Central Valley Tours

Find your bliss with a classic Costa Rican experience that combines a seismic dose of adventure and relaxation! On this full-day trip from San Jose, visit the very active Arenal Volcano and explore its base with a guided nature hike. Then, unwind with a soak in a variety of geothermal pools at the luxurious Tabacón hot springs. The tour also includes a stop at the artisan town of Sarchí, plus delicious lunch and dinner.

Discover one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica on this full-day trip from San Jose to Manuel Antonio National Park. After a scenic drive along the Pacific coast, arrive at this protected reserve that features lush tropical rain forest, unspoiled stretches of white sandy beach, and coral reefs teeming with marine life. Relax on the shore or explore the jungle with a guided nature hike, where you have a chance to spot birds, sloths, monkeys, and other resident wildlife.

Experience a fun-filled day in the jungle at the Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic eco-reserve. Your multi-pass gives you access to six different activities throughout the beautiful tropical park. Get a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy with an aerial tram ride, encounter native critters at a butterfly and frog garden, cross a hanging bridge, and explore the jungle on a nature hike. Get your adrenaline pumping as you soar through the treetops on ziplines, including one of the longest and fastest in the country.

Explore the natural beauty and protected wildlife of Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park with a full-day guided tour from San Jose. Cruise through freshwater rivers on a boat — the only way to access the inner reaches of this beautiful nature reserve. Learn about the park’s incredible biodiversity from your naturalist guide, and visit a green sea turtle nesting site. Take a break from your exploration to savor lunch at the eco-chic Evergreen Lodge surrounded by views of a lush tropical forest.

Feel the adrenaline rush of soaring over 11 different waterfalls on this small-group canopy tour at Adventure Park Costa Rica. Enjoy breathtaking views over the ocean, mountains, and rainforest on 25 zipline cables, the longest in Costa Rica. Led by a professional guide, this tour emphasizes safety and provides all the necessary equipment. Lunch and bottled water are included. Transportation to and from this Costa Rica zip line tour is an available option. Participants must be at least seven years old and weigh less than 280 pounds (127 kg).

Satisfy your inner explorer on this half-day tour from San Jose that combines a trek to towering Irazú Volcano with a visit to the historic ruins and basilica of Cartago. Take in spectacular views from the summit of Costa Rica's tallest volcano, and uncover centuries of history among fascinating parish ruins and the rich iconography of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels.

With its cascading waterfalls and abundant wildlife, the Pacuare River is rightfully famous for its natural beauty. Paddle through the river gorge, navigating 52 Class II-IV rapids as you go, on this 12-hour trip from San Jose. Take in views of the tropical rain forest and wildlife such as sloths, parrots, and toucans as you ride the river (and your adrenaline rush) over the course of the day.

Visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 26,000-acre (10,500 hectare) oasis of virgin cloud forest. Visited by roughly 70,000 people a year, the reserve is home to about four percent of the world’s animal species. Walk across suspended bridges and hike among native flora and fauna. You can also pay extra to zipline through the canopy. Lunch and a guide are included.

Explore a protected tropical rain forest on a half-day hanging bridges tour from La Fortuna, and hike a circuit that crosses a series of 15 bridges with extraordinary views of the jungle canopy. Watch for brilliant birds, monkeys, boars, and jewel-toned frogs as you follow your guide through the forest, and listen to the sounds of tropical birdsongs and trilling insects. Experience Costa Rica’s rich diversity and lush habitat in terrain that abuts the Arenal volcano, and discover a remarkable world hidden in thick rain forest canopy.

Explore three levels of lush Costa Rican rain forest from the floor to the canopy on a guided tour tour of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Learn about local flora and fauna as you walk along nature trails, explore specialty gardens, and glide over treetops in an aerial tram, all narrated by a guide with extensive knowledge about the local ecosystem. Optional upgrade includes pickup and drop-off from your lodging in San Jose and a typical lunch.

Slip beneath the ground on a 4-hour tour through the Venado caves from La Fortuna, and follow underground trails into a series of remarkable grottoes and chambers. Gear up and follow your flashlight along an ancient seabed as you explore the caves with your guide. Get wet and get dirty on your way to fantastic rock formations and bristling stalactites and stalagmites, visit a bat colony that thrives in the cool, dark cave system, then return to the surface to enjoy a snack of tropical fruits.

Visit the Arenal Volcano and the Tabacon Hot Springs in the northern lowlands of Costa Rica on this all-day guided tour. Arrive in the town of La Fortuna and enjoy lunch, which is included, while catching views of the Arenal Volcano. Then, visit the Tabacon Hot Springs, one of the area’s popular relaxation spots.

Hike through Tenorio Volcano National Park's remarkable landscape and see the otherworldly blue of the Rio Celeste waterfall on a full-day trip from La Fortuna. Follow your guide on a 4.3-mile (7-km) trail into the forest, watch for the monkeys and birds as you stroll past a serene lagoon, and take in views of the imposing Tenorio Volcano. Visit the park’s boiling mud pits and brightly colored jungle waterways, then enjoy a full lunch in the park before returning to your hotel.  

Explore the rain forest of Arenal at three different speeds with a combo tour that has something for everyone. Get a good view of exotic birds and waterfalls on the Sky Walk suspended bridges, and glide up a mountain reserve on the Sky Tram gondola. There, the real fun begins as you fly back down on a thrilling Sky Trek zipline course. In between bursts of adrenaline, enjoy fantastic views over the treetops of Arenal Volcano and Lake.

Design your own perfect day in La Fortuna with this customizable combo tour. Cross the rain forest canopy on hanging bridges, swim at the base of mystical La Fortuna Waterfall, hike the Lava Slides trail at Arenal Volcano National Park, and soak in Arenal’s famous volcanic hot springs. Take your pick of activities, or do them all for a full day of adventure and relaxation. Optional lunch and dinner add-ons provide a taste of authentic Costa Rican cuisine. Hotel pickup and drop-off included.

As one of Costa Rica's biggest exports, coffee plays a big role in Costa Rica's economy—and its culture, too. Learn about artisanal Costa Rican coffee from bean to cup complete with harvesting, roasting, and grinding on this tour of a family-owned coffee farm near Arenal Volcano. As a bonus, try other favorite Costa Rican crops such as chocolate and sugar cane.

Head to La Fortuna, home to the Arenal Volcano, on this guided all-day tour from San Jose. Sit back and relax as you travel through diverse plantations and cattle ranches on the roughly 3.5-hour drive. After arriving, enjoy lunch with a view of the volcano. Then, take a dip in the area’s thermal waters and indulge in an optional massage or other treatment.

Discover the sounds and sights of the rainforest after dark with a 4-hour night hike and dinner tour from La Fortuna, and visit a  frog sanctuary in the Costa Rican countryside. Follow your guide along an easy trail, and watch for the bats, nocturnal birds and mammals that rustle through the treetops and on the forest floor. Search for red-eyed tree frogs and glass frogs in their natural habitats, then enjoy a traditional dinner prepared on a wood burning stove before returning to your hotel in La Fortuna.

Feel the thrill of one of Costa Rica's most popular outdoor adventures with a zipline tour from San José. Soar through the rain forest canopy and above the Moliente River on a state-of-the-art zipline system boasting advanced safety features and an easy, controlled braking system. Choose a tour option including lunch and transportation from San José for a hassle-free day flying through the treetops of Costa Rica's famed natural playground.

Experience a high-flying adventure on a rain forest zipline course near San Jose. Journey from the Costa Rican capital to a private ecotourism reserve, where you’ll soar through the lush jungle canopy and above the rushing Molinete River. Glide across 10 different zipline cables, including the 2,297-foot (700-meter) Adrena-Line, and walk across a hanging bridge. Expert adventure guides will accompany you throughout the day to ensure your safety and help you spot native rain forest critters.

Visiting Monteverde from San Jose in just one day can be challenging on your own, but this guided tour streamlines transportation to make the trip a cinch. Arrive at Monteverde in the morning and head straight to a canopy tour: hike on hanging bridges and learn about the rich cloud forest environment before heading back to San Jose.

Climbing the tallest volcano in Costa Rica need not be daunting; keep it easy with this guided tour to Irazu Volcano from San Jose. Join this guided tour to the summit of the volcano, an easy hike after the scenic drive, and take your time at the top admiring the views. This tour includes round-trip transportation from San Jose as well as all entrance fees.

Explore Tenorio Volcano National Park and the Rio Celeste, located in the province of Alajuela, on this guided all-day tour from San Jose. Stop at the Celeste River Waterfall, view the craters of the Tenorio Volcano, and check out the Blue Lagoon and learn how it gets its namesake color. Along the way, spot the local flora and fauna and capture plenty of panoramic shots.

Hike alongside the alluring blue waters of Rio Celeste on a full-day trip from San Jose. After driving through the Costa Rican countryside, follow rain forest trails that wind past waterfalls and lookout points over the river known for its remarkable color. Reward your efforts with a soak in mineral-rich hot springs that flow from nearby Arenal Volcano.