Original
Wildlife
Classic Costa Rica
4.9
Excellent
816 reviews
15 days
Start
San Jose, Costa Rica
Finish
San Jose, Costa Rica
Trip Code
QVSR
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 16
Physical Rating
Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
Transport
Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat
Accommodation
Hotel (11 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
From £1,192(15 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Swap the concrete jungle for real jungle on this journey into the rainforests, waterways, hot springs and the palm-lined beaches of Costa Rica.
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.
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!
Refresh yourself after jungle hikes, spotting wildlife in the rejuvenating hot springs of volcanic La Fortuna.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Inclusions
Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
Transport
Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat
Accommodation
Hotel (11 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
Included activities
Tortuguero - Boat ride to Tortuguero
Tortuguero - National Park Entrance
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Home-cooked Meal
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Homestay experience
Leader-led Informal Spanish Lesson
Guatuso - Maleku Community Experience
Monteverde - Cloud Forest Entrance
Manuel Antonio - Homecooked lunch
Manuel Antonio National Park - (Entrance fee)
Manuel Antonio National Park - Tour with a Naturalist Guide
Optional activities
San Jose - Pre-Colombian Gold Museum (Entrance fee) - USD17
San Jose - Jade Archaeological Museum (Entrance fee) - USD16
San Jose - National Museum (entrance fee) (Closed Sunday & Monday) - USD11
Tortuguero - Sunrise canoe trip around canals - USD45
Tortuguero - Turtle Watching Night Tour - USD45
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Soap-making workshop (cash only) (requires a minimum of 3 travellers to operate) - USD20
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Waterfall hike (Cash Only) - USD10
Rio Celeste - River Tubing Adventure (cash only) - USD70
Rio Celeste - Volcan Tenorio National Park Guided Trail Walk (cash only) - USD70
La Fortuna - Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Lava Trails (Entrance fee) - USD25
La Fortuna - La Fortuna Waterfall (Entrance only) - USD25
La Fortuna - Paradise Hot Springs (entrance fee) - USD47
Monteverde - Cloud Forest Night Walk - USD45
Monteverde - Butterfly Garden and Insects Farm (entrance fee) - USD22
Monteverde - Coffee & Chocolate tour - USD47
Monteverde - Suspension bridges tour - USD55
Monteverde - Canopy Zip Lining (Entrance, Equipment & Transport) - USD101
Manuel Antonio – Cruise (Inc transport, guide, lunch and drinks onboard) - USD95
Manuel Antonio - Mangrove Kayak Activity (with lunch) - USD75
Manuel Antonio National Park (Entrance fee) - USD18
Dates and availability
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Important notes
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.
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.
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.
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
715
4 stars
71
3 stars
8
2 stars
3
1 star
1
Josephine
Oct 04, 2025
Intrepid Tour’s Classic Costa Rica with Tour Leader Paula Díaz was incredible! It’s hard to put into words how wonderful Costa Rica was, it’s exceeded all my expectations in terms of wildlife, fun & friendliness. Paula our Intrepid Tour Leader made the tour for all of us ; she was warm, professional, endlessly patient, and so well organised—she thought of absolutely everything while making it all feel seamless and fun. Her communication was impeccable, and she shared her knowledge and personal experience of Costa Rican culture in such an authentic, engaging way. She went above and beyond to help me personally with lost luggage at the start of the trip and again when I sadly had to leave early, always with kindness and care. All eight of us on the tour agreed it was hard to say goodbye to both Costa Rica and Paula. She’s a true ambassador for her country and for Intrepid—so much so that if she’s representative of the company, I wouldn’t travel with anyone else.
Wendy
Sep 30, 2025
If you love wildlife and nature, you can’t go wrong with Costa Rica. There were so many highlights including seeing turtles laying eggs on the beach, sloths eating leaves in a tree and the shy nocturnal tapir appearing from the undergrowth. It really is a trip of a lifetime.
Gavin
Sep 29, 2025
Great way to see nature even in the rainy season. Friendly people, be mindful not a lot of meals are included meaning it's an additional cost to your trip.
Katharine
Sep 24, 2025
My first trip with Intrepid but won't be my last! Wonderful wildlife, fabulous scenery, great guide who became part of the group. Lovely country, trip of a lifetime. Thank you.
Jacqueline
Sep 24, 2025
This was such an amazing trip, helped with lots of local info from Marvin, our fantastic leader. We saw so much more wildlife than I was expecting and the scenery was so beautiful and varied. Despite going in wet season, this hardly affected our trip and seeing the incredible storms just added to the experience.
Vincent
Sep 20, 2025
Intrepid are the most amazing company . The immerse you in the country … you go to locations you would never find alone . This is no .. this will make do company . They I feel look deeply into the travellers having a true immersive experience What a great company
kathryn
Sep 12, 2025
This was a fantastic experience, I honestly have no complaints. I usually organise my own trips and find it difficult entrusting others however our guide Paula was amazing from start to finish from telling you when toilet breaks would be to booking restaurants in preparation to sharing her knowledge. There was a lot of travelling however it was often broken up with little key visits, boat trips or rest stops which really helped. Everywhere we visited was amazing and the extra and included excursions were all really good. The wild life in Costa Rica is unreal whilst always feeling safe.
Jodie
Aug 31, 2025
Highly recommend Classic Costa Rica. Wildlife is phenomenal!!!! The scenery is stunning. The food is scrumptious. The people are so friendly and welcoming. If you seriously love wildlife and adventure, this is the place to be. I will be back.
Julia
Aug 29, 2025
The entire trip was wonderful and eye opening. Marvin was a great guide - knowledgeable and friendly.
Jenny
Aug 29, 2025
Paula ran a fantastic trip . So organised friendly and approachable and we saw so many animals in costa roca but also learned alot about the environment and the people who live there . Would definitely recommend both the costa rica tpur and Paula
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