boat tour of the national park’s waterways. Activities take place in small groups with other guests from the lodge.
Accommodation: Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero
Meals included: full board
DAY 8: Boat excursion in Tortuguero National Park
Today, activities may include a guided hike in the jungle around the lodge and a boat tour of Tortuguero's canals. Late July to September sees turtle hatching and nesting season within the national park, and is a huge draw for nature lovers. The main action takes place after nightfall, when hundreds of turtles emerge from the sea to lay their eggs in the sandy beach. If you are extremely lucky you might see the hatchlings emerge from their eggs and make their own way back down to the ocean. Note this seasonal activity is subject to permit availability, and that allocated viewing sessions may be late at night.
Accommodation: Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero
Meals included: full board
DAY 9: Transfer to Caribbean Coast (3 hrs)
Transfer to Playa Cocles on the Caribbean Coast for the rest of your trip. With the Pacific Coast receiving heavy rains at this time of year, the Caribbean Coast is at its driest, with lots of sunny days expected. Playa Cocles is a long stretch of sand with good surf. Playa Chiquita, the nearest beach to the property, is a low key local beach with clear calm water at low tide. Activities in the area include learning to surf on Playa Cocles, snorkelling on Playa Chiquita, sea kayaking in Punta Uva and hiking in Cahuita National Park. Bikes are also available at the property for getting around locally and to nearby Puerto Viejo, a laid back, hip and slightly ramshackle Caribbean town.
Accommodation: Hotel Aguas Claras, Playa Cocles
Meals included: breakfast
DAYS 10 - 12: Days at leisure on the Caribbean Coast
Accommodation: Hotel Aguas Claras, Playa Cocles
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 13: Private transfer to San Jose
Accommodation: Xandari Resort & Spa, San Jose
Meals included: breakfast
DAY 14: Departure
Private transfer to San Jose airport for your departure.
Guide price is based on recommended accommodations. Alternative accommodations and upgrades are available. Please get in touch for alternatives and upgrade options.
From the UK
Flights from the UK to Costa Rica’s San Jose airport are mostly indirect, involving one or two stops in Europe, USA or Panama. BA and KLM operate a limited number of seasonal direct flights, with a flight time of approximately 11 hours. Norwegian, TAP Portugal, Air Canada, Delta, United, and Iberia all fly indirectly with one or two stops and overall flight times of between 14 – 22 hours. Competitive deals are currently available with BA and American Airlines flying via Miami, with the option of combining your Costa Rica holiday with a stay in Miami. Return flights range from £720 to upwards of £2,000, depending on seasonality and demand. Please get in touch for a detailed quote, including international flights from the UK.
From the US
From the East Coast, United offer direct flights to San Jose, taking approximately 5 ½ hours, with prices from $515 return. Avianca fly with one stop and a 7 - 8 hour flight time, with prices starting at $370 return. From the West Coast, American Airlines, United, and Avianca offer a flight time of between 8 - 10 hours involving one stop. Prices range from $450 to $610 return. Please get in touch for a detailed quote, including international flights from the US.
Includes all accommodation on B&B basis, with the exception of accommodation in Tortuguero which is full board. Includes private and shared transfers and guided tours.
Costa Rica’s densely verdant terrain and sweeping rainforest owe much to its tropical climate. Generally, the country experiences its dry or high season from December to April, with May to November heralding the rainy or ‘green’ season. Rainfall can occur year round, although showers during the dry season tend to be short lived.
May to August:
The green season begins, bringing frequent showers to most regions. National parks see a slowdown in visitors, allowing crowd-free wildlife viewing, and surfing conditions can be good on key beaches. May and June can be good months to visit Arenal, when good visibility permits great views of the volcano. There are sunny periods in the Central Valley areas of San Jose and Manual Antonio National Park, and on the Caribbean Coast, where green sea turtle nesting along Tortuguero’s coastline is at its peak during July and August. July heralds the start of whale watching season at Uvita on the Southern Pacific Coast. The Northern Pacific coastline, including Tamarindo in the Nicoya Peninsula, receives less rainfall year-round than the country as a whole, and often basks in sunny spells during July and August.
September to November:
The height of the rainy season, with prolonged heavy rain showers and storms sweeping most of the country, and resultant sea swells bringing great surfing conditions along the Pacific Coast. Tourist accommodation may be closed, and roads in rural areas can be off limits, due to flooding. The Caribbean Coast, hot and humid for most of year, is usually at its driest during September and October, coinciding with the end of turtle nesting season. The Uvita whale watching season reaches its peak during October. In November the rains begin to abate, allowing low-season uninterrupted wildlife watching for nature lovers who don’t mind the odd shower. By the end of the month, visitor numbers are on the increase again.
This itinerary is perfect for travel during Costa Rica's rainy season (August to November) when in contrast to the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean is at its best, enjoying super weather at this time of year. Accommodation is amongst some of the finest character lodges and hotels on offer in Costa Rica. Please get in touch if you are working to a lower budget and we will suggest alternatives.
The itinerary is suitable for adult only groups and families. Please note, Aguas Claras on the Caribbean Coast only allows 12+ year old children, so we will suggest an alternative if you are travelling with younger children.
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth office check www.gov.uk/travelaware
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I would like to say a massive thank you for organising our Vietnam trip. The itinerary and execution were superb, as was the attention to detail. I would also like to thank the agent who was on the end of my whats app chat (I have no idea who they were!) – always available, always quick to respond, and kept me updated regarding times etc. Also, the guides Dan (north) and Tien (mid) were just excellent, and we really enjoyed their company. The lady (whose name I have forgotten) who was our additional guide for the DMZ day was exceedingly good and made that day very special.
fiona g reviewing Complete Vietnam For Families on 15 April 2024
Trip was great and all the arrangements were excellent so thank you for all the help!
Drivers and transfers were all good - on time and very good service on each trip.
Accommodation was lovely - Douar Samra was amazing (weather could have been better but lovely regardless). Riad in Marrakesh was also great!
All in all a great trip and we loved the variety of the mountains, Marrakesh and the coast.
Thanks you once again!
Hardeep S reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 15 April 2024
I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.
Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.
El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.
Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.
So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last
Juhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024
Our itineraries are carefully designed by our experienced travel designers based on years of experience and customer feedback. For a custom itinerary tailored to you, please enquire giving as much detail as possible on your brief.