Costa Rica Eco Experiences - Private or Self-Drive - 8D/7N

photo of monkeys at Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica, courtesy of the Costa Rica Tourism Board Manuel Antonio National Park: Let an experienced nature guide take you on an informative hike through beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park. Although the main attractions of this park are its two white sand beaches - Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio - it also protects coastal rain forest, a mangrove swamp, coral formations and 12 islands that serve as seabird sanctuaries. Your guide will teach you about the park’s distinctive plant life and point out some of the resident fauna, which include 109 mammal species -such as capuchin, Howler and squirrel monkeys, agouti and three-toed sloth - and 184 species of birds. Recommendations: Suntan lotion, swimsuit, towel, beach sandals, insect repellent, camera & hat.

Included: Meals as indicated in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)- Meal Taxes (13% sales + 10% service) - Hotel Taxes (13% sales + 3,4% Tourism) - Private: Private Transportation including bilingual guide/driver - Round trip airport transfers: International Airport / San Jose Hotel / International Airport - Ground Transfer: San José - Arenal - Ground transfer: Arenal – Monteverde - Ground Transfer: Monteverde – Manuel Antonio - Ground Transfer: Manuel Antonio – San José - Each individual service includes air-conditioned transportation. Self-Drive: Round trip airport transfers: International Airport / San Jose Hotel / International Airport - Six (6) days of car rental service: manual SUV Intermediate (Toyota Rav 4 or similar).
Tours & Activities: Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs Tour. Private: Poás Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens Tour - Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Tour - Manuel Antonio National Park Tour. Self-Drive: Poás Volcano National Park entrance fee - La Paz Waterfall Gardens entrance fee - Monteverde Cloud Forest entrance fee - Manuel Antonio National Park entrance fee.

Not Included: Departure airport Taxes US$26.00 per person. This amount must be paid directly at the International Airport - Meals or activities not specified on the itinerary.
Self-Drive: Mandatory deposit (US$750.00) and insurance (US$18.00 daily) are not included on the car rental. These amounts must be paid to the car rental company with a personal international credit card.

Notes: Minimum of 2 Participants - Car Rental Requirements: Minimum age 21 years, valid passport or tourist card & valid driver’s license - All major credit cards are accepted - Rates are subject to change & government insurance without previous notice.

Departures: Daily All year round (This package does not apply for peak seasons: Christmas Week, New Year Eve Week and Easter Week. During these season programs ought to be re-quoted and special conditions may apply).

Accommodation: Two nights in superior room at El Rodeo Hotel or similar in San José - Two nights in standard room at Arenal Paraíso Hotel or similar in Arenal - One night in standard room at Fonda Vela Hotel or similar in Monteverde - Two nights in garden room at Parador Hotel or similar in Manuel Antonio.

photo of Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica, courtesy of Tourism Board of Costa RicaDay by day Itinerary:

  • Day 1 Welcome to Costa Rica - Arrival to Juan Santamaría International Airport; meet, greet, and transfer to hotel. Accommodation at El Rodeo Hotel or similar.
  • Day 2 Arenal - Early breakfast followed by transfer Arenal area with visit Poás Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens on route. After lunch, continue with transfer to Arenal area; afternoon arrival to the hotel. Accommodation at Hotel Arenal Paraíso or similar.(B, L)
  • Day 3 Arenal - Breakfast and rest of morning at leisure. Mid afternoon departure on tour to Arenal Volcano & local Hot Springs. Please ensure that you bring your swimming costume so that you can swim at the hot springs. Accommodation at Hotel Arenal Paraíso or similar.(B, D)
  • Day 4 Monteverde Cloud Forest - Breakfast followed by transfer to Monteverde Cloud Forest; arrival to hotel at noon and afternoon at leisure. Accommodation at Fonda Vela Hotel or similar. (B)
  • Day 5 Monteverde - Central Pacific Coast - Breakfast followed by guided walk to Monteverde Cloud Forest Private Reserve. Monteverde, a cloud forest is quite a different environment from the rainforests of the rest of the country. Return to hotel to get ready for your departure to Manuel Antonio located on the beautiful Central Pacific Coast. Accommodation at Parador Hotel or similar.(B)
  • Day 6 Manuel Antonio - Breakfast in the hotel. Departure on tour to Manuel Antonio National Park (Closed on Mondays); afternoon at leisure. Accommodation at Parador Hotel or similar.(B)
  • Day 7 San José - Breakfast at hotel and morning at leisure; afternoon transfer back to San Jose. Accommodation at El Rodeo Hotel or similar.(B)
  • Day 8 Adiós Costa Rica! - Transfer to the international airport for flight back to home.(B)


Insure My Trip We provide, through “Insure My Trip” comparison site, travel insurance policies from Access America, AIG Travel Guard, CSA Travel Protection, Global Underwriters, HTH Worldwide, International Medical Group, MEDEX, MedjetAssist, MultiNational Underwriters, On Call International, RBC Travel Protection, Seven Corners, Travel Insured, Travelex and TravelSafe. Click to compare the policies available.

Also tagged with: Hiking, Active Travel, Central America, Adventure Expeditions, Self Drive, Trekking, Costa Rica, Ecological Travel, Educational, Photography, Cultural, Nature / Ecology, Eco-Lodges, Bird Watching, Hosted Tours, Private Escorted Journey, Private Tour, Falls