Top Central Valley Day Trips - page 3

This three-in-one tour highlights the best of Costa Rica, including a river safari float and volcano hike that's sure to make for a memorable journey. Kick off the day at Penas Blancas River and take off over rushing waters on a two or three hour water safari. You'll see wildlife up close and gain a deeper understanding of Cost Rica's unique biological and environmental resources. Next, visit La Fortuna Waterfall before heading to a picturesque volcano hike. This popular tour is ideal for outdoor adventurers and travelers who prefer to be active on vacation.

Visit the impressive crater of Poas Volcano and go behind-the-scenes at a large commercial coffee farm on this full-day tour from San Jose. A guide shares fun facts about one of Costa Rica's most-visited volcanos and biggest exports on a field-to-cup tour of the coffee farm. Plus, private transportation and included lunch make this tour a breeze.

Visiting Arenal Volcano on a guided tour makes transportation a cinch as you hit area highlights such as the Baldi Hot Springs, Sarchi craft market, and downtown La Fortuna—all in a day. In addition to a guide to take you to all of the activities on the itinerary, this tour also includes lunch and dinner so you don’t run into unexpected expenses.

This day trip from San Jose provides the perfect combination: Soak in the soothing waters of Baldi Hot Springs—with options for massages and spa treatments—after hiking around the Arenal Volcano area. This tour also includes lunch and dinner and a stop in Sarchi to check out the arts and crafts and one of the world’s largest ox carts.

Leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and spend the day exploring Manuel Antonio National Park on a group tour. Walk jungle trails, observe wildlife like macaws and crocodiles, and relax on the beach. This guided tour helps you avoid crowded areas and includes hotel pickup and drop-off for convenience.

Active travelers will enjoy the opportunity to hike through the lush Costa Rican rainforests, in the shadow of Volcan Arenal. With a small group of like-minded travelers you’ll trek through the jungle to the foot of the volcano while learning about the unique ecosystem and wildlife from your guide.

Home to over 100 species of animals, five waterfalls, and a cloud forest the Wildlife Refuge La Paz Waterfall Gardens is bursting with biodiversity. Visit, explore, learn, and even hike among the sloths, monkeys, tropical birds, pumas, ocelots, and more who call Costa Rica’s most visited private ecological reserve home. Take in the incredible plant life like wild orchids on this full-day tour from San Jose with lunch included.

Visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens the easy way on this small-group day trip. Save yourself the hassle of catching taxis or public buses by traveling in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. Learn about Costa Rica's biodiversity at the aviary, butterfly farm, hummingbird gallery, and much more. Also be amazed by the views of the five highest waterfalls in the country.

Spend an evening enjoying a delicious dinner while taking in panoramic views of San José. As you dine, enjoy typical Costa Rican entertainment, including a folkloric dance and comedy show, and learn about the country's history and culture. The buffet-style dinner includes two alcoholic beverages, such as wine or beer.

Experience the natural beauty of Costa Rica, and get an up-close look at some of the nation's most colorful birds. Enjoy scenic transfer to Caño Negro from La Fortuna, where you cruise by boat into the Rio Frio. Search for native birds, mammals, and flora before heading back to land for an authentic lunch.

Explore the Costa Rican capital’s rich history, landmark buildings, and modern culture on a combo bus and walking tour of San Jose. Get a great introduction to city highlights like the National Theater and Art Museum, and stop to walk through bustling markets and public plazas to feel the pulse of this modern Central American metropolis. Get an extra boost of Costa Rican culture by listening to traditional folkloric music onboard the bus.

Visit the Irazú Volcano National Park in just half a day with this excursion from San José. Your driver will pick you up early in the morning and take you to the volcano, where you can see the crater and learn about the history of the area from a local guide. Next, you'll head to the Los Angeles Basilica, a church and museum with a holy water source.

Costa Rica’s capital is located inland but you don’t need a weeks-long vacation to enjoy time at the beach. This day trip to Tortuga Island makes it easy to swim and sunbathe directly from San Jose. After a pickup in the capital and transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle, spend the day on a beach featuring clear turquoise water and surrounded by rainforest. Swim, snorkel, and refuel with the provided lunch.

Travelers who are interested in seeing how Costa Rica’s indigenous people live will enjoy visiting the Maleku Indigenous Reserve in northern Costa Rica. Tour three different villages to see traditional ways of life and how indigenous people have adapted to the modern world. Enjoy a tasty local lunch and experience the reserve in an authentic way. You’ll get access to parts of the country that are difficult to visit independently.

Spend a day exploring Costa Rica's rich wildlife on this tour to a coffee plantation, waterfall, and volcanic lagoon from San Jose. After learning how coffee is harvested and roasted on a coffee farm tour, head to Poas Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens for a chance to see animals like birds, butterflies, and monkeys in their beautiful natural habitats.

Visit one of the top beaches in Costa Rica even if you have limited time with the convenience of a full-day tour from San Jose. Manuel Antonio National Park encompasses a rain forest that is home to monkeys, sloths, and other wildlife, and white-sand beaches on the Pacific Ocean. Get an early start to make the most of the day on a tour that includes two meals and transportation.

Combine two of La Fortuna's most popular natural attractions into a single easy day trip on this combo tour of Arenal Volcano and the La Fortuna Hot Springs. Along with your entrance fees and comfortable round-trip transport by air-conditioned minivan, a delicious dinner is provided for you at the hot springs, too.

Get a taste of Costa Rica’s famed biodiversity without straying too far from the city with this all-access day pass to La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park. Prebooked entry saves you from waiting around in long ticket lines, so you have even more time to explore its attractions. Choose whether to tackle family-friendly hiking trails through the cloud forest, visit a rescued jungle cat educational program, or spend time at the site's numerous specialty wildlife exhibits.

Explore the dramatic landscapes of Irazú Volcano National Park, one of Costa Rica’s most iconic natural wonders. Depart from San José and travel through the scenic Central Valley, passing charming rural towns, traditional farms, and potato and onion fields that showcase the region’s agricultural heritage. As you ascend the slopes of Irazú, watch the scenery transform from fertile farmlands to misty high-elevation forests and volcanic terrain. At the summit, take in breathtaking panoramic views and admire the impressive craters, including Playa Hermosa and Diego de la Haya. On clear days, enjoy the rare opportunity to see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from the same viewpoint. Perfect for nature lovers, photographers, and explorers, this half-day adventure offers an unforgettable look at Costa Rica’s volcanic power, dramatic landscapes, and diverse ecosystems — all within easy reach of San José.

Visit Costa Rica’s highest active volcano on a full-day trip from San Jose to Irazu Volcano, the historic Orosi church, and Jardin Botanico Lankester (Lankester Botanical Gardens). There are just a few places in Costa Rica where it's possible to stand at the summit of an active volcano, but you can at Irazu Volcano National Park, with views from the rim into the massive crater.

Relax and unwind with a day at La Fortuna’s famous hot springs at the base of the majestic Arenal Volcano. On this tour, enjoy round-trip transportation from San Jose and relax at either Los Lagos or Baldi Hot Springs (depending on the option you've chosen), enjoying free time to rejuvenate at a pace that suits you. A delicious lunch at the resort is included, so you can focus on relaxing in the soothing thermal waters.

Visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 26,000-acre (10,500 hectare) oasis of virgin cloud forest. Visited by roughly 70,000 people a year, the reserve is home to about four percent of the world’s animal species. Walk across suspended bridges and hike among native flora and fauna. You can also pay extra to zipline through the canopy. Lunch and a guide are included.

Spend a full day exploring Costa Rica’s notoriously active crater on this 3-in-1 Arenal combo adventure. Hike through the jungle surrounding Arenal Volcano on a series of nature trails and hanging bridges, and trek down to the base of La Fortuna Waterfall to appreciate the height and power of the cascade and swim in a natural pool. Finish with a majestic perspective as you explore the lava fields of former eruptions and look for native wildlife along the trails of Arenal Volcano National Park.

On the top of the volcano you can observe the main craters and on a clear day Pacific Oceans and Caribbean Sea. As we descend to the city of Cartago we will stop at the Virgin of the Angels Basilica that according to religious custom is a peregrination site for many believers. Surrounded by rainforest and lush vegetation, La Hacienda Orosi has been blessed by mother earth with nascent thermal mineral water. These rich springs of mineralthermal “telluric” waters (non-magmatic or volcanic ), are filtered between the layers of the earth and spring in the middle of the rainforest at more than 65 degrees Celsius.