Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Costa Rica active: raft the Pacuare, hike Arenal, kayak and bike
9 days from San José: a Pacuare River rafting day, three nights at Arenal with a lake kayak, a bike ride and Cerro Chato, two nights in Monteverde and a last night at Manuel Antonio.
9 days · Round trip from San José · up to 12 guests
Arenal Volcano, above La Fortuna Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arenal_Volcano_01.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from San José
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4.5 h on day 8
- Activity level
Active
One full rafting day on class III to IV water (about 3.5 to 4 hours of paddling, no experience needed), a guided bike ride of about 25 km on rolling rural roads with a support van, a morning kayak, and hikes of up to 4 hours on steep, muddy trail up Cerro Chato. Every demanding day has an easier option at the same base, and you can sit any activity out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 545 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Raft the Pacuare River through its forested gorge, class III to IV, with lunch on the bank
- Kayak Lake Arenal at 7:30 am, before the wind, with the volcano over the water
- Walk the 1968 lava flows below Arenal and hike to Cerro Chato's crater lagoon on a guided route
- Cycle the farm roads around La Fortuna with a support van behind you
- Cross Lake Arenal by boat to Monteverde, then walk the cloud forest after dark
- The Monteverde reserve at its 7 am opening, then a zip line canopy tour
- Paddle the Damas mangroves and walk Manuel Antonio National Park at opening
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 4.5 h, on day 8.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 545 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4.5 h, on day 8.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in San José
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to your hotel in San José
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in San José
- Drive about 30 min
Evening
Fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), about 20 km west of the city centre, in time for the evening briefing: plan to land by about 3 pm (the latest workable arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary). A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the half-hour drive into San José, the capital, which sits in the Central Valley at about 1,150 m, so evenings are mild. If you arrive early, the Museo Nacional is a short walk from many central hotels, in the old Bellavista barracks. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group to talk through the week: what to wear on the river, how the bike ride works, and the easy and active choice on each day. Then we walk to dinner together at a local restaurant. Tomorrow is the earliest start of the trip, so it is not a late night.
Included
- Pick-up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Rafting the Pacuare River
San José to the Pacuare River put-in, by raft to the Siquirres take-out, then to Sarapiquí
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sarapiquí
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
Pick-up is about 6:30 am, the earliest start of the trip, because the rafting outfitters run the river in the morning; the only other early gates, 7 am at Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, are set by the parks' opening times. We drive about two hours east past Cartago and Turrialba to the put-in, with breakfast at the outfitter's base on the way. After a safety briefing and paddle practice, you raft the lower Pacuare, about 28 km of class III and IV rapids through a deep, forested gorge with waterfalls running down its walls. Each raft has its own certified river guide, and no experience is needed.
Afternoon
Lunch is on the riverbank halfway down. You come off the water near Siquirres in the early afternoon, change into dry clothes, and our own vehicle takes us about an hour and a half north through banana country to Sarapiquí.
Evening
We reach the riverside lodge at about 5 pm, with the evening free; we never go back through San José.
Included
- Full-day Pacuare River rafting with a certified river guide in each raft (class III to IV)
- Breakfast at the outfitter's base and lunch on the riverbank
- Drive from the take-out to Sarapiquí in our own vehicle
Easier option: Skip the river: our guide and driver take you to Guayabo National Monument near Turrialba, Costa Rica's most important archaeological site, arriving for its 8 am opening (opening days are confirmed at booking), then meet the group at the take-out.
Free time: Evening free at the lodge from about 5 pm
Activity: About 3.5 to 4 hours on the water. Wear quick-drying clothes and strap-on shoes; you will get wet. Outfitters set a minimum age (often 12) and ask about health conditions.
Over to Arenal and the 1968 lava flows
Sarapiquí to La Fortuna, then the Arenal 1968 trails
- Breakfast
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
Wake early if you like for a bird walk in the lodge grounds with a local guide; the lowland forest of Sarapiquí is good for toucans, parrots and herons at first light. After breakfast we drive about two hours west across the northern plains to La Fortuna, the town below Arenal Volcano, where we stay three nights.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice in town. In the afternoon we walk the Arenal 1968 trails, on the private reserve west of the volcano, crossing the lava flows of the eruption that began in July 1968, when Arenal woke after centuries of quiet and buried the villages of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo. It stayed active until 2010 and now rests. The trails end at a viewpoint over the lake and the cone, about 1,630 m high, which often clears in the late afternoon.
Evening
The evening is free: most people go to the hot springs.
Included
- Early bird walk in Sarapiquí with a local guide
- Drive from Sarapiquí to La Fortuna
- Arenal 1968 lava trails with your guide, entry included
Optional experiences
- Hot springs in La Fortuna in the evening
Easier option: Walk only the first loop of the 1968 trails to the lava flow viewpoint and wait for the group at the visitor centre.
Free time: Evening free in La Fortuna
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on gravel and lava rock with short climbs.
Kayak Lake Arenal, then ride the farm roads
La Fortuna to Lake Arenal, then by bike back towards La Fortuna
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 1 h
Afternoon
Lake Arenal is usually calm early and windy by the afternoon, so we are on the water at about 7:30 am. A local outfitter launches sit-on-top kayaks near the dam end of the lake, the largest in Costa Rica, and on a clear morning the volcano stands straight across the water. After about two hours of paddling we swap to bikes for a guided ride of about 25 km on quiet rural roads between the lake and La Fortuna, past cattle farms, small villages and patches of forest, with our van following behind for water, snacks and anyone who wants a rest. The roads roll rather than climb hard, and the guide sets the pace for the group. We stop for a sit-down lunch at a soda, a small family restaurant, on the way back into town. The afternoon is free: the hot springs, a nap or a coffee tour.
Included
- Guided kayak on Lake Arenal, about 2 hours
- Guided bike ride of about 25 km with a support van, bike and helmet included
- Sit-down lunch at a local soda
Optional experiences
- Hot springs in the evening
Easier option: Ride an e-bike, or ride the first half and then join the van; the kayak can be shared in a double.
More active option: A longer loop of about 40 km with more climbing, with the van as backup.
Free time: Afternoon free in La Fortuna
Activity: About 2 hours of paddling and 2 to 3 hours on the bike. No experience needed for either.
Cerro Chato and La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna to Cerro Chato, then La Fortuna Waterfall
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 30 min
Cerro Chato is the older, dormant cone on Arenal's flank, and a lagoon now fills its crater.
Morning
Its public trails were closed in 2017, so we hike it only on a legal guided route through private land that we confirm before your departure; if none is open, the morning is the Arenal hanging bridges or the Arenal Observatory trails instead. On the hike we start at about 7:30 am, before the heat, on a steep forest trail of roots and mud to the crater rim and down to the water, about three to four hours there and back, with views back to Arenal near the top when the cloud allows.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch we go to La Fortuna Waterfall, which drops about 70 m into a pool below the forest, about 500 steps down from the entrance. When the water level allows and park staff open it, you can swim in the river below the falls. If you skip the hike, you walk the hanging bridges and meet the group for lunch.
Evening
The late afternoon and evening are free.
Included
- Guided hike up Cerro Chato to its crater lagoon (or the Arenal hanging bridges or Observatory trails if no legal route is open)
- Sit-down lunch
- La Fortuna Waterfall, entry included, with a swim when the park allows it
Optional experiences
- Canyoning (waterfall rappelling) with a local outfitter in the afternoon instead of the waterfall
Easier option: Walk the Arenal hanging bridges in the morning instead of Cerro Chato, then the waterfall viewpoint at the top of the steps.
More active option: Cerro Chato is the active option; strong hikers can add the river trail below the waterfall.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: The hardest walk of the trip: steep, muddy trail with roots, about 3 to 4 hours return, then about 500 steps at the waterfall. If no legal guided route up Cerro Chato is open, the morning runs the Arenal hanging bridges or the Arenal Observatory trails. Swimming below the falls depends on the water level.
Across the lake to Monteverde
La Fortuna to the Lake Arenal dam, by boat to Río Chiquito, then up to Monteverde
- Breakfast
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A slower morning, then we drive half an hour to the dam at the east end of Lake Arenal and cross by boat, about 25 minutes, with the volcano behind us on a clear day. Our driver takes the luggage round the lake by road, so you travel light. On the far shore a van takes us up through pasture and wind-bent forest to Monteverde, in the Tilarán mountains at about 1,400 m, so it is noticeably cooler.
Afternoon
We arrive for a late lunch of your choice in Santa Elena, the village at the centre of the area, and our hotel is within walking distance of it. The afternoon is free to rest after three busy days.
Evening
At dusk a local naturalist guide takes us on a night walk in the forest with torches, looking for sleeping birds, tarantulas, stick insects, tree frogs and, with luck, a sloth or a kinkajou.
Included
- Boat across Lake Arenal
- Transfer up to Monteverde
- Guided night walk in the cloud forest with a local naturalist
Free time: Afternoon free in Santa Elena
Activity: About 2 hours on foot after dark on easy trails; bring a warm layer.
Monteverde cloud forest and the zip line
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, then a canopy tour
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 30 min
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve opens at 7 am, and the first hour is the quietest and the best for birds, so we are at the gate when it opens. A local naturalist guide with a spotting scope walks us for about three hours under trees hung with moss, ferns and orchids, listening for three-wattled bellbirds and looking for the resplendent quetzal, which is easiest to see from about January to June. Mist comes and goes most mornings, and that is the point: it waters the whole forest.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in Santa Elena, the afternoon is a zip line canopy tour over and through the forest, with the outfitter's safety briefing first. If zip lines are not for you, walk a hanging bridges trail instead and see the canopy at your own pace.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve at opening with a local naturalist guide, entry included
- Sit-down lunch in Santa Elena
- Zip line canopy tour
Optional experiences
- Coffee and chocolate farm tour in the late afternoon
Easier option: Walk a hanging bridges trail instead of the zip line.
More active option: Stay on in the reserve after the guided walk and hike out to La Ventana, the viewpoint on the continental divide.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on well-made but often wet trails. Bring a rain jacket even in the dry season.
Down to the Pacific and the Damas mangroves
Monteverde to Tárcoles, then down the coast to Manuel Antonio
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
- Drive about 4.5 h
Afternoon
We leave Monteverde at about 8 am for the longest drive of the trip, about 190 km and 4 to 4.5 hours of driving with the mountain descent, broken by a stop and lunch so no stretch is more than about two and a half hours. First we wind down out of the mountains to the coast highway and stop at the bridge over the Tárcoles River, where large American crocodiles bask on the sandbanks below. Then we follow the Pacific south, with a sit-down lunch on the way, and reach Manuel Antonio in the early afternoon. Later, when the tide is right, we paddle kayaks through the mangrove channels of the Damas Island estuary near Quepos with a local guide, on flat, sheltered water, looking for herons, kingfishers, crabs and sometimes white-faced capuchin monkeys in the branches.
Evening
In the evening the group sits down to a farewell dinner, with the sunset over the Pacific if the sky is clear.
Included
- Stop at the Tárcoles River bridge for the crocodiles
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Guided mangrove kayak in the Damas Island estuary
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Share a double kayak with a guide, or skip the paddle for the pool and beach.
More active option: A stand-up paddleboard in the estuary instead of the kayak.
Activity: About 2 hours of easy paddling on calm water; the start time depends on the tide.
Manuel Antonio at opening, then home
Manuel Antonio National Park, then to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3.5 h
Manuel Antonio National Park is small and popular, with a daily cap on visitors, and sells tickets online only, so we buy them ahead and go in at 7 am, when it opens, the air is cooler and the animals are most active. A naturalist guide with a scope helps you find two- and three-toed sloths, white-faced capuchins, iguanas and sometimes the small squirrel monkeys of this coast. The trails are flat and easy and lead to white-sand beaches where you can swim before we leave.
Afternoon
We are out by about 10 am for the drive of about three and a half hours back up the coast and over the mountains to Juan Santamaría International Airport, with a lunch stop on the way (lunch at your own cost). The park closes on Tuesdays, so we set departures to avoid a Tuesday day 9; where that cannot be done, the visit moves to the day 8 afternoon. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm. Your guide sees you to the terminal and checks your flight before saying goodbye.
Included
- Manuel Antonio National Park at opening with a naturalist guide, entry included
- Drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Easier option: Stay on the main trail and beach with the guide; the walking is flat throughout.
More active option: Walk the loop trail to the Punta Catedral viewpoint before the swim.
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm. For an earlier flight we go straight to the airport after breakfast.
- San José1 night
- Sarapiquí1 night
- La Fortuna3 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio1 night
- San Joséend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to April is drier, with the best trail and river conditions; from May to November most afternoons bring rain, the Pacuare runs higher and Cerro Chato gets very muddy, so we keep the active plans to the mornings.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Active travellers who want to raft, paddle, ride and hike, not just watch
- First-time rafters: no experience is needed on the Pacuare
- Couples and friends who like to choose between a harder and an easier day
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a fair single supplement
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want a slow, sightseeing-led trip (see our Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio trip)
- Anyone who cannot swim or is not comfortable in moving water and does not want the Guayabo alternative
- A beach holiday: there is one night on the coast
- Step-free access: trails are steep, wet and uneven
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- San José1 night
- Sarapiquí1 night
- La Fortuna3 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 1 in San José, 1 at a riverside lodge in Sarapiquí, 3 in La Fortuna below Arenal, 2 in Monteverde within walking distance of Santa Elena, 1 in Manuel Antonio
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group
- The rafting outfitter's transport to and from the Pacuare
- Boat across Lake Arenal, with your luggage driven round
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with certified river guides on the Pacuare and local naturalist guides on the trails and in the parks
Activities
- Full-day Pacuare River rafting (class III to IV)
- Bird walk in Sarapiquí
- Arenal 1968 lava trails
- Lake Arenal kayak
- Guided bike ride of about 25 km with a support van
- Cerro Chato crater lagoon hike
- La Fortuna Waterfall
- Monteverde night walk
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve with a naturalist guide
- Zip line canopy tour in Monteverde
- Tárcoles crocodile bridge
- Damas Island mangrove kayak
- Manuel Antonio National Park with a naturalist guide
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: on the river, after the bike ride, after Cerro Chato, in Monteverde and on the way to the Pacific
- Welcome dinner in San José and farewell dinner in Manuel Antonio
- Tell us about dietary needs at booking (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies) and we pass them to every lodge and restaurant on the route
Not included
- International flights to and from San José
- Travel insurance (it must cover rafting and zip lining)
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and river guides
- Optional activities: hot springs, canyoning, coffee tours
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 545 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in hotels and lodges, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every activity in the day plan: Pacuare rafting, the Lake Arenal kayak, the bike ride, Arenal 1968, Cerro Chato (or its fallback), the waterfall, the night walk, the zip line, the mangrove kayak and both park entries with naturalist guides.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, against 16 on many Costa Rica adventure trips. That means two or three rafts on the river, one van, and a guide who can split the group when some want the active option and some the easy one.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group all nine days. Certified river guides captain each raft on the Pacuare, and local naturalist guides lead the night walk, the Monteverde reserve and Manuel Antonio, where licensed guides spot wildlife you would walk past.
How fit do I need to be?
You should be active and comfortable walking 3 to 4 hours on steep, muddy trail, paddling for two hours and riding a bike for two to three. No experience is needed for rafting, kayaking or the zip line. Every demanding day has an easier option at the same base, so you can sit any part out.
Do I need rafting experience for the Pacuare?
No. The lower Pacuare is class III to IV, which means big, splashy rapids, but the outfitter gives a full safety briefing and paddle practice, and every raft has a certified river guide. Outfitters set a minimum age, often 12, and ask about health conditions; we confirm both when you book.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is CAD 545 more on the small-group trip, about 17 percent of the price, shown before you book with no extras at checkout. If you prefer to share, tell us and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender.
When is the best time to go?
December to April is the drier season, with the best trail and river conditions. From May to November most afternoons bring rain, the Pacuare runs higher and Cerro Chato gets very muddy, so we keep activities to the mornings. Quetzals in Monteverde are easiest to see from about January to June.
What happens if it rains or the river is too high?
Rain is part of the cloud forest and most activities run in it. If the outfitter or a guide decides a river, lake or trail is unsafe, we move the activity to another day at the same base where the outfitter can, or swap to an alternative such as the hanging bridges or a lower river section. We tell you of any cost difference before the trip.
How long are the drives?
Most days have under four hours in the vehicle. The longest is Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, about 190 km and 4 to 4.5 hours of driving, broken by the Tárcoles crocodile bridge and a sit-down lunch. We sleep in Sarapiquí after the river, so we never drive back through San José on the way to Arenal.
Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?
Canadian, US, UK and most EU passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay; Canadians and Americans are usually given up to 90 days. You need a passport valid for your whole stay and an onward or return ticket. Check the rules for your own passport before you book, as they can change.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 3,205 per person sharing, with taxes, and the private trip from CAD 5,770.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same activities and hotels.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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