San Jose

For the ideal introduction to the Costa Rican capital, its culture and its history, join the San Jose City Tour which takes in all the major highlights and gives you an insight into San Jose’s cultural vibrancy and how the friendly Josefinos spend their time. Some of the tour’s features include La Sabana Metropolitan Park, a former airport that was converted into the ‘lungs of the city’, the majestic National Theater and the National Museum, housed in the former Bellavista Fortress.

* Tours include Entrance and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Known by indigenous Costa Ricans as the "mountain of rumbling and trembling" Irazu soars 11,260 feet above sea level and spreads over 2,309 hectares. It is the highest peak of the Central Volcanic Range and the largest volcano in Costa Rica. As you ascend up into the mountains on your way to Irazu National Park, you will notice how the changing altitude effects the surrounding plant life which changes from large plantations of onions and carrots, to primary and secondary forests of white oak, to a paramo (high-altitude wet grasslands above the tree line) at the volcano's summit. Once at the ethereal crater, you will be astonished by its moon-like landscape, sparsely populated with plant life due to volcanic eruptions.

On your way back to San Jose, you will drive through the former capital Cartago, which was destroyed by volcanic eruptions in 1723. You will visit the ruins of the old parish and the magnificent Basilica de Los Angeles, the country’s most important church.*

*A visit to Orosi and The Lankester Gardens can be added to this tour or taken separately: Lankester Gardens is a showcase of the incredibly diverse local flora. The large orchid collection in particular is guaranteed to enchant flower lovers. Your last stop is the historical town of Orosi, surrounded by mountains which are draped in coffee plantations and watered by the impressive Reventazon River. Here you can walk into the 250-year-old church which housed the first colonial Franciscan monks and experience the life and times of the first Spanish inhabitants.

* Tour includes Entrance and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

* Both Tours include Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Costa Rica’s natural diversity at its best, this combination includes a volcano, waterfalls, boat rides and lush tropical forests. From Alajuela, you’ll head towards Poas Volcano on a steady climb through coffee plantations, strawberry fields and ornamental greenhouses. At the top of the 8800 foot volcano you will awe at breathtaking vistas of the cloud forest and mountain range before proceeding to the beautiful waterfalls of La Paz and San Fernando.

You will then take a boat tour on the Sarapiqui River where, amongst the exotic wildlife, lie crocodiles, caimans, toucans, howler monkeys and bats. On our way back, you will drive through the impressive Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica's world famous rainforest, in some of the country’s most rugged terrain. This park of high mountains heavily carpeted with thick forest and rushing streams and waterfalls is ideal for admiring the beauty of nature while relaxing on your return, after a truly unforgettable day.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

You’ll start by taking the Pan-American Highway towards the city of Alajuela, passing the Agriculture Monument, the Monument to Juan Santa Maria and the famous Mango Park. As you ascend towards the volcano you will stop for an informative visit at a coffee farm and learn about the huge impact the golden bean has had on this small country. You will continue your trip through fern, flower and strawberry farms, noticing the change in temperature and vegetation, preparing you for the pleasure of the magnificent cloud forest at Poas Volcano. At the volcano you will have time to observe the impressive main crater with its sulfur fumaroles and will hike on a trail to the beautiful Botos Lagoon.

You will continue your trip towards the Caribbean, stopping to discover La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a natural park where you will walk through spectacular trails leading up to the delightful White Magic Waterfall. Inside the park you will also visit the largest butterfly observatory in the country, which houses a collection of tropical jewels and the impressive hummingbird gallery, serpentarium, old house, bird house and frog exhibit. You will make your way back to San Jose after a delicious lunch buffet.

*This excursion can be divided into Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfalls Gardens Tour or Poas Volcano Tour. Please speak to a Travel Advisor for further details.

* Tour includes Entrance, Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor .

* Tour includes Entrance and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

This tour starts at Alajuela and the birthplace of Costa Rica’s national hero, Juan Santamaria, a drummer boy who died while defending Costa Rica’s freedom from a mercenary army in the mid 19th century. From Alajuela you will climb through spectacular landscapes until at Poas Volcano’s 8800 foot summit, you will stop to walk through a cloud forest teeming with native plant species and enjoy the breathtaking scenery at the main crater, considered one of the largest in the world.

After a delicious lunch, you will travel through the town of Grecia where you will visit the famous metallic church, brought over from Europe piece by piece before continuing on to Sarchi, a colorful town known for its original, creative woodwork carefully crafted by Costa Rica’s finest artisans. Visit the artists and their wares, and watch them hand-paint the famous wooden oxcarts, a symbol of Costa Rica before making the return journey to San Jose.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

The tour starts with a drive through Braulio Carrillo National Park, famous for its dense rainforests, deep rivers and vast canyons. After lunch in Guapiles, a small and attractive town on the other side of Costa Rica’s central mountain range, you will visit the Aerial Tram for a walk along forest trails and an exhilarating cable car ride through the jungle canopy.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Inject a hint of adrenaline into your Costa Rica holiday with a canopy tour that takes you flying through the tree tops on a zip line, giving you a hair-raising birds-eye-view of the jungle floor below and the dense canopy above. You will depart from San Jose and head for the Braulio Carrillo National Park, an impressive but rarely visited park that includes the cloud-forest covered Barva Volcano. The tall trees provide an exhilarating jungle experience for adventurous explorers and the close proximity of the National Park means you will be back in San Jose soon after lunch.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

You’ll depart the city towards the mountains that surround the San Jose central valley, with scenery of spectacular plant life and extensive coffee plantations, ornamental plants and picturesque towns of Costa Rica. As you ascend, you’ll experience the variable climates and alterations in the wildlife around you.

The San Lorenzo zip line canopy tour is located in the heart of a tropical forest reserve in an area full of orchids, bromeliads and other ornamental plants. The tour is divided into two sections; a forest section which starts with shorter lines and an adventure section which includes long cables suspended from high platforms, giving you a one-in-a-lifetime dose of adrenaline.

The total length of the cable is over 8,000 ft with 19 platforms and including a 2,460-foot cable, the longest in the country. From one platform to the next, your guide will explain the most important features of the forest. Finally, after only a short walk, you will relax and catch your breath over lunch.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

The trip down this wild and scenic river offers some of the finest whitewater rafting in Latin America and takes you past lush rainforest, crystalline waterfalls and dense vegetation covering the sides of steep gorges. It is also an environmentally sustainable adventure that is carbon neutral and supports efforts to conserve the river’s ecosystems and help nearby communities.

After being collected from your hotel, you will ride in a bio-diesel bus past lovely mountain scenery to a rustic restaurant where you’ll enjoy a typical Costa Rican breakfast made with organic ingredients. You’ll then drive to the Pacuare River put-in site, where expert river guides will give you a quick course in white water rafting and safety before you begin your 18-mile journey down the spectacular waterway. You will float past pristine tropical forest populated by toucans, parrots and other birds, many of which are protected in the 637-acre nature reserve.

This unforgettable river adventure combines class-II and -IV rapids and floats past breathtaking scenery which includes massive tropical trees and waterfalls that plummet into the river. We will break for a healthy lunch by the riverbank in a traditional palm-thatch structure owned by a Cabecar Indian family. After lunch, you’ll paddle through more adrenaline-pumping rapids and raft through the narrow canyon of Dos Montanas. After we reach the highway, you will be able to change into dry clothes before we begin our 90-minute drive back to San Jose. You will also have a chance to purchase carbon-offset certificates, which finance the planting and care of native trees on deforested land that will absorb tons of atmospheric carbon as they grow, and can offset all the carbon that enters the atmosphere during your Costa Rican vacation.

* Tour includes Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

After an early morning pickup from your San Jose hotel, you will drive by private, comfortable bus to a delicious, typical Costa Rican breakfast that will be waiting for you. After breakfast and changing into rafting gear, we will drive to our private rafting departure point on the banks of the Pacuare river.

We will then review and adjust all necessary equipment for proper fit, give you a comprehensive rafting safety talk, and instruct you on paddling basics. You’ll be excited to launch your raft and begin to paddle 14 miles deep into the heart of one of Costa Rica's most impressive primary rainforests. You’ll pass through densely vegetated rainforest gorges, view cascading waterfalls, relax in serene pools and experience pounding rapids. Halfway down the river you will pass right beside the Rios Tropicales Lodge, our unique eco-lodge where guests stay on our 2, 3, and 4-day multi-sport adventure trips*. Self-powered and intimate, the lodge blends naturally into the rainforest on our 1,000-acre private reserve, complete with waterfalls, quiet pools, and miles of trails.

You will enjoy an adrenaline-packed afternoon running the Pacuare’s biggest rapids, with names like Upper and Lower Huacas, Cimarron, Dos Montanas and more. A picnic lunch will be served on the beautiful riverbank. Your trip will conclude with a short drive back to our resting center complete with showers, optional drinks and a handy souvenir store. This trip includes all transportation to and from San Jose. On your return drive to San Jose, you'll enjoy remarkable views of Braulio Carrillo National Park, home of dense, primary tropical rainforest, and Irazu Volcano. This unforgettable trip will be a highlight of your stay in Costa Rica!

* Tour includes Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Fortunately for us, one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful rivers is also one of the most accessible. The scenery is spectacular: lush rainforest runs along the banks of the crystal-clear waters, both of which shine in the bright tropical sun. The Sarapiqui gentle rapids originate high in the mountains, and by the time they reach our put-in they have gathered enough force to provide some moderately flowing rapids, some long, peaceful stretches – and some incredible surroundings.

You will be picked up from your San Jose hotel in the morning, driving for two and a half hours through the bucolic backdrop of the Costa Rica countryside, until we reach the river put-in, stopping on the way for a hearty Costa Rican breakfast. After receiving safety instructions, you will board your inflatable raft and begin a memorable descent through the rainforest. Nature lovers, birdwatchers, and outdoor enthusiasts will especially enjoy the ride through rich vegetation that provides shelter to hummingbirds, toucans, woodpeckers and dozens of other species endemic to Costa Rica, making for a classic tropical river experience. Stopping for a picnic lunch on the riverbank you will continue downstream to the take-out point where you can change into dry clothes in our private facilities before boarding the comfortable minibus for the return trip to San Jose.

* Tour includes Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Enjoy the safest whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, our new Class II+ section on the Reventazon River will provide you with the thrill of rafting and get you wet but will keep you safely in your boat. This trip is designed for people of all ages as we paddle together on the wide-open waters of the river through small waves with little maneuvering. As you progress down river the pools become longer where you can rest and observe a number of birds in their tropical habitat. We will be on the river between 1.5 to 2 hours depending on water levels and will end our adventure in the banana plantations as we return to our operations center for lunch.

*For more adventure and higher class rapids on the Reventazon River, speak to a specialized Travel Advisor.

* Tour includes Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

The Pejibaye River is located thirty minutes from Turrialba. This river contains class 2 and 3 rapids and the trip takes approximately 3 hours (half–day tour) and is suitable for all the family. Before entering the river, the guides give an important safety talk, familiarizing rafters with the necessary commands and safety instructions. After practicing some commands and drills, you will start rafting the river.  Rafters will enjoy the surrounding landscapes of the river including coffee and sugar cane plantations, as well as the pristine refreshing river. No previous experience is required.

* Tour includes Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Canyoning has become very popular with extreme sport fans all over the world. This sport has been practiced in Europe for many years and recently has extended to the Americas.

This activity involves rappelling and descending cliffs and waterfalls within the canyon. The equipment for this activity - ropes, harnesses and carabiners - are the same tools that are used in rock-climbing.

Our course guarantees you a memorable, safe, and thrilling day of Canyoning as we rappel down waterfalls, zip-line through the treetops, and enjoy the unique, natural beauty of this country.

The canyoning site is located in Calle Chirraca, a small, lush place near the town of Turrialba, which is an hour and a half east of San Jose. We begin the canyoning tour with an introduction of our guides and the equipment to help familiarize you with the different uses of the equipment. We start the tour at the first waterfall where a guide will give a speech on safety. The guide will explain the course and the equipment making sure you know the necessary mechanisms and procedures for canyoning, ensuring you a safe and fun experience. After this, you are off...rappelling down four waterfalls, zip lining down four canopy cables, descending down two tall trees and walking across a 132-foot hanging bridge - all giving you an unforgettable adrenaline rush!

* Tour includes Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.
* The minimum age for this tour is 12 years old.

The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) is one of the world’s premier centers dedicated to research and graduate education in agriculture and the management, conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources. This tour will take bikers through the tropical plantations and botanical gardens of CATIE. The topography of the trails is not difficult.

During the bike ride, a guide will explain the great diversity of the forest and fruit plantations such as: cafe, cacao, sugar cane, citrus, plantains, bananas, macadamia, pineapple, mangostan, mango, avocados and many other exotic species from tropical countries. Thanks to the diversity of flowers and fruits, the plantation is also an ideal site for the observation of birds, mammals and some reptiles.

Bike riders will finish the tour with a visit to the Tropical Botanical Garden, which has a collection of some of the most important tropical plants in the world. In the garden, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the colors, smells, textures and forms of the plants and their products. Riders will be provided with top-quality mountain bikes in excellent condition and safety helmets which you will be required to wear.

* Tour includes Entrance, Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

The Turrialba Volcano is located in the Central Mountain Range of Costa Rica and reaches an altitude of 10,955 feet. It is one of the most spectacular active volcanoes in Costa Rica in that trekkers are able to hike down inside the main crater and explore and observe the life and views from inside.

We start the tour from Turrialba where we load into our 4-wheel drive transport and head north to the volcano. During the 1 hour 45 minute drive to the crater you will be amazed at the views of the Turrialba valley and by the landscape as we get closer to the top of the volcano. You will leave the tropical jungle behind and climb into the beautiful high-elevation cloud forest and then enter the paramo. As you climb into the clouds you will feel like you are leaving the tropics behind as the temperature gets cooler and the vegetation changes dramatically.

Upon arriving at the summit you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Caribbean coastline of Costa Rica. After taking a few minutes to enjoy the vista, you’ll begin the hike down into the crater. On the way down you see a number of very interesting plants that only grow at this high altitude and unique climate. Once in the crater you will see the three distinct craters that make up the cone of the volcano. The oldest of the craters is thousands of years old and is no longer active and the youngest one is less than 200 years old. This youngest crater has been becoming increasingly active over the last five years and you will be able to see how this activity is affecting the fragile vegetation of the crater. After hiking around the craters we will hike back out of the crater and have a snack before heading back down to Turrialba.

* Tour includes Entrance, Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

The Pejibaye River is a beautiful class II and III rapid river, located about thirty minutes from Turrialba. We travel down three miles of the river in the small inflatable kayaks which are perfect for navigating and exploring the rapids.

The adventure begins about 45 minutes outside of Turrialba where your guide will first give you a safety talk to orient you to the equipment and teach you the commands you will need to use on the river. After practicing all the commands and drills, you will begin your kayaking experience! You will help the river guide maneuver the ducky by paddling and following their instructions. As you are paddling down the river you will enjoy the surrounding landscapes which include rolling coffee and sugar cane plantations, a variety of wildlife, and the cool, refreshing water of the Pejibaye River.

* Tour includes Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Costa Rica may not be famous for its archaeological history like Guatemala's Tikal or the Incan ruins of Peru, but veiled in the shadow of the Turrialba Volcano - like a mythical "lost city" from a storybook - lies a mysterious ancient city that was home to over 10,000 people who seemed to have mysteriously vanished just before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. This region, known as Guayabo National Monument, is Costa Rica's most important archaeological site and the country’s only named National Monument.

The excavations at Guayabo have revealed a network of cobblestone causeways and streets, open and closed aqueducts, cisterns, stairways, mounds, petroglyphs, monoliths, tombs, and sculptures that belong to a pre-Columbian city, which was inhabited between 1000 B.C. and 1400 A.D. For your tour, a guide will walk you through the entire park while explaining the findings of the excavations and the history of the people that once lived there.

* Tour includes Entrance, Breakfast, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Forget the city for a day and be a part of nature! Admire the beauty of a shimmering morpho butterfly at the Butterfly Farm and sample fine Arabic coffee. Travel from the sub-tropical climate of La Guacima to the cool slopes of the Barva Volcano. Learn the art and science of gourmet coffee and admire the flight of hundreds of butterflies. Combine nature in all its beauty with the magic of theater. After a visit to Cafe Britt's on site coffee and gift store, conclude the adventure with a satisfying gourmet lunch at the Don Prospero Restaurant, just steps away.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Since 1991, this award-winning "stage play on a coffee farm" has educated and entertained more than half a million visitors on a colorful, multimedia journey through the working plantation and roastery. The verdant highlands of Costa Rica's fertile Central Valley seem to jostle for attention as experts lead the way with unmatched knowledge, plenty of good humor and more than a few surprises!

Stroll through the thriving farm as song birds chirp from shade trees overhead. Observe the wild orchids and exuberant foliage of our beautifully landscaped grounds. Learn about sustainable growing practices and coffee's central role in Costa Rica's social and economic evolution. Visit the roastery, where Britt experts work amid the tantalizing aroma of roasting coffee. Learn the art of professional coffee tasting — and why it's OK to slurp!

Conclude your tour with a visit to the well-stocked coffee-and-gift store. Then enjoy a delicious lunch of creative cuisine prepared with Costa Rica’s freshest produce at the on-site Don Prospero restaurant. See if you can stump the baristas by ordering any coffee drink you can imagine!

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Prepare yourself to experience the power of nature at its fullest with a visit to Arenal volcano, the most active volcano in Costa Rica and a truly memorable holiday experience. 

We begin this trip by getting a view of coffee plantations and sugarcane fields scattered along the road.  As we proceed our way to Arenal, we will enter the hospitable town of La Fortuna. Here you will have a first full glance of the magnificent Arenal volcano. As we make our way to a lookout point, you will marvel at the sight of the volcano slopes that are covered with lush vegetation leading up to an almost perfect cone, while feeling the mighty volcano’s constant rumbling and trembling. Observe how incandescent rocks are ejected high up into the air and listen to the frequent underground rumblings. Finally, we will visit a first class resort, where you will enjoy the hot mineral springs that comes out from the volcano for a truly unforgettable experience!

* Tour includes Lunch, Dinner and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

* Tour includes Lunch, Dinner and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

Visit one of Costa Rica’s most idyllic and paradisiacal islands in style with Costa Rica’s most popular day excursion, on this full-day cruise to Isla Tortuga or Turtle Island.

You will be collected from your hotel and driven to the costal town of Puntarenas, the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’, stopping along the way for a delicious breakfast of gallo pinto.

You will then board the super catamaran Manta Raya, captained and manned by a crew of seasoned mariners who will spirit you across Giant’s Bay towards the palm studded Tortuga Island which rises out of the warm, sapphire waters in the shape of a turtle.

You will spend the day soaking in the picture-perfect beauty of Tortuga’s pristine white sand, crystal clear ocean and the tropical Costa Rica weather, cooled by a gentle sea breeze.

Sip a glass of chilled white wine before your BBQ lunch, prepared fresh from the grill by the ship’s chef, is served on the beach on tables decked in white linen and under the shade of broad parasols.

After your day on this blissful island you will sail back to Puntarenas, enjoying the boat’s two deck pools, fresh water showers and deck salon, before being returned to your hotel. This day in paradise promises to be a Costa Rica vacation memory of a lifetime!

* Tour includes Snack, Lunch, and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.

The La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a must for the botanically minded and for those with an interest in Costa Rica’s rich wildlife heritage. The Gardens boast over 3.5 kilometers of walking trails, encompassing a butterfly observatory, hummingbird garden, serpentarium, frog exhibit, trout lake and numerous bird watching areas.

* Tour includes Entrance, Lunch and Guide.
* This is a group tour. Private tours can be arranged upon request, please consult your Travel Advisor.