Handcrafted with unique experiences and luxurious lodges, this 9-day tour celebrates much of the best that the country has to offer. Epic landscapes and a beautiful sense of tranquility fuse to make Costa Rica an idyllic destination during any month of the year. Explore remote cloud forests, soar in a helicopter above volcanos, witness sea turtle hatchlings, and experience pure solitude on two different coastlines. From cultural impressions to pure nature, this is the ultimate Costa Rica tour.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
San Jose – Intimate Cultural Impressions
Costa Rica is a tropical destination that has something for everyone. After being greeted at the airport and transferred to your luxurious accommodation in the heart of the city, you will soon be immersed in San Jose’s delicate charms. As architecture and atmosphere set the scene, you will be immersed in San Jose’s culture. A local guide will lead you on a walking tour of the city past the key monuments and down the main streets before concluding in a place of storytellers and entertainers. While sipping on drinks, you can listen to tales of the country’s past before an evening of dance and dining at a small restaurant.
What's Included:
Day 2
Tortuguero National Park – Nesting Sea Turtles
Day 3
Tortuguero National Park – Beautiful Wildlife Cruise
Day 4
Tenorio Volcano National Park – An Iconic Volcano
Day 5
Tenorio Volcano National Park – An Eco-Adventure
Day 6
Monteverde – Evening Nature Walk
Day 7
Monteverde – Hiking and Ziplining
Day 8
Manuel Antonio National Park – Scenic Helicopter Tour
Day 9
Manuel Antonio National Park – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Savor a stunning aerial safari with a full-day helicopter flight across Costa Rica’s volcano-studded interior and Pacific coastline
- Explore beautiful Caribbean beaches to come face to face with sea turtle hatchlings
- Feel the thrill of the canopy with an expressive zip lining tour through Santa Elena Cloud Forest
- Experience a beautiful wildlife safari and two days of intimate encounters in Tortuguero National Park
- Escape into sublime solitude during a white-water rafting trip down the Rio Celeste
- Ease into Costa Rica with some handpicked cultural experiences in the country’s charming capital
- Discover the iconicity of Arenal Volcano on a private tour that includes adventures on land and a crater flyover
- Listen to monkeys and wander past sloths during a day of wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park
- Rest and relax with free time on Caribbean and Pacific Ocean beaches, plus superlative lodges perched on the waterside
Detailed Description
Costa Rica is easy on the eye. During these intriguing nine days, you will explore the country’s wonders, including the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, a charming city, two volcanos, and a cloud forest. Volcanos stand sentinel above the cloud forest with their iconic cones that are a symbolic impression of Earth’s power. Monkeys call from treetop perches, turtles nest on white-sand beaches, rivers flow through ancient forests, and you can raft down them. Ziplines will reveal an intimate canopy world to you, and winding trails will lead you past toucans and sloths. This country is spectacular from almost every angle, and this 9-day journey will show you many of the country’s most magnificent spots.
While Costa Rica is beautiful to look at, the real experience is how comfortable it can feel. There is an atmosphere here that lures visitors into an ecological world of Pura Vida. Whether paddling past capuchin monkeys, hiking to hidden waterfalls, or flying above it all, you will be uncovering Costa Rica’s treasures. With nine days, you can explore the country’s diversity, especially with direct domestic flights that will significantly reduce your transfer time between destinations.
Your vacation will begin in San Jose, where a day of cultural experiences will help to immerse you in the Pura Vida lifestyle. After flying to Tortuguero National Park, you will spend day two with sea turtles, basking on their beaches and searching for hatchlings after dusk. Paddling along Tortuguero’s canals will bring very different wildlife encounters on day three before some relaxing beach time. You will fly to Arenal on day four to spend the day discovering the very best of Costa Rica’s most famous volcano by land and air with a crater flyover.
For two nights, you will stay in Tenorio Volcano National Park, which is an off-the-beaten-path alternative to Arenal, where the activities are more exclusive, and you can customize your adventure. Monteverde will have you venturing above the clouds for exceptional wildlife and wilderness experiences. During these few days, you will raft down Rio Celeste, hike with unique wildlife, and rest in a divine luxury lodge that is practically in the forest canopy. Day eight will be your scenic helicopter tour across Costa Rica before you culminate your adventure with wildlife and beaches on the Pacific coastline.
Starting Price
$7,400 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 725 reviews.
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.
The Zicasso tour company was very accommodating. They put together a great itinerary and when we wanted to add something, it was no problem.
Reviewed By David M.