Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde and a Night on the Pacific
6 days from San José airport: two nights under Arenal Volcano with hot springs, two in the Monteverde cloud forest and a beach night at Manuel Antonio.
6 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
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from San José
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4.5 h on day 5
- Activity level
Easy
Guided forest walks of 2 to 3 hours on four of the six 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 two travel days of 3 to 4 hours. Any walk can be shortened or sat out.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 390 (estimated price)
- Season
- Year round, driest December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Straight from the airport to La Fortuna, with the cone of Arenal Volcano ahead
- 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
- Sunset on the Pacific at Manuel Antonio, then the national park at 7 am before the drive out
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 4.5 h, on day 5.
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 390 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4.5 h, on day 5.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
From the airport to Arenal
Juan Santamaría International Airport to Zarcero, then La Fortuna
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 3 h
Your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the arrivals hall at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), in Alajuela, and we leave at about 1 pm.
Evening
There is no night in San José: the airport sits on the right side of the city for the north, so we head straight up 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, 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. We reach La Fortuna, our base for two nights, at about 4:30 pm. After time to check in, the guide briefs the group on the days ahead, then we walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner of Costa Rican dishes such as casado and fresh fruit drinks.
Included
- Group pick-up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) at about 1 pm
- Coffee stop in Zarcero
- Welcome briefing with your guide in La Fortuna
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free time in La Fortuna before dinner
Activity: Land by about 11:30 am to join the 1 pm departure. If your flight lands later, arrive the day before and we will quote a night near the airport.
Arenal at opening, hot springs at dusk
La Fortuna to Arenal Volcano National Park, then La Fortuna Waterfall and the hot springs
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 1 h
Arenal is 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. At about 2 pm the van runs to La Fortuna Waterfall, roughly 70 m high, dropping into a forest pool, for anyone who wants it; the rest of the afternoon is free. As the light goes, we drive a few minutes to a hot spring park, where water heated by the volcano runs through pools in gardens.
Evening
Dinner is included at the springs.
Included
- Arenal Volcano National Park from opening with a licensed naturalist: forest trails, old lava flows and the volcano viewpoint
- La Fortuna Waterfall entry
- Evening entry to a hot spring park near La Fortuna, with dinner
Optional experiences
- Canyoning, whitewater rafting or ziplining around La Fortuna in the afternoon, booked at the operator's own price
Easier option: Skip the waterfall and spend the afternoon at the hotel pool before the hot springs, or stay at the waterfall viewpoint at the top.
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 afternoon free in La Fortuna
Activity: About 3 to 4 km on gentle park trails in the morning; the waterfall steps are optional. Bring swimwear and a change of clothes for the hot springs.
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, at about 8 am, 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 road, to Santa Elena, the village beside the Monteverde reserves at about 1,400 m.
Evening
We arrive around midday, and lunch and the afternoon are yours: a café, the village, or a rest before the 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
Optional experiences
- A coffee and chocolate farm tour or a butterfly garden in the afternoon, booked at the operator's own price
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.
Cloud forest and hanging bridges
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 steel 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 the 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, 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 take 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 at Manuel Antonio
Monteverde to the Tárcoles River bridge, then Manuel Antonio
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
- Drive about 4.5 h
Today is the longest drive, about 4 to 4.5 hours of driving over 190 km, the one day past our four-hour guide, because no shorter road links the cloud forest to the coast, 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.
Evening
We arrive in the middle of the afternoon, and the rest of the day is for the sea: swim in the hotel pool, or walk down to Playa Espadilla, the long public beach just outside the national park, for the sunset over the Pacific. In the evening the group sits down together for a farewell dinner near the coast.
Included
- Drive from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio with your guide
- Crocodile stop at the Tárcoles River bridge
- Sit-down lunch on the coast road
- Farewell dinner in Manuel Antonio
Free time: Late afternoon free on the beach or by the pool
Activity: About 4 to 4.5 hours of driving, split by the Tárcoles stop and lunch.
Manuel Antonio at opening, then fly home
Manuel Antonio National Park, then the coast road and Route 27 to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3 h
Manuel Antonio National Park is small 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, squirrel monkeys, iguanas and agoutis. The main trails are flat and wide, and we walk for about two and a half hours to Playa Manuel Antonio, a curve of pale sand between forested headlands, before heading back to the hotel to change. The park closes one day a week, and we set our dates around it.
Afternoon
We leave at about 10 am and take the coast road and Route 27 over the hills, about three hours and 175 km, with a sit-down lunch on the way.
Evening
We reach Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) at about 3 pm, allowing for Route 27 traffic, so book a flight leaving after about 6 pm, or ask us for a night in San José.
Included
- Manuel Antonio National Park entry from opening, with a licensed naturalist
- Sit-down lunch on the drive back
- Drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), or a central San José hotel if you are staying on
Easier option: Skip the park and take a last slow breakfast and swim at the hotel until the van leaves.
Activity: About 3 km on mostly flat park trails. The park does not allow some foods and single-use plastic, so pack light. Book a flight after about 6 pm; for an earlier flight, ask us to quote an extra night.
- San Joséstart
- La Fortuna2 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio1 night
- San Joséend
- 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 look at Costa Rica in under a week: volcano, cloud forest and the Pacific
- A long weekend plus a few days off work, flying in and out of San José
- 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
- A beach holiday: the coast gets one night and a morning in the park
- Travellers who want two nights at Manuel Antonio or a day in San José: take the 9-day Costa Rica trip instead
- Anyone whose flight lands after about 11:30 am on day 1 or leaves before about 6 pm on day 6, unless you add a night
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed quetzal or volcano view: both depend on the weather
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- La Fortuna2 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights: La Fortuna (2), Monteverde in walking distance of Santa Elena village (2) and Manuel Antonio near the park gate and the beach (1)
- 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
- Group pick-up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) at about 1 pm on day 1, and drop-off there on day 6
- 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
- Arenal Volcano National Park entry and guided walk
- La Fortuna Waterfall entry
- Hot spring park near La Fortuna, with dinner
- 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
Meals
- 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 3 dinners
- Sit-down lunches on the two long travel days (days 5 and 6)
- Welcome dinner in La Fortuna, dinner at the hot springs and a farewell dinner in Manuel Antonio
Not included
- International flights to and from San José
- Travel insurance
- Airport transfers outside the day 1 group pick-up and the day 6 drop-off, and any pre-trip or post-trip nights
- Lunches on days 1 to 4 and dinners on days 3 and 4
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and naturalists
- Optional activities such as ziplining, canyoning, rafting and coffee or chocolate tours
- Personal expenses
- Costa Rica's departure tax, if it is not already in your air ticket
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 390 (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?
Five nights in central hotels, 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers, a van and driver, the Lake Arenal boat, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry in the day plan: Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna Waterfall, hot springs with dinner, the Monteverde night walk, the cloud forest reserve, the hanging bridges and Manuel Antonio National Park.
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. The short G Adventures trips in Costa Rica run to 16 or 24.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group for the whole trip, from the airport pick-up to the airport drop-off. In Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, we use licensed local naturalists with a telescope on the park walks, because they find and identify far more wildlife. Our own driver and van carry the group between bases.
What time should my flight land and leave?
Land at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) by about 11:30 am on day 1, as the group leaves at about 1 pm. On day 6 we reach the airport at about 3 pm, allowing for traffic on Route 27, so book a flight after about 6 pm. If your flights do not fit, we can quote a night near the airport or in San José.
How fit do I need to be for this Costa Rica tour?
Easy to moderate fitness is enough. Four 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 390 more, shown up front when you request to book. There is no other solo charge, and the 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.
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 2,295 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 4,130 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 9-day Costa Rica trip?
This is the short version of the same route. Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio takes 9 days, with a night in San José at each end, a guided walk in the capital and two nights at Manuel Antonio. This trip goes straight from the airport to Arenal and gives the coast one night and a morning in the park.
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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