Costa Rica Rainforest - Small Group

Arrive in San José, Costa Rica’s capital set at 1,100 meters in the Central Valley between Poás and Irazú volcanoes. Coffee production in the 19th century shaped much of the city’s early development, funding institutions such as the National Theater, completed in 1897 and still operating today. This evening, meet your Travel Director and your small group for dinner.

Begin with a before-hours visit to the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum with your Local Expert, then step out on a walking city tour through central San José. You’ll take in Plaza de la Cultura and the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, continue to Plaza de la Democracia y de la Abolición and the National Museum of Costa Rica, finishing in Parque Nacional. Later, take part in an authentic experience at the home of Randall and Doña Aradina, spending time in their orchid garden before lunch is served in their garden pavilion. Back in San José, your evening is at leisure.

Leave San José behind and step into Costa Rica’s Central Valley craft traditions in Sarchí, one of the country’s best-known centers for painted oxcarts and artisan woodwork. You’ll have space to explore workshops where carretas are built and hand-painted, and to browse small studios producing carved and painted pieces. The central park is a natural point to pause, with the town’s landmark oxcart as a reference to the tradition Sarchí is known for. Later, take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on an organic farm. You’ll learn sustainable growing methods, harvest seasonal ingredients from the garden and use them to create a local dish before dinner.

Enjoy a Relaxed Start in La Fortuna, then head out to explore the region with Insight Choice. Choose between a hands-on chocolate experience tracing cacao through each stage of production, including the origins of traditional chocolate drinks and a tasting of organic chocolate, or choose a zipline adventure reached by safari truck, with 11 cables running between platforms in the hills above La Fortuna. Later, you’ll join a guided nature walk to learn how the area’s rainforest ecosystems support local flora and fauna. This evening is at leisure in La Fortuna, with the option to visit the town’s hot springs, browse local eateries around the central park or take an early night ready for tomorrow’s plans.