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Costa Rica, From San José to Manuel Antonio

Self-drive Tour to Discover Costa Rica

4.3Trip advisor rating 4.5
299 reviews
Road tripDiscovery

Deal negotiated for you

  • The self-drive tour for the chosen duration
  • Accommodation as listed in the programme (or similar)
  • Breakfasts
  • Full-board (excluding drinks) in Tortuguero from breakfast on day 2 to lunch on day 4.
  • Flights departing from the city of your choice
  • One-way airport/hotel transfer
  • Semi-collective transfer on day 2 between San José and Guápiles
  • Transfer by semi-collective shuttle from the car hire office to the airport
  • Welcome and assistance at the airport
  • Car hire (Toyota Rav 4 or Toyota Fortuner) from day 4 to day 10 or 12
  • A Local SIM card
Customise your trip on the Options page.

Your stay starts here

Self-drive Tour to Discover Costa Rica

4.3Trip advisor rating 4.5
299 reviews

Costa Rica is a small country, barely larger than the Netherlands but with impressive biodiversity far from city crowds. It is a wonderful outdoor playground where you can have lots of adventures as a couple or with family or friends, including rafting, zip wires, walking through the trees and more. You can experience Arenal Volcano and suspension bridges, little meals flavoured with coconut, Tortuguero National Park; swimming in the Pacific at Manuel Antonio. There's nothing like it for an unforgettable time.

This trip to Costa Rica means you can explore the country in two different ways. From day 1 to day 4, let us guide you from San José to Tortuguero National Park with transfers, meals and some excursions included. Then, travel at your own pace from day 4 in your rental car from Tortuguero via Arenal Volcano to Monteverde Park. End your stay on the Pacific coast near Manuel Antonio National Park.

Your daily itinerary:

  • Day 1: San José airport
  • Day 2: San José/Tortuguero
  • Day 3: Tortuguero
  • Day 4: Tortuguero/Arenal (pick-up of rental car)
  • Day 5: Arenal
  • Day 6: Arenal
  • Day 7: Arenal/Monteverde
  • Day 8: Monteverde
  • Day 9: Monteverde/Manuel Antonio
  • Day 10: Manuel Antonio

You can extend your stay by selecting 11 nights at the time of booking.

  • Day 11: Manuel Antonio
  • Day 12: Manuel Antonio/San José airport (return of rental car)

Please Note:
- Please note that the order of tours may change due to local constraints (travel time, weather conditions, etc.), however, all the tours mentioned in the programme will take place.Day 3: Tortuguero

Your detailed itinerary

DAY 1 | SAN JOSÉ AIRPORT

Welcome to Costa Rica!

Welcome by the local representative and transfer to your hotel in the capital, San José. You will be given your travel documents, settle into your room and spend the first night at the hotel in San José.

Hotel: Four-star Radisson San José (or similar)

DAY 2 | SAN JOSÉ/TORTUGUERO

Early in the morning, meet at the hotel reception for the semi-collective transfer to the pier to reach Tortuguero. You will pass through the Braulio Carrillo National Park, which beautifully illustrates Costa Rica's lush cloud forest.

On the way, you will stop in the town of Guápiles to enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant before taking the boat to Tortuguero and navigating through the famous canals full of flora and fauna, in the heart of the rainforest.

Settle in at the Lodge followed by lunch.

In the afternoon, you will visit the village of Tortuguero on the other side of the canal and the small beach in the area, which becomes the turtle nesting site.

Duration: 3 hours by road and 1.5 hours by boat.

*The order of activities in Tortuguero may vary according to the lodge's operations.

Lodge: Three-star Evergreen Lodge (or similar)

DAY 3 | TORTUGUERO

Get ready to explore Tortuguero National Park: Take a boat trip to visit the canals of Tortuguero. It is a different and very fun way to discover this imposing panorama.

Return and breakfast at the Lodge.

Later on, you will visit the area surrounding the lodge and the nature trails accompanied by the local guide to discover this very humid rainforest, and its plants and wildlife.

Lunch at the Lodge.

The rest of the day is free to enjoy the lodge facilities and the activities on offer.

Lodge: Three-star Evergreen Lodge (or similar)

DAY 4 | TORTUGUERO/ARENAL

Breakfast at the lodge and check-out.

Departure for the pier, where the transport will be waiting to take you to the town of Guápiles to enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.

After lunch, you will meet the car rental representative to pick up your rented vehicle.

Continue to the north of the country to get to La Fortuna, a town located at the foot of the Arenal volcano.

Duration: 1.5 hours by boat and 2 hours by road.

Hotel: Five-star Arenal Springs Resort & Spa (or similar)

DAY 5 | ARENAL

Breakfast at the hotel.

Day at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or go on additional excursions in the area.

Hotel: Five-star Arenal Springs Resort & Spa (or similar)

DAY 6 | ARENAL

Breakfast at the hotel.

Day at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or go on additional excursions in the area.

Hotel: Five-star Arenal Springs Resort & Spa (or similar)

DAY 7 | ARENAL/MONTEVERDE

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.

Then continue to the Monteverde area, where the biological reserve is located, in the Tilarán mountain range, between the central valley and Guanacaste. This is one of the country's largest natural tropical rainforest reserves. It is home to unique amphibian species, 400 species of birds including the legendary and resplendent quetzal, many species of butterflies and 2500 varieties of plants.

Duration: 3 hours' drive.

Hotel: Four-star Poco a Poco (or similar)

DAY 8 | MONTEVERDE

If you select the 9-night option, breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Head to the central Pacific coast in Manuel Antonio. Here you will find the Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most famous in Costa Rica, which is visited by many tourists arriving in the country, thanks to its easy access and the diversity of ecosystems.

Hotel: Five-star Parador countryside Resort & Spa (or similar)

If you select the 11-night option, breakfast at the hotel and day at leisure to enjoy the hotel's facilities or go on additional excursions in the region.

Hotel: Four-star Poco a Poco (or similar)

DAY 9 | MONTEVERDE/MANUEL ANTONIO

If you select the 9-night option, breakfast at the hotel and a free day to enjoy the hotel, the beach or explore the region.

Hotel: Five-star Parador countryside Resort & Spa (or similar)

If you select 11 nights, breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Departure for the Central Pacific coast in Manuel Antonio. Here you will find the Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most famous in Costa Rica, which is visited by many tourists arriving in the country, thanks to its easy access and the diversity of ecosystems.

Duration: 3 hours' drive.

Hotel: Five-star Parador countryside Resort & Spa (or similar)

DAY 10 | MANUEL ANTONIO

If you select 9 nights, it's time for breakfast at the hotel and check-out.

It is time to go to the car hire office near Juan Santamaría International Airport to return the vehicle. Afterwards, a shared shuttle bus will take you to the airport for your return flight.

If you select the 11-night option, breakfast at the hotel and a free day to enjoy the hotel, the beach or explore the region.

Hotel: Five-star Parador countryside Resort & Spa (or similar)

DAY 11 | MANUEL ANTONIO

If you select the 11-night duration, enjoy breakfast at the hotel and a free day.

Hotel: Parador Nature Resort & Spa 5-star (or similar)

DAY 12 | MANUEL ANTONIO/SAN JOSÉ AIRPORT

If you select the 11-night duration, the stay is coming to an end. Breakfast at the hotel & check-out.

You head towards the city of San José in the direction of SJO airport, then return the car to the car rental office near the airport; you will reach it via a free semi-collective shuttle.

Your accommodation

During your trip you will stay in the following accommodation:

  • San José: 1 night at the four-star Radisson San José (or similar)
  • Tortuguero: 2 nights at the three-star Evergreen Lodge (or similar)
  • Arenal: 2 nights at the five-star Arenal Springs Resort & Spa (or similar)
  • Monteverde: 2 nights at four-star Poco a Poco (or similar)
  • Manuel Antonio: 2 or 3 nights at the five-star Parador Nature Resort & Spa (or similar)

Your meals

During your stay, you'll enjoy the breakfast-included package from day 2 to day 10 or 12. You'll enjoy a full-board package (excluding drinks) in Tortuguero from breakfast on day 2 to lunch on day 4.

Car rental

Your stay includes the rental of a Toyota Rav 4 or Toyota Fortuner with basic insurance. You will be provided with a SIM card that ensures the Internet connection required to use GPS applications.

Information:

  • Type of car: Toyota Rav 4 or Toyota Fortuner
  • Maximum capacity per car: 5 people
  • Minimum age: 21 years
  • Driving licence validity: Your licence only needs to be valid at the moment it is presented (physical licence only, not digital)
  • Passport: Must be valid at least 6 months before expiration
  • Credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD, or AMERICAN EXPRESS): The card must belong to you, the driver. Debit cards are not accepted.
  • Pick-up point: Day 4, around 1:00 PM, at the restaurant in Guápiles.
  • Return: On the last day of the program, you must go to the Belén car rental office (open 24h), near Juan Santamaría International Airport, to return the vehicle. Afterwards, a shared shuttle will take you from the rental office to the airport for your return flight.

Your rental includes:

  • The rental of the Toyota Rav 4 or Toyota Fortuner from Day 4 around 1:00 PM to Day 10 or 12 around 6:00 PM
  • A SIM card for the Internet connection required for GPS apps
  • 24/7 assistance

Your rental does not include:

  • Fuel
  • Baby, child, or booster seat: extra charge of 8 USD per day, to be requested in advance
  • GPS: extra charge of 15 USD per day, to be requested in advance
  • Mandatory security deposit
  • Mandatory or full car insurance and other additional services
  • Deductible: to be paid according to the coverage chosen
Transport included
This price includes :
  • The self-drive tour of the chosen duration
  • Accommodation as listed in the programme (or similar)
  • Breakfasts
  • Full-board (excluding drinks) in Tortuguero from breakfast on day 2 to lunch on day 4
  • One-way airport/hotel transfer
  • Semi-collective transfer on day 2 between San José and Guápiles
  • Transfer by semi-collective shuttle from the car hire office to the airport
  • Welcome and assistance at the airport
  • Car hire (Toyota Rav 4 or Toyota Fortuner) from day 4 to day 10 or 12
  • A local SIM card
  • Flights departing from the city of your choice
This price does not include :
  • Local taxes
  • Personal insurance (unless taken out at time of booking)
  • Personal expenses and gratuities
  • Meals and drinks not mentioned in the description
  • Excursions not included in the booking or purchased separately
  • Admission to Tortuguero National Park
  • Exit tax ($29.00 USD)
  • Compulsory car hire deposit, compulsory or full car insurance and other additional services
  • And, more generally, everything not mentioned in the "This price includes" section above

Useful information

Useful information

Practical details

If you are travelling alone, you will be asked to pay a surcharge for a single room. This additional charge will be automatically included in your quote.
Child rates will be applied for children from 2 to 12 years old in the case where the child shares the room with two adults. If the child is travelling with just one adult, the surcharge may be applied on an adult basis. If your child or children do not fit into the age group mentioned above, the rate will be communicated to you at the time of processing your order. If the room is equipped with a bunk bed, the bed height is not suitable for children under 6 years of age.
For safety reasons, the wellbeing facilities of most establishments are not accessible to children under 16 years old. Similarly, it is possible that some amenities or services require an additional charge or are unavailable for exceptional reasons.
Unless otherwise stated in the service description, activities and any additional services available at destination are provided in the language of the destination country and in English.
The opening times and hours of the activities, restaurants and bars are provided as an indication only and may be subject to change. Contact the reception desk in order to be informed of any changes.
Appropriate dress is required. We remind you that gambling may involve risks of isolation, indebtedness, and dependency...
Any additional special requirements the traveller may request which are not included in the travel service description will be communicated to our service provider. Sending this information does not imply acceptance and PerfectStay.com cannot be held responsible for the fulfilment of these special requests. Only the service provider of PerfectStay.com can access this request on location and any additional costs may be paid locally by the traveller.
Unless expressly stated in the description of the services and accommodation, the hotel is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Travel documents

Once your reservation has been made, you will receive a confirmation e-mail before your travel documents are sent.
Regarding the transport documents (in the case of a reservation with transport included), we will provide you with all the information relating to check-in and luggage in the "Your travel documents" email, allowing you to leave with peace of mind.
To take advantage of all your reserved services (hotels, transfers, activities, etc.), you will receive one or more exchange vouchers to be presented to each supplier.
The contact details of the establishment will be specified in these documents, to help make your arrival at your destination as straight-forward as possible.

Transportation

Choose an offer and, according to your preferences, opt for a seat in economy, business or first class.
See the 'View flight info' section for details on each trip.
In order to best organise your time in the airport, we advise that you arrive 2 hours before boarding for a medium-haul flight, or 3 hours before boarding for a long-haul flight (more than 5 hours). Take advantage of your early arrival to pass through security and check your luggage.
You will be informed whether or not luggage is included at the time of your booking.
You will have the opportunity to add additional luggage for a fee.
There are several different cities that are typically offered as departure points. Your arrival destination will show in your travel documents.
Depending on the flight schedule, some arrivals or returns may be made at night with early arrival or late departure. You will not always be able to have your room available immediately and will need to refer to the check-in and check-out conditions of the hotel.
In the event that your transfer is not included in your hotel reservation, it may be offered at the time of your reservation as an additional option. Unless specifically mentioned, transfers may be made in groups of 15 to 55 people.
Important: the modification or the cancellation of a booking is only possible within the limits and including the fees outlined in our general conditions of sale.
Thank you for kindly taking note of the CO2 emissions produced by your means of transport: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Formalities

The following details apply to any British citizen who, during a trip sold by PerfectStay goes to a foreign country. The following is a resource directing you to information related to your travel formalities (identification documents, vaccines, VISA, safety, travel advice, etc.), and may be subject to change. Please note that Brexit negotiations are likely to include travel document modifications, therefore please regularly check most updated information. Please see official resource for British citizens wishing to travel:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

The official UK Foreign Travel site has updates on safety and security, including incidents such as pickpocketing and robbery, along with larger incidents such as measuring the risk of terrorism.
Detailed country by country here:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

If you are travelling with minors, please be sure to verify whether or not you will require a consent: https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad

Please note that these details serve as a guiding resource in order to ensure that you have access to important information in order to pursue the necessary travel formalities required before travelling abroad with PerfectStay. Please note that PerfectStay will not engage in obtaining travel documents for you, such as visas, and you are solely responsible for knowing the potential health risks you may face in the course of your travels for which you may require vaccinations or medications. PerfectStay is not responsible for ensuring your travel formalities are properly undertaken and will only act as an intermediary directing you to resources which have been known to provide reliable information concerning travel formalities specific to British citizens.

Vaccination

For information concerning travel health requirements (vaccinations, health risks, etc.) please see the following resources:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/

Visa

For the latest information on which travel documents (visas, passports, etc.) British citizens will require by destination, please see the following resources:
https://visacentral.co.uk/visa-quick-check
https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyPassport.php?p1=uk&fl=&s=yes
https://www.travisa.com/Visa_Search

Identity

Please be sure to verify that your necessary Identification documents (passport and/or ID card dependent upon the country to which you will be travelling) have valid expiration dates, i.e. verify your ID documents have not yet expired. Also, be sure to remember to bring these necessary documents with you. It is also recommended to make copies of all travel documents in the event of an emergency.

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They are sold by ATOL (#11475) and ABTA (#Y6608) holder Perfectstay Travel Ltd.

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All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. The flight-inclusive holidays displayed on this website are sold by ATOL (#11475) holder Perfectstay Travel Ltd. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: https://www.caa.co.uk

ABTA number Y6608

As a member of ABTA (#Y6608), you can be assured that you are receiving the highest level of service and are offered excellent choice and value. If your holiday is not inclusive of flights then ABTA will financially protect your holiday similar to ATOL, unless you are already abroad in which case you be returned to the point where your contracted arrangements with us commenced. Find out more: http://www.abta.com