A week in Costa Rica
Pura vida in every step
Your one week in Costa Rica is bound to be a great experience. From cloud forests to rainforests and mangroves, you’ll experience Costa Rica to the fullest. This country is known for its beautiful and well-conserved natural resources.
You’ll enjoy sunbathing and swimming at the beautiful white sand beach, soaking in a hot spring, and watching a massive waterfall plummet down to a river below. And don’t forget the animals and birds you’ll see! The forests are replete with sloths, monkeys of all sorts, and brightly colored birds and insects. It’s all an amazing adventure, and it’s waiting for you!
Volcano Arenal
Costa Rica’s famous volcano
Hot springs
Ultimate eco-friendly relaxation
Monteverde
Cloud Forests Reserve
Manuel Antonio
White-sand beaches and forests
Highlights
While your week in Costa Rica starts with enjoying the capital city of San Jose, you’ll soon delve deep into the nature side of this country. Visit a coffee plantation, walk over hardened lava at Arenal Volcano National Park, and soak in the therapeutic waters of Baldi Hot Springs.
You’ll also enjoy spotting animals as you hike Monteverde’s cloud forest and Manuel Antonio National Park’s rainforest. The differences in the areas are fascinating, but the animals and birds will capture your attention. You’ll even boat through the mangroves of Damas Island Estuary Reserve before heading back to shore. This is about to be the best week of your life.
Itinerary
Your flight will land at the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose, where a driver will meet you. You’ll be taken to your hotel to get settled before embarking on a tour of San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital city.
Our guide will take you to the National Theater of Costa Rica, a stunning neoclassical building that stands out in the center of the city. Step inside, and you’ll find yourself in a luxurious marble lobby full of statues and paintings showcasing life in the 19th century. Actors portraying ghosts from the time period show you around the theater, inner rooms, and massive auditorium.
We’ll also check out the Gold Museum, which is actually three museums in one. You descend deep underground to enjoy the interesting exhibits and then work your way back up to street level, with each floor focused on a specific theme.
Next up is the Central Market. As the largest market in San Jose, this market is bustling with food stalls, assorted shops, and small restaurants. This is where most people and restaurants in the area purchase their fresh food, so you’ll see meat hanging in some stalls and brightly colored fruit in others.
Throughout the tour, you’ll see historical buildings and unique architecture. We’ll pass the Metallic Building, The National Liquor Factory, the Old Train Station with its classic designs, and the Costa Rica University, as well as several government buildings. The tour finishes up at an art gallery where you may find a nice souvenir or two for friends back home.
- One night in Jose.
After a quick breakfast, we’re off on an adventure. Today, we’ll head to Arenal Volcano National Park, but there are a few stops along the way.
First, we’ll head to a local coffee plantation. Costa Rica is known for producing only Arabica coffee . . . it’s actually illegal to grow Robusta here. As you tour the coffee plantation, you’ll learn how the plants grow and are harvested for processing. Then, you get to taste the freshest coffee ever before we hit the road again.
Our next stop is La Paz Waterfall. This beautiful, single-drop waterfall is 121 feet tall, surrounded by lush jungle. Once you’ve had a chance to get some photos, we’ll move on to the town of La Fortuna for lunch.
La Fortuna sits next to the Arenal Volcano and is a destination all on its own. The friendly locals, unique shops, and delightful restaurants here make this charming town a fun place to explore. However, after lunch, we’ll head to the Arenal Volcano National Park. This park covers the dormant volcano and surrounding areas, allowing you to walk across old lava fields and take photos of the beautiful volcano.
Finally, you’ll finish out the day by relaxing at the Baldi Hot Springs. The thermal springs are heated by the volcano itself, and you’ll enjoy the rejuvenating properties as you soak. There are 25 pools to choose from, each with its own temperature, so pick the right one, sink in, and enjoy relaxing in the middle of the jungle.
- One night in Arenal.
Your day begins with a pleasant boat trip across Lake Arenal. Watch out for some of the many species of birds that make the lake and its shores home. We’re headed to Monteverde, a special place that is known for its cloud forests and misty skies, thanks to the mix of warm Caribbean air with the cooler Pacific air.
The Monteverde Night Tour is a one-of-a-kind experience. Many of the forest animals are nocturnal, so the best time to see them is at night. Your guide is an expert who knows exactly how to spot the hidden animals and can tell you all about them and their habitats.
On your walk through the forest, you’ll spot creatures like snakes, frogs, and a few nocturnal mammals. It’s also the perfect time to see some of the more elusive insects of Costa Rica. Put on those hiking shoes and get ready for an adventure!
- Two nights in Monteverde.
Get ready for a morning of exploring the gorgeous Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Our guide will lead you on a fun hike through virgin forest where you can see some of the world’s most varied flora and fauna. This area is well known for being home to the resplendent quetzal, monkeys, sloths, and many other creatures that you may never see outside a zoo elsewhere.
Monteverde was originally settled in the 1950s by Quaker families avoiding the Korean War draft. They formed a farming community that was later a major part of building the Cloud Forest Reserve to protect the lush forest. Today, there are around 7,000 people living in the area, and they use eco-friendly, sustainable farming practices.
Your afternoon is free for exploration. You have several options if you want to get out of the hotel and enjoy the area. We suggest:
Chocolate, Coffee, and Sugar Cane Tour – this tour gives you a closer look at some of Costa Rica’s main crops. You’ll see how each of the crops is grown and processed before you get the chance to taste test each of them.
Butterfly Garden – if you enjoy butterflies, you’ll love this unique garden. It’s divided into four unique gardens where you can spot butterflies from all over. Depending on the season, you may be able to watch a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis, as well as experience more than 40 species of butterflies that live here.
Orchid Garden – More than 500 native orchid species are grown in this lovely, calming garden. For anyone who loves flowers, this is an amazing opportunity to actually see the many species of orchids up close.
You’ll spend a pleasant morning in Monteverde after your breakfast. Take the time to go on a birdwatching hike before we leave for the coast.
The Manuel Antonio National Park is on the Pacific coast and covers both sea and land. It was set up in 1972 as a conservation effort, and while it’s one of Costa Rica’s smallest national parks, it’s actually the most visited. Forbes named Manuel Antonio National Park one of the 12 most beautiful national parks in 2011, due to the natural beauty found here.
With more than 110 mammal species, including squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, three-toed and two-toed sloths, the park is a great place to spot animals. You are also guaranteed to see quite a few birds, since there are nearly 200 different species living in the lush rainforest. The beaches here are also stunning and worth visiting, whether you want to sunbathe or take a dip in the ocean.
- Two nights in Manuel Antonio.
Today, we’ll get up with plenty of time for breakfast before taking a tour of the Damas Island Estuary Reserve. The reserve is near Manuel Antonio, but it isn’t part of the park.
Damas Island is located where the fresh river water runs into the ocean, creating a unique mangrove habitat. It’s used as a nursery by many fish and marine animals, but it’s also home to a wide variety of birds. We’ll take a boat through the mangroves where our guide will explain where to look for the creatures that live here.
See if you can spot silky anteaters, sloths, howler monkeys (though you’ll likely hear them before you see them), boa constrictors, turtles, and iguanas among other creatures. The mangroves are full of vibrant life, and you’ll get a chance to experience the fascinating area for yourself as you move through the waterways.
In the afternoon, you’ll take a tour of Manuel Antonio Park. It’s a wonderful spot to hike and birdwatch, but don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to hang out on the beach once the tour is finished. Take a refreshing dip in the pristine waters after your day of exploration. It’s your final day in Costa Rica (unless you’ve extended the trip), so make the most of it!
Today, you’ll say goodbye to your week in Costa Rica, unless you wish to extend your stay at Manuel Antonio National Park. Our driver will drop you off at the airport so you can fly home, but we hope to see you again soon!
map, expenses & price
A week in Costa Rica
Expenses included:
-Door-to-door transportation.
-Six nights of hotel accommodations.
-Professional certified guides.
-Tours and excursions as listed.
-All Park entrance fees.
-Daily breakfast.
