LETTER CODES: (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1. WELCOME TO COSTA RICA. Arrival to the International Airport Juan Santamaria. Upon arrival at the San Jose airport, you will be met by one of our representatives how will explain your itinerary, answer any questions and provide you with a packet of vouchers and information about your trip. Transfer to Hotel Villa Tournon and free time at leisure.

Optional and depending on arrival time: City Tour: Visiting: San Jose, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Principal buildings as National Museum, National Teather, Congress, Yellow House, Plaza de la Cultura, Gold Museum, etc. Residential areas and principal Malls. Dinner on your own.
 
Day 2. POAS VOLCANO, LA PAZ WATERFALLS & ARENAL VOLCANO (B, L, D). Breakfast at the hotel and departure to the tour to Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Enjoy the contrasts of urban and rural areas, as we drive to the Poas Volcano National Park and continue up the mountains toward San Pedro de Poas. The good climate and fertile soils make this area very productive.

Dairy farming, coffee, sugar cane, vegetables, all can be seen during this tour. Poas Volcano National Park is considered the largest geyser in the world, due to its explosive, geyser-like eruptions, which it frequently displays at irregular intervals. This park offers more than just the spectacular volcanic activity. The visitor will be struck by the intense green colours of the foliage and the great variety of wild flowers. The most conspicuous plant in the park is the poor man's umbrella, whose leaves grow up to 2 meters in diameter.

On a clear day you will see the lagoon at the bottom of the crater, whose muddy waters changes colours depending on the volcanic activity. After enjoying the attractions of this park, we will take the road to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. This complex is an excellent educational center where you will learn about butterflies, Orchids, frogs, snakes and hummingbirds. Five magnificent waterfalls with nine observation platforms allow the visitors a close up view of the falls and the spectacular La Paz River.

Waterfall Gardens is proud to have the largest Butterfly Observatory in the world. The enclosed structure allows butterflies to soar freely while guests walk amid the natural habitat. An on site laboratory is a breeding ground for the eleven fluttering species. In the Hummingbird garden, our feathered friends will delight and fascinate you with their antics as they play and fight with each other at amazing speeds.

These normally skittish creatures have become so tame; they will feed within a few feet of you. After exploring Waterfall Gardens, you will enjoy a delicious buffet style lunch at the terrace dining room. After lunch, drive to Arenal Volcano and check in at Hotel La Pradera or similar.

Day 3. ARENAL HANGING BRIDGES TOUR & HOT SPRINGS (B, L, D). Arenal Hanging Bridges is a new tourism attraction in La Fortuna. Visitors who love nature can enjoy 15 bridges from 5 to 100 meters long, friendly design along 3 km rain forest circuit of interpretive trails built with paving blocks to prevent slipping.

The bridges are build of aluminum, galvanized steel and concrete, to ensure maximum security for their visitors. They were designed by structural engineers with the most demanding safety margins in the world. Guided by a naturalist, who through the natural history will open for you the doors of a fascinating and colorful  Tropical Rain Forest world. The imposing vistas of the Volcano from the hanging bridges over the forest make a perfect combination for an unforgettable experience.

After the tour, lunch and free time at leisure. By 4:00 PM, departure to Baldi Hot Springs, where the students will be able to enjoy the Thermal pools and enjoy in the multiple water slides. Dinner included at the Spa.

Day 4. RINCON DE LA VIEJA VOLCANO & GUACHIPELIN LODGE. (B, L, D). Breakfast at the hotel and departure to our next destination in the province of Guanacaste. Overnight at Hacienda Lodge Guachipelin and free time for relax and explore the area on your own. Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is a truly ecotourism lodge for adventure travel and nature lovers.

The hotel is surrounded by lush gardens with native trees, exotic flowers and many types of birds, and it has views to both the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and the Pacific ocean. Near the reception area, you will find our corrals, where real cowboys and ranch hands begin working in the early hours each day. Also there are many adventure activities that await the adventurer that comes to Costa Rica to do different things like horseback riding, canopy tour, tubing tour on the Rio Negro, and trekking among many other attractions.

Day 5. RINCON DE LA VIEJA VOLCANO & GUACHIPELIN LODGE TOURS. (B, L, D). Breakfast at the Hotel and after it, Horseback Riding to the Sulphur Hot Springs. (B, L, D). You leave from the hacienda stables on a trail through tropical dry woods. A part of the trail leads through reforested area. The hotel has about 1.25 square miles reserved as reforestation area in which are grown species threatened by extinction. In these surroundings you can see a great variety of birds, mammals, reptiles etc.

At the property of the hacienda we seek trails of interest of flora and fauna and sightseeing spots instead of paved roads. On our calm and friendly horses we take you on a 45 minute trip to the National Park main gate, where we have to leave our horses, as we are only allowed to enter the park by foot. Here we take the track to the sulphur hot springs and Oropendola waterfall. At the end of the trip, the horses are waiting to take us back to the Hacienda along scenic trails. Lunch and dinner at the lodge.

Day 6. RINCON DE LA VIEJA VOLCANO & MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST (B, L, D) Breakfast at the Lodge and departure to Monteverde. Upon arrival, check in at Hotel Historias Lodge or similar. Free time for explore the town with your tour guide and have lunch. Evening, Night Walk Tour:

For those who wish to discover the night-time wonders of the forest, Hidden Valley offers a fascinating guided night walk. Led by bilingual, professionally trained naturalist guides, the tour begins at 5:30 pm, daily. After enjoying the beautiful sunset, visitors will first observe diurnal species, especially birds, as they prepare themselves to settle for the night. As darkness falls, they will witness the forest begin to awaken once again, as the nocturnal creatures start to emerge.

The guide will explain many of the unique sights and unusual sounds while pointing out an array of insects, reptiles, birds, bats and mammals that inhabit the forest at night.

Among the creatures that visitors are likely to spot are snakes, spiders, especially tarantulas, sleeping blue crowned mot-mots, tiny tree frogs, Coatimundis, Agoutis, bats, and if you're really lucky, maybe even a sleepy sloth, a wide-eyed Kinkajou, or an Armadillo. Of course there are no guarantees, so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Day 7. MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST TOUR. (B, L, D). After breakfast, tour to El Trapiche (Sugar Mill Tour). El Trapiche Tour is a Costa Rican Family project that offers visitors a two hour long guided tour. 

We begin with a walk on our farm where our guests will learn about the production of sugarcane, coffee, and the traditional ways of cultivating bananas, arracache (a local legume), avocado, macadamia nuts as well as other products.  Also one can observe our Tilapia fish project and a small-forested area where it is possible to see various flora and fauna of the Monteverde zone.

During the tour of the farm, our visitors will have the opportunity to collect coffee, transport it to the grinding machines and see how the delicious Monteverde coffee is made.  Also on our farm there are oxen with a traditional cart waiting to transport visitors to the sugarcane mill where we will demonstrate the process of making brown sugar and all the other types of products made from sugarcane. 

One can also enjoy a representation of the extraction of guaro, a Costa Rican alcohol made from sugarcane.  To end this eventful tour our guests can enjoy “picadillo de arracache”, a traditional vegetable hash, accompanied by a cup of coffee or lemonade. After lunch, return to San Jose City and check in at Hotel Villa Tournon or similar. Farewell dinner.

Day 8. TRANSFER OUT (B). Transfer to the International Airport according with your scheduled flight and good bye.

NOTE: Rates based on Triple & Quad occupancy for the students and double rooms for the teachers. No single rooms available unless a single supplement is paid.

CHAPERONES:  One free ticket for every 15 paid students.       MINIMUM: 15 students.

INCLUDE: 7 nights lodging in high quality Hotels, all land transportation within Costa Rica, all airport/ hotel transfers on scheduled arrival/ departures dates only, specified meals, specified tours, private transportation and naturalist tour guide.

NOT INCLUDED: International air fare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

WHATS TO BRING: Hiking Shoes, Bathing Suit, Binoculars, Camera, Beach Sandals, Suntan Lotion, Hat, Mosquito Repellent.