Costa Rica Ultimate Wildlife Safari

Arrive San Jose

On arrival in San Jose you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your accommodation where you can relax, recuperate from your flight and look forward to your imminent adventure.

Overnight: Grano de Oro

San Jose - Tortuguero National Park

After your departure from San Jose, driving through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park, you will stop in Rio Danta for a delicious typical breakfast. The bus ride continues through banana plantations and onto the pier. A two-hour boat ride through the canals will take you to your lodge, just in time for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided visit of Tortuguero village to learn about the history of this little town and the way of living of the local residents. Return to the lodge via a walking trail along the famous beach. The rest of the day will be spent at your own leisure, perhaps relaxing in a hammock at the lodge.

Overnight: Evergreen Lodge (B, L, D)

Tortuguero National Park

Over the next two days you will explore the wildlife rich Tortuguero region, in the northeast Atlantic area of Costa Rica. Tortuguero is one of Costa Rica's best known national parks, and not without good reason. Besides protecting a 22-mile stretch of idyllic beach that is one of the largest and most important green turtle nesting grounds, it also serves as a refuge for other turtles, such as leatherbacks and hawkbills. Tortuguero`s surrounding network of rainforest and canals are also home to manatees, crocodiles, tapirs, jaguars, monkeys and sloths - a true tropical wildlife haven.

Overnight: Evergreen Lodge (B, L, D)

Tortuguero - Osa Peninsula

This morning you will be transferred to the airport in Tortuguero in time for your flight to the Osa Peninsula. Accessed only by boat from Sierpe, your new temporary home will be Casa Corcovado, the perfect base for immersing yourself in the jungle and the closest lodge to the national park.

Overnight: Casa Corcovado Lodge (B, L, D)

Osa Peninsula

You will spend the next 3 days within the Corcovado region; the last remaining piece of sustainable forest of its type left in Central America, with National Geographic describing it as 'the most biologically intense place on earth'. The animal life in this section of the National Park is abundant, with frequent sighting of monkeys, coatimundis, squirrels, macaws, bats, leaf cutting ants, and many other animal species. Explore the coral reefs around the ancient Indian burial ground of Caño Island, observe the wildlife in the national park and, if you're feeling adventurous, try your hand at kayaking or abseiling down a waterfall.

Overnight: Casa Corcovado Lodge (B, L, D)

Osa Peninsula - Monteverde

Enjoy waking up to the sounds of the forest, before being transferred to the airport for your flight to San Jose. On arrival, you are driven for approximately four hours to Monteverde.

Monteverde

The next couple of days will be yours to explore some of Monteverde's renowned swathe of cloud forest that surrounds the town with your expert naturalist. The reserve has six different ecosystems or 'life zones' and is the last remaining area of cloud forest in Central America, containing unusual plant species, butterflies, and orchids as well as marsupials, bats and primates. With your guide, you will also visit the garden of hummingbirds, where a variety of colourful hummingbird species can be observed.

Monteverde - Arenal

Today, you will be met early by your driver and guide at your hotel, before enjoying a very scenic drive (approximately four hours) to Arenal. After checking in to your hotel you will head out for a tour of Arenal Volcano. Few sites in Costa Rica inspire more respect and admiration than Arenal Volcano; at 5437 feet, its tall and conical shape stands imposing over the pastured green hillsides that surround its base. The tour will allow you to enjoy the most extraordinary views of Arenal Volcano during a gentle hike along the lower slopes of the volcano. Afterwards, a relaxing soak in the natural mineral waters of the Tabacon Hot Springs will finish a perfect day.

Overnight: Nayara Gardens (B)

Arenal

Spend the next two days enjoying some of the many activities in the area. Head to Cano Negro Wildlife Reserve, home to a number of endangered species including jaguar, tapir and various primates, enjoy a day of rafting or even try some canyoning.

Overnight: Nayara Gardens (B)

Arenal - San Gerardo de Dota

Today you will be met by your guide and transferred from Arenal to San Gerardo de Dota (approximately five hours). The nearby Los Quetzales National Park is a nature lovers paradise, in particular for the incredible plethora of birdlife that the park has to offer.

Overnight: Trogon Lodge (B)

San Gerardo de Dota

San Gerardo de Dota is the perfect destination for bird lovers, where you may see tanagers, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and even the majestic quetzal. Your lodge provides a tranquil and charming base from which to explore the countryside, and has many optional activities for its guests to enjoy, such as bird watching and horse riding excursions. The lodge also arranges its own canopy tour, from where you can get a bird's eye perspective of the green landscape while zipping the lines.

Overnight: Trogon Lodge (B)

San Gerardo de Dota - San Jose - Depart

Today you will be transferred back to San Jose, in time for your international flight home.