Day-to-day schedule
Day 1: San José
Welcome in Costa Rica! Your tour starts in San José, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Most of your travel companions will arrive later this first day, the exact time will be depending on their flight schedule. You will meet your English speaking tour leader at 8.00 hrs A.M. on day 2 in the lobby of your hotel.
San José is set in a beautiful green valley, encircled by volcanoes. We will stay in an attractive, classic hotel, just a few hundred meters from the central plaza.
Day 2: San José
We meet in San José, Costa Rica, set in a beautiful green valley, encircled by volcanoes. Enjoy a free day to explore this small capitals shopping streets and markets. Join a city tour to the Gold or National Museum and treat yourself to a coffee in a coffeehouse, a favourite pastime of the friendly locals. Book a day-tour to the nearby Poas or Irazu volcanoes.
Day 3: San José - Monteverde Cloud Forest
Today we travel by private bus to the world-famous nature reserve, the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Just the trip to 'the green mountain' is an adventure and you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views.
We shall stay two nights in a good hotel with an excellent restaurant and large garden. The entrance to the reserve is close by, as is the butterfly garden and a beautiful hummingbird gallery. As well as walking through the reserve, you can enjoy other activities such as visiting the frog garden, horse riding or walking the suspension bridges built high above the cloud forest. A hike in the cloud forest is also an enchanting experience you will never forget. The variety of dramatic microclimates, an extremely short distance from each other is extraordinary. Usually, a one-day hike provides alternating fog, sunshine and rain with an average temperature of 18 degrees. Another special feature of the cloud forest is the kaleidoscope of greens. Due to the high atmospheric humidity, the giant trees are covered with an abundance of bromelia's, orchids, ferns, hart’s horns and mosses. It is also the home of the beautiful yet shy, red green feathered, quetzal.
Day 4: Monteverde Cloud Forest
Enjoy another day in the nature reserve at Monteverde.
Day 5: Monteverde Cloud Forest - Granada
Today we travel by bus and cross the border to Nicaragua. We will travel along the bank of Lake Nicaragua overlooking two impressive volcanoes, before reaching the beautiful colonial city of Granada.
We will stay three nights in an atmospheric colonial hotel with pool and air conditioned rooms. Granada lies on the banks of Lake Nicaragua, with scores of beautiful buildings and a central square with an imposing cathedral and colourful market.
Day 6: Granada
You may choose to take an optional excursion to the city of Masaya and the Masaya National Park, where you can pay a visit to an active volcano. Alternatively visit Catarina from where you will have a brilliant view over the Laguna, the Apoyo and the city of Granada or take a trip to the nearby capital Managua, and visit the cathedral, the National Museum and the colossal statue of Sandino or take a boat trip out on to Lake Nicaragua.
Day 7: Granada
Our last day to immerse ourselves in the rich cultural heritage of Granada
Day 8: Granada - Rincon de la Vieja
Today we head back to Costa Rica driving along an impressive landscape to Guanacaste province, where we arrive by the end of the afternoon. We stay two nights in a pleasant lodge surrounded by jungle and beautiful waterfalls.
Rincón de la Vieja National Park is a must for adventurers and nature-lovers as this tropical mountain forest is crowded with exotic birds and animals. You can choose to take wonderful hikes in the nature reserve and cross the jungle on foot or by horse. There are sulphur springs and bubbling mud pools if you know where to look!
Day 9: Rincon de la Vieja
Our second day in Rincon de la Vieja. Continue to enjoy this fascinating area! An extremely special way to travel through the forest is on the Canopy Tour, where you swing from platform to platform like Tarzan! Real go-getters can hike to the crater of Rincón volcano; weather permitting, accompanied by a local guide.
Day 10: Rincon de la Vieja - La Fortuna
Today we visit Arenal, up until recently one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and with a bit of luck, you will still hear the underground rumblings.
We spend two nights in La Fortuna village, in a lovely hotel with swimming pool and views of the Arenal. On arrival you can take a walk to a nearby waterfall for a refreshing swim or hire a horse to explore the surroundings. In the evening, it is possible to visit the hot water springs around the Arenal.
Day 11: La Fortuna
Why not join an optional excursion to the beautiful Caño Negro Reserve, a watery area abundant with birds, caimans, turtles, monkeys and reptiles.
Day 12: La Fortuna - Quepos (Manuel Antonio N.P.)
Today we drive along the coast to one of the most beautiful beaches of Costa Rica and will stay for two nights in the city of Quepos.
With an array of restaurants, soft sands and warm waters, perfect for snorkelling. Quepos is a great base from which to explore the 682-hectare Manuel Antonio National Park with its beaches, offshore islands, lush rainforest filled with monkeys, sloth and lots of birds.
Day 13: Quepos
Carry on exploring the wonders of Quepos.
Day 14: Quepos (Manuel Antonio N.P.) - Boquete
Today we cross the border into Panama and travel to the small village of Boquete, set in the highlands of the Chiriqui province. The climate is much cooler here allowing flowers, vegetables, coffee and citrus fruit to grown. On the steep slopes, the "Gnobe-Bugle" Indians, better known as the Guyami live and work on the coffee plantations. The mountains of Boquete, offer some truly breathtaking walks that you will never forget.
Day 15: Boquete - Bocas del Toro
We drive to Chiriqí Grandee and take a boat to the resort of Bocas Toro on the island Isla Colón.
We have two days here to enjoy the magnificent snorkelling, boat tours, scuba diving, swimming, waterskiing or kayaking. There is also the option of hiring bicycles to explore this magnificent island. It is a typical Caribbean island with wooden huts on stilts and a relaxed atmosphere. The local food has definite Jamaican influences and the local population are laid back at friendly.
Day 16: Bocas del Toro
Relax in Bocas for a second day.
Day 17: Bocas del Toro - Cahuita
We head back to the Caribbean reggae town of Cahuita and chill out with the easy-going locals. Enjoy a drink or two at one of the bars, enjoy a spot of reggae music dine in one of the welcoming restaurants. Or why not take a hike in Cahuita National Park and see of if you can spot sloth, racoons and toucans.
Beach-lovers will appreciate the wonderful bay with white sand and surfing or snorkelling on the coral reef is a must. Diving tours out to the reef can also be arranged.
Day 18: Cahuita
Treat yourself in Cahuita to some famous fruit flavoured crepes or a delicious variety of their equally well-known grilled chicken dishes.
Day 19: Cahuita - San José
Today we travel back to San José for one final night.
Day 20: San José
The last day of your tour. You can use your hotel room in San José until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Costa Rica.
Your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 20) is not included.
Extension information
The trip can be lengthened with a four day tour to Parque Nacional Tortuguero, one of the most important breeding spots for sea turtles in the world. You will say goodbye to your travel companions in Cahuita on day 19 and stay overnight in a Guapiles. The next day, after breakfast (included), you’ll be picked up by the local English speaking guide. The bus will bring you to a small harbour from which your journey continues to one of the most impressive national parks of Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast: Tortuguero. Besides turtles which will enter the beach to lay their eggs between June and October, you can spot monkeys, alligators, parrots, toucans, and many other tropical birds while sailing the pretty small jungle canals in little boats. The specialised English speaking tour guides, all meals, transport by air-conditioned bus, boat, and the tour through the canals of Tortuguero are all included in the price of the tour. Optional evening excursions are possible to observe the sea turtles; these tours are not included in the price.
On the last day (day 23) the journey will go back through the Braulio Carillo rainforest to San José for a last overnight before you travel back home.
If you want to book this tour to Tortuguero as a lengthening to your normal tour, please do so while making your booking. The additional costs are £ 359,- per person. If you book by yourself, a single room supplement will be charged if no one is available from the group to share a room with. Of course you can choose for a single room yourself. The additional cost will be £ 89,-
Difficulty Information
This holiday is classified as Category B
The difficulty of our travels varies greatly. Added to this is the fact that travel difficulty is a very personal perception. To give an impression of the difficulty of a particular holiday we have developed a classification system.
Category A: Light travel for everyone to do. Short distances, good hotels, travel at a slow pace.
Category B: For everyone to do as well. Sometimes long distances. Good hotels and camping facilities, sometimes an adventurous overnight experience, travel at a normal pace.
Category C: Good to do for anyone who prepares themself well and is flexible. There are tougher parts of the journey, such as longer distances or walking tours. Several nights can be spent in basic accommodation.
Category D: A relatively difficult journey, travelling long distances, often primitive accommodation or tents, and challenging walking tours.
The trip to Costa Rica is a Category B holiday. Any reasonably healthy individual can make it. During summer, the trip is considerably more difficult than the rest of the year. Although in the cities we stay in simple medium-priced hotels, you have to remember that you are travelling in a developing country with much lower living standards than you are used to at home. In addition, roads may be temporarily blocked because of the weather or owing to their state of repair, in which case a detour is unavoidable. Some journeys are very long. A flexible and positive attitude is just as important as a good physical condition.
Nature of the trip
Columbus named his discovery 'Rich Coast', which could not have been better chosen. This small country in the New World comprises a unique combination of rugged mountain peaks, active volcanoes, rainforests, tropical beaches and rich flora and fauna. Hummingbirds and brightly coloured tree frogs share the dense forests with jaguars, caimans and tapirs. We will be travelling at a relaxed pace and there will be numerous opportunities to set out on your own.