Treasures of Costa Rica and Panama

Today you will depart San Jose and travel to the Arenal area, passing through the mountains of the Central Valley via the breathtaking landscape of agricultural plantations and cattle farms. Get ready to reach the town of La Fortuna around noon, home to the magical Arenal Volcano. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or book one of our optional tours* (time permitting).

Overnight in Arenal

Spend a full day at leisure in Arenal among a beautiful unspoiled setting.

Overnight in Arenal

The Arenal Hanging Bridges is one of the most popular tourist attractions in La Fortuna. It is situated only 4 km (2.5 miles) west of Tabacón within a 250-hectare (618 acres) reserve of primary forest. Visitors who love nature may enjoy 15 bridges stretching from 5 to 100 meters long, with friendly designs built with paving blocks to prevent slipping. The bridges were constructed with aluminum, galvanized steel, and concrete, to ensure maximum security for visitors. They were designed by structural engineers with the most demanding safety margins in the world. You will be guided by a naturalist, who will open the doors to a fascinating and colorful Tropical Rain Forest by explaining the rich natural history of this region. The imposing vistas of the Volcano from the hanging forest bridges make for a truly unforgettable experience.    

Starting time: 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM; Duration: 4 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, entrance fees, and snacks.

Enjoy a short boat ride from the Arenal lake dam to the entrance of "La Península", this trail will take you through the forest of the most recent National Park, you will walk with incredible views and enjoy fantastic viewpoints, this trail is special for bird watching and photography. Visit areas that were once destroyed by volcanic activity and are now in the process of regeneration. A walk through the "Camino de Coladas" will take you all the way to experience what were in the past lava flows.

Visit the Arenal Volcano National Park. Embark on a natural and geological history walk along the volcano which will take you to the ancient lava flows. It is possible to see the great variety of plants, wildlife, magnificent formations of lava stones and Lake Arenal. Later, we will take you to the relaxing thermal at Ecotermales Hot Spring; you may end your evening with a delicious dinner.

Starting time: 3:00 PM; Duration: 6 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, the entrance fee, and dinner.

Feel like a jungle explorer as you venture into the lush rain forest around Arenal Volcano on a horseback ride from La Fortuna. Climb atop a tame and trusty steed to follow a guide along a scenic trail that hugs a river canyon, stopping to admire the cascades of the Pino Blanco Waterfall and the famous La Fortuna Waterfall. Cool off with an optional swim at the base of the falls, and learn about Costa Rica’s indigenous culture with a visit to the Maleku Indian Cultural Rescue Center. 

Get ready to experience the excitement and adrenaline of the white-water tour on this half-day adventure! Situated 50 minutes from La Fortuna, the Balsa River will provide the perfect setting for rafting for the whole family. Get wet and wild through rapids such as “Magnetic Rock” and “Dredges”! Take a 15-minute break in the river to taste tropical fruits in a tropical setting, surrounded by monkeys, toucans, and other species of exotic animals. On the way back to Fortuna town, we will head to “Vida Campesina” for a delicious lunch; a traditional country estate aiming to give visitors a genuine and peaceful experience of the country life in Costa Rica.

Starting time: 10:00 AM; Duration: 6 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, snacks, a towel, beverages, and lunch.

Your Pure Trek Canyoning experience will include 4 Rappels (3 waterfalls and 1 rock wall), Monkey Drop (zip line and rappel) and a Rock-Climbing Experience in a beautiful rain forest slot canyon. This tour is for the young and old and everything in between! Pure Trek Canyoning is the leader of Waterfall Rappelling in Costa Rica! They believe in doing one thing and being the best at it. For them, that is Canyoning. Come enjoy this fun tour with great guides, spectacular views, and beautiful trails! From children to adults and people with experience, you will have a blast!

Starting time: 7:00 AM or 12:00 PM; Duration: 4 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, and lunch.

The tour will begin with a 1250-meter walk over the SKY TRAM to an observation platform. The breathtaking view will show the great expanse of the rainforest and the imposing Laguna and Arenal Volcano. SKY TREK is a zip line offering the chance to see the forest and its landscapes from a different angle, with total security and innovations. Cables that surpass the treetops that offer a panoramic view of the Volcano and Lagoon. Sky Walk is a series of Trails and Hanging Bridges that offer you a truly unique experience — is in coexistence with the flora and fauna of the forest. Prepare for a breathtaking hike through the forest floor with a naturalist guide.

Starting time: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM or 11:30 PM; Duration: 6 hours approx.

Participants must be at least 8 years old.

This tour includes: Transportation and services of a bilingual guide.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is a haven for animals and birds and a beautiful way to see fauna and flora in a close and personal way. As you glide down on your boat the sightings area as abundant as they can be close. Your professional tour guide will give you entertaining and quite interesting information about the natural history of this dynamic and intense place.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of Costa Rica wildlife on a peaceful float trip down to Peñas Blancas River. Our peace allows you to enjoy the tranquility of the rainforest soaking in all the sights and sounds of the tropical setting. Be sure to keep an eye out for a variety of monkeys, caimans, iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards (they actually walk on water!)  And a wide assortment of colorful bird species.

Continue your journey to Monteverde. The transfer will be first by bus and then by boat crossing Lake Arenal. Arrive in Monteverde around noon. In Monteverde, you will have free time to explore. We recommend you visit the breathtaking Cloud Forest which boasts an extraordinarily diverse ecosystem, home to 120 species of reptiles and amphibians, 130 species of mammals, and an astounding 500 species of birds — not to mention more than 3,000 species of plants. You may choose to book one of our optional tours* (time permitting).

Overnight in Monteverde

Experience three tours in one! The coffee tour: learn about the wonderful history of coffee in the world and its importance in the development of Costa Rica. You will see all the processes that coffee takes, from the seed to the delicious product, the cup of coffee. Then, the chocolate tour: you will have an experience between aromas and history, you will participate in the chocolate process, and you will be able to enjoy and taste the cocoa, until it reaches its magnificent transformation, becoming a delicious drink. The last stage will be the sugar cane, where you will learn about its origin, plantation, processes, and different derived products. You can live the experience of extracting cane juice by hand.

Departure options: 08am / 10am / 01pm / 3pm.

Duration: 2 hrs aprox 

This tour consists of an exhibition of 28 species of frogs and toads unique to Costa Rica. This is the ideal place to meet the famous frogs "Blue Jeans" and "Red Eyes". Terrariums almost perfectly recreate the habitat of each species, which has led to the successful procreation of frogs. The terrariums are under roof, which makes the tour an excellent option for a rainy day.

Starting time: 8:30 PM; Duration: 1 hour approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, and entrance fees.

The Children’s Eternal Rainforest (BEN) is a dream come true and now you can be part of it! It is the biggest private reserve in Costa Rica, and it is part of the Water and Peace Biosphere (“Biosfera Agua y Paz”) from UNESCO, a founding member of the Costa Rican Network of Private Reserves, and also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its mission is to maintain, preserve, and rehabilitate the Topical Ecosystems and their Biodiversity, through environmental educational activities, reforestation, investigation, protection and monitoring, and sustainable ecotourism (trails, presentations, hikes, and biological stations). It is situated in the Tilarán Mountain range and has more than 22.000 hectares of primary and secondary forests, as well as regenerating areas. This Reserve has been preserved thanks to the effort of many children and adults, together with schools and other organizations in over forty countries around the world. 

Starting time: 5:15 PM or 7:15 PM; Duration: 2.5 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, and an entrance fee.

The night walk of Kinkajou is the perfect option for those who want to explore the forest and its creatures at night. It is the perfect place to discover different species such as sloths, armadillos, porcupines, opossums, coatis, and Kinkajous (hammers). The forest is also home to a wide variety of insects, birds, and various amphibians and reptiles. Join us on this unique experience with professional guides that will make this tour an unforgettable experience.

Starting time: 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM or 8:30 PM; Duration: 2 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, and entrance fees.

Today, you will drive to Manuel Antonio, one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica due to its beautiful beaches, rich wildlife, and an endless list of activities. You will reach Manuel Antonio around 1:30 PM. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the National Park and exotic beaches. You may choose one of the optional tours* such as taking a boat through the complex and beautiful estuaries and mangroves surrounding Damas Island. For something different, perhaps visit the local sustainable organic Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation which grows a variety of spices and essential oil plants, including vanilla, cocoa, pepper, and cinnamon.

Overnight in Manuel Antonio

Spend a full day at leisure. You may choose one of the optional tours we are offering.

Overnight in Manuel Antonio

Savegre Rafting runs from May to February.

With this tour, round trip transportation will be provided. You will be picked up at your hotel to drive 1 hour and 20 minutes to the Savegre River. The road trip to the rafting site offers breathtaking views of African palm plantations, quaint towns, small rivers, and jungles. Your guide will delightfully tell you all about all the attractions you see along the way. Occasional stops with be made for bathroom breaks or photo stops. Upon arriving at the rafting spot, you will have a safety talk and an opportunity to practice before getting into the river. The rafts in this Manuel Antonio tour are built for 6 passengers. Guides will travel in kayaks along your side to make sure you are safe. Savegre River delivers class 3 rapids and is filled with bends and turns of excitement. You will spend approximately 2 ½ hours in the raft taming the rapids, taking occasional stops to rest and admire some of the region’s beautiful flora and fauna. Towards the end of this Manuel Antonio rafting tour, the waters will become calm and easy, allowing you to take a closer look at birds flying overhead and the colorful vegetation. Your drive back to the base camp will be much shorter, about 30 minutes in duration. You may change your clothes and enjoy a delicious homemade meal. This river boasts class 3 rapids all year long, throughout the dry season, and it can provide some class 2 rapids.

Children must be at least 8 years old. 

Starting time: 8:00 AM; Duration: 5.5 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, fruits, snacks, and lunch.

Tour does not operate from December to May

Round trip transportation will be provided on this tour. You will be picked up at your hotel and drive 40 minutes to Londres, a town where the river put-in is located. During this scenic drive, your guide will talk about the history of the town of Quepos. Once on site - a private property where the put-in is located - you will be ready to start your tour of Manuel Antonio. The property features stables, corrals, ATVs, an open-air waiting area and bathrooms. Your guide will give you safety measures to follow and then… you will be ready to tame the rapids of the Naranjo River. The rafts are built to hold a maximum of 6 passengers. Guides will join you in kayaks to maximize your safety. The Naranjo River flows through mountains, jungle gorges, farmlands, and palm plantations. The river’s course is steep and challenging, perfect for adventure seekers searching for an adrenaline rush. Halfway through the tour, you may take a break to catch your breath and admire the view. Towards the end of the river, the waters will calm down and you may take in the sights while cruising over the last few rapids. After completing this 1 hour and 45-minute Manuel Antonio rafting tour, a tasty lunch - made with fresh local ingredients – will be served. The Naranjo River rafting tour will only be available in the rainy season (May to December). This river delivers class 3 rapids all year long and during the rainy season, it reaches some class 4 rapids.

Children must be at least 8 years old.

Starting time: 8:00 AM or 11:30 AM; Duration: 4.5 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, fruits, snacks, and lunch.

Round trip transportation will be provided. You will be picked up at your hotel and head to the Quepos’s pier. A guide will take you to the loading platform and help you board the catamaran. You will set sail towards the horizon and cruise over sapphire-hued waves. The catamaran will chart a picturesque course departing from Quepos and gliding around the back of the Manuel Antonio National Park. Your guide will point out notable wildlife and vegetation, so make sure to have your camera ready. You will travel by extraordinary scenarios adorned with islands, cliffs, and rock formations. You may admire bird nesting grounds and marine wildlife. Beverages and snacks will be available onboard throughout the trip. After touring the coastline, your captain will set anchor at Biesanz Bay where you may snorkel or rest onboard. You are most likely to spot parrotfish, starfish, angelfish, and if you are lucky a dolphin! During the tour, you may enjoy a tasty barbeque lunch onboard as you admire the lovely waterscapes.

Important: This Manuel Antonio tour does not require previous experience. Water visibility depends on the season.

From May to November the afternoon tour does not operate due to weather conditions.

Starting time: 8:00 AM or 1:00 PM; Duration: 5 hours approx.

This tour includes: Transportation, services of a bilingual guide, snacks, and lunch.

The Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays. 
Transportation is provided and you will be picked up at your hotel to start your ride to the Manuel Antonio National Park. This national park is one of the most famous in our country due to its wide variety of flora and fauna. The park has 3 different trails that go from flat to very steep. On this tour a very knowledgeable nature guide will walk you through the Manuel Antonio National Park, explaining the mysteries of the rainforest. The trail you will take is flat and picturesque and loops through the park making your course about 2 miles long. Throughout your hike your guide will stop and teach you about the park’s natural history, which include exhaustive descriptions of animals and plants that can be observed during the hike. Along the way, you can take pictures or just admire the view. One of the highlights of this tour is that Manuel Antonio hosts 3 of the 4 existing tropical primates (monkeys) living in Costa Rica. Half way through the hike, you will enjoy a leisure stop at the world wide famous Third Beach. Once there you can rest on the beach or play with the waves. This stop is about 20 minutes. Throughout the hike is common to see sloths, birds and reptiles as well as admire orchids, butterflies and tropical trees. Your guides are equipped with Pentax and Swarovski telescopes, so you can observe wildlife and take pictures from a different perspective. Once the tour is over transportation will be provided and you will be taken back to your hotel

Today you will be transferred back to San Jose, where you will spend the rest of the day at leisure. You may book one of our optional tours.

Overnight in San Jose

At proper time, transfer to San Jose airport. Upon arrival in Panama City you will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight in Panama City

After breakfast, meet your guide in the morning and head to the ruins of Old Panama, and trace back the colonial roots of Panama City. We will climb the cathedral tower to take in the views of the city and visit the Old Panama City Museum to get a deeper understanding of this Central American nation’s history. Continue to the old city compound, the famous Casco Antiguo, and make your way down the picturesque narrow lanes. Visit landmarks such as the Flat Arch, The Cathedral, Las Bovedas and the French Plaza ,and learn about the ill-fated attempt of the French to construct a canal through the isthmus. All the while, listen to your guide describe the events that led to the establishment of the capital in its current location. Your tour concludes with a private transfer back to your accommodation

 Overnight in Panama City

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. After that, head out to your tour which starts at Flamenco Marina. You will board the Pacific Queen and set sail towards the entrance of Panama Canal on the Pacific Ocean. Take a moment to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City’s splendorous skyline before you pass under the Bridge of the Americas. The Panama Canal partial transit tour begins with the Pacific Queen entering the Miraflores Locks where the vessel is raised 18 meters above sea level in two distinct steps. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Miraflores from Pedro Miguel Locks. Next, the Pacific Queen will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is the second set of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is raised 9 meters in one step. After exiting the Pedro Miguel Locks, you will be able to view the new Centennial Bridge which crosses over the Canal. You will then enter the south end of the Gailard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gailard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. The Pacific Queen will travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometers on the way to Gamboa Dredging Division. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides. You will disembark at the Gamboa Dredging Division where you will board motor coaches for a 45- minute ride back to the Flamenco Marina.

Overnight in Panam City

Early in the morning, after breakfast, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby to begin your journey to the Soberania National Park. As you leave the Panama City limits, buildings will slowly be replaced by secondary and primary rainforest. You will pass the former Fort Clayton, Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks before entering the park. Here you will board a boat and head off on an adventure across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal passing by monumental cargo ships transiting the waterway. Along the way, keep your eyes out for green iguanas, ospreys, snail kites, frigate birds, and other wildlife local to the area. The boat will circle rainforest covered islands, allowing us to observe and search for the mantled howler monkey, white-faced capuchin, and Geoffroy’s tamarin. After the tour, we will hike one of the trails of the lush forest.

Overnight at the Soberania National Park

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. After that, you will be picked up your hotel and transferred to El Corotu; on the shores of Madden Lake. Here we will board a motorized piragua (dugout canoe) and travel through dense jungle up the Chagres River to one of the Embera indigenous villages for the day experience. The boat journey takes you through the 320,000-acre Chagres National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Along the Chagres River, you may be able to spot the little blue and green heron, great egret, anhinga, neotropical cormorant and green kingfishers, and ospreys flying above. Upon our arrival at the Embera village, we will be welcomed with traditional dancing and music. You will learn about fascinating Embera traditions and their close relationship with nature. They are master artisans, famous for their woven baskets and masks, as well as their qualitative wooden carvings of cocobolo and intricate tagua. There will be handcrafts available for sale and you will have the chance to be painted with the traditional jagua, a natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies. After a traditional Embera lunch we will head back to your accommodation.

Overnight at the Soberania National Park

Today, at the arranged time, your guide will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to Panama City airport for your flight home.