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Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia

Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Full-day Tortuga Island Tour, with light breakfast, lunch, cruise & tour
- Full-day Arenal Volcano & Tabacon Hot Springs Tour
- Panama & Miraflores Locks Tour
- Cartagena City Tour (half-day)
- Full-day Tour to the Rosario Islands
Short Description
Experience the best of Central and South America on this three-country adventure! Indulge in delicious culinary favorites, like empanadas and ceviche, and feast your eyes on breathtaking natural landscapes. From Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, to the Rosario Islands off Cartagena, get ready for this vacation that's a thrill for the senses.
Kick off in Costa Rica. With the city of San Jose as your home base, you'll always have things to see and do! Explore the historical streets of San Jose, filled with architectural beauty and spirited culture. While in Costa Rica, enjoy two full-day tours that showcase the diverse landscapes of the country - from volcanoes and hotsprings, to the blissful waters of Tortuga Island.
From Costa Rica, you'll party it up in Panama City! Stroll through the cobbled streets of historic Casco Viejo, then enjoy a half-day tour that takes you to the Panama Canal and Miraflores Locks! Learn all about the groundbreaking innovations that now make up this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Last but certainly not least, hop on a quick flight to the vibrant city of Cartagena. Meander through picturesque streets of colonial architecture and soak up the spirit of this colorful seaside city. Enjoy a tour of Cartagena, then escape to the Rosario Islands on a full-day tour! This vacation blends colonial charm with postcard-worthy natural beauty.
Itinerary
Day 1 Welcome to San Jose, Costa Rica!
Upon your arrival at SJO International Airport, enjoy a convenient transfer to your home for the next four nights! Spent the rest of the day settling in. Treat yourself to a delicious first-night meal!
Day 2 San Jose, Costa Rica
Grab your camera and get ready for a full day of natural beauty! Enjoy a guided excursion to Tortuga Island. This will be the first of many postcard-worthy days!
Day 3 San Jose, Costa Rica
Discover two of Costa Rica's most iconic sights today on your full-day tour of the Arenal Volcano and Tabacon Hot Springs! Indulge in delicious meals and immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscapes of Costa Rica.
Day 4 San Jose, Costa Rica
Discover the vibrant energy of San Jose today. Make your way through the crowds as you walk down Central Ave (Avenida Central); San Jose's main street runs straight through the city and offers an abundance of shopping and eating options! Pop into the famous Mercado Central, treat yourself to a plate of arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), then continue on your way, stopping to enjoy the singing and dancing of the street performers along the way. You can also stop by the National Theater of Costa Rica - perhaps you'd like to take a tour or see a performance!
Day 5 San Jose, Costa Rica - Panama City, Panama
Waive goodbye to Costa Rica and get ready for paradise in Panama! Hop in a transfer to the airport, enjoy a quick flight, then enjoy a transfer to your hotel in Panama City. Check-in, get settled, and explore!
Day 6 Panama City, Panama
Set out in the morning for a half-day tour through Panama City to the Panama Canal where you'll get to see the Miraflores Locks in action. The rest of the day is yours to wander as you wish.
Day 7 Panama City, Panama
Today is your last full day in Panama City, so make the most of it! Maybe you'll take a walk through the cobble stoned historic center Casco Viejo, which boasts colonial-era landmarks and plazas lined with cafes and bars.
Day 8 Panama City, Panama - Cartagena, Colombia
Get ready for your last stop - colorful Cartagena! Enjoy roundtrip airport transfers and a quick flight to Colombia. Upon arrival at your Cartagena hotel, settle in and relax. When it's time for dinner, consider a delicious seafood restaurant by the water.
Day 9 Cartagena, Colombia
Today you will visit some of Cartagena's highlights on an included city tour. Cartagena was given the name La Heroica (Heroic City) by Simon Bolivar in 1815 after the city resisted 105 days of siege by the Spanish. After the tour, stroll over to Plaza de la Aduana, the largest and oldest square in Cartagena's old town that was once the home of the city's government (aduana means customs). Sip an ice cold cocktail at one of the outdoor bars near Plaza de la Aduana as you watch the sun go down!
Day 10 Cartagena, Colombia
Set your clock to island time! Today, get ready for crystal-clear water and swaying palms. Enjoy a full-day tour to the stunning Rosario Islands.
Day 11 Depart Colombia
Your stay in Cartagena comes to an end today. At the appropriate time, you will be transferred from your hotel to the airport, for your flight home.
Availability
18,296 Great Value Vacations Travel Reviews & Ratings
Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
Company Reviews
Most organized and easy to use site!
Good value and ligit package.
I love discounted and the reservation…
Too many flight changes
So was adequate, but took away from the enjoyment
We had an amazing time in Iceland
WARNING!
This company seems like the right choice based on price. BEWARE! DO NOT USE! They are not helpful prior to trip. They mislead you when you speak with customer service. We took a trip to Ireland and were told by customer service that the hotel was in Sligo and Cork after asking prior to our trip. When we arrived, the hotels were both over one hour out in very small towns. This is one hour to the city we were told we were going to by customer service and one hour back.
The rental car we got prior to trip with our package, we paid to upgrade to a larger car. Then we paid extra to have an automatic car. When we arrived, we were told that we could have paid much less by just doing it onsite at Dublin airport. The car rental was in shock for how much Great Value charged us for the car rental.
You can save a lot of money if you book this Ireland trip on your own. And save many headaches. The kicker to all of this is when I got home and tried to speak with customer service. The lady told me she could not do anything to help me. I must instead email a supervisor. I did have email communication with GVV and they were quite snappy and rude. They refused to help me in any way. I asked them to change their wording so that the next customer would not be misled like we were. I would NEVER recommend nor use this company. There are too many reputable tour groups out there.
Please don't waste your money on a company that does not care about you.
**Edited**
In response to the reply that GVV gave to my negative review.
It is pleasing to see how quickly you can reply to a negative review. If only you were so quick to respond to my queries prior to my trip.
To begin, my review is public. However, it is NOT OK to include my name when replying to a review when the name was not included by me in my review of you.
Next, when responding to my review you must be truthful. For you to say: "We are not surprised to receive this review as we did not agree to your request for a cash refund in exchange for you not posting a negative review." is false. In my initial phone call to customer service I was told to tell you what I wanted. Since you never asked, in my email communication toy I stated "I will be happy to complete your survey with my negative concerns and complete multiple reviews on your company if you choose to not correct this grand misleading mistake. I do not want to receive a discount for a future trip. I believe some money back to me is fair due to the amount of gas money and time I lost for travel due to the poor locations of the hotels."
I did not say I was disappointed with the hotels in Cork and Sligo. I said I was angered that I was misled by customer service prior to my trip when they did not inform me the distance to the cities on the tour. I asked if they were centrally located and was told that they were. Again, when I arrived, I discovered that they were over two hours round trip, without traffic. My initial communication to you was to inform that this was misleading. Your company seemed to be defensive of my comments from the start.
I called customer service before the trip because you switched my hotel in Dublin. My original hotel was one 45 minutes away from the city. You switched me to a hotel that was in Dublin after finding the original hotel was unable to host us. The new hotel in the city was centrally located. Great news. But the closest parking garage was 3/4 mile away. Perhaps you could suggest a hotel in the future that has closer parking so that when your flight is at 7am one does not need to walk the streets of Dublin at 5am.
My complaint to you is the absolute disdain and lack of concern that you have for customers after the trip. Even after my trip was booked I was unsuccessful at receiving any positive support.
I do not want this communication to continue. You are trying to prove your point as I am mine. But keep in mind, you should not use the name of the consumer if they did not disclose first themselves. Please check
in house legal for affirmation. Also, please be accurate and truthful when disclosing your side.
Just as you had to get the last word to our email thread by sarcastically stating "dully noted".
Your lack of professionalism speaks volumes. Perhaps this is why you get so many complaints and low stars on your reviews.
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
Roundtrip air to/from trip start & all internal transport
Group Size
Independent
Trip ID#:
greatvaluevacations-PK-GC4P-SH-CRPC-SJO
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