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Costa Rica Rainforest - Small Group
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Length
9 Days
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Quality
This indicates the overall quality of the tour operator's products. A low rating does not mean it is not good - it just means that it does not include as much, or perhaps is of a more standard quality than the higher quality tours. For example, a 3 star quality rating means that it is a more standard/economical tour, while 5 stars is a very luxurious tour that often includes a lot of amenities. -
Starts in
San Jose (Costa Rica)
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Ends in
Liberia (Costa Rica)
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Available Tour Start Dates
JAN 9, 2027 to DEC 11, 2027
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Activity Level
No Rating Provided
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Language
English
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Guaranteed Date(s)
Yes means that there is at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur. No means that there is not at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur, which usually means that the vendor wants a certain amount of reservations on each tour in order for each one to occur. Of course, the terms and conditions of the vendor do allow for the vendor to cancel guaranteed tour dates for certain reasons (for example, a natural disaster).No
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Special Interest(s)
Small Group
There is at least one season during which this tour is offered as a Small Group. Such seasons are noted as being Small Group within the related date range.
From
Pricing listed is per person, based on double occupancy, and is the least expensive price for at least one departure date of this tour. Price is for the tour only. Additional items, including but not limited to, airfare (unless noted otherwise), travel insurance, and more, are additional.
$4,203.75
Overview
Travel across Costa Rica on a Small Group tour that links pre-Columbian heritage, artisan towns, cloud forest and the Pacific coast. In San José, enjoy a Before-Hours visit to the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. Share an authentic experience with Randall and Doña Aradina for lunch and a visit to their orchid garden, then visit an organic farm on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to cook with garden produce you’ve harvested. Learn about cloud-forest restoration with naturalist Edwin Ramírez, walk Monteverde’s hanging bridges and take a Bebedero River tour before your stay in Guanacaste.
Visited During Tour
La Fortuna | Liberia (Costa Rica) | Monteverde (Costa Rica) | San Jose | San Ramon | Sarchi | Tamarindo (Costa Rica)
Dates, Offers & Prices
Tour Itinerary
More Details
Dates, Offers & Prices
The following are Costa Rica Rainforest - Small Group tour dates available from Insight Vacations. Select a bonus offer graphic to view its details, including its terms.
Tour Itinerary
Insight Vacations Tour Code 468-1729
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Day
1Welcome to San José
Arrive in San José, Costa Rica’s capital set at 1,100 meters in the Central Valley between Poás and Irazú volcanoes. Coffee production in the 19th century shaped much of the city’s early development, funding institutions such as the National Theater, completed in 1897 and still operating today. This evening, meet your Travel Director and your small group for dinner in.
- Meals Included:
- Dinner
Accommodations: Intercontinental, San Jose -
Day
2Explore Costa Rica’s Capital
Begin with a before-hours visit to the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum with your Local Expert, then step out on a walking city tour through central San José. You’ll take in Plaza de la Cultura and the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, continue to Plaza de la Democracia y de la Abolición and the National Museum of Costa Rica, finishing in Parque Nacional. Later, take part in an authentic experience at the home of Randall and Doña Aradina, spending time in their orchid garden before lunch is served in their garden pavilion. Back in San José, your evening is at leisure.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
Accommodations: Intercontinental, San Jose -
Day
3San José to Sarchí and the Central Valley
Leave San José behind and step into Costa Rica’s Central Valley craft traditions in Sarchí, one of the country’s best-known centers for painted oxcarts and artisan woodwork. You’ll have space to explore workshops where carretas are built and hand-painted, and to browse small studios producing carved and painted pieces. The central park is a natural point to pause, with the town’s landmark oxcart as a reference to the tradition Sarchí is known for. Later, take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on an organic farm. You’ll learn sustainable growing methods, harvest seasonal ingredients from the garden and use them to create a local dish before dinner.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Montaña de Fuego, La Fortuna -
Day
4La Fortuna and the Arenal Region
Enjoy a Relaxed Start in La Fortuna, then head out to explore the region with Insight Choice. Choose between a hands-on chocolate experience tracing cacao through each stage of production, including the origins of traditional chocolate drinks and a tasting of organic chocolate, or choose a zipline adventure reached by safari truck, with 11 cables running between platforms in the hills above La Fortuna. Later, you’ll join a guided nature walk to learn how the area’s rainforest ecosystems support local flora and fauna. This evening is at leisure in La Fortuna, with the option to visit the town’s hot springs, browse local eateries around the central park or take an early night ready for tomorrow’s plans.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Montaña de Fuego, La Fortuna -
Day
5Cloud Forests and on to Monteverde
Begin the day at Canto del Río in La Paz de San Ramón with naturalist Edwin Ramírez. On his property, you’ll walk a reforested section of montane cloud forest and hear how restoration is approached on privately managed land. Continue to Monteverde, a highland community in the Tilarán range closely linked to conservation and research, with protected cloud forest reserves established here from the early 1970s. Settle into Santa Elena and enjoy an evening at leisure. Perhaps browse the small galleries and craft shops along the main street, stop in for Costa Rican coffee and dessert, or choose a local restaurant for dinner.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
Accommodations: Heliconia, Monteverde -
Day
6The Hanging Bridges of Monteverde
Explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest with a naturalist, walking forest trails and crossing a series of hanging bridges that bring you into the upper levels of the canopy. At this elevation, persistent mist supports moss-covered branches, orchids and other epiphytes. As you move through the tree canopy, look out for species recorded here, including resplendent quetzals, bellbirds and hummingbirds, with the chance of seeing monkeys and coatis along the trails and around the canopy. Return to your hotel later in the day for dinner.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Heliconia, Monteverde -
Day
7Cruise the River and on to Tamarindo
Descend from the mountain landscapes of Monteverde towards Costa Rica’s north-west lowlands, where wide river systems and seasonal wetlands define Guanacaste. You’ll take a boat tour on the Bebedero River, cruising through this important wetland corridor known for birdlife and riverside wildlife. From the water, you’ll scan the banks and overhanging branches for species that gather along the river’s edge. Continue to Tamarindo for the night. The evening is at leisure. Perhaps head to the coast for sunset views or choose a local restaurant to sample regional dishes like arroz de maíz or chorreadas.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort -
Day
8Tamarindo at Leisure
Today is free to use as you like in Tamarindo. You may choose a beach day on the Pacific coast, book a surf lesson in one of the area’s best-known beach towns, or head inland for a change of landscape with volcanic trails, waterfalls and geothermal features in the Rincón de la Vieja area. If you’d like time on the water, you can choose an Optional Experience with a morning snorkel and catamaran tour to Playa Tamarindo. This evening, join your Travel Director and small group for a final dinner together to celebrate your journey through Costa Rica.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort -
Day
9Depart Liberia
Say goodbye to your Travel Director and your small group, taking with you the days spent between cloud forest, wetlands and the Pacific coast.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
More Details
Insight Vacations is informing us of the following additional details regarding their Costa Rica Rainforest - Small Group tour:
Travelers Notes
* ARRIVAL: Complimentary arrival transfers are available on the FIRST DAY ONLY of the trip from San Jose Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) at any time. Flight information is required to book transfers. Guests with PRE nights must arrange their own transportation from airport to pre hotel at their own cost as Trafalgar does NOT offer a complimentary or chargeable Transfer for PRE nights. * DEPARTURE: On the last day of the trip, guests will arrive at Liberia International Airport (LIR) at approx. 10:00. Please allow ample time (recommendation is three hours) between this approx. arrival time and flight departure time to allow for check-in/clearance of immigration etc (as per domestic/international guidelines for guests onwards flight). Guests are welcome to book post-nights in Guanacaste; however, they must arrange their own transportation from Guanacaste to the airport at their own cost as Insight Vacations does NOT offer a complimentary or chargeable Transfer for POST nights. * DEPARTURE TAX: Visitors pay a departure tax of US$29 (subject to change) in cash or credit card at the airport when departing Costa Rica. Some airlines are adding the departure tax into the cost of the ticket. Please check with your airline if this fee has been included.* TRIP NOTE: Please note for the more remote areas of Costa Rica, we use the best available hotel facilities with comfortable but simple guestrooms and eco-friendly amenities perfectly suited to the natural surroundings. This journey requires walking on uneven surfaces and steps and sometimes through heavy showers (rain ponchos provided). This journey is best enjoyed by the experienced traveler in good health and who can take such conditions in stride.* IMPORTANT: A valid passport with at least six months validity after your return date from Costa Rica is required to enter the country.* NOTE: This trip falls under LEVEL 2. Please refer to the below invoice notes section in order to review the Deposit, Payment and Cancellation policies.* GROUND HANDLER: This trip is operated by ground handler Destination America Costa Rica.
Pricing listed above for tours is per person, in US Dollars, and is based on double occupancy. Pricing may change for other occupancy types. Pricing is based on the last time the vendor electronically sent us pricing data, which varies by vendor (usually occurs overnight or multiple times throughout each day).
Pricing and availability are subject to change and must be confirmed by one of our travel advisors, who can contact the vendor to do so. Intra-vacation air (also referred to as internal air) is usually based on economy class seating (do not assume otherwise, unless explicity noted otherwise) and may be 100% non-refundable at time of final payment. Air quotes (including intra-vacation airfare) may be subject to change until final payment has been received by the vendor. Flight confirmation may be based on availability. Air reservations may not be able to be confirmed until a passport copy is received by the vendor. The following charges are not included in the vacation price unless otherwise noted: airfare to and from the start of your vacation; airline baggage fees including checked and/or excess baggage fees; Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees, including the September 11th Security fee, passenger facility charges, Federal domestic flight segment fees, and U.S. and international arrival and departure and other government-imposed fees added by the airline and applicable at time of booking; port taxes; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ship's crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant or onboard your vessel (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; optional excursions; additional activities and excursions purchased online; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection; and all other items of a personal nature. Itinerary details are provided by the vendor. Vendors may reserve the right to change itineraries, even on existing reservations. There may be instances where the name of a tour contains a tour length in it, but where there is a version of the tour that is a different number of days in length. You can check the true length of a tour by referring to the length value listed in association with that tour. Destination images displayed on this web page, some which are supplied by the related vendor and some which are not, are intended to simply give a general representation of the region of the world being visited during the tour. Such images are not necessarily of the exact areas being visited during the tour. Hotel details (including, but not limited to: rating/class, descriptions, images, amenities and addresses) are provided by Insight Vacations. Hotel amenities may be communicated in shorthand by Insight Vacations (for example, if "Laundry" is listed that may only mean that the hotel has an optional fee-based service that would allow for your laundry to be done by their staff). We reserve the right to correct errors.