Costa Rica Luxury Adventure tour is an excellent option for adventure lovers to explore Costa Rica’s marvelous sights with class. Travelers get to visit The Pacuare River, which is considered one of the top rivers in the world for its warm water, cascading waterfalls, lush rainforest and colourful birds; the Arenal Volcano with consistent lava flows and eruptions; participate in active adventures such as water rafting and canyoning; and relax at upscale local lodges and resorts. This itinerary offers an excellent combination of leisure and activity, simplicity and glamour, exploration and rejuvenation.
Quick Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive SJO Airport. The representative will meet & greet you at the airport and privately take you to your hotel, such as Finca Rosa Blanca or similar, where you can spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 2: In the early morning the representative will pick you up from the hotel to start your adventure in the Turrialba area. After arriving at the river and understanding the safety precautions provided by the guides, you will be given your rafting gear before the rafting adventure begins. After the day of thrill, you will arrive at Pacuare Lodge, where for the rest of the day you can enjoy the surroundings, have a candlelit dinner and a cocktail (breakfast, lunch and dinner provided; regular transportation, bilingual guide)
Day 3: Start your day with breakfast at the lodge. You have the whole day at leisure to enjoy the hotel’s facilities and the nature around you. Overnight at Pacuare Lodge (Garden View Room). (breakfast, lunch and dinner provided, bilingual guide)
Day 4: Continue with an even more exciting Pacuare White water rafting down the Pacuare River (Section II - Class III-IV). After a great day of adventure, you will have a private overland transfer to Arenal, where you will overnight at The Springs Hotel (Vista Guest Room) (breakfast and snacks provided, private transportation)
Day 5: Today you will have true tree-top adventure on the Skytram & SkyTrek (Zipline) tour, and later experience the nearby Arenal Rainforest Reserve, where you will be able to appreciate a natural environment. Overnight at The Springs Hotel (Vista Guest Room) (breakfast provided, regular transportation, bilingual guide)
Day 6: After having breakfast at the hotel, your trip begins with a 30-minute 4x4 drive into the tropical rainforest outside the town of La Fortuna, in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano, and you also get on the Canyoning Tour, a very rate experience. Overnight at The Springs Hotel (Vista Guest Room) (breakfast and lunch provided, regular transportation, bilingual guide)
Day 7: This morning you will be take a 3 1/2 hour overland private transfer back to the Central Valley for your return flight home (breakfast provided, private transportation)
Trip Summary
Who is it for? This Multi-sport itinerary is ideal for the active traveler in reasonable good physical condition who wishes to travel with class. Although none of the activities require an intense effort or are especially strenuous, it is important participants do not have unusual physical restrictions.
Tour Type: Multi-sport (Rafting, Hiking, Rainforest Tram ride, Zip-line tour and Canyoning)
Activity Level: Moderate
Minimum Age: 14-years-old (12 and 13 year olds may be accepted depending on height and weight)
Maximum Age: 65 years old
Requirements: None although some rafting experience is recommended
Meeting point: Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Group size: 1 to 12 people (Higher maximums are available for private groups)
Departures: Weekly – departing on any day of the week subject to availability
Accommodations: 1 night in a Boutique city hotel, 2 night in a Rainforest Eco-lodge and 3 nights at a 3-star Mountain Hotel
Guides: Specialist Bilingual guides provided during all tour on regular basis sharing with other fellow travelers
Transportation: A combination of regular transfers and private transfers
Arrival & Departure Transfers: Included
Important note: Arenal Volcano is most often covered in clouds. To see an eruption is a matter of luck (the dawn hours are best, before the clouds roll in). Chances are better in dry season, and less favorable in the rainy season.
Detailed Day By Day Sample of the Tour
Day 1: Arrive at San Juan International Airport, where the representative will meet & greet you and privately take you to your hotel, such as Finca Rosa Blanca (Junior Suite Room) or similar, where you can spend the rest of the day at leisure. (PT)
Day 2: In the early morning the representative will pick you up from the hotel to start your adventure in the Turrialba area. While on the road for approximately 2½ hours to the Pacuare River, you will have breakfast in route. Finally, the exciting 1-1½ hour river rafting tour starts (class II-III rapids), after which you will enjoy a two-night stay at Costa Rica’s premier eco-lodge. You will arrive at the lodge at around noon or 1 pm, where after lunch you can enjoy hotel surroundings, or simply relax in your private bungalow or suite. After candlelight dinner make sure to visit the upstairs lounge for a cocktail or refreshment before retiring to a restful night’s sleep. Overnight at Pacuare Lodge (Garden View Room) (B,L,D) (RT) (LG)
Day 3: You’ll wake up to bird song and the soothing sound of the river nearby, then head over to the main lodge for a delicious breakfast of homemade bread, tropical fruits, yogurt, eggs, pancakes, cereal and juice and coffee. Overnight at Pacuare Lodge (Garden View Room) (B,L,D) (LG)
Day 4: Between 9 and 10 am you will depart for an even more fun-filled day of white water rafting excitement (approximately 3½ hours over class III-IV rapids), and will have a delicious picnic lunch along the river. At the river take-out you will have a chance to change at the private facilities before being transferred by private transfer to the area. Overnight at The Springs or similar. (B,L) (RT) (PT) (LG)
Day 5: Today you will have a true tree-top adventure on the Skytram & SkyTrek (Zipline) tour. You will be transferred to the nearby Arenal Rainforest Reserve, where you will be able to appreciate a natural environment. You also enjoy the thrill of walking by rivers and trails through the Rainforest, and take on an Aerial Tram with the best technology available. There is also an exhibition area housing photographs and video of the forest. The tour includes the ascent by cable car to the top of the Arenal Reserve, where you can see beautiful landscapes of the forest, lake and the volcano. On the way back you can choose to return on the tram or take the Sky Trek which is a secure system of trails and zip lines that offers visitors the opportunity to observe and appreciate the nature from different vantage points. The Sky Trek is similar to other canopy tours in Costa Rica, but incorporates some significant differences, such as being of larger scale, metal platforms covered with mesh-covered and steel rails which prevent falling or sliding. All the platforms are designed for observation of life, from trees like Cocora (billia hippocastanum), Peine de mico (apeiba membranacea), to Capulín (mortoniodendron apetala) just to name a few. The shortest cable is 195 ft (60 mts) and the longest is 650 ft (200 mts). All the equipment used is very safe and simple, and will be handled by the guides so you can sit back and enjoy the day. The construction (rigging) of the tour meets the safety regulations specified by the ACCT (Association for Challenge Course Technology), considering the tour one of the safest in Costa Rica. The rest of the day is for you to relax and enjoy the hotel's swimming pool! Overnight at The Springs or similar. (B) (RT) (RG)
Day 6: After a breakfast at the hotel, your trip begins with a 30-minute 4x4 drive into the tropical rainforest outside the town of La Fortuna, in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano. You get to trek through the forest on magical trails that lead to some of the most spectacular waterfalls in Costa Rica, a place very few people get to experience. Along the way you will have the chance to discover the secrets that lie hidden deep within the canyon. Overnight at The Springs or similar. (B,D) (RT) (RG)
Day 7: This morning you will be take a 3 1/2 hour overland private transfer back to the Central Valley for your return flight home! (B) (PT)
Keys: B = Breakfast; CB = Continental Breakfast; L= Lunch; S = Snacks/light lunch; D = Dinner; AI = All Inclusive; PT = Private Transportation; RT = Regular Transportation; BT = Boat Transfer/Trip; BG = Bilingual Guide (Private Service); RG = Bilingual Guide (regular service); TF = Transfer Guide; LF = Local Flight; RV = Rented Vehicle
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a sample tour dossier, planned several months in advance. The tour can be operated in different order other than as described above. Arrangements (routes or facilities) are subject to variation by the outfitter depending on availability and local conditions.
Overview of Tour Inclusions
What is included:
- meet & greet service upon arrival
- arrival airport transfer from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- accommodation as outlined above
- (RG): regular specialist guides as outlined
- meals (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, S = Snacks/light lunch; D= Dinner; as outlined)
- Pacuare River Rafting, Sky Tram & Trek, Canyoning
- private ground transportation (PT) and regular transportation (RT) as outlined
- sales taxes & service charge for restaurant meals
- departure transfer to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
What is not included:
- additional airport transfers if needed
- international airport departure tax of $26 p/p. payable in San Jose upon exit
- extras at hotels (telephone calls, room service, porterage, laundry, alcoholic drinks, etc.)
- tips and gratuities for guide, driver, local guides and service providers
- any additional/extra tours or park fees
- personal and/or medical expenses
- any incidentals
- please ensure you carry appropriate insurance, which covers all the activities in this itinerary, inherited risks, luggage protection and holiday cancellation
- late check-out or early check-in
Important note: Please note that due to raft capacity Rafting Companies are limited to a maximum luggage allowance of 25 pounds per person. In order to avoid any inconvenience, free storage and handling is provided at San Jose office so that you could send your excess luggage with your driver during the transfer in and it will be returned to you on your next return to San Jose
Featured Hotels
Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn is situated above the beautiful Central Valley of Costa Rica. Surrounded by towering “Higuerón” trees and exotic flora, the Inn offers spectacular views of volcanoes, cloud forests and coffee plantations. Here at 4000 feet above sea level on a temperate plateau of extraordinary beauty, is grown some of the world’s best coffee in the lush volcanic soil. Nestled in 10 acres amid hundreds of fruit trees and dramatic tropical flora is the enchanted Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, a jewel crowning a picturesque knoll. The Inn offers the extraordinary Master suite, three elegant yet whimsical junior suites, two spacious villas, and three uniquely appointed double rooms, each with its own private veranda.
Pacuare Lodge Surrounded by nature in its purest and most primitive state, guests of the Pacuare Lodge experience that most coveted of travelers’ rewards, an opportunity to savor the spirit of a place. The lodge grounds are completely surrounded by tropical rainforest. Enormous trees and rainforest inhabitants live in natural harmony alongside the lodge itself. The Pacuare Lodge was designed and constructed to blend with the surrounding environment, affecting minimal impact, and has been recognized by the World Tourism Organization as 1 of only 65 examples throughout the world of good practice in sustainability and ecotourism. The two-story eco-lodge has a comfortable, rustic dining area on the first floor and an open-air lounge on the second floor with sitting areas and hammocks.
The Springs With a spectacular view of the Arenal Volcano, natural hot and cold springs, four unique dining experiences, and an impressive full service Spa, The Springs Resort and Spa at Arenal promises to overwhelm you in every aspect of quality, service and design. This Costa Rica luxury resort perches one thousand feet above the Arenal Valley on a mountain ridge just six kilometers north of the active volcano but safely outside the government declared danger zone. Our higher altitude relative to other hotels in the area allows for not only incomparable views of the Arenal volcano, the lush valley, and the surrounding towns that sparkle at night, but also access to the area’s famous prevailing breezes.
