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Costa Rica Natural Paradise |
10 Days from $995 |
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Latin America Tours
- Costa Rica Natural Paradise
- Guatemala, Tikal & Copán
- Mexico’s Ancient & Colonial Cities
- Mexico's Copper Canyon
U.S.A. Tours
Canada Tours
2008 Departure Dates
| Dec | 3*, 5*, 7*, 10*, 12*, 14*, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31 |
*indicates Super Value date.
2008 Price Per Person - $U.S.
|
Super |
Great |
Double |
$ 995 |
$ 1,095 |
| Triple |
955 |
1,055 |
| Single |
1,195 |
1,295 |
Plus Taxes and Fees:
Double $159; Triple $149; Single $189
2009 Departure Dates
Jan |
1*, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 12*, 13*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
Feb |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 |
Mar |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
Apr |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 |
May |
1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31 |
Jun |
5, 7, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28 |
Jul |
1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
Aug |
1, 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21*, 28* |
Sep |
4*, 11*, 18*, 25* |
Oct |
2*, 9*, 16*, 23*, 30* |
Nov |
4*, 6*, 7*, 8*, 11*, 13*, 14*, 15*, 18*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 25*, 27*, 28*, 29* |
Dec |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18**, 19**, 20**, 21**, 22**, 23**, 24**, 25**, 26**, 27**, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
*indicates Super Value date.
**indicates Holiday Value date
Other Departures
Please phone the Caravan office at |
2009 Price Per Person - $U.S.
Room Type |
Super |
Great |
Holiday |
Double |
$ 995 |
$ 1,095 |
$ 1,195 |
Triple |
975 |
1,075 |
1,175 |
Single |
1,195 |
1,295 |
1,395 |
Plus Taxes and Fees:
Double $189; Triple $179; Single $219
How to Reserve Space
Call 1-800-Caravan. You can reserve space free for up to 7 days, then a $300 deposit per person is due. Full payment due 60 days prior to departure.
In Latin America, Caravan transfers you between the airport and hotel on the starting and ending dates of your tour.
Airfare is not included or sold by Caravan. Here is a list of some of the airlines that service this tour.
All Meals Included
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
What’s on this Page:
- Daily Itinerary
- Hotel Descriptions
- Airport Transfers
- Weather (year round)
- F.A.Q. for this Tour
- Customer Reviews
Hotels - listed by day
1, 2 |
|
3, 4 |
Tortuguero Park |
5, 6 |
Fortuna |
7, 8 |
Central Pacific Coast |
9 |
General Info
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- Why Buy Caravan?
- Terms of Travel
- Travel Planner
- Contact Us
- For Passengers in Groups of 10+
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Travel Protection Plan
Caravan’s very reasonably priced travel protection plan offers peace of mind if you cancel for any reason prior to departure of the tour and also includes comprehensive medical air and baggage insurance. Caravan strongly recommends purchasing this plan. The cost is $99. Find out more
Dear Traveler, Welcome to a great vacation at an affordable price. Your Caravan Latin America tour includes all meals in Latin America, all activities, all hotels, a great itinerary, all airport transfers, all transportation and excursions. A professional tour director accompanies you for the entire tour. Purified water at meals. Free bottled water on motor coach. Join the smart shoppers and experienced travelers who have chosen Caravan for more than 50 years. Happy Travels! Caravan Tours |
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Begins and Ends: San Jose, Costa Rica
Note: Itinerary applies to 2009 departures. The 2008 itinerary is available in our 2008 brochure.
Day 1 – San José, Costa Rica
Welcome to the “rich coast,” friendly land of democracy and rare natural beauty. With naturalist guides, see exotic birds and wildlife, hike in jungle rainforests, view volcanoes, soak in hot springs and cruise through biological reserves. Relax on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Caravan provides transfers from the San José airport to your hotel for a two night stay. Rooms are available for check in after 3:00 p.m. Dine at your hotel, then join Caravan for an 8:00 p.m. welcome briefing. D
Day 2 – Poás Volcano, Cloud Forest Hike
After breakfast, see the statue of the drummer boy, Costa Rica’s hero. Next, weather permitting, visit Poás Volcano. You can safely view this dramatic mile-wide crater from an overlook. Next, hike the Escalonia Cloud Forest Trail, home to epiphytes, orchids, ferns and tropical hummingbirds. Cloud forests are like rainforests, but with less rain and more humidity. Enjoy lunch. Then, see San José’s Plaza de la Cultura, Central Park and the National Theatre. Visit the National Museum (on Mondays, visit the Gold Museum instead). Enjoy dinner. BLD
Day 3 – Rainforest Aerial Tram
Scenic morning drive through Braulio Carrillo Park. Look for cascading waterfalls. Then, a thrilling adventure into the heart of the rainforest. Glide through the jungle canopy on the world famous rainforest aerial tram, rated one of Costa Rica’s top tourist attractions. Next, with a naturalist guide, enjoy a short rainforest hike on level terrain. Enjoy lunch. Visit a butterfly garden. See a banana plantation. Then, cruise through rivers and canals to the 47,000 acre Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero is home to more than 300 species of birds. Look for toucans, parrots, kingfishers and the rare green macaw. Enjoy a two night stay at your lodge. After dinner in Tortuguero, a naturalist talks about the rainforest. BLD
Day 4 – Tortuguero Park, Canal Cruise
Cruise this morning with naturalist guides along canals lined by raffia palm, habitat of howler and white-faced monkeys, green iguanas and tropical birds. Look for white and snowy egrets and the amazing nests of the montezuma oropendola. Then, enter the mysterious reflecting waters of Caño Palma wildlife reserve. Next, visit the Green Turtle Research Station. Learn about efforts to protect the turtle’s nesting habitat, eggs and young hatchlings. Walk along the Atlantic turtle nesting beaches with a naturalist guide. Next, to Tortuguero village. Meet Costa Rican school children on your visit to a local school (when in session). Return to your lodge for lunch. Free time to enjoy your lodge’s swimming pool and tropical flower gardens. Enjoy an afternoon boat excursion into Tortuguero Park. Look for otters, turtles and manatees. Dinner. BLD
Day 5 – San Carlos Valley, Fortuna
Morning cruise on Tortuguero River. Enjoy lunch. Visit a pineapple plantation. Next, through scenic countryside to the San Carlos Valley for a two night stay in Fortuna. Dinner. BLD
Day 6 – Caño Negro, Hot Springs, Arenal
Head north this morning, passing through sugar cane, teak and orange plantations. Then, cruise on the Rio Frio which runs through the world famous Caño Negro wildlife refuge, home to many migratory birds found nowhere else in Costa Rica. Look for whistling ducks, roseate spoonbills, cormorants, anhingas, blue heron, and northern jacanas. Watch for caimans, crocodiles, spider monkeys and web-footed, water-walking lizards. Lunch. Return to Fortuna. Free time to explore this charming village. Then, enjoy a relaxing soak in the volcanic hot springs. Weather permitting, see nearby Arenal Volcano’s softly glowing lava flow. Enjoy dinner. BLD
Day 7 – Hanging Bridges, Guanacaste
This morning enjoy an unforgettable adventure at the Hanging Bridges. Here you can hike on six suspension bridges, through lush tropical rainforest canopy. Enjoy views of a waterfall and look for tropical birds. Later, a spectacular drive around Lake Arenal. Enjoy lunch. Next, enter the Guanacaste province. Drive through the only tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. Then, to Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast for a two night stay. Dinner is at your resort. BLD
Day 8 – Central Pacific Coast, Manuel Antonio
This morning drive by the Carara Biological Reserve. This tropical bird and wildlife sanctuary is one of the world’s few nesting places for the scarlet macaw. Then, visit Manuel Antonio National Park, home to the playful rare squirrel monkey. Time to beachcomb or swim at the pristine beaches (on Mondays, visit Manuel Antonio’s beautiful public beaches instead). Lunch. Return to your resort to enjoy leisure time. Dinner. BLD
Day 9 – Handicrafts, Coffee Plantation
Morning drive to the Central Valley. Time to shop for colorful handicrafts, including painted oxcarts. Enjoy lunch. Then, visit a coffee plantation. Pick a few beans when in season. Sample fresh Costa Rican coffee and learn about the history of the coffee bean. Return to San José. Farewell dinner. BLD
Day 10 – San José
Your tour ends after breakfast this morning at your hotel. Caravan provides transfers throughout the day to the San José airport. Thanks for vacationing with Caravan. ¡Hasta la vista! B
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the tour price?
Virtually everything! Hotels, all meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary pages, airport transfers, gratuities to hotel porters, restaurant staff and local guides. Caravan’s professional Tour Directors conduct every land tour from start to finish. They are fluent in English, experienced and fun, ensuring a worry free vacation.
What is not included in the tour price?
Prices do not include air travel, country entry or departure fees, airport porters, visas, phone calls, valet, laundry, all items of a personal nature, extra food and beverages not on the regular menu, and tips to the Caravan Tour Director and Driver. General fees and taxes are additional and listed separately beneath each tour’s price.
Can your tours be enjoyed by all age groups?
Usually, you find a mix of different age adult travelers on a Caravan Tour. Most tours will be joined by adults of all ages. Children age five (5) and over are welcome, and children usually join tours offered during Christmas holidays, summer vacation and spring break vacation.
Do your tours include any evening activities?
Yes. Caravan includes an evening nature talk in Tortuguero, and evening visit to the hot springs by Arenal Volcano. Great for single travelers!
How long will each day be?
A well paced and unhurried itinerary is our goal, after all, you are on vacation! Touring days begin and end at reasonable hours and include frequent stops. While the occasional early morning departure is necessary, we do our best to ensure a leisurely vacation and you will arrive at your hotels between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. each day.
How large will my group be?
Group sizes will vary depending on the reserved rooms at the hotels and lodges and the capacity of the boats and motorcoaches used. Usually, group sizes range from 30 to 44 passengers.
Are meals included?
All meals are included on your Costa Rica tour. Included meals for each tour are listed at the end of each day. Meals are shown by B (breakfast), L (lunch) and D (dinner). Full, buffet, or deluxe continental breakfasts are included everywhere. Bottled water is provided free on the motorcoach and purified water is provided at the meals. Alcoholic beverages are not included unless specified.
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Customer Reviews of our Costa Rica Natural Paradise tour
“We really enjoyed the trip in a beautiful country and the price was right!”
Mr. & Mrs. D.P., Prescott, Arizona
“The pace of the sightseeing and activities was well thought out and executed. Our tour director always prepared us for the next activity. I really enjoyed this trip and have recommended it to others.”
Ms. B.T., Pasadena, California
“The sights were absolutely fabulous! We visited both coasts and many places in between ... all the places we were interested in seeing. I wasn’t sure I wanted to visit Tortuguero, but it turned out to be one of my favorite destinations! This was an exceptional tour at an exceptional price. The guides were very eco-minded. We received a good education from them and their passion for preserving their environment was contagious. We totally get it. Your Costa Rican tour was awesome.”
Mr. & Mrs. B.H., Burton, Michigan
“The sightseeing and activities, these were all that were promised and more! We would never have seen and done everything on our own! Very satisfied with this Caravan tour. Will definitely use your tour company again and have and will recommend it to friends. Pura Vida.”
Mr. & Mrs. L.R., Fort Myers, Florida
“You have put together an outstanding package at a very reasonable price. Costa Rica is a great vacation destination!”
“As a travel agent, I would recommend clients to Costa Rica with Caravan. This was an excellent tour, especially since everything was included. We saw and did a great deal in a short period of time.”
Mr. & Mrs. B.S., Rochester, New York
“The meals were fabulous and the final with ‘sit down’ and filet mignon was especially nice. The sights were very good, enjoyed the coffee plantation and the cart factory. Had not traveled with Caravan before, but will recommend it to my friends. ”
Ms. J.M., Laguna Niguel, California
These are only the first 7 reviews of this tour... Read all 183 Reviews »
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Phone 800.CARAVAN or 312.321.9800. Fax: 312.321.9845
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am to 6pm, and Sat 9am to 2pm Central Time
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