This adventurous, one-week journey leads you off the beaten track to celebrate the country’s undiscovered gems, including Terciopelo Cave, Playa Zancudo, Montezuma, and Rincon de la Vieja. It is easy to be immersed in the appeal of Costa Rica, which is a country of monkey-filled cloud forests, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, volcanos, and waterfalls. While its natural history leads most visitors to a handful of iconic destinations, Costa Rica hides many more adventures beneath the rainforest canopy.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Rincon de la Vieja National Park – Jungle Waterfalls
After an early morning arrival in Liberia, you will transfer inland to a hacienda that is located beneath Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. This afternoon, you can walk off any travel fatigue in the national park. An adventurous, two-hour hike will lead you through an under-explored realm. The sound of waterfalls will guide you onward with Blue Lake and La Cangreja Waterfall being your final destinations, which are two pristine swathes of water that are hidden deep inside the jungle. Afterward, you delight in a picnic before deciding which way to turn. You can hike back along the same route, but if you are feeling adventurous, then you can add on the Las Pailas Loop.
What's Included:
Day 2
Rincon de la Vieja National Park – Horses and High Wires
Day 3
Montezuma – The Depths of Terciopelo Cave
Day 4
Montezuma – Waterfalls and Rainforest Canopies
Day 5
Montezuma – Snorkeling and Deserted Beaches
Day 6
Playa Zancudo – A Hidden Beach Town
Day 7
Playa Zancudo – Jungle Allure
Day 8
Golfito – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Rappel into the depths of Terciopelo Cave during a day in Barra Honda National Park
- Explore jungle trails and venture to hidden waterfalls in the beautifully remote Rincon de la Vieja National Park
- Snorkel Pacific reefs and kayak to deserted beaches during your time in Montezuma
- Boat through the mangroves for two nights in Playa Zancudo, which is an undiscovered, beachside gem
- Horseback ride through dense cloud forest before taking to the high wires on a canopy tour
- Enjoy challenging jungle treks to waterfalls and lakes that rarely see visitors
- Tailor the adventure to your interests with a private and naturalist guide throughout your entire journey
Detailed Description
If you dream of Costa Rica, a series of classic images will come to mind, such as hiking through a jungle to a waterfall that tumbles into a volcanic crater or wandering along a quiet coastline before watching the sunset from a beachside suite. There may also be the image of exploring cloud forests on foot, on horseback, or along canopy bridges. You can imagine volcanos and rainforests along with crystal-clear pools and hot springs. All of these experiences can be found when you follow the popular tourist trail. If you venture off the beaten track, you can still enjoy these adventures, except they will not be interrupted by tourist crowds.
Even now, so much of Costa Rica remains under-explored and undeveloped. You can rappel into vast cave systems, ride horses along unexplored trails, boat around deserted coastlines, and immerse yourself in the jungle allure. The country’s infrastructure has improved tremendously in recent years, creating new destinations for locals and tourists. However, many of these destinations are not on standard itineraries, and it always seems a little more magical when you can explore without crowds. New airports and flight routes have expanded access to the country, so many of these undiscovered gems can be combined in just a private, one-week tour.
With seven nights in Costa Rica, this customizable tour will lead you to the country’s next big destinations before they gain popularity. After flying into Liberia, you will spend two nights at a hacienda near Rincon de la Vieja National Park. On one afternoon, you will trek along new trails to jungle waterfalls and azure lakes, where you bask in the seclusion and serenity. Day two will utilize horses and high wires to explore more of the national park before the depths of Terciopelo Cave become the highlight of day three. Epitomizing this week in Costa Rica, the cave system can create a wonderful sense of seclusion and undiscovered nature.
After your cave tour, you will be transferred to Montezuma for three nights on a Pacific peninsula. Day four will be all about the rainforest interior, and you will walk through the canopy and follow sounds to hidden waterfalls. You will then spend day five along the coast with kayaking, snorkeling, and some surprisingly deserted beaches. A new flight route connects nearby Tambor with Golfito, so on day six, you can fly to the Southern part of the country and take a boat to Playa Zancudo, which is a beachside village that is defined by thick jungle and local wildlife encounters. Two nights here will culminate your vacation, and you will fly out of Golfito to begin your journey back home.
Starting Price
$2,400 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.91 stars based on 710 reviews.
Zicasso's travel specialist gave us good service during the planning stage.
The hotels were perfect and the guided tours were professional. The transportation wasn’t so good.
Reviewed By yosef R.
We had a near-perfect experience, I would highly recommend Zicasso's tour company.
Reviewed By Zach O.
We celebrated my daughter's high school graduation with a 12-day trip to Costa Rica. I interviewed several local travel agencies and fell in love with Zicasso's tour company from the very first phone conversation. The owner was fantastic to work with, helping me craft the perfect adventure-filled, action-packed vacation for my family. He was honest and took the time to listen to our preferences. He provided great feedback and suggestions.
Prior to our trip, I felt very confident that I was in good hands and knew that every detail was taken care of. During our trip, the company owner checked in with me several times to make sure everything was ok. Unfortunately, someone in my family had to go home early and he was so helpful in coordinating an extra trip to the airport to accommodate our family needs (it required an extra nine hours of driving and a hotel stay for the driver).
The company owner and our agent were generous enough to not charge me for this extra trip. They even canceled all the hotel and activity reservations for that family member, and I received a refund at the end of my trip! It truly was a trip of a lifetime. I found myself thinking, I wish there was a travel company like this for every country because I would use them again to plan my next vacation, wherever it may be!
I also want to give a special shoutout to my driver, who drove my family on several long road trips during our vacation. During our drives, he would spot many interesting animals and birds, and stop on the side of the road so we could get out and get great pictures. Some of my best close-up opportunities to look at animals occurred while in the car. He talked about the agriculture, the school system, and the different rainforests. He even bought plantain chips from the side of the road and shared them with my family. Even though his job was to drive us from point A to point B, I felt his knowledge and his ability to spot animals was better than many of the tour guides we had on the trip. He really cared about Costa Rica and was excited to show us all it had to offer.
I highly recommend this travel company. And ask for our driver to drive you around; you won't be disappointed.
Reviewed By caroline C.
We used a Zicasso travel expert to plan our trip. The trip was absolutely fabulous and the service was very easy to use. We would definitely use them again.
Reviewed By Allison A.
Zicasso's travel company was very attentive and followed up with us throughout the trip to make sure we were doing well. We had an awesome time and would recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica
Reviewed By Tara I.
Everything was arranged thoughtfully, with time for "adventures" and downtime at terrific resorts to relax. All pick-ups, travel by limo, and drop-offs went as arranged. The drivers, guides, and hotel staff were all very pleasant and kind. Zicasso's tour operator did a great job planning our eight-day, family-of-10 trip to Costa Rica! We appreciated that most tours, hikes, and ocean experiences were small groups of just our group of 10. This made it a personal and annoyance-free experience all around. Thanks!
Reviewed By Lolli H.
