Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Costa Rica: Volcanoes, Cloud Forest and Coasts
13 days from San José: the canals of Tortuguero at dawn, three nights under Arenal with a day at Río Celeste, the Monteverde cloud forest and three nights at Manuel Antonio.
13 days · Round trip from San José · up to 12 guests
Arenal Volcano from the La Fortuna side. Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arenal_volcano_(70785p)_(cropped).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 13 days, 12 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from San José
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
You are happy with forest walks of 2 to 4 hours on trails that can be muddy, a long flight of steps at Río Celeste, early starts on most days for wildlife and light, and two travel days of about 4 hours.
- Meals included
- 12 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 800
- Season
- Year round, driest December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- The canals of Tortuguero by boat at first light
- Three nights under Arenal Volcano, with hot springs included
- Río Celeste at park opening, before the day groups
- A night walk and a morning in the Monteverde cloud forest
- Manuel Antonio National Park at 7 am with a naturalist
- Lunch with a farming family in Sarapiquí and with a Maleku community
What makes this trip different
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 800.
Day by day
Itinerary
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 Airport to San José
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in San José
- Drive about 45 min
We meet you at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), which sits in Alajuela about 20 km west of downtown San José, and drive you to your hotel in the capital.
Evening
Land when it suits you: the group meets in the early evening, so there is time to rest, shower and change money if you need colones, although US dollars and cards are widely accepted. San José sits at about 1,150 metres in the Central Valley, so nights are mild even in the dry season. Your guide runs through the route, the effort level and what to pack for rain, mud and beach, then we walk together to a welcome dinner nearby, the first chance to meet everyone properly.
Included
- Pick-up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- Welcome meeting with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Afternoon free before the group meets
Over Braulio Carrillo to Tortuguero
San José to La Pavona by road, then by boat to Tortuguero
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tortuguero
- Drive about 3 h
An early start takes us out of San José on Route 32, which climbs through Braulio Carrillo National Park, a steep, misty rainforest of tree ferns and waterfalls between the Barva and Irazú volcanoes.
Morning
We stop for breakfast on the Caribbean side near Guápiles, then drive past banana plantations to the river dock at La Pavona, about 3 hours of driving in all. There is no road to Tortuguero: the last hour is by covered boat along the Río Suerte, and your boatman picks out herons, caimans and sometimes a sloth.
Afternoon
After lunch at your riverside lodge, walk through the car-free village to the Sea Turtle Conservancy visitor centre and the black sand beach where the turtles nest.
Included
- Breakfast stop near Guápiles
- Boat from La Pavona to Tortuguero
- Sea Turtle Conservancy visitor centre
- Walk through Tortuguero village with your guide
Activity: The boat has a roof but no sides: keep a rain jacket handy.
Tortuguero canals at dawn
A day in Tortuguero National Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tortuguero
- By boat
Morning
This is the morning the trip is built around. At first light, when the water is still and the animals are moving, a licensed local naturalist takes us by boat into the narrow canals of Tortuguero National Park, set up in 1975 to protect one of the most important nesting beaches for green turtles in the Americas. Look for howler monkeys, three-toed sloths, caimans, green basilisks, toucans and several kinds of kingfisher. After breakfast we walk a forest trail in the park, in rubber boots if it has rained.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free: swim at the lodge, paddle a canoe or sleep.
Evening
In turtle season, roughly July to October for green turtles, we add a night walk on the beach with a certified guide.
Included
- Dawn boat tour of the park canals with a local naturalist
- Guided forest trail walk in Tortuguero National Park
- Night turtle walk with a certified guide, in nesting season
Optional experiences
- Canoe or kayak on the village canals
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Rubber boots are often needed on the trail; lodges usually lend them.
Lunch with a family in Sarapiquí
Tortuguero by boat to La Pavona, then by road to La Fortuna
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
We leave Tortuguero by boat after breakfast, which is the second chance to see wildlife on the river, and meet our van at La Pavona. This is one of the two longer days, about 4 hours of driving in all, so we split it in half.
Afternoon
Around midday we reach the Sarapiquí lowlands, a region of rivers, rainforest reserves and pineapple farms, for a long lunch with a farming family: home cooking, a walk around their land and time to ask about rural life in Costa Rica. The afternoon drive runs west through Aguas Zarcas to La Fortuna, where Arenal Volcano fills the view if the clouds allow. You stay here for three nights, so unpack properly.
Included
- Boat from Tortuguero to La Pavona
- Lunch and farm walk with a family in Sarapiquí
Free time: Evening free in La Fortuna
Arenal at first light, hot springs at dusk
A day around Arenal Volcano
- Breakfast
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 1 h
Afternoon
Arenal is often clear early and cloudy by midday, so we go at first light to a viewpoint west of town where the cone stands over the forest, about 1,670 metres high. After an early breakfast we walk the trails of Arenal Volcano National Park, crossing old lava flows from the eruptions that began in July 1968, when the volcano woke after centuries of quiet and buried the villages of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo. It stayed active until 2010 and now rests. Your guide points out the plants that have grown back over the rock. Lunch is yours in town, then the afternoon is free. Late in the day we take you to a hot springs park, fed by water heated deep under the volcano.
Included
- Sunrise viewpoint of Arenal Volcano
- Guided walk in Arenal Volcano National Park
- Entry to a hot springs park
Optional experiences
- La Fortuna Waterfall, about 500 steps down to the pool
Free time: Early afternoon free
Activity: The park trails are about 2 to 3 hours on gravel and rough lava rock, with some climbs.
Río Celeste at opening, then the Maleku
La Fortuna to Tenorio Volcano National Park and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 3 h
We leave La Fortuna early to be at the gate of Tenorio Volcano National Park when it opens, ahead of the day groups. The trail to the Río Celeste waterfall takes about 45 minutes through rainforest and ends with a long flight of steps, about 250, down to a turquoise pool. Further on are the blue lagoon, bubbling hot vents and Los Teñidores, where two clear rivers, the Buenavista and the Quebrada Agria, meet and the water turns sky blue as minerals scatter the light. The colour is strongest after a few dry days and fades to milky after heavy rain.
Afternoon
On the way back we have lunch with a Maleku community near Guatuso, one of the eight Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica.
Included
- Tenorio Volcano National Park entry
- Guided walk to the Río Celeste waterfall and Los Teñidores
- Visit and lunch with a Maleku community
Easier option: Walk to the waterfall lookout only and skip the steps
Activity: About 6 km return on a muddy, rooty trail with many steps; swimming is not allowed.
Across Lake Arenal to Monteverde
La Fortuna to Monteverde by road, boat and road
- Breakfast
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 2 h
Instead of the long drive around the lake, we cross it.
Morning
A short drive takes us to the dock near the Arenal dam, and a boat carries us across Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica, with the volcano behind us on a clear morning. On the far shore a local four-wheel-drive van takes the gravel road up into the hills to Monteverde, about 3 hours door to door, while our own van brings the luggage round by road. The road climbs through cattle farms to the cloud forest, which sits along the Continental Divide.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free in Santa Elena.
Evening
After dark a naturalist leads a night walk to find frogs, tarantulas, sleeping birds and glowing fungi.
Included
- Boat across Lake Arenal, with a local four-wheel-drive transfer to Monteverde
- Guided night walk in the cloud forest
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: The last stretch to Monteverde is a gravel road and can be bumpy.
Into the Monteverde cloud forest
A morning in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
- Breakfast
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 30 min
We are at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve at 7 am, when it opens and the mist still hangs in the trees. A naturalist guide walks us through moss-covered oaks and strangler figs hung with orchids and bromeliads, crossing a hanging bridge into the canopy, and carries a telescope for birds such as the resplendent quetzal, best seen from about March to June, and the three-wattled bellbird. The reserve was set up in 1972, two decades after Quaker families from the United States settled here and began making cheese, which you can still buy in town. The rest of the day is free: coffee farm tours, ziplines and cafes are all close by.
Included
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve entry at opening
- Guided morning walk with a naturalist
Optional experiences
- Zipline or canopy tour
- Coffee farm tour
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 3 hours of walking on forest paths, cool and often wet: bring a warm layer.
Down to the Pacific, by way of the crocodiles
Monteverde to Manuel Antonio
- Breakfast
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
- Drive about 4 h
The second of the two longer days, about 4 hours of driving, broken in two. We drive down from the cloud forest to the Pan-American Highway, then south along the Pacific coast road to the bridge over the Tárcoles River, where American crocodiles, some more than 4 metres long, bask on the mud banks below. Scarlet macaws feed in nearby Carara National Park, and you often hear them before you see them.
Afternoon
We stop for lunch near the beach town of Jacó, then follow the coast past oil palm plantations to Quepos and Manuel Antonio. You stay here for three nights.
Evening
If the sky is clear, finish the day watching the sunset from Playa Espadilla.
Included
- Stop at the Tárcoles River crocodile bridge
- Lunch stop near Jacó
Free time: Evening free
Manuel Antonio National Park at opening
A morning in Manuel Antonio National Park
- Breakfast
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
- Drive about 30 min
We are at the gate of Manuel Antonio National Park when it opens at 7 am, before the tour buses, the heat and the crowds. Visitor numbers are capped and the park closes one day a week, so we book our entry and set the dates around it. A naturalist guide with a telescope finds what most people walk past: two-toed and three-toed sloths, white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys and the small Central American squirrel monkey, found only on the Pacific side of Costa Rica and western Panama. The trails end at white sand beaches where you can swim, and the walk to Punta Catedral looks back over the coves.
Afternoon
Take your camera, not your lunch: food is limited to protect the monkeys.
Included
- Manuel Antonio National Park entry at opening
- Guided morning walk with a naturalist
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 3 hours on easy, flat trails, plus optional walking on the beach.
A free day on the coast
At leisure in Manuel Antonio
- Breakfast
- Stay in Manuel Antonio
Today belongs to you, and we mean it: nothing is scheduled.
Morning
After nine days of early starts, most guests are glad of a morning at the pool or on Playa Espadilla, the long public beach just outside the park, where surf schools give lessons on the gentler waves. Your guide stays close and can book anything you want, at the price the operator charges you.
Afternoon
Popular choices are a kayak or boat trip in the mangroves of the Damas Island estuary, a catamaran trip along the coast with snorkelling, or simply lunch in Quepos, the small working town nearby with a waterfront marina.
Evening
In the evening, the sunset over the Pacific is a good reason to be back on the beach.
Optional experiences
- Mangrove kayak or boat trip in the Damas Island estuary
- Catamaran trip with snorkelling
- Surf lesson on Playa Espadilla
Free time: Whole day free
Back to San José
Manuel Antonio to San José
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in San José
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
An easy morning, then about 3 hours north along the coast and up Route 27, the toll highway that climbs from the coast back up into the Central Valley.
Afternoon
In the afternoon your guide walks you through the centre of San José. The Teatro Nacional, opened in 1897, was paid for by a tax on coffee exports, and its marble staircases and painted ceilings show how rich the coffee trade made the young country. Below the Plaza de la Cultura, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum holds hundreds of gold frogs, birds and figures made before the Spanish arrived. Then walk the busy aisles of the Mercado Central, open since 1880.
Evening
We finish the trip with a farewell dinner together.
Included
- Guided walk in central San José
- Teatro Nacional entry
- Pre-Columbian Gold Museum entry
- Farewell dinner
Fly home
San José to Juan Santamaría Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
Your trip ends after breakfast. There is nothing scheduled today, so you can sleep in, walk back to the Mercado Central for coffee to take home, or visit a museum you missed yesterday. We drive you to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) at a time that fits your flight, whatever the hour: the drive is about 20 km and usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, longer at rush hour. If you would like to stay on, for more beach time on the Nicoya Peninsula or a few days in the Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, ask us before you book and we can help with extra nights. Thank you for travelling with us.
Included
- Drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Free time: Free until your transfer
- San José1 night
- Tortuguero2 nights
- La Fortuna3 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio3 nights
- San José1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Wildlife is wild: sloths, monkeys, toucans and crocodiles are seen on almost every trip, but we cannot promise any one animal, and turtle nesting is seasonal. Arenal's cone is often in cloud; that is why we look at first light.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Wildlife and nature on a first trip to Costa Rica
- Early starts for the best light
- Forest walks of 2 to 4 hours
- Travellers who want the activities included, not priced one by one
Not for you if you want
- Long beach holidays
- Step-free access
- Guaranteed dry weather
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
12 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- San José1 night
- Tortuguero2 nights
- La Fortuna3 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- Manuel Antonio3 nights
- San José1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 12 nights: San José (2, one at each end), a riverside lodge in Tortuguero (2), La Fortuna (3), Monteverde (2) and Manuel Antonio (3), all with hot water and private bathrooms
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- An air-conditioned van with driver for the whole route
- Boats to and from Tortuguero
- Boat across Lake Arenal with a four-wheel-drive transfer to Monteverde
Activities
- Dawn boat tour of the Tortuguero canals and a guided park trail walk
- Night turtle walk in nesting season
- Sea Turtle Conservancy visitor centre
- Farm visit and lunch with a family in Sarapiquí
- Arenal sunrise viewpoint and a guided walk in Arenal Volcano National Park
- Hot springs entry near La Fortuna
- Tenorio Volcano National Park entry and guided walk to Río Celeste
- Visit and lunch with a Maleku community
- Guided night walk in Monteverde
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve entry with a naturalist
- Tárcoles River crocodile bridge stop
- Manuel Antonio National Park entry with a naturalist
- Guided walk in San José with Teatro Nacional and Gold Museum entries
Meals
- 12 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
- Licensed local naturalists in Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio
Not included
- International flights to and from San José
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Optional activities on free days
- Tips for drivers, boatmen and local guides
- Nights before day 1 or after day 13
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 800
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We confirm your departure within 24 hours.
Want your own dates? We can book the same 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 confirmation.
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 trip include?
12 nights in hotels and a Tortuguero lodge, 12 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners, an air-conditioned van and driver, the boats to Tortuguero and across Lake Arenal, airport transfers, a See Sight Tours guide throughout with local naturalists in the parks, and every entry and activity named in the day plan, including the night walk and hot springs.
How long are the drives?
About 3 hours on day 2 (then an hour by boat), 4 hours on day 4 (split by a family lunch), 3 hours on the Río Celeste day, about 3 hours door to door by road and boat on day 7, 4 hours on day 9 (split by Tárcoles and lunch) and 3 hours on day 12. The other days have little or no driving.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Expect forest walks of 2 to 4 hours that can be hot, wet and muddy, about 250 steps down and back up at the Río Celeste waterfall, and early starts on most days. There is no technical hiking, and on most walks there is an easier option.
Which activities cost extra?
Only what you choose on free time: ziplines, coffee tours, mangrove or catamaran trips and surf lessons. The Tortuguero canals, the turtle walk in season, the Monteverde night walk, hot springs, Río Celeste and the park entries with naturalists are all included.
What are the hotels like?
Comfortable, mid-range hotels and a riverside lodge in Tortuguero, each with a private bathroom and reliable hot water, which we check before we book. We name each hotel when we confirm your dates.
When is the best time to go?
December to April is the dry season, with the best chance of a clear Arenal and also the most visitors. From May to November, the green season, mornings are usually fine and rain comes in the afternoon, which suits our early starts. Green turtles nest at Tortuguero roughly from July to October.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests.
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. If you would rather travel on your own on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route with a driver and the same stays.
How much does it cost?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and differ by style: small group or private. The small group starts from CAD 3,235 per person, and a room of your own is from CAD 800 more. Pick your start date when you request to book, and we confirm your trip within 24 hours. Nothing is charged until then.
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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