Welcome to Costa Rica: welcome by your English-speaking guide at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Your stay begins with a first night in San Jose. Located at an altitude of 1,200 metres, the capital and its urban area are home to half of the country's population. The city is located in the heart of the central valley surrounded in the north by various volcanoes, such as the Poas, Irazú or Turrialba, and in the south by the Talamanca mountain range, which is the highest mountain range in southern Central America.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Hotel Aranjuez

Pick up your rental car this morning at the reception of your hotel. Today you could explore San José or for a more exciting day take the road to Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica. Founded in 1563 by the Spanish Conquistador Juan Vazquez de Coronado, the city located at 1,435 meters above sea level and on the slope of the Irazú Volcano, is an excellent starting point to explore the area. We recommend that you first go to the Irazú Volcano early in the morning before it is covered by clouds. Then go back down to Cartago to discover the famous Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels which is a very important place of pilgrimage where thousands of Costa Ricans from all over the country go every year on August 2nd from San José on foot to the Basilica (24km). Continue your visit to the ruins of the old Basilica of Cartago destroyed during the earthquake of 1910 before going to the market of Cartago and discover the local culture. In the afternoon, the small village of Orosi with its church and then the ruins of the old Franciscan temple of Ujarras, located near Lake Cachi, are interesting ideas for a visit. You can also continue to Turrialba area to visit a coffee plantation, or go on a canyoning adventure.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Hotel Aranjuez

Today your Costa Rican adventure takes you north to reach La Fortuna, a city located at the foot of the Arenal volcano. Costa Rica is known to host about 116 volcanoes among which (and probably the most impressive) is the Arenal volcano. Despite its 7,500 years, it is fairly well preserved since it is in fact the youngest volcano in the country. Rising to 1,630 metres, this stratovolcano has not been active since the end of 2010 but it is a delight for photographers (when it is exposed on clear days) as well as for aficionados of thermal waters.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge & Wildlife Refuge

This morning you will embark on a walk on hanging bridges (activity included - free walk without a guide - possible to visit with an English-speaking guide with an additional charge of +USD$ 25/pers): this tour is in the 250Ha natural private reserve of primary tropical rainforest and allows for prime observation of the fauna and flora in the canopy as well as various viewpoints onto the volcano. The walk is comprised of 3 km of easy trails, accessible to all. You will cross 15 bridges at different heights ranging from 5 to 100 metres. Rest of the day at leisure to explore Arenal Volcano National Park, go on a zip-lining adventure, or relax in one of the many hot springs resorts of the area.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge & Wildlife Refuge

Continue towards the province of Guanacaste where you will encounter a cowboy atmosphere and a radical change of scenery. The road will end on a track that joins the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park (closed on Mondays). At 1,800 metres high, the volcano is the largest in the country in terms of volume. The national park allows you to discover different facets of the volcano through its paths leading to fumaroles, small mud volcanoes or to the waterfall of La Cangreja or Escondidas.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Cañon de la Vieja Lodge

Explore the Rincon de la Vieja National Park (closed on Mondays) (Self-guided, entrance fees not included) where you can observe centennial trees and amazing volcanic manifestations. The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, literally "old man's corner", has 14,080 hectares of all kinds of vegetation. With an average altitude of 1,520 meters, the park is composed of arid savannahs, mountainous rainforests and fog forests. On a clear day, a fabulous view of the dry Guanacaste landscape is offered to the visitors.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Cañon de la Vieja Lodge

Departure towards the town of Monteverde on the slopes of the Tilarán mountain range, while passing initially by the Pan-American Highway and then by a rather picturesque road. Monteverde was founded in the middle of the 20th century by American Quakers who immigrated during the Vietnam War because they shared Costa Rica's pacifist values. It is a cloud forest nestled at 1,400 meters above sea level, a small paradise for nature lovers with an extraordinary diversity of flora.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge

Visit one of the many cloud forest reserves of the area, visit a coffee plantation, go on the zip-lining adventure (optional) or just enjoy the sounds of the birds on the terrace of your room.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge