Costa Rica – A Tropical Paradise
January 21, 2025 thru January 30, 2025
Costa Rica is a special place, a clean and safe country of natural beauty and wildlife. Costa Rica is known for its incredible scenery and immense biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, brimming with exotic wildlife. Our Costa Rican naturalist/guide leads us from coast to coast through the many ecosystems. The animals are equally as impressive be it a jaguar (the largest cat in the New World), the ever-elusive Margay, or the wonderful birds like the green or scarlet macaws. The amphibians are also quite impressive. The poison dart frogs, with their bright colors, are bound to catch your attention.
View the full presentation here!
Transportation
Air transportation included
Transportation
Transportation
Deluxe Motorcoach
Transportation
Activity Level 4
Active
Duration
10 Days, 9 nights
Meals Included
24 Meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners) included
Availability
Available
Pickup and Dropoff
Roundtrip door-to-door livery service
Documents Required
Passport
Tour Highlights
- San Jose
- Doka Estates Coffee Plantation
- Tortuguero National Park
- Poas Volcano
- La Paz Waterfall Gardens
- Braulio Carrillo National Park
- Guápiles
- Arenal Hanging Bridges
- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Quepos
Inclusions
- Roundtrip air transportation to and from Tucson
- Transportation by deluxe motorcoach
- Roundtrip door-to-door livery service
- 9 nights’ lodging at excellent hotels
- Baggage handling at hotels (for one piece)
- 24 Meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners) included
- Admission to all listed attractions
- Professional Costa Rican Tour Guide/Naturalist
- Your Pleasurebent Tours Tour Director
- All taxes and tips for included items
Day 1 - Tucson to San José
We fly to San José, Costa Rica’s capital city, meet our naturalist/guide, and transfer to Studio Hotel for two nights.
Day 2 - Doka Estates Coffee Plantation
This morning we will tour Doka Estates Coffee Plantation. Enjoy a guided tour and tastings of this decades-old company built on volcanic slopes. After coffee it’s on to Poás Volcano. The Poás Volcano, is an active 2,697-metre stratovolcano in central Costa Rica and is located within Poas Volcano National Park. It has erupted 40 times since 1828. For lunch we will stop at La Paz Waterfall Gardens and then enjoy a guided tour before celebrating with a “Welcome” dinner at Studio Hotel.
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 3 - Braulio Carrillo and Tortuguero National Parks
We travel through the lush Braulio Carrillo National Park rainforest, en route to Tortuguero National Park (on the North Eastern Costa Rican coast) where we have lunch. Then we visit the nearby village of Tortuguero with our guide and learn about the thousands of sea turtles which nest on the beach every year. Located in an unspoiled jungle close to the Caribbean Sea, the Evergreen Lodge is home for the next two nights.
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 4 - Tortuguero National Park
Considered “The Amazon of Costa Rica,” Tortuguero National Park is a tropical wetland filled with exotic flora and fauna waiting to be discovered. We travel in specially-designed boats to explore the extensive network of waterways that wind through the wildlife-rich vegetation. Watch for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, crocodiles, frogs, flowers, turtles, and birds by the hundreds. In the afternoon, our guide leads a nature walk on some of the jungle trails.
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 5 - Guápiles
We enjoy an early breakfast, then take a boat ride and transfer to Guápiles. Guápiles is one of Costa Rica’s most popular cities and it sits within the country’s banana growing region. Here we have lunch at El Ceibo Restaurant and catch a land transfer from Guápiles to Arenal. Dinner is served at the Arenal Kioro where we spend two nights at the Arenal Kioro Sutes & Spa.
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 6 - Arenal Hanging Gardens
Our day starts with a tour of the Arenal Hanging Bridges. Our guide points out the interesting flora and fauna. Monkeys, sloths, colorful birds, and reptiles are abundant and likely to make an appearance for our cameras. We savor lunch at Fortuna Waterfall and have time for shopping in town! Our afternoon gives us plenty of time for relaxing at our beautiful resort hotel with on-site hot springs. Dinner this evening is at Rancho Perla Restaurant.
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 7 - Tarcoles River and Manuel Antonio National Park
After breakfast this morning, we leave the Arenal area and drive south to the Pacific Coast and board our boat for a crocodile and bird nature safari. We navigate through mangroves and sail up the Tarcoles River. The up-close views of basking and swimming crocodiles are fascinating and the variety of birdlife is remarkable. It truly is a bird watcher’s paradise! We continue to Manuel Antonio National Park where we lodge two nights at Hotel El Parador Resort and Spa. (Trip Advisor has given this property its 2017 Traveler’s Choice designation!)
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 8 - Manuel Antonio National Park
After breakfast, we will walk the trail in Manuel Antonio National Park, enjoying the alluring, pristine beaches. Those with a stronger sense of adventure may choose to hike some of the more challenging trails. We will have the option to go into the nearby town of Quepos for shopping, or return to the resort to enjoy the pool and other luxury facilities. Late afternoon finds us on a delightful sunset dinner cruise along the coastline. Watch for dolphins on this one!
Meals included: (B, L)
Day 9 - El Parador and San José
After breakfast, walk the trails at El Parador before departing for San José. We stop for lunch at El Jardin. A farewell dinner this evening at our hotel is a fitting end to the day.
Meals included: (B, L, D)
Day 10 - Depart for Tucson
After a very early breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our departure from stunning, and unforgettable, Costa Rica.
Meals included: (B)
Itinerary is subject to change. Passport Required.
Fun Facts
Pura Vida
"Pura Vida" is a popular phrase in Costa Rica, which translates to "pure life" in English. It reflects the country's laid-back and positive attitude towards life.
No Army
Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a standing army. It abolished its military forces in 1949 and instead focuses on education and healthcare.
Blue Flag Beaches
Costa Rica has numerous "Blue Flag" beaches, which are certified for their cleanliness and environmental conservation efforts.
Hotel Information
Studio Hotel
San Jose, Costa Rica
Evergreen Lodge
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
El Parador Hotel
Quepos, Costa Rica
Package Pricing
$4,595 per person
Double Occupancy
Deposit: $250 NOW holds you place
$5,495 per person
Single Occupancy
Deposit: $250 NOW holds your place
Final Payment Due:
September 17, 2024
Deposit: N/A
Price Includes
• Roundtrip air transportation to and from Tucson
• Transportation by deluxe motorcoach
• Roundtrip door-to-door livery service
• 9 nights’ lodging at excellent hotels
• Baggage handling at hotels (for one piece)
• 24 Meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners) included
• Admission to all listed attractions
• Professional Costa Rican Tour Guide/Naturalist
• Your Pleasurebent Tours Tour Director
• All taxes and tips for included items
Booking Policy
*** Passport Required***
Final Payment Due: September 17, 2024
Cancellation Fees:
- None through September 17, 2024
- $250 – September 18 – October 15, 2024
- $2,500 – October 16 – November 19, 2024
- 100% after November 19, 2024
*Percentage of total price
We pride ourselves on great service and an enjoyable experience for all and will go over our booking policies after you make your request for booking. If you’d like to learn more about our booking policies before your trip, give us a call at (520) 325-8839, or visit our Booking Policies page. Click here for more information on our booking policies.
Travel Insurance
In today’s changing travel environment, it’s important to help protect your travel investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer a Travelex Insurance Services protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected.
Please click here for more information.
ACTIVITY LEVEL RATING
Level 4: Active
Expectations: Expect a moderate amount of walking. There will be time to rest on the coach and between attractions. To enjoy this tour, you should be prepared to walk slightly longer distances, climb stairs and tolerate periods of standing, for example on city walks, sightseeing stops or ship excursions. The daily pace and timing can fluctuate significantly between longer and shorter travel days, with additional activities possibly occurring in the early morning or evening. There may be some changes in altitude or temperatures.
Visit our Activity Level Ratings page under Plan Your Tour for full information on the ratings system.
ITINERARY
For your reference, we send to you a detailed itinerary approximately 3-4 weeks prior to the scheduled tour departure. This has day-by-day times and events, hotel information where you can be reached in case of an emergency, and airline information.
The times listed on the itinerary are all approximate. We cannot be held responsible for schedule changes due to unforeseen circumstances with the weather, transportation agents, highway conditions, hotels or contracting agents.
EMERGENCY CONTACT
It is always a good idea to carry on your person a list of medications that you are taking and an emergency contact phone number while you are traveling. And we suggest making a copy of the itinerary and provide it to a friend or family member.
GRATUITIES/ITEMS INCLUDED IN PRICE
The traditional end-of-tour gratuity to your tour director is included on this tour. All hotel porterage and airport skycap (when available) fees are included. We also include the gratuities for the coach/livery drivers. Hotel housekeeping tips are not included.
LIVERY
For your convenience, we have a (round-tour) door-to-door pickup service with each multi-day tour. (This service is not available to all clients depending on your location.) Approximately 2 to 3 days prior to the departure date you will receive a call from our office and we will tell you your assigned pickup time. (These times can vary up to 15 minutes depending on traffic.)
LODGING REQUESTS
If you would like to request special accommodations at the hotel(s) where we are lodging, please call us as soon as possible and we will forward these requests for you. The phone numbers of the hotel(s) where we are staying are listed on the itinerary.
Many hotels around the country have instituted a "reconditioning fee" of $300 or more that is levied upon a guest that smokes in a non-smoking room. If this occurs during our tour you will be responsible for paying this fee to the hotel prior to check-out.
TRAVEL REQUESTS
We pay close attention to your requests but please realize that these are merely requests and cannot be guaranteed.
RESPONSIBILITY
Pleasurebent Tours acts solely as an agent in arranging hotels, transportation, sightseeing, baggage-handling, and other services and does not assume any liability for injury, damage, loss or delay due to any act or default of any company or person. We, along with our subcontractors, reserve the right to make changes to an itinerary if it is necessary for the proper handling of a tour.
AIRLINE TICKETS
You will be issued your boarding pass the morning of our departure, after your arrival at the Tucson International Airport. If you have a frequent flyer number, or a TSA number, please call our office at least 3 days prior to the tour to ensure we can note these in your reservation.
If you are joining the tour from locations other than Tucson, we make other arrangements for you to join the tour. Please call our office for more details.
AIRPORT SECURITY
Do not forget to bring your government issued picture ID to show at the airport. If you do not have the proper ID, the airline and border security will turn you away.
BAGGAGE
We have arranged for handling for one piece of luggage per person regarding the skycaps (where available) and hotels. If you check through luggage note that the maximum weight for the checked piece of luggage is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height). If your bag weighs over 50 pounds the airlines will levy an extra fee that you will be responsible to pay. If you feel the need to lock your checked through luggage and your bag is searched, your lock could be damaged in the process. You can purchase a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) accepted and recognized lock at any luggage store. Make sure you ask for a TSA approved lock. These locks are the kind that TSA screeners can open by using a special tool without breaking. Passengers can carry-on 1 bag (dimensions are limited to 10x16x24 inches), plus a personal type bag, like a purse. We advise that you pack your carry-on lightly. There are restrictions regarding your carry-on baggage and contents due to enhanced security measures. If you have further concerns, please visit the TSA's Web-site at www.tsa.gov. There is room inside the motorcoach for your hand carried bag.
CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES
On our preferred airline for this tour, passengers are assessed a fee per checked in bag, by the Airlines, upon checking in for the flight.
Inquire About This Tour
Submit your inquiry for more information about a tour. We will get back to you with a (human) response as soon as possible. During the week that’s usually within a couple of hours. Evenings and weekends may take us a little bit longer. Please note that this is an inquiry for tour bookings only and does not constitute or confirm a reservation on a tour.
Call 520.325.8839 to Book Today!
If you aren't ready to inquire by email or would rather call and speak to a team member, we look forward to hearing from you.
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