Style : Group tour
Arenal volcano mountain_Costa Rica_672304_1920_p

The Essence of Costa Rica

Perillo Tours
4.8 . Excellent
96%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included. Moderate
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
9 days
From: $ 1,890 $ 210 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Visit San Jose – the capital of Costa Rica.
  • Enjoy the beautiful Sabana Park, Paseo Colón
  • Visit the National Museum, a faithful witness to Costa Rican history, Central Park, the Cathedral and the Congress Building.
  • Visiting the Gold Museum which is also a fascinating experience.
  • Visit Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges- Cheese Making Experience with Samplinga

Short Description

There are only a few places on earth, where in just one week, you can experience the variety of landscapes, natural habitats and wildlife as you can in Costa Rica. Best of all, it's just a few hours away from most U.S. cities.

Costa Rica is known worldwide for its stable, peaceful democracy, genuine hospitality and pioneering conservation efforts, which have enticed millions of travelers to explore the country's parks and reserves.

Why Costa Rica with PerilloTours?

Steve Perillo and Carol Dimopoulos spent 3 years searching for the ideal winter (and summer) getaway for Americans. Looking for more than just a beach chair/ cocktail vacation, they hit upon Costa Rica - a truly unique experience for the body, mind and soul.

They found Fabio Salas, a jovial native Costa Rican with an exuberance for his land and culture. Fabio and the Perillo team are proud to introduce a new and authentic way to discover Costa Rica.

Style Group tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City San Jose
End City San Jose, Costa Rica

Destinations

Costa Rica

Attractions & Cities Visited

N/A

N/A
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Itinerary

Day 1 - Friday - Fly from the USA to San Jose, Costa Rica - Orientation - Dinner
This morning you're off to your tropical paradise! For your reference, the flight is about 5 hours from New York. Upon arrival at Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), you will be met by a Perillo Tours representative and transferred to your hotel near San Jose City where you will stay on the first and last nights of your tour. In most cases, you will stay at the Doubletree Cariari Hotel by Hilton.
This evening there will be an orientation briefing by your tour manager. Be sure to ask for the definition of PURA VIDA! Welcome dinner and overnight in San Jose. D

Day 2 - Saturday - San Jose City Tour - Spanish Class - Scenic Drive to Arenal
After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll visit San Jose – the capital of Costa Rica. Enjoy a drive through the beautiful Sabana Park, passing by the upscale Rohrmoser residential area and Paseo Colón. You will visit the heart of the city to admire the National Theatre, designed as the opera house in 1897.

Afterwards, you will visit the National Museum, a faithful witness to Costa Rican history, passing by the Supreme Court of Justice, Central Park, the Cathedral and the Congress Building.
En route, you will enjoy a dynamic lesson on useful Spanish expressions but luckily, most local residents are far better at English than we are with Spanish!

Bidding farewell to the Central Valley, you’ll enjoy a scenic drive through the beautiful rolling farmlands of the Northern Plains. Arrive in Fortuna - home of the iconic Arenal Volcano, rising one mile above sea level and undoubtedly Costa Rica’s most classic destination. Dinner and overnight at the luxurious, all-suite Arenal Kioro Resort & Spa. B, D

Note: The National Museum is closed on Mondays. In case you're traveling on a departure which results in a Monday city tour, you will be visiting the Gold Museum which is also a fascinating experience.

Day 3 - Sunday - Enjoy the Thermal Springs - Visit Arenal Volcano Lookout Point
This morning is yours to relax and enjoy the hotel’s hot-water thermal springs with temperatures ranging between 98º - 107º F degrees. Nature’s own hot-tub!
Although currently in a ‘quiet cycle’, the Arenal Volcano’s main eruption was in 1968 and still remains one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The Kioro Resort was specifically built on one of the best lookouts toward Arenal . . . and every guest room faces the volcano as well!
Lunch and dinner are on your own. Choose casual poolside dining, the sports bar or the elegant Heliconias Restaurant. Overnight at the Kioro. B

Day 4 - Monday - Journey to Monteverde
This morning is your last chance to enjoy the Kioro’s beautiful gardens and private hotwater springs. This afternoon, we’re off to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Yes, it’s a 4 to 5 hour drive, but filled with adventure as we ascend the Monteverde Mountain Range, crossing the Continental Divide, where the arid Pacific greets the humid Cloud Forests.
These vastly contrasting locations are easily observed through the differing types of vegetation visible on the ascent. Monteverde is situated where moist air blown in from the warm Pacific coast precipitates as a dramatic perpetual mist. Overnight at the beautiful El Establo Mountain Hotel. B

Day 5 - Tuesday - Visit to Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges- Cheese Making Experience with Sampling
This morning after breakfast, you will walk the amazing “hanging bridges” through the Cloud Forest of Monteverde. Yes, the bridges are up to 150 feet high, but quite wide, stable and easy for all ages. And you only live once!
After a hearty lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit the Monteverde Dairy and Cheese factory. For 58 years, Monteverde has been the master cheese-maker in Costa Rica distinguished by their great variety and quality. Established by a community of Quakers in 1951, they produced the first pasteurized cheese in Costa Rica - and over twenty different varieties.

You’ll enjoy a slide show presentation explaining the full cheese-making process. By the end of the visit to the Monteverde Cheese factory, you’ll be an expert! Overnight at El Establo Mountain Hotel. B, L
Note: The Monteverde Cloud Forest and hanging bridges visit is for all ages and the trail is in fine condition. But it’s a ‘hiking tour’ and visitors need to be capable of walking for about three hours and through slight elevation changes. If you feel this may be too challenging for you, you could stay at the main building area where there is a little restaurant and quaint souvenir shop.

Day 6 - Wednesday - Journey to the Pacific Coast & Traditional Cooking Class - Manuel Antonio
Bidding farewell to our home in the mountains, we descend toward the warm, drier air of the Pacific coastline, heading southeast toward the Manuel Antonio National Park.
En route, enjoy a unique experiential travel opportunity involving all your senses! At a private Ranch in La Trinidad, exclusive to Perillo Tours, you’ll start a hands-on culinary experience as you learn how to make the authentic Latin American treat - the “Tamale!” Traditionally, making tamales is an all-day affair. That’s why Costa Rican families reserve them for special occasions such as Christmas.
After your hard work, enjoy the fruits of your cooking before continuing to your hotel where you will stay the next 2 nights at the luxury El Parador Resort & Spa.

El Parador means “look-out point” and is indeed perched high above the sweeping Pacific coastline on Punta Quepos, boasting panoramic ocean views from 12 acres of wildlife-rich tropical rainforest. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy the swimming pool and gorgeous Pacific sunset. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. B, L, D

Day 7 - Thursday - Guided Visit to Manuel Antonio National Park - Afternoon at Leisure
After an early breakfast, we’ll visit Manuel Antonio National Park which was established in 1972 when the people of Costa Rica decided to preserve, for future generations, one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse areas of the country.
Although it’s the country’s smallest national park, the stunning beauty and diversity of wildlife in its 1700 acres is unequaled, featuring a charming combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs. The coastal forest is home for sloths, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkeys and colorful little crabs.

Lunch and dinner are on your own today. Overnight at El Parador Resort & Spa. B

Day 8 - Friday - Journey Back to San Jose - Farewell Dinner and Local Dancing Show
Morning at leisure to enjoy the hotel pool or take a last visit to the nearby Espadilla Beach. This afternoon we head back to San Jose. En route there will be a short stop at a local arts and crafts shop for some last minute souvenirs.
Costa Rica is a peaceful nation, living in harmony with lavish natural beauty. And now you should know why the national slogan is – PURA VIDA! This evening will be our farewell dinner! No tears . . . how about joining your new found friends to Italy, Hawaii or Greece with Perillo? Overnight in San Jose B, D

Day 9 - Saturday - Morning at Leisure - Flight Back to U.S.
Morning at leisure. Take a private transfer back to Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) to catch your flight home. B

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 1,890
Price Per Day: $ 210 per day

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Perillo Tours.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

91 Perillo Tours Travel Reviews & Ratings

96%
4.8 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 85
Great 2
Average 1
Disappointing 1
Terrible 2
Value
4.8
Guide
4.8
Activities
4.8
Lodging
4.9
Transportation
4.8
Meals
4.8

The Essence of Costa Rica

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Company Reviews

Despicable and Unhealthy Bus Conditions

3.0
Details
Value2.0
Guide1.0
Activities2.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation1.0
Meals4.0
On our trip to Amalfi coast, the bus was parked in a field for two days. The next day, we had an 8 hour bus trip to Sicily. The bus was not properly cleaned before and after it had been parked in the field. On the 8 hour trip to Sicily, there was an infestation of ants. We had tons of ants crawling on the seats, windows, and floor. My husband killed 10 ants on his body. I received bits on my ankles and wrists. The tour guide never said anything to any of the guests. When we confronted him, all he said was that he would have the bus cleaned the next day. These was horrible conditions to travel for 8 hours. I have written to Perillo seeking a refund for that day's service. Time will tell if Perillo will actually answer my evaluation. This situation rises to the occasion where customer service was extremely poor an unhealthy, and a partial refund should be granted. If Perillo stands behind customer service as its motto, then they should provide partial refunds for this day. If not, then this leads me to assume that Perillo is more concerned about overall profits than good customer service. Time will tell!
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It was my dream to go to italy

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
It was my dream to go to italy, we went 2019 Perillo Tour and Angelica made my dream so memorable loved every minute. We are planning to go back 2022 Can’t wait!
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Every single thing went perfectly and smoothly and it was a dream come true

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
We took the North Classic Tour in Sept 2019. It was the dream vacation we had been hoping for and planning for 15 years! We added Sicily at the beginning and my grandparents’ hometown outside Milan at the end, using all of Perillo’s recommended hotels and drivers, etc. We cannot say enough about Perillo Tours. All of their personnel from Devin in the office who helped us plan and patiently & cheerily worked with us and answered our many questions, to Daniela, our tour host in Italy, who I never want to visit Italy again without! She is just so wrapped up into my memories of Italy that I can’t separate her from our trip. Her knowledge and help and professionalism were top-notch! She was fabulous. We absolutely loved our trip: every hotel, every restaurant, every excursion (we took them all!) and all local guides were excellent, and our tour bus comfortable and tour bus driver was the incomparable Stefano! I could go on and on. Our personal local drivers hired by Perillo to escort us through our grandparents’ villages were fabulous, and not only drove us, but educated us the entire time about everything we were seeing and were totally Invested in our finding family and any info we could find. And I cannot finish without saying, although we planned to keep to ourselves, we met four of the dearest friends we’ll ever have on day one of this trip. So much so that everyone thought the 6 of us came together. Every single thing went perfectly and smoothly and it was a dream come true. Thank you, Perillo!
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Thank you for the great memories

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Took the Perillo Marco Polo Tour in May of 2018. It was the best. The 10 days were really exciting, Loved the tour guides. We had Sandra as our main tour guide. She was substituting for The original tour guide. She was so knowledgeable and caring, it was like getting world history lessons but better than you would have gotten in school. The other tour guides were also great, they care about you and make sure your trip was totally enjoyable. I took over 600 pictures and can't wait to go back to add more to our collection. Perillo Thank you for the great memories.
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We Loved our Hawaiian trip

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
We Loved our Hawaiian trip....Bert was awesome ❣I highly recommend that tour! We started our vacation on the north shore of Oahu for some alone time before and ended in Kauai with another night to ourselves....definately recommended taking some time before the group tour - afterward, we missed our family too much! All of the hotels were topnotch- excursions were the perfect length- not exhausting. We saw the highlights of each island, but made me want to return. One thing I might skip was the Polynesian cultural center. Best excursion was haleakala! So much to go back for!
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It was our dream for a long time

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
My husband and I took the 14 day North Classic Italy tour October 2018. It was our dream for a long time. Perillo did not disappoint. Everything was taken care of from our luggage, hotels, transportation and our fabulous tour guide Antonio. Oh and the food, the sights, the others traveling with us. All great. How lucky we felt to experience such a wonderful trip. We are still friends with some of our fellow travelers. Weather was perfect. Dreaming of another trip someday hopefully to Southern Italy and we will book with Perillo again.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Intimate Group - 12 max

Trip ID#:

TheEssCosRicPerTou

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