Eco-Havens of Costa Rica
8 DAYS
San José 1 • Tortuguero National Park 2 • Arenal Volcano area 1 • Monteverde Cloud Forest 1 • Manuel Antonio area 2
Basic Inclusions
Accommodations
Accommodations in centrally-located three-star or four-star hotels. Rooming on a triple basis. Double rooms: $50 per night, per person.
Meals
All breakfasts. Three lunches. All dinners.
Transportation
Round-trip transportation on scheduled airline. Checked luggage costs not included.
Guide
English-speaking tour escort throughout. Special arrangements as noted.
Travel Protection
Passports provides and pays for a Post Departure Travel Protection Plan that includes coverage for Trip Interruption, Trip Delay, Medical Expense and Evacuation and more.
Tour Summary
CHECKED BAGGAGE FEE
At the time of publication of this itinerary, a checked luggage fee applies to all flights to Costa Rica. This fee is not included in the tour price.
Itinerary Includes
English-speaking tour escort throughout
Day 1: Arrival San José
Arrival transfer
Day 2: San José - Tortuguero National Park
Braulio Carrillo National Park, Riverboat to Tortuguero
Day 3: Tortuguero National Park
Boat excursion along the Tortuguero canals
Day 4: Tortuguero National Park - Arenal Volcano area
Depart Tortuguero by riverboat, Arenal Volcano National Park
Visit to a hot spring
Day 5: Arenal Volcano area - Monteverde Cloud Forest
Hike in the Monteverde Biological Reserve
Optional Sky Trek Zip Line: Round-trip transfers
Day 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest - Manuel Antonio area
Crocodile Viewing at the Tárcoles Bridge, Crocodile Boat Safari, Carara Biological Reserve
Day 7: Manuel Antonio area
Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 8: Manuel Antonio area - Home
Departure transfer
UNPARALLELED STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE
CITY-CENTER HOTELS
Stay right in the heart of it. Why settle for staying outside of the city? Wake up in the city. Explore. Have dinner in the city. Explore. Return to the hotel at your convenience.
Check out our typical hotels
3-AND-4 STAR HOTELS
We’ve scoured each city for the finest hotels for our groups. Comfortable, conveniently located, clean and safe. That’s what we do.
HOTEL CHOICE
We give you options - but the choice is yours.
AMAZING FOOD
Student tour dinners don’t have to stink! Enjoy authentic, high-quality food, and lots of it. Three-course meals that you will want to post on social media.
Check out what our food is like
INDUSTRY BEST TOUR DIRECTORS
Passports contracts only the finest, A+ Tour Directors in the industry. With decades of experience, our team is second-to-none in terms of experience and professionalism. Read more about our amazing Tour Directors.
24-HOUR SERVICE
Your Tour Director will meet you at the airport and stay with you every step of the way until your return flight. They are your own personal travel expert.
INCLUDED FLIGHTS
We work with the airlines so you don’t have to.
BEST AVAILABLE ROUTINGS
We look for the best possible routings for your group with a minimal number of legs and ideal layovers. We try to get you in early - but not too early - to maximize your time overseas.
MORE INCLUSIONS
UNLIMITED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INCLUDED
You don’t want to have to worry about getting metro tickets when you’re pressed for time. We provide pre-loaded travel cards so that you can hit the ground running.
INCLUDED OVERSEAS MEDICAL COVERAGE
Passports provides and pays for a post-departure travel protection plan that helps protect you while on your trip with coverage for trip interruption, trip delay, baggage loss, theft or delay, emergency medical expenses, evacuation and more.
ALL TIPS INCLUDED OPTION
Tour Directors receive tips at the end of the tour. Including the tip in the up-front tour cost saves your group from carrying around extra money overseas or being surprised with an extra expense at the end of the tour. This is just another way that Passports is honest and up-front about all expenses. You can choose to include the tip ahead of time - or not to. Passports gives you the option.
NO ON TOUR UPSELL
Ever been pressured on tour to purchase an excursion? Or been shuttled into one workshop after another? Not with Passports.
VALUE VALUE VALUE
Dollar-for-dollar Passports is the best value you can get. Our tours are packed with included activities for a price that you can't beat with any other company.
HUMAN-FIRST POLICIES
FANATICAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT
We are here to be your partner. We support our group leaders 100%. Through thick and thin, we will work with you to make your travel program an annual success.
BEST REFUND POLICY IN THE INDUSTRY
Passports refunds 75% until 30 days prior to departure as our default policy. Early cancellations have fixed, low cancellation penalties. We would love for you to compare our cancellation policy to our competitors. Passports acts as the best partner we can, for every traveler, on every tour. That’s our promise.
SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
Our Tour Advisors are amazing people who work with the group leaders during the pre-sale, enrollment, pre-departure, on-tour and post-tour periods. They check in when the group is overseas. They are the point of contact throughout the entire process to assist in all phases of the tour. This is more important than you would think unless you’ve been with another company and changed hands several times in the course of the tour. The point is: trust and accountability are critical in our relationship with a group leader.
NO HIDDEN CHARGES
No adult fee. With Passports, adults pay the same as students. Oftentimes adults will opt for a double room as they can’t room with students, and there is a charge for the double room. But there is no charge simply for being an adult.
No hidden airline fees. No hidden tripwire fees. With Passports, what you see is what you get.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
It's an easy airplane flight south (no jet lag) to the capital city of San José, Costa Rica. Spectacular rain forests and cloud forests, and the warm climate make this Latin American country a mecca for environmentalists and nature lovers.
Over a quarter of the hinterland and almost half the coastline is protected in Costa Rica, which is situated in one of the world's most bio-diverse regions. You will have the opportunity to experience eco-friendly tropical adventures during your trip.
Overnight: San José
Day 2: Braulio Carrillo National Park, Riverboat to Tortuguero
Head north today to one of the most rugged regions in the country. The terrain and high rainfall conspire to create a myriad of waterfalls that can be seen from almost everywhere.
In Braulio Carrillo National Park, where biologists have created a unique research facility, there is an abundance of flora and fauna, and especially birds, of which 333 species have been observed. Bromeliads and orchids are among the 6,000 species of plant life that adorn the trees. Park inhabitants include armadillos, sloths, coatis (from the raccoon family), crocodiles, and leaf-cutter ants.
Proceed toward the Caribbean coast, stopping at the dock at Rancho La Pavona to board the riverboat that will take you into the wetlands of Tortuguero National Park.
You'll see why this park is called the "Venice of Costa Rica" as your boat follows waterways that meander through the dense lowland rainforest.
Overnight: Tortuguero National Park
Day 3: Excursion along the Tortuguero National Park Canals
Hop back aboard a riverboat to explore the many secondary canals of the national park, an area extremely rich in flora and fauna. This humid tropical forest is home to many species of birds, insects, and other wildlife such as crocodiles, jaguars, Howler Monkeys, and peccaries.
The Tortuguero coastline is the most important nesting site for Green Sea Turtles, but Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Giant Leatherback Sea Turtles also nest on this shore.
Overnight: Tortuguero National Park
Day 4: Travel to the Arenal Volcano area
Today, depart Tortuguero National Park by riverboat.
Board your coach and travel to the Arenal Volcano area.
Visit Arenal Volcano National Park to get a look at its namesake cone-shaped volcano, which is steadily active below ground level.
Relax in hot spring waters warmed by geothermal heat from the volcano.
Overnight: Arenal Volcano area
Day 5: Travel to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, Optional Sky Trek Zip Line
Take one last look at the Arenal landscape before your journey to Monteverde.
The count is in: between 320 and 400 species of birds, between 2,000 and 2,500 species of plants, and 100 different mammals inhabit this place. (Almost certainly more, since new species are being constantly identified.) Hear the mysterious call of the three-wattled bellbird echo among giant oaks and palm trees.
Enjoy a visit to one of the richest and best-known biological reserves in the world. Don long pants and boots for a hike into the reserve, which is famous for its lookout points.
Board an open-air gondola for a ride into the heights. Take in the view from the observation area before setting out on your thrilling ride back down, along a zip line track stretched between treetops and across canyons.
Overnight: Monteverde Cloud Forest
Day 6: Carara Biological Reserve, Manuel Antonio area
Follow the old Spanish route to the Pacific coast today, passing through mountainous valleys planted with coffee.
Stop at the "Crocodile Bridge" in Tárcoles, the best known attraction of the Carara National Park, to catch sight of crocodiles, some ten feet long, camouflaged among the water hyacinths and other aquatic plants.
Stop at the "Crocodile Bridge" in Tárcoles, the best known attraction in the Carara National Park, to enjoy a Jungle Crocodile Safari. A bilingual guide will take you through a fascinating mangrove eco-system. As you glide along, you will have a close up look at the local crocodiles, and the chance to see more than fifty types of birds and other wildlife.
You will visit the renowned Carara Biological Reserve and experience the climatic transition from the dry north to the humid coastline of the Pacific coast. Carara is home to an abundance of wildlife including macaws, parrots, monkeys and sloths.
Travel to the Manuel Antonio area, which is hailed as one of the most beautiful regions on Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
Overnight: Manuel Antonio area
Day 7: Manuel Antonio National Park
Enjoy a bit of beaches and biology today, as you visit one of Costa Rica's most popular protected areas, the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. Its white sand beaches and turquoise waters are the most beautiful in Central America; its rain forests luxuriant and inhabited by orange-and-purple crabs, three-toed sloths and squirrel monkeys. Follow the trail up to Cathedral Point where you can enjoy spectacular views.
Overnight: Manuel Antonio area
Day 8: San José, Departure
Board your coach for the ride to San José.
¡Hasta la vista! You'll remember the warm, balmy air, the hot sun and the natural wonders.
For now, enjoy the flight home, eager to share your discoveries with family and friends.
CUSTOM TOURS
All tours can be customized to your particular needs.
Or start from scratch - we will build your dream tour!
San Jose, Costa Rica
Braulio Carrillo National Park
Tortuguero National Park Canals
Travel to the Arenal Volcano area
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Crocodile Boat Safari
Manuel Antonio National Park
Passports Teacher Training Conferences take educators on a journey to some of the most iconic destinations in the world. These conferences are more than just professional development—they’re a celebration of the hard work and dedication of group leaders. Watch the video to see why this is the ultimate reward for educators.