Original
Wildlife
Classic Costa Rica
4.9
Excellent
circle836 reviews
location_on 15 days
location_on
Start
San Jose, Costa Rica
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Finish
San Jose, Costa Rica
tour
Trip Code
QVSR
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Min Age
15
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Trip Size
1 - 16
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Physical Rating
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Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
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Transport
Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat
bed
Accommodation
Hotel (11 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
From £1,566(15 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
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Swap the concrete jungle for real jungle on a journey across waterways, hot springs, palm-lined beaches and rainforests to spot Costa Rica’s creatures such as capuchins, ocelots and sloths.
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Spot long-nosed tapirs, white-faced capuchin monkeys, ocelots and three-toed sloths on this wildlife adventure – Costa Rica is home to many exotic animals, and this trip puts you in the perfect position to see them all.
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Go deeper than the average tourist with a homestay in a quiet agricultural community – the perfect opportunity to experience local life and practice your Spanish. You’ll even have an informal cooking lesson with the locals to make dinner!
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Hop aboard a riverboat to Tortuguero, a region popular for its canals that attract both human and wildlife visitors, most notably local green turtles, which come at night to nest on the sandy beaches.
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Visit the indigenous Maleku community to share a traditional meal and learn about their way of life – this small tribe has big ambitions for regenerating local forests and natural habitats.
Is this trip right for you?
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Many of the activities (both included and optional) on this trip take place in the great outdoors. This means you'll need to be prepared to deal with insects and occasionally rustic conditions. It's all part of immersing yourself in this natural paradise.
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Costa Rica is generally hot year-round, and from May to October can be pretty wet too. At nighttime and in locations at higher elevations it can get chilly. Protect yourself from the sun, bring light clothing you can layer and a waterproof jacket, and stay hydrated. Please carefully consider which time of the year you'll feel most comfortable travelling.
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There are many opportunities to get active on this adventure. Some of the optional activities require a moderate level of fitness and sturdy walking shoes. If you'd prefer to take it easy, however, there are plenty of other things you can do instead.
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The homestay is a wonderful opportunity to witness everyday local life. A hearty homecooked dinner and breakfast will be served during your stay, which can be a lot more basic than what you're used to.
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With so much to see and do, Costa Rica can sometimes be expensive. Expect to pay more than you would in other Central American countries for a lot of things.
Itinerary
Dive into diverse Costa Rica, from the towering jungle to the palm-lined coast
Discover incredible, lush Costa Rica and understand why this part of the world is called the ‘rich coast’. This 15-day adventure, beginning and ending in lively San Jose, is a journey through the jungles, farmlands, beaches and cities of a pure Central American location. Stay with a local family in Santa Rosa de Pocosol and help your hosts prep a traditional meal. Soak in springs that get their heat from an active volcano in La Fortuna and take on a huge array of nature-based optional activities in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Spot three-toed sloths in the thickets of the Manuel Antonio National Park, then relax beneath swaying palms on the nearby beaches.
- DAY 1Day 1 • San Jose
- DAY 2Day 2 • Tortuguero National Park
- DAY 3Day 3 • Tortuguero National Park
- DAY 4Day 4 • Santa Rosa de Pocosol Homestay
- DAY 5Day 5 • Tenorio Volcano National Park Area - Rio Celeste Area
- DAY 6Day 6 • Rio Celeste
- DAY 7Day 7 • La Fortuna
- DAY 8Day 8 • La Fortuna
- DAY 9Day 9 • Lake Arenal – Monteverde
- DAY 10Day 10 • Monteverde
- DAY 11Day 11 • Manuel Antonio
- DAY 12Day 12 • Manuel Antonio
- DAY 13Day 13 • Manuel Antonio
- DAY 14Day 14 • San Jose
- DAY 15Day 15 • San Jose
Inclusions
restaurant_menu Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
airport_shuttle Transport
Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat
bed Accommodation
Hotel (11 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
festival Included activities
circleTortuguero - Boat ride to Tortuguero
circleTortuguero - National Park Entrance
circleSanta Rosa de Pocosol - Home-cooked Meal
circleSanta Rosa de Pocosol - Homestay experience
circleLeader-led Informal Spanish Lesson
circleGuatuso - Maleku Community Experience
circleMonteverde - Cloud Forest Entrance
circleMonteverde - Children's Eternal Rain Forest (The Tuuur Foundation Partner) Night wildlife walk
circleManuel Antonio - Homecooked lunch
circleManuel Antonio National Park - (Entrance fee)
circleManuel Antonio National Park - Tour with a Naturalist Guide
museum Optional activities
circleSan Jose - Pre-Colombian Gold Museum (Entrance fee) - USD17
circleSan Jose - Jade Archaeological Museum (Entrance fee) - USD16
circleSan Jose - National Museum (entrance fee) (Closed Sunday & Monday) - USD11
circleTortuguero - Sunrise canoe trip around canals - USD45
circleTortuguero - Turtle Watching Night Tour - USD45
circleSanta Rosa de Pocosol - Soap-making workshop (cash only) (requires a minimum of 3 travellers to operate) - USD20
circleSanta Rosa de Pocosol - Waterfall hike (Cash Only) - USD19
circleRio Celeste - River Tubing Adventure (cash only) - USD70
circleRio Celeste - Volcan Tenorio National Park Guided Trail Walk (cash only) - USD70
circleLa Fortuna - Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Lava Trails (Entrance fee) - USD25
circleLa Fortuna - La Fortuna Waterfall (Entrance only) - USD25
circleLa Fortuna - Paradise Hot Springs (entrance fee) - USD47
circleMonteverde - Butterfly Garden and Insects Farm (entrance fee) - USD22
circleMonteverde - Coffee & Chocolate tour - USD47
circleMonteverde - Suspension bridges tour - USD55
circleMonteverde - Canopy Zip Lining (Entrance, Equipment & Transport) - USD101
circleManuel Antonio – Cruise (Inc transport, guide, lunch and drinks onboard) - USD95
circleManuel Antonio - Mangrove Kayak Activity (with lunch) - USD75
circleManuel Antonio National Park (Entrance fee) - USD18
Dates and availability
Starting
Ending
Remaining
Prices From
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Feb 05, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - Sold Out
Saturday Jan 24, 2026
Saturday Feb 07, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - Sold Out
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Tuesday Feb 10, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 6 spaces left
£2,277£1,935
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Thursday Jan 29, 2026
Thursday Feb 12, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 9 spaces left
£2,085£1,772
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Sunday Feb 01, 2026
Sunday Feb 15, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 4 spaces left
£2,085£1,772
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Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 7 spaces left
£2,085£1,772
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Thursday Feb 05, 2026
Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 2 spaces left
£2,316£1,968
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Saturday Feb 07, 2026
Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 3 spaces left
£2,261£1,921
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Sunday Feb 08, 2026
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 7 spaces left
£2,112£1,795
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Tuesday Feb 10, 2026
Tuesday Feb 24, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 6 spaces left
£2,167£1,842
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Thursday Feb 12, 2026
Thursday Feb 26, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - Sold Out
Saturday Feb 14, 2026
Saturday Feb 28, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 5 spaces left
£2,222£1,889
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Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
Tuesday Mar 03, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 8 spaces left
£2,085£1,772
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Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Thursday Mar 05, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 8 spaces left
£2,167£1,842
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Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Saturday Mar 07, 2026
Trip size max: 16 - 9 spaces left
£2,112£1,795
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Important notes
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1. Full passport details are required at the time of booking in order to purchase entrance tickets to Manuel Antonio National Park. Delays to provide this information may result in changes to your itinerary and we will not be able to guarantee entry. Details provided must be accurate as per your passport bio page.
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2. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm on Day 1. There are no activities planned for the final day so you may depart at any time.
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3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
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4. Please be careful when booking flights to/from San Jose; make sure you fly into/out of Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]. Please do not book flights to/from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport [SJC] as this is located in California, United States.
Reviews (798)
5 stars
714
4 stars
72
3 stars
7
2 stars
4
1 star
1
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Kim
Jan 03, 2026
Over all the trip with intrepid was fantastic, our guide Kenneth was very knowledgeable and helpful!
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Isobel
Jan 03, 2026
Incredible trip through Costa Rica! Our leader Kenneth was amazing—knowledgeable, fun, and super organized. We saw an incredible variety of wildlife and loved all the varied activities from hikes in the rainforests to rafting and swimming in the Pacific. Amazing trip, highly recommend it!
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Leah
Jan 03, 2026
What an unforgettable trip to Costa Rica—bursting with wildlife, biodiversity, and the warmest people. Our brilliant leader, Kenneth, made everything seamless, and our group clicked from day one. Every day brought new wonders: toucans, frogs, iguanas, endless birds, and even a tarantula! Kenneth, you’re an absolute legend.
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Callen
Jan 03, 2026
This was my first intrepid tour and my first fully organized long trip. I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but really needed something to look forward to after a personally challenging year. Friends had told me the country was incredible but planning a trip on my own felt daunting. I ended up being completely blown away by the experience and feel certain that I will travel with Intrepid again soon!
Kenneth was above and beyond amazing! His enthusiasm and deep knowledge of all the animals was infectious. We would stop the bus to better see birds and sloths… it was incredible. One day at lunch, he helped me save a bee that landed in my lemonade and I found that level of compassion for something most people would just kill so moving. Other guides outside of Kenneth our leader were as passionate and knowledgeable, especially Rey Brown! He knew medicinal plants, Latin names for what we were looking at, and had us laughing as we took it all in. He made the experience magic!
The locations and group were also all so lovely! From connecting with local communities in ways I had never experienced on vacation to mangrove kayak rides that felt like a dream. I honestly have nothing negative to say and hope you enjoy this trip as much as I did.
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Sian
Jan 03, 2026
An amazing trip with a great group. We saw so much of Costa Rica. Our tour leader Kenneth was the best! He was extremely knowledgeable and made the trip extra special sharing lots of information with us and spotting loads of wildlife.
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Luella
Jan 03, 2026
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Danuta
Dec 28, 2025
The trip was fantastic.
On every walk in any of the forests we saw so many beautiful animals - big and small. Every walk was a pure joy for me and our guides were just so good at spotting these amazing creatures.
I loved this trip
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Kambie
Dec 26, 2025
Intrepid Travel delivered an unforgettable 15-day Costa Rica adventure. From lush rainforests to stunning coastlines, every detail was seamless. Our guide, Marvin Lopez, was outstanding—knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely caring. He brought the culture, wildlife, and spirit of Costa Rica to life. Highly recommend!
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Leonie Mirjam
Dec 24, 2025
I loved this trip! The itinerary seemed well thought through and thanks to our guide we saw a lot of wildlife on our nature walks (at least on the days it didn't rain). I especially enjoyed the homestay and our visit to the Maleku community. Many optional activities meant spending a significant amount of additional money, but it also meant being able to personalize my trip a bit more (my favourites were the night walk in Monteverde and the kayaking in Manuel Antonio). Our guide Emil was very well organized and always ready to give additional information and recommendations. His enthusiasm made the trip even better.
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Peggy
Dec 19, 2025
This Classic Costa Rica tour was amazing and had a super variety of places to explore while feeling safe and comfortable.