3-Day Costa Rica Tortuguero National Park Tour from San Jose
What you'll experience
Highlights
• Boat trip into the jungle of the Tortuguero National Park
• Tour and walk to the rain forest on the trails at the lodge
3 days
Day-by-day itinerary
- 1
Day 1 — San Jose - Tortuguero National Park
Depart at approximately 5:45–6:00 AM. Please wait in the hotel lobby 10 minutes in advance. (Please reconfirm the specific hotel pick-up; since the departure is early, breakfast will be arranged along the way.)
In the morning, depart from San José and drive through Braulio Carrillo National Park, where you can see large banana plantations and lush tropical rainforest vegetation. Next, head to the well-known Tortuguero National Park in northeastern Costa Rica, a journey of about three hours. The name Tortuguero means "Home of the Turtles," a famous national park in Costa Rica. Tortuguero is a 20-mile-long narrow green oasis, with natural canals on one side and the beautiful Caribbean Sea on the other.
Entering Tortuguero by boat feels like being in Jurassic Park: enormous tropical trees, various animals you have never seen before, and a peaceful, beautiful national park. Tortuguero is the nesting site for endangered green turtles, hawksbill turtles, and leatherback turtles. From July to mid-October, you can see turtles laying eggs on the beach.
You can walk and get close to the wildlife inside the park, including 350 species of birds, two- and three-toed sloths, spider monkeys, white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, jaguars, anteaters, wild pigs, and various amphibians and reptiles. After boarding the boat, cruise through the Tortuguero canals and enjoy the natural scenery along the banks while spotting animals and plants. After lunch, a professional guide will lead a visit to the La Pavona village on the Caribbean coast to learn about local customs, lifestyles, and living conditions. You will also visit the Caribbean Conservation Museum to gain deeper insight into the region's history, culture, and development. After sightseeing, return to the hotel.
In the afternoon, enjoy free time. Optional activities include canoeing along the canals with family and friends to enjoy the rainforest scenery and encounter wildlife, or taking a zip-line adventure. If visiting during turtle nesting season (July–October), you can also join the optional night turtle-watching activity.
Note: This tour is conducted as a shared group experience, not a private tour.
Tortuguero National Park
Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: IncludedStay: Pachira Lodge - 2
Day 2 — Tortuguero National Park
Breakfast is served at 8:00 am. After breakfast, at around 9:30 am, the guide will take us on a jungle walk to get close to the wildlife within the park. After lunch, you can rest or enjoy free time near the hotel, fully savoring a day in this secluded paradise. You may relax by the undisturbed canals, lie on a hammock on the hotel lawn reading a book, or swim in the pool.
At 14:45 pm, participate in a community-run eco-tour in the area. You will take a boat along the canals to explore the wildlife in the park. Local guides will bring professional binoculars to help you see every detail of the animals. We will try to get close to the wildlife and allow plenty of time for photography. Enjoy the scenery of Costa Rica, reminiscent of the Amazon River in South America. On an open boat, guided by local eco-guides, cruise through the national park and observe the rich natural environment, including green turtles, crocodiles, and a variety of fish and birds. In the rainforest, there is also a chance to see sloths, fishing bats, coatis, raccoons, monkeys (howler, spider, and white-faced), and endangered jaguars. After the tour, return to the hotel to rest.
Tortuguero National Park
Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: IncludedStay: Pachira Lodge - 3
Day 3 — Tortuguero National Park - San Jose
In the morning on the Caribbean coast, you can watch a spectacular sunrise as the sun slowly rises over the horizon, turning the sea red and casting golden reflections across the water. Take a stroll along the Caribbean shore to enjoy the morning scenery and the extra tranquility of the early hours. After the visit, return to the hotel for a delicious breakfast. After check-out, take the hotel's boat and arrive at Cano Blanco Port around noon. Then transfer to Guapiles for an authentic Latin American lunch. In the afternoon, return to San José (around 15:30 pm–16:00 pm) and be dropped off at your pick-up point or the airport, marking the end of the tour.
Tortuguero National Park
Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: Excluded
What's included
Included
- Hotel: 2 nights hotel accommodation fee
- Tour guide: English-speaking guide service
- Meals: Meals listed in the itinerary
- transportation: bus, boat
Not included
- Transportation: Airfare and other transportation costs to and from San Jose
- Tickets: Fees include tickets not mentioned in Tickets and self-paid items
- Meals: Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
- Other: All personal expenses
- Tips: $8-$10/guest/day recommended
Cancellation policy
| When you cancel | Refund | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–47 days before | 0% | Cancellation Made Within 47 days prior to departure, No Refund |
| 48–61 days before | 50% | Cancellation Made Within 48 days to 61 days prior to departure, Refund 50% of total purchase amount |
| 62+ days before | 90% | Cancellation Made 62 or more days prior to departure, Refund 90% of total purchase amount |
Important info
Special notes
- This tour requires a minimum of 4 pax to operate, if there are less than 4 pax, you can check with our customer service team to see if the departure date meets the pax requirement.
- Costa Rica is now not allowed to bring disposable items such as raincoats and bottled mineral water in all national parks. Travelers are kindly reminded to bring a personal kettle or umbrella supplies to avoid any trouble.
- The tour does not allow more than 30 pounds of luggage per person.
- WHAT TO BRING: Hat, light clothes and covered shoes. Rain gear, mosquito repellent, for the walk only. Do not forget your camera.
- Children must be at least 7 years old to participate. People with heart pain (MISTICO), respiratory allergy (POAS), high blood pressure (tabacon), asthma, and poor physical strength in the elderly cannot order this product.
- Please provide accurate and complete information when booking, including but not limited to: name, gender, ID number, nationality, contact information, and whether you are an adult
or children, self-purchased ticket information, etc., so as not to make booking errors and affect travel. If any damage is caused by the provision of incorrect personal information by the guest, the guest shall bear all the damage arising therefrom. - This itinerary is for reference only, and the final itinerary is subject to the final itinerary before departure. In case of special circumstances, due to irresistible objective reasons (such as natural disasters, war, strike, etc.) or airline flight changes or cancellations, the Company reserves the right to cancel or change the itinerary.
- During the actual travel of this product, without reducing the attractions and obtaining the consent of the guests, the tour guide and driver may make appropriate adjustments to your itinerary (such as adjusting the order of visiting attractions, etc.) according to the weather, traffic and other conditions to ensure the smooth progress of the itinerary. If the original itinerary plan cannot be implemented due to force majeure and other factors, our company will implement more refunds and less compensation for the cost changes caused by this, please cooperate.
- During the tour, if the attraction cannot be played normally due to force majeure factors, the tour guide can cancel or replace the attraction according to the actual situation after consultation with the guest, or the tour guide will refund the fee according to the ticket price in the tourism product on the spot.
- For gifted items, the scenic spot has the right to decide whether to provide it according to its own carrying capacity and weather factors, and guests may also have the right to choose to participate or not to participate.
- During the group tour, it is not allowed to leave the group early or leave the group during the non-free activity period, please understand if there is any inconvenience.
- As long as there is a hiking trip, you must wear casual shoes, and sandals are prohibited to enter the park.
Pricing notes (children, single supplement)
* The price is not available during the Christmas peak season or around Holy Week Easter.
Tour operator
Tours4Fun Provider 8766
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from
$552
NPR 74,533