Destination: Costa Rica

Indicative prices, based on twin share, excluding flights:

• Tour:  £856
• Tour + extension:  £1217
• Add £1000 - £1300 for Economy flights, dependent on season.

Description:  A tour designed for those who cherish the freedom of self drive and yet wish to relinquish the tedium of booking hotels and checking reservations. Your accommodation is all pre-booked and in your hire jeep you are free roam, with the chance to extend or adapt your chosen itinerary. Experience the delights of Costa Rica, at your own pace.

Duration:  11 night itinerary: 

• San Jose - 2 nights 
• Arenal - 2 nights 
• Rincon de la Vieja - 2 nights 
• Monteverde Reserve - 2 nights 
• Gulf of Nicoya - 2 nights 
• San Jose - 1 night 

Extension:

• Manuel Antonio - 3 nights 
• San Jose - 1 night

Day 1:

Depart for San José. On arrival the same day transfer to your hotel for a 2 night stay.

Day 2: 

 Accompanied by our local guide we visit the Irazú Volcano, with its impressive green crater lake rising out of a desolate grey moon landscape. Continue on to the stunning Orosí Valley, where the Reventazón River cuts its swirling swathe through the surrounding mountains. We visit the Lankester Botanical Gardens, housing thousands of species of plants endemic to Costa Rica.

Days 3 & 4: 

Today you receive your jeep, detailed descriptions of places of interest and route map. Drive to the Arenal National Park to your hotel in the village of La Fortuna, near the towering Arenal Volcano. With luck, you can see the hot lava flow down its slopes, lighting up the night sky. Spend the following day in the park, relaxing in the hot springs, rafting or horse riding through the rainforest.

Days 5 & 6: 

Continue your journey to Rincón de la Vieja National Park to your lodge. Walkways have been built high up in the forest canopy, allowing you to wander through the rainforest, affording great views and a remarkable perspective of the jungle. Within the same park are hot
springs, geysers and waterfalls.

Days 7 & 8: 

A scenic, albeit bumpy, 4 hour drive takes you to Monteverde, a stunning cloud forest, protected within the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Many walks can be made through the forest, which embraces a variety of climes, and is home to over 400 species of birds and 100 mammals, including the noisy howler monkeys and the resplendent quetzal.

Days 9 to 12: 

Drive on to your next hotel for 2 nights, the Hacienda La Ensenada, a working farm, with horses, surrounded by lush mangroves and situated on the Gulf of Nicoya. A visit can be made to the nearby Palo Verde National Park, a vast expanse of marshes, home to over 50,000 birds. Return to San José for one night, returning home on Day 12 on an overnight flight.

Extension: Manuel Antonio

Days 12 to 14: 

 Transfer to the airport for the flight to Quepos on the coast, and transfer to Manuel Antonio. Spend the next few days close to the beach and National Park. The park is small with coves and quiet sheltered beaches. Walk along the park's scenic trails, take a small boat along it's riverways or simply relax on the beach.

Days 15 to 16: 

 Fly back to San José for 1 night. Take your departure flight home, arriving the following day, Day 17.