Destination Earth brings you into Costa Rica through a journey shaped by volcanic landscapes, rainforest trails, cloud forest ecosystems, working farms, artisan communities, and Pacific coastline. Along the way, we explore the country through guided walks, local food, conservation work, wildlife observation, and time on the water.
We begin near San Jose before traveling into the Arenal region, where rainforest trails, hanging bridges, sustainable agriculture, and adventure options introduce us to Costa Rica’s biodiversity and volcanic terrain. From there, we continue to Monteverde, a cooler mountain region known for cloud forest conservation, community projects, local art, night wildlife, and canopy experiences.
Travelers who wish to spend additional time in Costa Rica may also choose to add the optional 3-day Montezuma Extension for an additional cost, featuring Pacific beaches, Tortuga Island, and an evening bioluminescent kayaking experience.
March 27 - April 1, 2027
Starting from
$3000
per person based on double occupancy
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Activity Level: Easy to Moderate
Altruism Index: Low-Moderate
Service Level: Comfort
Group Size: 6-15 Travelers
Travel Experience: Nature and Wildlife
Trip Highlights:
Destination Earth brings you into Costa Rica through a journey shaped by volcanic landscapes, rainforest trails, cloud forest ecosystems, working farms, artisan communities, and Pacific coastline. Along the way, we explore the country through guided walks, local food, conservation work, wildlife observation, and time on the water.
We begin near San Jose before traveling into the Arenal region, where rainforest trails, hanging bridges, sustainable agriculture, and adventure options introduce us to Costa Rica’s biodiversity and volcanic terrain. From there, we continue to Monteverde, a cooler mountain region known for cloud forest conservation, community projects, local art, night wildlife, and canopy experiences.
Guests who want to continue the journey can add a Montezuma extension with beaches, island exploration, and bioluminescent kayaking.
Arrive in San Jose
Meals: Dinner
Arrive at San José International Airport and transfer to the hotel in the San José/Alajuela area. After check-in, the rest of the day is open. You can rest after the flight, unpack, get something to eat, or spend a little time nearby depending on your arrival time.
In the evening, we’ll meet for a welcome dinner and go over the basic plan for the trip. This gives everyone a chance to ask questions, get oriented, and know what to expect before we leave for the Arenal region the next morning.
From Valley to Volcano: Arenal
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we leave the Central Valley and travel toward La Fortuna and the Arenal region. The drive gives us our first look at Costa Rica beyond the airport corridor, with changing scenery as we move toward the country’s volcanic interior.
Our main experience today is Rancho Margot, a working farm focused on sustainability and self-sufficient practices. After lunch, we explore the property with a guide and learn how organic agriculture, food processing, energy production, and carbon-conscious systems can work together in daily life. This is the kind of stop that helps connect the landscape to the choices people make about food, energy, and conservation.
Guests may also have the option to take a mirador walk after the farm tour. A mirador is a scenic viewpoint, and this short walk offers a chance to step back and take in the surrounding landscape before we continue to our hotel in La Fortuna. Later, we gather again for dinner.
Rainforest Canopy and Arenal Adventure
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We begin the morning at Mistico Hanging Bridges, one of the best ways to experience the rainforest from multiple levels. The trail system moves through dense tropical forest and across a series of suspension bridges, giving us a chance to observe the ecosystem from the forest floor up into the canopy. With a naturalist guide, we’ll look for wildlife and learn how plants, insects, birds, and mammals all depend on the layers of the forest in different ways.
This up close look at the forest is a chance to understand how alive and connected the rainforest really is. Epiphytes grow on tree branches, vines climb toward the light, birds move through the canopy, and countless smaller species support the larger web of life around them. The hanging bridges help us slow down and see the forest from a perspective we would not get from the ground alone.
After lunch, you’ll have the option of free time or to purchase an additional afternoon adventure in the Arenal region. Options include kayaking on Lake Arenal, a gentle wildlife safari float, or a guided volcano hike.
Contact us to for more information on optional excursions.
We return to the hotel later in the day with time to rest before gathering again for dinner.
Lake Arenal Crossing and Monteverde
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
This morning, we travel from Arenal to Monteverde using a combination of private ground transportation and a boat crossing on Lake Arenal. The journey carries us from the warmer volcanic lowlands into the cooler mountain environment of Costa Rica’s cloud forest region.
After arriving in Monteverde, we visit the C.A.S.E.M. Artisan Cooperative for lunch and time to explore locally made art and crafts. The cooperative supports artists and makers from the surrounding community and offers insight into the region’s creative traditions.
After dark, we join a guided night walk through the forest. Many mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles and other forest species are more active at night, allowing us to experience a side of Monteverde that is often hidden during the day.
Cloud Forest Adventure and Costa Rican Culture
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Our morning begins with a community outreach and conservation-focused program at the Monteverde Institute.
Through hands-on learning, we gain a better understanding of the environmental and community initiatives that help protect the Monteverde region.
After lunch, guests may enjoy some free time to rest, shop, or to go to the pool. Guests may also purchase one of four optional cloud forest adventures:
Contact us for more information on optional excursions.
In the evening, we take part in a local cooking class. Working alongside local hosts, we prepare classic Costa Rican dishes and then share the meal together.
Wildlife Encounters in Curi-Cancha, Extension Begins
Meals: Breakfast (main trip) breakfast, lunch, dinner (extension)
We will begin your final morning with a guided walk in Curi-Cancha Wildlife Reserve. The reserve protects approximately 205 acres of cloud forest habitat and supports a wide variety of plants, birds and other wildlife.
As we explore with a guide, we learn how Monteverde’s elevation, moisture and forest structure create the conditions needed for this distinctive ecosystem.
Following the walk, guests completing the main itinerary transfer to San Jose or San Jose International Airport for onward travel.
Want to see another side of Costa Rica? Our optional 3-day Montezuma Extension takes you from the cloud forests of Monteverde to the country’s Pacific coast, where you’ll experience beautiful beaches, Tortuga Island, coastal wildlife, and an unforgettable evening bioluminescent kayaking excursion. It’s an opportunity to extend your time in Costa Rica while exploring a region that’s completely different from the landscapes you’ve experienced during the main journey.
The Montezuma Extension is available as an optional add-on for an additional $1200 per person. The extension itinerary begins below with Day 7.
Choose Your Adventure and Bioluminescent Kayaking
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Enjoy a free morning in Montezuma or purchase an optional add-on activity:
Near sunset, we travel to Paquera Bay for a guided bioluminescent kayaking experience. As we paddle near the islands of Jesucitas and Cedros, movement in the water may activate microscopic organisms that produce brief flashes of light.
The experience offers an opportunity to observe one of the coast’s most unusual natural phenomena while exploring the bay after dark.
Isla Tortuga or A Free Coastal Day
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today offers a fuller day to enjoy the Montezuma area and the surrounding coast. Guests may enjoy a free day to rest, shop, enjoy the hotel accommodations, or go to the beach.
Guests may also purchase one of following optional excursions:
-a full-day excursion to Isla Tortuga
-surfing
-horseback riding
-ATV exploration
Optional excursions are purchased separately. Contact Destination Earth for more information.
For those who choose Isla Tortuga, the day may include snorkeling, beach time, wildlife viewing, an eco-hike, and time to relax by the water. The island experience gives travelers another look at the Gulf of Nicoya, where marine life, coastal forest, and island landscapes come together.
Those who prefer a slower day can use the time to rest, explore Montezuma, or enjoy the beach. We gather again in the evening for a final group dinner on the coast.
Return to San Jose
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast and hotel checkout, we begin the return journey from Montezuma to San Jose. The route includes private transportation to Paquera, the ferry crossing to Puntarenas, and a final drive back toward San Jose or San Jose International Airport.
See you on the next adventure!
• Five nights of accommodations (main itinerary)
• Daily breakfast
• Four lunches
• Five dinners
• All in-country ground transportation
• Airport transfer upon arrival
• Professional local guides
• Entrance fees to included attractions
Experiences Included:
• Rancho Margot sustainable farm tour and lunch
• Místico Hanging Bridges guided walk
• Scenic van–boat–van crossing between Arenal and Monteverde
• Visit to the C.A.S.E.M. Artisan Cooperative
• Guided Monteverde Night Walk
• Monteverde Institute conservation and community program
• Costa Rican cooking class with dinner
• Guided walk through Curi-Cancha Wildlife Reserve
The Extension Includes:
• Three additional nights accommodations
• Ferry transportation between Puntarenas and Paquera
• All extension ground transportation
• Three breakfasts
• Two lunches
• Three dinners
• Bioluminescent kayaking experience
• International airfare
• Travel insurance (required)
• Meals not listed in the itinerary
• Alcoholic beverages
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for guides and drivers
• Optional excursions not selected as part of the itinerary
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California, USA
"I have had the great pleasure of participating in two tours with Destination Earth. One was on the Big Island and one was on Kauai. Both tours were beyond amazing. The leaders Steve and Jud were experienced, professional, organized and great fun to be with. The accommodations were great and perfectly situated. The chef prepared local cuisine and was amenable to personal preferences. Overall, both experiences were wonderful. I felt safe at all times and appreciated the camaraderie and flexibility of the guides."
, USA
"Jud and Steve did a fabulous job on my recent tour with them to Myanmar and Sumatra. They really listen carefully to our desires and are open to making any adjustments in their planned itinerary to give everybody everything they want to experience. For example, the main reason I signed up for the trip was to photograph the ancient temples in Bagan. Well, following a less than stellar sunset shoot at the temples on our last night due to weather, even though we were flying out about 10 AM the next morning, they scrambled and put together a sunrise shoot that turned out to be mind blowing incredible! I’m so thankful for that ?? and it remains as one of my top two memories of the trip. All along the way we stayed very comfortably in great hotels and ate wonderful local food. So, thanks guys, we’ll definitely do it again!"
New Mexico, USA
“This was seriously the best group I’ve ever had the privilege of traveling with. I can’t say enough good things about D.E. Looking for the right company? You’ve found it!”
