Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio
9 days from San José: two nights under Arenal Volcano with hot springs, two in the Monteverde cloud forest and two on the Pacific at Manuel Antonio.
9 days · Round trip from San José · up to 12 guests
Arenal Volcano near La Fortuna Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arenal_Volcano_02.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 h on day 6No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Guided forest walks of 2 to 3 hours on most days, about 3 to 4 km each on trails that can be muddy, canopy bridges at treetop height, an optional few hundred steps down to La Fortuna Waterfall, and one 4-hour travel day. Any walk can be shortened or sat out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 460 (estimated price)
- Season
- Year round, driest December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Arenal Volcano National Park at its 8 am opening, with a naturalist and a telescope
- A soak in volcano-heated hot springs at dusk, with dinner, included
- By boat across Lake Arenal to Monteverde, instead of four hours round the lake by road
- A guided night walk, then the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve at 7 am
- The hanging bridges through the cloud forest canopy, included
- Crocodiles from the Tárcoles River bridge on the way down to the Pacific
- Manuel Antonio National Park at opening, ending on the beach inside the park
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
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 460 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 6.
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 to your hotel in San José
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in San José
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), about 20 km west of San José in Alajuela, at any time of day. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive into the city, 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. San José sits at about 1,150 m in the Central Valley, ringed by volcanoes and coffee slopes, so evenings are mild rather than tropical. If you land early, the Mercado Central, a covered market of narrow aisles with sodas, spice stalls and coffee sellers, is a short walk from the centre. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week: how the days run, what to pack for the cloud forest, and which early starts are worth it and why.
Evening
Then we walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner of Costa Rican dishes such as casado, gallo pinto and fresh fruit drinks. Tomorrow starts after breakfast, at about 8 am.
Included
- Pick-up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Land by about 4 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed the next morning.
Over the mountains to Arenal
San José to Zarcero, then La Fortuna
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave San José at about 8 am, after breakfast and before the city traffic builds, and climb northwest through coffee country into the Central Volcanic range. After about an hour and a half we stop in Zarcero, a hill town at about 1,700 m known for the clipped cypress topiary in the park in front of its church: time for a coffee and a stretch. From there the road drops through dairy pasture and cloud into the northern lowlands, and the cone of Arenal Volcano appears ahead if the clouds allow.
Afternoon
We reach La Fortuna, our base for two nights, in time for a sit-down lunch together. The afternoon is free to settle in, swim or walk round the small town. As the light goes, we drive a few minutes to one of the hot spring parks around La Fortuna, where water heated by the volcano runs through pools set in gardens.
Evening
Soak for as long as you like; dinner is included at the springs.
Included
- Drive from San José to La Fortuna with your guide
- Coffee stop in Zarcero
- Sit-down lunch in La Fortuna
- Evening entry to a hot spring park near La Fortuna, with dinner
Free time: Afternoon free in La Fortuna
Activity: Bring swimwear and a change of clothes for the hot springs.
Arenal at opening, then the waterfall
La Fortuna to Arenal Volcano National Park, then La Fortuna Waterfall
- Breakfast
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 1 h
Arenal is the reason most people come here: a cone of about 1,630 m that erupted without warning in 1968 and stayed active until 2010.
Morning
Its summit is often in cloud by late morning, so we are at the gate of Arenal Volcano National Park when it opens at about 8 am. A licensed naturalist walks us through regrown forest and over old lava flows, now covered in ferns and shrubs, to a viewpoint over the volcano and Lake Arenal. The trails are mostly gentle, about 3 to 4 km in all, and the naturalist carries a telescope for the toucans, howler monkeys and coatis we may meet.
Afternoon
We are back in town by noon, and lunch is your choice. In the afternoon we drive about ten minutes to La Fortuna Waterfall, roughly 70 m high, dropping into a forest pool. A viewpoint sits at the top; the pool is about 500 steps down, and you can swim.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Arenal Volcano National Park from opening with a licensed naturalist: forest trails, old lava flows and the volcano viewpoint
- La Fortuna Waterfall entry
Optional experiences
- Canyoning, whitewater rafting or ziplining around La Fortuna, booked at the operator's own price
Easier option: Stay at the waterfall viewpoint at the top instead of walking down to the pool, or spend the afternoon at the hotel pool.
More active option: Walk down the roughly 500 steps to swim in the pool below the waterfall, then climb back up.
Free time: Lunch and the evening free in La Fortuna
Activity: About 3 to 4 km on gentle park trails in the morning; the waterfall steps are optional.
Across Lake Arenal to Monteverde
La Fortuna by road to Lake Arenal, by boat across the lake, then by road up to Monteverde
- Breakfast
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 2 h
There is no direct road from La Fortuna to Monteverde, and the drive round Lake Arenal takes about four hours, so we cross the lake instead.
Morning
After breakfast a short drive takes us to a dock near the Arenal dam, where a covered boat carries the group and our bags across the water, with the volcano behind us when the sky is clear. Lake Arenal is a reservoir, the largest lake in Costa Rica, formed when the dam was finished in 1979. On the far shore our van meets us for the climb into the Tilarán hills, the last stretch on a winding, partly unpaved road, to Santa Elena, the village beside the Monteverde reserves at about 1,400 m.
Afternoon
We arrive around midday, and lunch and the afternoon are yours.
Evening
At dusk we go out with a naturalist on a two-hour guided night walk in a private reserve, torch in hand, looking for sleeping birds, tarantulas, tree frogs and, with luck, a sloth or a kinkajou.
Included
- Van and boat crossing of Lake Arenal, with road transfers either side
- Guided night walk with a naturalist in a private reserve near Santa Elena
Free time: Lunch and the afternoon free in Santa Elena
Activity: The night walk is about 2 hours on forest paths; bring a warm layer, as Monteverde evenings are cool.
Inside the Monteverde cloud forest
Santa Elena to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, then a hanging-bridges park
- Breakfast
- 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. With a licensed naturalist and a telescope we walk about 3 km of the reserve's trails under trees thick with mosses, bromeliads and orchids, listening for the metallic call of the three-wattled bellbird and looking for the resplendent quetzal, seen most often from about February to June. The reserve was founded in 1972, with land from the Quaker families who settled here in the early 1950s.
Afternoon
Lunch back in Santa Elena is your choice. In the afternoon we walk the hanging bridges at a canopy park nearby: a loop of trail and suspension bridges at treetop height, which shows the cloud forest from the level where most of its life happens. If cloud or rain closes in, your guide swaps the morning and afternoon.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve from opening with a licensed naturalist
- Hanging bridges at a canopy park near Santa Elena
Optional experiences
- Ziplining through the canopy, a coffee and chocolate farm tour or a butterfly garden, booked at the operator's own price
Easier option: Skip the hanging bridges and spend the afternoon in Santa Elena, or at the hummingbird feeders by the reserve entrance.
More active option: Stay on in the reserve after the guided walk and walk the longer trails to the continental divide viewpoint; the van collects you in the early afternoon.
Free time: Lunch and the evening free
Activity: About 3 km in the reserve and 2 to 3 km on the bridge trail; paths can be wet and the air is cool and damp.
Down to the Pacific, by way of the crocodiles
Monteverde to the Tárcoles River bridge, then Manuel Antonio
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
- Drive about 4 h
Today is the longest drive, about four hours and 190 km, so we break it in two. We leave Monteverde at about 8 am and wind down out of the hills to the Pan-American Highway, then south towards the Pacific coast road. Our first stop, after about two hours, is the bridge over the Tárcoles River, where large American crocodiles usually lie on the sandbanks below, in plain view from the walkway.
Afternoon
A little further down the coast we stop for a sit-down lunch together, then follow the coast road past Jacó and through oil palm plantations to Quepos, and up the hill to Manuel Antonio, our base for two nights. We arrive in the middle of the afternoon.
Evening
The rest of the day is free: swim in the hotel pool, walk down to Playa Espadilla, the long public beach just outside the national park, or find a terrace for the sunset over the Pacific.
Included
- Drive from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio with your guide
- Crocodile stop at the Tárcoles River bridge
- Sit-down lunch on the coast road
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Manuel Antonio
Activity: About 4 hours of driving, split by the Tárcoles stop and lunch.
Manuel Antonio National Park at opening
A morning in Manuel Antonio National Park
- Breakfast
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
- Drive about 15 min
Manuel Antonio National Park is small, about 2,000 hectares on land, and popular, with a daily cap on visitors, so we buy tickets ahead and go in at 7 am, when it opens, the air is cooler and the animals are most active. Your naturalist sets the telescope on whatever the forest gives us: two- and three-toed sloths, white-faced capuchins, Central American squirrel monkeys, iguanas and agoutis, and birds from toucans to kingfishers. The main trails are flat and wide, with some stretches of steps; we walk for about two and a half to three hours and end at Playa Manuel Antonio, a curve of pale sand between forested headlands. Stay for a swim, or walk the Punta Catedral loop, then leave when you like before the park closes at about 4 pm. The park is closed one day a week, and we set our dates around it.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free.
Included
- Manuel Antonio National Park entry from opening, with a licensed naturalist
- Beach time at Playa Manuel Antonio inside the park
Optional experiences
- Mangrove kayaking near Quepos or a catamaran cruise, booked at the operator's own price
Easier option: Walk only the flat main trail to the beach and rest in the shade there.
More active option: Add the Punta Catedral loop, a short steep trail round the headland with views along the coast.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 to 4 km on mostly flat trails with some steps. Bring water, swimwear and sun cream; the park does not allow some foods and plastic, so pack light.
Back to San José
Manuel Antonio to San José, then a walk through the centre
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in San José
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A free morning on the coast: a last swim, a walk on Playa Espadilla or a coffee with a view.
Afternoon
We leave at about 10:30 and take Route 27, the faster road over the coastal hills, about three hours and 170 km to San José, with a sit-down lunch on the way. In the middle of the afternoon your guide leads a walk through the centre. We start at the Teatro Nacional, opened in 1897 and paid for with a tax on coffee exports, and the Plaza de la Cultura in front of it, then follow the Avenida Central pedestrian street to the Plaza de la Democracia. Above the plaza stands the old Bellavista fortress, its walls still marked by bullets: after Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948, the barracks became the Museo Nacional.
Evening
In the evening the group sits down together for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Drive from Manuel Antonio to San José with your guide
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Guided walk in central San José: the Teatro Nacional, Avenida Central, the Plaza de la Democracia and the Bellavista fortress
- Farewell dinner
Free time: Morning free in Manuel Antonio
Fly home
San José to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
Breakfast is your last meal together, and the morning is yours until it is time to go.
Afternoon
If your flight leaves in the afternoon, there is time for a final look round: the Museo del Oro Precolombino beneath the Plaza de la Cultura, the Mercado Central for coffee to take home, or a slow breakfast on a café terrace. Your transfer to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) is included whatever your flight time; the drive takes about 30 to 45 minutes, longer at rush hour, and we time the pick-up from your flight. For international flights, plan to be at the airport about three hours before departure.
Evening
Your guide checks everyone's flight times the night before and says goodbye at the hotel. If you would like to stay on in Costa Rica, ask us when you book and we can quote extra nights in San José or on the coast.
Included
- Drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Free time: Free until your airport transfer
Activity: Any flight time works; book a flight after about 11 am if you want a free morning in San José.
- San José1 night
- La Fortuna2 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio2 nights
- San José1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to April is the drier season on the Pacific side; May to November is the green season, with sunny mornings, afternoon rain and fewer visitors. Monteverde is cool and misty in any month, and Arenal's summit is in cloud more often than not, which is why we look early. Wildlife is wild: sloths, monkeys and toucans are seen on most trips, but we cannot promise any one animal.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- A first trip to Costa Rica in nine days, with volcano, cloud forest and beach
- Wildlife watching with a naturalist and a telescope, without long hikes
- Travellers who want the extras paid for and evenings free to eat where they like
- Solo travellers who want company and a guide who handles the logistics
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want Tortuguero or Río Celeste: take the 13-day Costa Rica trip instead
- A beach holiday: Manuel Antonio gets two nights, not a week
- Serious hikers looking for long or steep trails every day
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed quetzal or volcano view: both depend on the weather
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- San José1 night
- La Fortuna2 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio2 nights
- San José1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: San José (2, one at each end), La Fortuna (2), Monteverde in walking distance of Santa Elena village (2) and Manuel Antonio near the park gate (2)
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms and hot water, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), whatever your flight time
- An air-conditioned van with driver for the whole route
- Boat across Lake Arenal, with road transfers either side
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Licensed local naturalists in Arenal Volcano National Park, on the Monteverde night walk, in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and in Manuel Antonio National Park
Activities
- Hot spring park near La Fortuna, with dinner
- Arenal Volcano National Park entry and guided walk
- La Fortuna Waterfall entry
- Guided night walk in Monteverde
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve entry and guided walk
- Hanging bridges at a canopy park near Santa Elena
- Tárcoles River crocodile bridge stop
- Manuel Antonio National Park entry and guided walk
- Guided walk in central San José
Meals
- 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
- Sit-down lunches on the three travel days (days 2, 6 and 8)
- Welcome dinner in San José, dinner at the hot springs and a farewell dinner in San José
Not included
- International flights to and from San José
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 3, 4, 5 and 7 and dinners on days 3 to 7
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and naturalists
- Optional activities such as ziplining, canyoning, rafting, the Manuel Antonio catamaran and mangrove kayaking
- Personal expenses
- Costa Rica's departure tax, if it is not already in your air ticket
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 460 (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 central hotels, 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers both ways, an air-conditioned van and driver, the boat across Lake Arenal, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry in the day plan: hot springs with dinner, Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna Waterfall, the Monteverde night walk, the cloud forest reserve, the hanging bridges and Manuel Antonio National Park with naturalists.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough for everyone to look through the naturalist's telescope when a sloth turns up, to fit in one van with room for bags, and to sit round one table at dinner. Most small-group Costa Rica trips run to 14 or 16.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group for the whole trip, from the welcome briefing to the airport. In Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, licensed local naturalists lead the park walks with a telescope, as park rules and good wildlife spotting require. Our own driver and van carry the group between bases.
How fit do I need to be for this Costa Rica tour?
Easy to moderate fitness is enough. Most days have a guided walk of 2 to 3 hours on forest trails that can be muddy, and the steps down to La Fortuna Waterfall are optional. Any walk can be shortened or sat out, and there is an easier choice written into the busier days.
I am travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Solo travellers are welcome. You can share a room at the twin-share price, or have a room of your own from CAD 460 more, shown up front when you request to book. There is no other solo charge, and dinners on free evenings are as social or as quiet as you like.
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
December to April is the drier season on the Pacific side and the busiest time. May to November is the green season: mornings are often sunny, afternoons bring rain, and there are fewer visitors. Monteverde can be misty and Arenal cloudy in any month, so we visit both early in the day.
Will we see Arenal Volcano and the wildlife?
Very likely, but not guaranteed. Arenal's summit is in cloud more often than not, so we go in at 8 am, when it is most often clear, and you have two nights there. Sloths, monkeys and toucans are seen on most trips; the quetzal is most often seen from about February to June.
How do you get from Arenal to Monteverde?
By van and boat. A short drive takes us to Lake Arenal, a boat carries us and our bags across the lake, and our van meets us on the far side for the climb to Monteverde. It takes about three hours door to door, against about four hours by road round the lake.
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. You need a passport valid for your whole stay and proof of onward travel, such as your return flight. Rules change and depend on your passport, so check them before you book.
How does booking work?
Choose your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 2,695 per person sharing, taxes included, and the price you see is the price of the trip.
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, on a date you choose, from CAD 4,850 per person sharing. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, transfers and naturalist-led visits.
How is this different from your 13-day Costa Rica trip?
This is the shorter loop: Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio with two nights each, in 9 days. The 13-day Costa Rica: Volcanoes, Cloud Forest and Coasts adds two nights in Tortuguero on the Caribbean side, a day at Río Celeste and an extra night each at Arenal and Manuel Antonio.
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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