Costa Rica Travel and Adventure Packages

Package Vacations - Monteverde and Arenal Volcano Costa Rica

7 Night and 7 Days Pure Fun & Adrenaline Tour (San Jose, Monteverde, Arenal Volcano and Samara Beach with Last Night in Alajeula, San Jose)

Travel and Adventure in Costa Rica with Desafio Adventure Company

7 day and 7 night package vacation will cover all the highlight in this fun-packed adventure package exploring the beautiful areas of Monteverde and Arenal Volcano and finally relaxing on a white-sanded beach at Playa Samara. Also included is your hotel in San Jose!

Itinerary:

Day 1. 

Private Transport from San Jose or Liberia Airports or San Jose Hotels to Arenal Relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of tropical mountains and farms as you drive to the Arenal region. Our driver will greet you at the airport or your hotel and help you with your luggage. He’ll be happy to stop for bathroom, food or photo breaks along the way.

5.15pm Skytrek Canopy Tour at Night!!

The ultimate in daring ziplining! Try a totally new experience with the Arenal Sky Trek & Tram Night tour. The tour is the same tour as they offer in the day but the night option allows you wonderful view of the Volcano and Lake at sunset and the opportunity to observe the volcano eruptions from a unique point. The lava views are amazing when it is clear and the volcano is active. Whether it is clear or not doing the tour is an exciting thrill!

The Sky Tram was specially designed by an Austrian company and is located in area called El Castillo a small village near Arenal Lake.

The tour consists of a 1km ascent to an observation point , at times the tram is 40 meters above the treetops. You will have some time at the observation point before following on with the Skytrek. This is a system of cables (or zip lines) that enables you to safely “fly” over the rain forest holding onto a pulley with two handles. Comfortable harnesses are used which are adjustable at the waist and legs. The tour is suitable for children over 8 years old. The package tour takes 2.5 hours in total plus transport time.  The ziplines cover a distance of almost 2.8 km. The lengths of the ziplines range from 99 feet (30m) to 2,475 feet (750m) and the heights r from 60 feet (20m) to 660 feet (200m).

Day 2.

7.30am   Canyoneering (Rappelling Down Tropical Waterfalls) or Canyoning!

Go Big! Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering!
Imagine yourself in the midst of the cloud forest at the top of a series of tropical waterfalls. Prepare to get wet as our guides put you into your safety harnesses and assist you as you rappel through a magical canyon full of waterfalls with surprises at each step. There are 8 tropical waterfalls of which 5 you repel down.

Of for those who want a little less adventure you can opt for a walk to the La Fortuna Waterfall. This is an opportunity to swim in the refreshing waters of the famous La Fortuna falls. You'll be picked up after breakfast and taken to the entrance where a 40 minute descent will bring you to the base of the waterfalls. You'll have time to relax and swim before beginning the climb back up. After the visit we'll stop for a short while at the hotel to freshen up, collect your bags and have something to eat before etting off back to San Jose (or you can opt for a shuttle bus to one of the main beaches).

3.30pm. Volcano Hike and Baldi Hot Springs. Arenal Volcano Hike: Lava Viewing
A visit to Costa Rica is not complete without seeing Arenal's exciting live volcano! Hike through lush rainforest with an experienced naturalist, bilingual guide who will point out flora and fauna in the primary and secondary rainforest that lines the base of the Arenal Volcano. You'll then arrive at the observation point - the closest you can get to the base of Arenal Volcano and wait for the sun to set. As it starts to get dark, on clear nights you can see the amazing lava flow of Central America's most-active volcano and if you're lucky, you may be able to hear explosions or big lava rocks tumbling down the side of the volcano on your Arenal Volcano night hike.

Duration: 1.5-2 hours of an easy hike (although there are some muddy sections and a little uphill)

After the night hike we will take you to Baldi Hot Springs where you can soak any aches away from the past few day's activities. Located near La Fortuna, these Arenal hot springs is a place where you can really relax and pamper yourself. Baldi's has a series of pools and hot springs fed by Arenal Volcano which are set amid glorious tropical gardens so that you can relax in the water, while enjoying the surroundings. The pools vary in temperature, from the temperature of a swimming pool to the warmest at around 39C (102F). It's a place where, on a clear night, you can sit in a warm pool, sipping the cocktail of your choice, while watching the fireworks as Arenal Volcano erupts. 

You might also decide to pamper your body by opting for one of the many body treatments which are available such as massage, reflexology, body polish, volcanic mud wraps and facials (these are not included on the tour). 

Includes: bilingual guide, transportation, entrance to private reserve and volcano viewpoint with beverages. Entrance to Baldi Hot Springs.

Day 3

8.30am White-water Rafting. The hottest full day white water rafting trip in the country on the mighty Rio Toro! 2 ½ hours of non-stop whitewater action. The river canyon includes exotic wildlife and continuous rapids. The tour run by the very experienced and safety-conscious, Desafo Adventure Company, departs from your hotel about 8:30am and returns around 4:00 pm. The tour Includes tropical fruit fiesta and hot 'casado' lunch. If the river is too high we have alternative rivers to choose from and for those who like a little less action there is the option of a the Class 2/ 3 Rio Balsa or the half-day Safari Float, which is a gentle float down a Class 1 river, with opportunities to see monkeys and other wildlife. 

Day 4.

7.45am. Horseback Ride to Arenal Volcano. Horseback Riding from Arenal to Monteverde is a great way to get between the two regions. Your don’t have to have experience to do this as the ride is mainly a walking tour around Arenal Lake (no dangerous mountains to ride up!). There are many tropical birds along the way and the scenery is stunning! We provide riding helmets, Costa Rican guides and rain ponchos (just in case!).

Note for those of you who prefer not to ride on horseback there is an alternative way. We can go by taxi-boat-taxi (please ask for details) with no horses involved.

The horseback ride is broken up as follows:

- 25 minute ride from your hotel to Arenal Lake
- 15 minute boat ride to get to the horses
- 3 hours on the horse including a fruit and water break
- 1.5 hours land transport to the mountains of Monteverde

Note for those of you who prefer not to ride on horseback there is an alternative way. We can go by taxi-boat-taxi (please ask for details) with no horses involved.

Day 5.

7.30am. Selvatura Canopy Tour. In the afternoon you will have a chance to enjoy the forest from a whole different perspective, high in the canopy of the cloud forest. It is a private park located near the Santa Elena Cloud Forest in Monteverde where you can do the Monteverde Canopy tour, one of the most thrilling and safest adventures in Costa Rica.  The canopy tour is entirely built inside virgin and secondary cloud forest with a total of 15 ziplines and 18 platforms. Plus one amazing (and optional) tarzan swing! Visitors will travel between 2 miles of cables attached by a secure harness and a maximum weight support pulleys plus other security gear to ensure safety. At all times guides will assist you on the tour. The tour takes about 2.5 hours. Afterwards you can the canopy walkways which are a series of suspended bridges, high in the canopy of the rain forest connected by hiking trails that wind between the bridges. In total, these trails cover 3.3km. There are eight different bridges which have lengths and heights that vary between 50 to 170m long and 12 and 60m high..  Every bridge is 1.5m wide and has a capacity for 60 people. The hanging bridges are designed for people of every age and reasonable physical condition. The duration of the tour is usually about 1.5 hours.

pm Private Transport from Monteverde to Samara Beach    

The small town of Samara is located in the Guanacaste region and lies at the foot of a steep hill, with the main road running straight through the center and ending at the beach.  Samara is a thriving fishing and farming community as well as a beach resort.

The beach is located in an attractive moon shaped bay about 4kms long, with a white-sanded beach fringed by coconut palms. It’s considered one of the safest beaches in Costa Rica with it’s shallow, gentle waters protected by coral reefs. To the south of the bay there is a picturesque wooded island called Isla Chora.  Travelling away from the beach Sámara is surrounded by primary and secondary forest, home to a variety of wildlife, including monkeys, toucans, iguanas and parrots.

Day 6.

Snorkeling by Sea Kayak Island Chora, Samara Beach - Explore the ‘Rainforests of the Sea’!

The kayaking tour is 4 hours along the route in front of the coast line of Samara Beach to the Island Chora (you can also do this by boat and the tour is shorter and only 2.5 hours). Each kayak is for two people and includes includes water, guides and fresh fruit.

You will explore the coral reefs around the island and be amazed at the variety of colorful sea life. Year-round the seas in Samara are pleasantly warm and calm enough to allow safe observations of the underwater ecosystems. There will be an opportunity to walk around the pure white sands of Island Chora or relax whilst watching to the many sea birds attracted to the island.

Note This is laid-back tour with local beach guides (not the sophisticated guides of Desafio!). Saying that ….. the tour is enjoyable and a wonderful way of seeing the coast!

Day 7.

Private Transport Samara to San Jose  
 Samara beach is about a 4.5 hour drive to San Jose. Our driver will be happy to stop long the way for a snack/bathroom.

Details: NOTE FOR AN EXTRA COST WE CAN UPGRADE THE HOTELS

Arenal Volcano Hotels: 3 nights

Located on the edge of the town La Fortuna, Hotel San Bosco is a good-sized hotel with about 34 rooms. Rooms are very comfortable with A/C, private bathrooms with plenty of hot water and cable television There is a swimming pool, 2 jacuzzis and some gym equipment. While lava flow is very rarely seen from La Fortuna, the volcano is plainly visible from the hotel San Bosco on a clear day.

Monteverde Hotels: 1 night.

  In Monteverde we use Hotel Montana Monteverde whenever possible. Monteverde Montana is historically the first hotel in the Monteverde area and has since been remodeled to modern standards. The hotel has wonderful views of the Golf of Nicoya and its own trails. It is ideally located in an area called Cerro Plano, situated between the small town of Santa Elena and the Monteverde Reserve, . It is not far from the Ecological Sanctuary and a short walk to various restaurants in the area. 

   The hotel offers very comfortable rooms with private bathroom. Breakfast is included in the package. There is also a restaurant with a wide menu and a jacuzzi which clients are able to use.

Samara Hotels: 2 nights

Hotel Giada is located 5 minutes walk to the beautiful white-sanded beach of Samara. The hotel is set back a little from the main street and conveniently near shops and restaurants.

The hotel has 24 comfortable rooms decorated in a tropical style surrounding a nice pool.  Each room has a/c, ceiling fans, cable tv, private bath and balcony. Breakfast is included and the hotel has a pizza restaurant and small bar.

San Jose Hotel: 1 Night

The quaint and charming Trapp Family Country Inn, is located about 5-minutes from the main international San Jose airport, in a pleasant residential neighborhood suburb. The Inn has lovely gardens and a small pool. The hotel has a good restaurant and friendly owners and staff and is known a peaceful, quiet and clean hotel to relax in.

Please let us know if you need our help. info@monteverdetours.com

Details:

Minimum 2 people (Double occupancy): $985 per person

Dates of trip: We can schedule dates by request.

Included on Trip: All accommodation, all transport, all tours in the itinerary, all breakfasts and 2 lunches, guides

Not Included: Flights to Costa Rica, evening meals and some lunches, optional tours or transportation to other places not included in the schedule 

What to Bring: T-shirts, shorts, long pants for riding, sweater or light jacket, sandals, light hiking boots, rain jacket, sun screen, insect repellant, any personal medication, swimming wear, towel, riding hat if you want one (they are not compulsory in Costa Rica), traveler's insurance (to include white-water rafting and horse riding), full passport (a driving license is not sufficient), traveler's checks and a credit card (VISA, other cards are difficult to use in Monteverde). 

NOTE: Adventure tours such as whitewater rafting, horse riding, kayaking, canyoneering and hiking require physical effort. Clients should be in good condition. For client safety and enjoyment, Desafio Adventure Company reserves the right to offer a substitution, postpone, change or cancel any tour due to unfavorable conditions. Full refund is given if (on rare occasion) a tour is cancelled. Desafio Adventure Company and its affiliates are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items