Monkeys, Jungles and Volcanoes
From CAD $4475
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(10 reviews)
The entire family will delight on this Costa Rica tour, filled with action and discovery. Spend your days ziplining through lush canopy, gliding along Tortuguero’s canals under the gaze of colorful toucans, and trekking volcano slopes in this unforgettable Pura Vida playground.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 5 Dinner (D)
- 7 Breakfast (B)
- 4 Lunch (L)
Be My Guest
- Arenal Volcano Area: Visit Eli Herrera’s home for a warm welcome and a taste of local life. Learn to make tortillas, enjoy home-cooked dishes and sip traditional drinks. Eli shares stories through song and teaches you about the crops she grows, from sugar cane to native herbs, in her lush garden.
Family Fun
- Tortuguero: Cruise through Tortuguero's canals and lagoons both in the morning and in the evening, seeking out incredible tropical wildlife species such as monkeys in the treetops, toucans and egres flying through the air and crocodiles in the cool waters.
Iconic Experience
- Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park: Explore the rainforest canopy with a Local Specialist. Cross hanging bridges as you spot howler monkeys, hummingbirds and blue morpho butterflies.
- Arenal Volcano Area: Soar above the rainforest on an exhilarating zipline adventure. Ride a mountain tractor to the summit, then descend through 12 platforms and 10 cables with views of Herradura Bay. Along the way, spot toucans, monkeys and scarlet macaws, as you glide through the treetops.
- Manuel Antonio Beach: Walking deep into the national park with your guide, you'll check off a few more creatures on your wildlife list.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Tortuguero: Support the Cultural Association of Tortuguero while you are entertained by local musicians on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with the Tortuguero Music School. The Cultural Association of Tortuguero is an NGO dedicated to promoting the cultural development in the region and works daily to generate opportunities for its inhabitants in educational, recreational and artistic programs that allow them to have a wider and more diverse knowledge along with enrichening experiences. The Tortuguero Music School advances this mission by empowering children from the community to explore their art skills through performances of Caribbean music. Your participation helps to build the Tortuguero House of Culture where the school and other cultural projects will be able to practice their arts.
- Tortuguero National Park: Meet the Tico family at their palm plantation to learn about and sample the delicate heart of palm surrounded by tropical forest. Your experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Tortuguero & Manuel Antonio National Park
- Visit Tortuguero Village, Arenal Hanging Bridges, Zipline through treetops at a local adventure park
- View Arenal Volcano
- Cruise the canals of Tortuguero National Park
Trafalgar Difference
- Tortuguero: Welcome to Laguna Lodge Tortuguero, a remote 15-acre retreat which embraces the rich natural environment Costa Rica is known for. You’ll feel a part of nature among towering trees, exotic plants, and spacious gardens that host a number of birds and butterflies. Feel good knowing that the lodge itself protects this biodiverse environment by using alternate materials and structures that don’t permanently harm the land but instead preserve the natural resources you’ll come to appreciate. Take in this slice of paradise lounging by the pool, strolling in the garden or drifting off to sleep to the gentle sound of jungle rain.
Trip Details
Product Code: 28268
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 756.378B
Starts: San Jose (Costa Rica), Costa Rica
Finishes: San Jose (Costa Rica), Costa Rica
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All transport and transfers shown
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4475 ($559 /day)
Itinerary
Bienvenidos a Costa Rica! Cute sloths, boat rides and ziplines are waiting in the Pura Vida playground of Costa Rica and we can't wait to show you them all. On arrival, a local host will greet you at the airport and arrange your transfer to the hotel. Relax or hit the pool for a swim before meeting your Travel Director and fellow adventurers for some fiesta fun at our Kickoff Party.
Accommodation: Sheraton San Jose
Meals: Dinner
Rise this morning and head east through Braulio Carrillo National Park, where we’ll embark on a river journey through protected wetlands to secluded Tortuguero as we glide through canals, lagoons and lowland rainforest. Then continue to your Stays with Stories at Laguna Lodge, where you’ll learn the story of how the lodge was built with materials that protect this biodiverse environment and natural habitat. For dinner tonight enjoy a buffet at the resort's open-air restaurant.
Accommodation: Laguna Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
There's nothing like the wake-up call of a troop of howler monkeys to start your day. Set off on a Family Fun cruise through the park's canals with your Local Specialist and guide to explore the lush waterways of Tortuguero National Park. You may want to start a tally of all the types of wildlife you'll see. Look out for sloths, green iguanas, caiman, crocodiles and colorful toucans. Of course, you'll spot tons of monkeys - agile howler and spider monkeys and white-faced capuchins swinging through the dense rainforest canopy. This afternoon, venture back out on the canals to add to your wildlife tally or relax back at the lodge, the choice is yours. A MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience awaits this evening as you enjoy dinner while the young musicians of Tortuguero Music School entertain you with the joyful sounds of the Caribbean.
Accommodation: Laguna Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Bid adiós to the monkeys for now as you boat back to the mainland and travel to Horquetas. Here you'll MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® and visit local Tico family's palm plantation to learn how they grow this exotic vegetable. This evening, enjoy a pizza party in an open-air kitchen where kids get to make their own pizza.
Accommodation: Arenal Paraiso Resort and Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Head to the Arenal Hanging Bridges to walk eye-level with the rainforest canopy. Look out for monkeys swinging through the trees, sloths tucked into the foliage and birds calling overhead, with views out to the majestic Arenal Volcano. Later, join Eli Herrera as she welcomes you into her home for a Be My Guest experience. Make tortillas, taste homegrown dishes and hear Eli sing as she shares stories and shows you the crops she tends in her garden.
Accommodation: Arenal Paraiso Resort and Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Imagine yourself soaring high above the jungle floor as you zipline (Waiver Required) through the treetops, eye-to-eye with the lush foliage and ocean views. Later, head south to Manuel Antonio, renowned for its warm blue waters, beautiful beaches and abundant exotic wildlife.
Accommodation: Parador Nature Resort and Spa, Hotel Playa Espadilla & Espadilla Gardens
Meals: Breakfast
Walking deep into the national park with your Travel Director, you'll definitely check off a few more creatures on your wildlife list-at last count, there were 109 different animals and 184 species of birds living here. Listen to the whooping bark of howler monkeys and the chattering of mischievous squirrel and white-faced monkeys. This evening, join your fellow explorers to celebrate new friendships over a dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Parador Nature Resort and Spa, Hotel Playa Espadilla & Espadilla Gardens
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Travel back to San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport for your flight home or consider extending your stay at the Sheraton San Jose. Airport arrival will be at approximately 11:00 am, please be aware when booking your flights.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2024
Great Introduction to Costa Rica Tour Director *Personal information removed by Feefo* was excellent. So knowledgeable and made us all feel and understand “pure vida” ! Seamless tour due to all his behind the scenes work. Coach driver *Personal information removed by Feefo* made driving on the challenging roads feel safe and comfortable. The local specialists and hotel staff couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. The trip really lets you experience many facets of Costa Rica. Great introduction. In hindsight, due to its popularity I would forego Manuel Antonio and choose another beach town on the pacific. Long drive to get there and sooo crowded, couldn’t enjoy its famous park.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2024
John Findlay - Traveled, April 2024
Excellent, tons of wildlife. We had an excellent tour leader, *Personal information removed by Feefo*, and a wonderful driver. We loved all the National Parks and the wildlife we saw. Visited 3 National Parks, on both coasts and at a volcano.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/05/2024
Carol Bussell - Traveled, April 2024
Trip of a lifetime! It was an amazing trip of a lifetime made so by our wonderful Trafalgar tour director *Personal information removed by Feefo*. He was knowledgeable about any questions we had and saw to it that all of our needs were met. It was a well- planned, educational trip. The food and our lodging were terrific - our favorite being Tortuguero. We highly recommend traveling with Trafalgar. It covers a diverse area which includes being in a very remote jungle area which you can only reach by a small boat to Tortuguero.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/01/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, February 2025
On time, concerned about safety and accommodative to all our needs. Very caring tour director *Personal details removed by Feefo*
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/10/2025
Louise Harris - Traveled, February 2025
Fantastic First Visit to Costa Rica. The corporate culture of Trafalgar was quite evident in this environmentally friendly program. Again, our Tour Guide, ************, was the best. Very knowledgeable about all things Costa Rica. And driver, *Personal details removed by Feefo* , was also excellent. The itinerary for Monkeys, Jungles, & Volcanoes was wonderful. Travels went at a good pace for most of the group. Accommodations were quite good, even at the more primitive hotel. Hot water for showers and flushing toilets. Stops along the way were very interesting and local business owners very friendly & helpful. Our guide, *Personal details removed by Feefo*, was the best and coach driver, *Personal details removed by Feefo* was also quite professional and efficient at navigating narrow roads. The major destinations (Arenal, Tortuguero, and *Personal details removed by Feefo*) were all quite beautiful with plenty of fascinating wildlife and lovely landscapes
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/12/2025
Thomas Ahart - Traveled, April 2024
Costa Rica, Pura Vida. Everything went super smooth. It was a wonderful trip. We had no problems whatsoever and the accommodations were wonderful. Each of the destinations was wonderful in a different way. I really appreciated how Trafalgar went out of the way to create experiences for us to interact with families. The natural beauty of Costa Rica is amazing Aunt. All of the guides at the national parks and on the tour were very interesting. Friendly and very excited to tell people about their country. It was a very enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone. *Personal information removed by Feefo* to was an amazing tour guide. Who has really put a lot of effort into creating a great experience for his guests.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/03/2024
Monique Cooke - Traveled, April 2024
*Personal information removed by Feefo* was very informative and like family. Excellent if you are looking for an on land versus cruise for educational experience this is the company to go for but ask for *Personal information removed by Feefo* as your tour guide, best trip ever. Tour guide *Personal information removed by Feefo* request for him.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, September 2024
Overall, everything was great. Perhaps a little more information on what to bring on each activity/excursion to help us better prepare for what to leave/bring from the bus. Our guide German was wonderful and attended to every detail. He made it fun and engaging for all ages! He also provided local information and pointed out highlights while we traveled on the bus, which we would not have had if we traveled on our own.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/22/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, August 2024
In retrospect, I don't think we would have included Tortuguero. The best part was the watching the turtle lay eggs, but it wasn't worth the 2-day stay in Tortuguero in the rain, with the mosquitos. Rest of animals we saw could be seen anywhere in Costa Rica.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/21/2024
Jane Wittig - Traveled, June 2024
No worry vacation. Everything is taken care of for you. Flights arranged, decent places to stay and all transportation. Natives of the country are the guides and very informative. Wonderful scenery and wildlife. Delightful encounters with Costa Ricans. Authentic history and information about the country by the guide. Our guide was delightful and engaging. Our food buffets at each location was to die for. Always lots of fresh fruit and veggies . My grandchildren loved the encounters with the local animals. Especially the iguanas. We got to see how the culture genuinely values and protects their natural environment. All around good vacation.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/25/2024
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