Upon your arrival at SJO International Airport, a Swiss Travel representative will meet and greet you, and he will provide you with all the necessary documentation you will need during your vacation. Then, you will be transferred to Hilton Garden Inn Santa Ana hotel where you will stay the next three nights.

You will be picked up from the hotel of you selection within San Jose and surroundings located approximately 30 minute away from the capital, so you can get both an overview and a closer look at the city’s culture, a perfect introduction for first-time visitors.

As you travel around the city, you will be able to see the city’s architectural treasures in a four-hour tour. There will be several historically important and main buildings that will be pointed out by a local expert guide such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, University of Costa Rica, the Old Train Station, the national liquor factory, The National Supreme Election Bureau, The Metallic Building, and the new building of the national Congress.

This tour includes a one hour visit to a true treasure right in the middle of the city; one of the museums that displays the country’s history and culture from the pre-Columbian times all the way to the present.

In addition, the city tour is not completed without a visit to the National Theater, a very important place rich in historic value, making it a real jewel that holds one of the 10 most beautiful ceilings around the world and a masterpiece in art and architecture.

Today you will be moving to the Naranjo area. Your trip through the Cordillera Central will offer you a first look at the diversity that the country has, including the beautiful coffee plantations of Naranjo.

Registration at Chayote Lodge, rest of the day and night free.

This authentic Costa Rican gastronomy experience has three different schedules: for Breakfast, Lunch or dinner and it takes place at the Doña Elida house, located at just 5 minutes from Chayote Lodge.

As soon as you arrive, she will welcome you and will be very happy to share with you, her secrets to prepare a delicious Costa Rican meal.

At the end of the class, you will sit together with the host and taste your culinary creations!

Enjoy cooking with Doña Elida and do not forget that knowing a community’s food, you can learn a lot about their culture!

At mid-morning, continue with a land transfer towards the northern lowlands. This route offers the experience to pass through different towns such as Zarcero, San Carlos and Florencia. In addition, along the way you will enjoy the beautiful scenery, which includes amazing views of the mountains and one of the major sources of revenue in the area: the agriculture, so you will have the opportunity according with the season to observe the crops of pineapple, bananas and sugar cane.

Arrive to La Fortuna Village late afternoon where the mighty Arenal Volcano will welcome you with its impressive perfect conic shape.

Check In at the Arenal Springs hotel, where you will find a unique blend between the hospitality of the local culture and the warm tropical climate, making your escape an unparalleled experience for the next two nights.

You will arrive to the entrance of “La Península area”, one of the most recent national park trails, where you will hike for around one hour enjoying amazing views of the Arenal Lake and fantastic lookouts.

The tour continues to another section of the national park known as “Coladas Trail” one of the areas destroyed by the lava flows but now it has been entered into a regeneration process of the forest allowing you the possibility to observe the wildlife that hides among the vegetation.

The tour guide will share with you important information about the geology, the volcano history and nature around you. Within the trails, you will observe the wide variety of flora and fauna existing in the area. This tour will simply amaze you!

At Los Chiles local dock, you will board a touristic boat that will take you around the Rio Frio (Cool River) where you will enjoy a peaceful floating safari through the rain forest.

The time on the boat will vary according to water levels – usually it is between two hours and two hours and half, during this time the professional tour guide will give you entertaining and quite interesting information about the natural history of this dynamic and intense place.

The Rio Frio riverbanks provide shelter for various endangered species including the ancient garfish, cougars, jaguars, tapirs, ocelots, peccary and several species of monkey – capuchin, mantled howler and Geoffroy’s spider monkey, as well as the Three-Toed sloths and reptiles like caimans, Jesus Christ lizards and turtles.

As you finish the boat ride to the most remarkable wildlife refuge in Costa Rica, you will be welcome to enjoy a delicious traditional Costa Rican lunch, before driving back to your hotel.

At mid-morning, the transfer to Monteverde cloud forest is scheduled. This transfer includes a boat ride across the majestic Lake Arenal, the largest in the country, where you can watch many birds visiting the lake in search of food.

Registration El Establo Mountain Hotel where they will stay for the next two nights will be done.

Santa Elena Reserve is a perfect sanctuary for nature lovers wanting to experience and learn more about the cloud forests, which are the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet.

Unlike other activities in the area, this reserve receives fewer visitors, being more intimate and better for hiking without crowds. Located at 30 minutes away from most of the hotels in Monteverde, right on, the highlands of the Tilaran Mountain Range at 1600m above sea level, this 310 hectares (765 acres) reserve is one of the first community-owned projects in Costa Rica and serves as an example of what ordinary people can do to preserve the environment.

This day we will continue to one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica’s central Pacific, Manuel Antonio area. As we descend from the mountains of the cloud forest to the shoreward, you will feel a warm change in temperature and the landscapes will be adorned by various beaches along the Pacific coast to Manuel Antonio, which is a paradise that mixes lovely white sand beaches with jungle and rain forest full of wildlife. The vast variety of activities to do and places to visit in the area definitely adds value to your experience. This tropical place is one of the main attractions in Costa Rica, and one of the icons of ecotourism in the country.

Registration and accommodation for the next three nights at San Bada hotel will be done.

Today you will visit the Manuel Antonio National Park (closed on Tuesdays). Since it has, a charming combination of lush tropical forest and beautiful beaches with clear waters listed on Trip Advisor (Travelers Choice) as the best beach in Central America and its park has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the twelve most beautiful national parks in the world. Inside the park, there is a wide variety of vegetation, lagoons, mangroves, 109 species of mammals and 184 bird species. You can see several species of birds, reptiles and monkeys including the three-toed sloth. Moreover, the rest of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or to explore the area on your own.

This day is at your leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or take an excursion (extra cost). Among other activities in the area are horseback riding, surfing lessons, canopy, kayaking, fishing and mask diving.

This day will be time to go back to Santa Ana, where you will spend your last night in the country. During the transfer, you will be able to admire various beaches along the way.

After an unforgettable visit to Costa Rica, we have scheduled a transfer from your selected hotel in San Jose to SJO International Airport to board your flight back home.

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