• Costa Rica

Days: 1 - 5
San José -La Fortuna - Santa Elena - Monteverde

The capital city of Costa Rica is nestled in a fertile valley among coffee and sugar-cane farms on a high plateau. There is not much left of the colonial era architecture due to the damage done by earthquakes but it is certainly worth seeing the National Theatre, built in 1897. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to catch a performance whilst you're here. The Gold, Jade and National Museums are also particularly recommended for a visit.

On day 2 we travel by bus to the small town of Fortuna. The main attraction is the nearby active Volcano Arenal, which has been constantly erupting since 1968. After settling into our hotel you'll have time for a leisurely lunch and to explore the town. An exciting optional night excursion is available where you are taken to a site near the volcano to listen to rumbles and sample the local alcoholic spirit (proceed with caution!). On a clear night you can see the amazing sight of glowing lava discharging from the volcano crater. After this you may want to visit the local hot springs for a well-earned dip. There is also free time to partake in several interesting optional excursions while in Fortuna; a visit to the waterfalls, caving, white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, horse-riding, trekking, biking, and wild-life spotting. Then why not indulge in a massage, followed by a visit to another set of hot springs!

Our next journey takes us up into the mountains by a combination of jeep/minivan and boat. The first leg takes about 30 minutes to the Lake Arenal. After transferring onto a boat, we continue through stunning scenery for approximately an hour to the other side of the lake where we are met by our transport taking us the remaining hour and a half to the small town of Santa Elena, established by American Quakers in the 1950's. From here we visit Monteverde Cloud Forest in search of the mysterious Quetzal, a very rare and timid bird with incredibly colourful plumage. There are several paths to explore in this privately owned reserve, one of which takes you to the continental divide. On a clear day; both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen! We'll also stop at the Hummingbird Gallery (included), where these energetic birds buzz around sipping on nectar. Among other activities here, you'll have the option of flying through the trees on a series of cables strung out between giant trees, or for the not so courageous a sky walk along suspension bridges at the forest canopy level 42 metres above the ground. If even this is too much for you, you might prefer to visit one of the many nature farms in the area, and/or partake in a nature-spotting twilight walk.

Days: 6 - 7
San José

Return to San José; by local shuttle bus. The bus will drop you off outside your hotel and the rest of the day is free for last minute sightseeing or shopping.

Our tour concludes on day 7 in San José;

• Accommodation: 6 nights in hotels
• Meals: No meals included
• Excursions: Monteverde Cloud Forest
• Transport: Local public bus, minibus, shuttle bus, on foot, taxi
• Group: Average 8 - 12; max 18
• Age: Recommended 18 - 60, although we do take older passengers provided they are fit and can harmonise with the group
• Staff: Tucan tour leader, local reps

• Local Payment
• International flights & departure tax (see Costa Rica Country Dossier for current price)
• Tips on included excursions, visas, travel insurance, personal items, other tips.
• Pre & post tour accommodation
• Airport transfers
• Spending money - allow US$30-35 per day to cover meals, snacks, drinks, limited souvenirs, laundry and any extras (see the relevant Country Dossier for advice on how to carry your funds)
• Optional Excursions - Please see our Optional Excursions Guide (available from http://www.tucantravel.com/) for a comprehensive list of optional activities and excursions available on this tour.

Please note: The itinerary listed above is to be used as a guide only and our tour leaders may need to make adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances. The tour leader will also try to be in the best place for local holidays and festivals etc. We endeavour to incorporate any permanent changes into our Trip Dossiers and, as such, the itinerary may vary slightly from the one printed in the brochure. To make sure you have the most up to date copy please download the very latest version from our website just before travelling.

About Adventure Tours
Adventure Tours travel by public transport wherever possible and so have a high degree of interaction with the local people. This hands-on style means that you will need to travel light (see below for details). Tucan' s Adventure Tours will bring you into contact with cultures and experiences that contrast dramatically with those at home and therefore a sense of humour and patience is essential!

Don't forget that Tucan Travel also offer two other tour styles: Discovery Tours where we travel by private and comfortable custom built vehicle and Overland Expeditions (in South America only), which usually have a high percentage of camping, travel by overland truck and suit travellers who love the great outdoors.

Local Payment
The cost of all Tucan Travel tours includes a compulsory ‘Local Payment' (see Factfinder above), which is in addition to the price you pay to your travel agent. The Local Payment MUST be paid to your Tour leader in full in US$ cash at the pre-departure meeting on the first day of your tour. The local payment is administered by our tour leaders and no refunds can be made for any unused services or if you decide to leave the tour early.

Pre-Departure Meeting
The address of your joining hotel can be found on your joining letter and tour voucher. On arrival you should look for a Tucan Travel information sheet on the hotel notice board where you will find details of the pre-departure meeting. The tour leader will normally hold the pre-departure meeting on the afternoon of Day 1 (assuming that all clients have arrived by then). Your tour leader will give a briefing about the tour, outline the plan for the next few days, answer any questions and collect your Local Payment in full in US$ cash. Then there will usually be the option for everyone to go out for dinner and drinks to start to get to know one another.

Tour Personnel
Adventure Tours use a variety of different styles of leadership in order to maximize your enjoyment and experiences. On this tour you will have a combination of Tucan tour leader and local reps. The Tucan Travel Tour leader accompanies your tour and local reps are local businesspeople also responsible for occasional meet and greet and transfers.

Degree of Difficulty/Fitness
Adventure Tours suit people who are fit and active. Although no experience is required there are many walks between bus/train terminals and hotels and travellers must be able to carry their own luggage over various terrains as well as lift up luggage onto the tops of buses!

There are some optional excursions available, such as climbing volcanoes, white water rafting, canyoning and mountain-bike riding which can be demanding. The maximum altitude this tour reaches is about 1,600 metres (unless you decide to go on an optional volcano climb) which is not considered high in terms of altitude sickness.

Pre-Departure Information
Once you have booked the tour (paid your deposit), your travel agent will provide you with a detailed pre-departure booklet, with in-depth information to help you prepare. If you do not receive your pre-departure information shortly after booking your tour please consult your travel agent. After you have paid for your tour in full you will also receive from your travel agent: a local map & joining letter for your arrival city, your tour voucher and transfer voucher (if applicable - see below).

Country Dossiers
This Tour Dossier is designed to be read in conjunction with our Costa Rica Country Dossier which you can download from our website or obtain from your booking agent. The Country Dossiers contain essential information about visas, arrival transfers, spending money & costs, taxes & tips, climate, local food etc.

What you need to bring
A full list of suggested equipment can be found in the pre-departure booklet.

Boots are recommended due to the mud and hiking conditions of Monteverde Park. A towel is optional as you can quite often use hotel towels, however if you prefer your own bring it along. Alternatively, a sarong is highly recommended as it can also be used in place of a towel. You may wish to bring some kind of waterproof protection cover for your pack, as luggage tends to get thrown around a lot on public transport and it may get dirty and sometimes wet.

Some kind of rain jacket will be necessary, but don't bring anything too heavy (can be hot). Ponchos can be bought cheaply on arrival and are more practical than most rain jackets. Hiking boots are not essential but may be useful for the volcano and rainforest treks.

On Adventure Tours it is very important that you do not bring too much luggage as you will find it extremely difficult to get on/off buses and trains etc and there is a fair amount of walking to/from hotels. You are also likely to encounter many cobbled streets and dirt roads so luggage on wheels is totally unsuitable.

In Costa Rica you can store excess luggage in San José as we will be returning to the same hotel. Remember, the lighter your luggage, the better time you will have!

You must be prepared to carry your own bags at all times and we therefore strongly urge you to limit your luggage to a maximum of 10-14kgs.

Transfers
In San José we do not offer an arrival and departure transfer service. However it is very easy to arrange your own transfers (either by taxi or bus) once in San José (see the Costa Rica Country Dossier for full details and prices).

Currency tip: You are advised to obtain some local currency (‘colones') at the airport, before making your way to the city centre. US$ are not widely accepted in Costa Rica.

Accommodation
This tour includes 6 nights accommodation in hotels. All hotels are chosen for their central locality, security, friendliness, cleanliness and ambiance. Although sometimes simple, you will find clean comfortable rooms with en-suite facilities (occasionally bathrooms may be shared but this is rare), and often a bar and restaurant are attached or close by. All rooms will be allocated on a share basis, usually in twins or triples (depending on the male/female ratios).

Transport
On Adventure Tours our goal is to offer you as much variety as possible while meeting the local people. On this trip we will be using local public buses, mini buses, taxis and boats (life jackets provided). There will also be some walking with your luggage between bus terminals and hotels. Optional excursions may use other forms of transport, for example boats, horses and mountain bikes.

Meals
Meals, snacks and drinks are not included on this tour and are at your own expense. Your tour leader will be able to advise the best places to eat. Please see the relevant Country Dossier for more information about the local food.

Tour Highlights

• San José - Costa Rica's cultural capital with many museums, theatres, restaurants, and cafes.
• Arenal Volcano - We hope to view red hot lava flowing from this highly active volcano!
• Monteverde Cloud Forest - A cloud forest reserve with hundreds of species of birds and butterflies hidden amidst the moss-covered vines. Option to take a Sky Walk or Trek where you can walk or fly through the canopy on zip lines!

Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive San José (Costa Rica)
Day 2 - La Fortuna
Day 3 - La Fortuna
Day 4 - Santa Elena
Day 5 - Monteverde
Day 6 - Shuttle bus to San José
Day 7 - Depart San José

Please note the day to day itinerary above is given as a GUIDELINE ONLY.

Local Payment of USD $100

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