Costa Rica
'Glamping' on a remote Island, River Rafting, Cloud Forest and Coastal National Parks
Quetzal Tour - 15 Night Itinerary
Ideal for couples and families. Get back to nature with a 'glamping' experience on Isla Jesusita, raft on the Pacuare River, observe the Resplendent Quetzal, and enjoy Costa Rica's best coastal National Parks with their stunning beaches.
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Travel Highlights
- Visit San Jose with fascinating pre-Colombian Gold Museum
- Enjoy thrilling river rafting adventures on the Pacuare River
- Explore the cloud forest at San Gerardo de Dota and observe the beautiful Resplendent Quetzal
- Discover the rainforest, birdlife and wild beaches in Corcovado National Park
- Stay on the beach and discover Manuel Antonio National Park
- Stay at a unique 'Glamping' Hotel on a remote Island in the Gulf of Nicoya
Tour Route
- San Jose - 2 Nights
- Pacuare River - 2 Nights
- San Gerardo de Dota - 3 Nights
- Luna Lodge, Corcovado National Park - 4 Nights
- Manuel Antonio National Park - 2 Nights
- Glamping in the Gulf of Nicoya - 2 Nights
- Return to Jose and fly home
This itinerary can be tailored to your preferences by our specialist advisors, who can provide a guaranteed price based on your choice of departure date, route, duration, flights, cabin, hotels, transport and excursions.
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Tour Itinerary
San Jose
2 NightsDay 1 - Daytime flight to San Jose
Day 2 - San Jose and Poas Volcano
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Daytime flight to San Jose
Depart on British Airways daytime flight to San Jose, arriving late in the afternoon. Our guide will transfer you to your chosen hotel for a 2 night stay and give a short orientation tour.
Sunday, 20 July 2025
San Jose
Relax at your hotel or choose from a range of optional excursions, including a tour of San Jose or perhaps a visit to the impressive Poas Volcano.
Henry Porras
Hotel Presidente
The Presidente Hotel is located in the heart of San José in the pedestrian zone of Central Avenue, 2 blocks from the National Theatre and the Cultural Square. The hotel has over 100 comfortable and spacious rooms, which all include cable TV, air conditioning, safety box and en-suite bathroom. The hotel offers amenities such as…
Balmoral Hotel
The Balmoral Hotel is located on Avenida Central, San Jose’s most famous street and walking distance to the historic centre. It is easy to visit the Iglesia de la Merced, the cathedral, the central and Morazán parks, as well as the impressive gold and jade museums.
The hotel’s rooms include double beds, complimentary coffee, safe, hair…
Grano de Oro
Situated on a shady street just off Paseo Colon, San Jose's main street, the Hotel Grano de Oro is a welcome retreat in the heart of this bustling city. Converted from a tropical Victorian mansion, the hotel preserves the warmth and comfort of a private home, with its atrium terrace and corridors of sparkling fountains…
Buena Vista Hotel
Buena Vista hotel is a Spanish colonial style resort located just outside San Jose, at the top of a mountain offering panoramic views of three volcanoes in the Central Valley - Poas, Barva and Irazu. It is a super place to stay when you arrive in Costa Rica.
The hotel has 30 air-conditioned and comfortable rooms. Deluxe…
Hotel Alta Las Palomas
Located on the outskirts of San Jose in Santa Ana, the 23 room Hotel Alta is an excellent base to explore the capital city and surrounding attractions, including the Poas Volcano.
Public areas include a swimming pool, excellent dining at the elegant La Luz Restaurant and bar or the more relaxed cafe de Verano.
There are 5…
Finca Rosa Blanca
Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn is situated above the beautiful Central Valley of Costa Rica, offering amazing views of volcanoes, cloud forests and coffee plantations and nestled amongst 10 acres amid hundreds of fruit trees and tropical flora. It offers luxurious rooms including mini bar, Jacuzzi bath and private verandas overlooking the Valley. Each room…
Xandari Resort And Spa
Xandari Resort and Spa is perfectly located for excursions to Poas Volcano, La Paz waterfall gardens, and Doka coffee plantation, and is only 30 minutes’ drive from San Jose International airport. Over 3km of scenic trails through coffee and fruit orchards lead into a lush natural tropical setting with a year-round river and five beautiful…
Pacuare River
2 NightsDay 3 - Transfer to Pacuare & River Rafting
Day 4 - Optional hiking and canopy tour
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Transfer to Pacuare & river rafting
Morning transfer to the Pacuare River, followed by an exciting 1 hour river rafting tour to Pacuare Lodge where you will enjoy a 2-night stay on a full board basis.
Pacuare is a protected area in the Caribbean region of Costa Rica beginning near the town of Siquirres and covering approximately 25,000 acres as it descends down the Talamanca Mountain Range. Pacuare’s proximity to the lowlands and high annual rainfall combine to nurture the complex life systems whose abundance makes for extraordinary scenic beauty.
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Optional hiking and canopy tour
Wake up to bird song and the soothing sound of the river nearby. The lodge employs a resident naturalist guide who will provide you with unique insights into the plant and animal world. Today you can choose from optional tours including a guided hike through the emerald rainforest or the Cabecar Indian hike - where visitors may participate in a cultural exchange. The optional adventure Canopy Tour allows you to view the rainforest from the treetops, as you glide from tree to tree amidst the tropical rainforest canopy.
There is also an opportunity for more rafting adventure on the Pacuare River.
Pacuare River Lodge
Pacuare River Lodge is a secluded property located amid the exotic rainforest located outside Turrialba, accessible only by 4x4 and river raft. The lodge's eco-friendly bungalows are surrounded by exuberant tropical foliage, nestled between the river and our private nature reserve, which conserves 300 hectares (740 acres) of primary rainforest.
There are 14 river and jungle…
San Gerardo de Dota
3 NightsDay 5 - Travel to San Gerardo de Dota
Day 6 - Exploring the Cloud Forest
Day 7 - Further Explorations
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Travel to San Gerardo de Dota
After breakfast, take a 3 hour rafting trip back along the river, from where we continue by private car to San Gerardo de Dota, an area of primary Cloud Forest. Located in a valley between high mountains, it has its own microclimate which often makes it colder than the rest of the country, particularly at night. Frequent rains make the vegatation verdant and lush, but the area has excellent trails for hiking. The main activity in San Gerardo is birdwatching, specifically because it is one of the only places to see the Resplendant Quetzal - one of the most beautiful birds in Costa Rica.
Check into Trogon Lodge for a 3-night stay on a full board basis.
Thursday, 24 July 2025
Exploring the rainforest
Excursions can also be arranged from the lodge to visit the best birdwatching spots in the area, including Quetzal Quest, a general Birdwatching Tour, and the “Paramo” is a unique highland area that develops in altitudes higher than 3,000 meters above sea level.
Friday, 25 July 2025
Further explorations
Enjoy further optional excursions from your lodge.
Trogon Lodge
Trogon Lodge, named after a popular Costa Rican bird has 23 rustic and comfortable wooden cabins, all with heating, private bathroom, hot water, and a small shared terrace. The family style restaurant serves delicious home cooked meals, and there is also a bar with forest view and balcony, pool table and original duke box.
The lodge…
Luna Lodge, Corcovado National Park
4 NightsDay 8 - Travel to Corcovado National Park
Day 9 - The Luna Lodge Experience
Day 10 - Exploring Corcovado National Park
Day 11 - Optional Excursions
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Travel to Corcovado National Park
After breakfast, transfer to San Jose airport and take a domestic flight to Puerto Jimenez, from where we travel by road to Luna Lodge, located enviably next to the Pacific Ocean on the edge of Corcovado National Park. We check into Luna Lodge, where we stay 4-nights on a full board basis.
Sunday, 27 July 2025
The Luna Lodge Experience
Luna Lodge features incredible nature tours, yoga, spa treatments, an organic swimming pool and free Wi-Fi in public areas. This sustainable property is run by hydro energy. The property offers private bathrooms with hot water, free toiletries and panoramic views of the surroundings. The bungalows and tents have private decks and the rooms have a terrace. Electricity is available 24 hours a day. Activities such as bird watching, kayaking and horseback riding on the beach can be arranged. Yoga lessons and spa treatments are also available.
Monday, 28 July 2025
Exploring Corcovado National Park
Explore Corcovado National Park or relax on the beach.
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Optional Excursions
Enjoy a range of guided excursions from the lodge, or perhaps join a Yoga class on the terrace.
Luna Lodge
Luna Lodge is situated within 60 acres of primary and secondary rainforest, on the pristine and captivating Osa Peninsula in Carate near Corcovado National Park.
Corcovado is one of the largest parks in Costa Rica and protects one-third of the peninsula. Described as “…the most biologically intense place on Earth.” by National Geographic Magazine.
There are eight…
Manuel Antonio National Park
2 NightsDay 12 - Travel to Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 13 - At leisure
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Travel to Manuel Antonio National Park
Today we travel to Manuel Antonio, one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, due to its combination of lowland tropical rainforest, National Park and wide sandy beaches. A small busy town has built up on a hill overlooking the coast, where many hotels, bars and restaurants can be found offering a variety of services. If you feel like relaxing there are beautiful beaches at the bottom of the hill, where some beach bars and restaurants can also be found. For those feeling more adventurous it is easy to explore the National Park, either on your own or on a guided tour. The park has more than one hundred mammal species and one hundred and eighty species of birds, including the rare white ibis. Squirrel monkeys (another endangered species) play in the trees above the trails in the Park and there are also two-toed sloths, raccoons, white-nosed coatis, howler and white faced monkeys, and squirrels.
We check into the first class Is Como No Hotel for a 2-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
Thursday, 31 July 2025
Explore Manuel Antonio
Explore the national park or relax on the beach.
David Jiménez
Si Como No
The Hotel Si Como No is surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, sandy beaches and nearby rafting rivers; and the hotel offers a number of guided excursions exploring these areas. The hotel has 58 rooms within 10 separate terraces and located on 10 acres of protected tropical forest. Choose from Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Plus or the…
Glamping in the Gulf of Nicoya
2 NightsDay 14 - Travel to the Gulf of Nicoya
Day 15 - Guided Exploratons
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Travel to the Gulf of Nicoya
We travel north today to the Gulf of Nicoya, via a ferry from Puntarenas to the small island of Jesusita where we check in to the Isla Chiquita Glamping Hotel for a 2-night stay on a full board basis including the per fee and activities at the hotel.
Glamping blends the adventure and eco-friendly appeal of a camping holiday with the comforts and amenities of a traditional hotel. Isla Chiquita elevates the glamping experience with premium tent accommodations featuring plush bedding, organic bath products and lounging decks with gorgeous ocean or tropical forest views. The 18 premium tents with king beds are designed to offer both rustic charm and modern convenience, each tent includes an en-suite bathroom with local, organic products, deluxe bedding, cooling ceiling fans, and a spacious private lounging deck with remarkable views.
Enjoy delicious seafood meals at Donde Tía Nora Restaurant, or sip a drink at Harry’s Bar & Restaurant as you survey the beauty that envelops you.
Saturday, 02 August 2025
Guided explorations
Various activities are included, by land or sea. Choose from bioluminescence expeditions, birdwatching, forest bathing hikes, snorkelling excursions, and a boat trip visiting other nearby islands.
You can choose to stay on longer for extra nights, please call us if you require.
Nantipa Hotel
Nantipa is the Chorotegan word for blue, aptly named for this stylish beachfront hotel in the heart of the Nicoya Península. A hidden treasure where deep blue waters are framed by vividly green tropical rainforests.
Public facilities include the excellent Manzu Restaurant located on the beach, swimming pool, bar and spa.
The hotel has 15 guest bungalows and…
Return to Jose and fly home
Day 16 - Transfer to San Jose and fly home
Day 17 - Arrive in the UK
- Full Description
Transfer to San Jose and fly home
Early morning transfer by road to San Jose Airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.
Monday, 04 August 2025
Arrive in the UK
Arrive in the UK in the morning.
Price Guidelines
| Season | Low Season | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Dates | Year round | |
| Room Arrangement | First | Deluxe |
| Multiple Travellers - Twin Rooms | £3,762 | £4,232 |
Prices are a guideline per person, for travel within the next year and booking early and are subject to availability. Please see below what is included and request a detailed quotation with a guaranteed price for your specific departure date and for Special Events, Summer, Christmas, New Year's Eve & Easter.
What's Included
- 17 Days / 15 Nights
- International flights (1 overnight)
- Internal flight San Jose to Puerto Jimenez
- 15 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners
- River rafting adventures in Pacuare
- Accommodation as shown on the itinerary
- Transfers and transport throughout
- Prices per person
Complete a form or call our specialist advisors to start planning your trip. Please provide as much information as possible, and we will aim to respond to your enquiry the same or next working day.
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