Costa Rica, from coast to coast

Experience this...

Tortuguero: The Caribbean canals

This remote village on the coast is reachable only by boat, and that fact alone sets the tone of this trip. The canals here form a dense, still labyrinth where the water mirrors the jungle canopy and the morning light arrives slowly. You'll be on the water before the heat builds, drifting in near silence while your guide reads the riverbanks; spotting sloths in the high branches, caimans at the waterline, and the occasional brilliant flash of a green macaw overhead.

A visit to a sea turtle conservation project brings the afternoon to a reflective close. On these black-sand beaches, dedicated teams work to protect green turtle nesting sites and the briefing you receive is frank, detailed, and far removed from anything performative. Come evening, dinner at the Katonga Floating Restaurant is the perfect end to the day: good food, open water, and the sounds of the rainforest as night falls building around you.

Bajos del Toro: Cloud forest and local craft

From the humid Caribbean lowlands, the route climbs into the cool, mist-wrapped peaks of Bajos del Toro, a region that rarely features on standard itineraries and is quieter for it. A naturalist-guided morning walk leads to a waterfall through moss-draped cloud forest, where the birdsong is constant and the canopy worth scanning at every turn.

The afternoon shifts gears entirely. At a local family home, you'll make corn tortillas by hand - feeling the texture of the masa, learning the rhythm of it - before sitting down to lunch with your hosts. Later, an artist-in-residence introduces the intricate brushwork of traditional oxcart painting, Costa Rica's most enduring folk art form.

La Fortuna and Arenal: Volcano and fire

Arenal is one of those landscapes that earns its reputation. A guided hike through the national park takes you across solidified lava flows, where the forest has spent decades quietly reclaiming the rock with a covering of moss and ferns. Your guide gives this process a narrative, pointing out what's returned and what hasn't, and why, while the volcano’s perfect cone remains a constant presence above the treeline throughout.

Afternoons here tend to end at the natural hot springs - geothermally heated pools that sit at the edge of the volcanic landscape and do exactly what you'd hope. In the evening, El Fogón de Chela, a woman-owned restaurant on the edge of town, hosts a cooking class over an open flame. You'll work with traditional ingredients and techniques, guided by people who cook this way every day, and the meal you sit down to afterwards tastes better for it.

Monteverde: Experience the cloud forest, privately

The private, early-morning access to Treetopia's hanging bridges is one of this itinerary's defining moments. You're on the canopy walkways before the site opens to other visitors - the mist still clinging to the forest floor below as the light gradually intensifies through the treetops. You can also expect Howler monkeys to announce the arrival of dawn from somewhere deep in the canopy, creating an atmosphere that feels both haunting and otherworldly yet strangely grounding and comforting.

The search continues on foot through the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, where a naturalist leads you along fern-lined trails in the quiet hope of spotting the resplendent quetzal, one of the most sought-after birds in the Americas and rarely seen by those without a guide who knows where to look. From there, a visit to the Monteverde Institute offers something genuinely uncommon: direct access to National Geographic-supported researchers working at the intersection of conservation and community.

Guanacaste: A Pacific finish

Your journey ends at the Pacific, where the landscape shifts from volcanic green to the drier, golden terrain of Guanacaste. A guided boat excursion through the Tamarindo Estuary in Las Baulas National Marine Park takes you deep into the mangroves, as you drift quietly through tangled root systems while your guide scans for crocodiles resting at the waterline, iguanas draped overhead, and monkeys moving through the canopy above.

Afternoons are unstructured by design. You can enjoy time by the pool or a walk along the shore, before a farewell dinner overlooking the Pacific closes the expedition. December to April offers the most reliable conditions, with drier skies and consistently strong wildlife sightings. If you choose to travel between July and October, you can add an optional evening excursion to the nesting beaches, where Atlantic Green Sea Turtles come ashore after dark to lay their eggs.

Suggested itinerary

This expedition moves from the Caribbean canals of Tortuguero to the Pacific shores of Guanacaste, taking in cloud forest, volcanic terrain, and some of the most meaningful community encounters available anywhere in the region. Every stage has been designed to deliver exclusive access and expert guidance, with groups capped at 22 and a dedicated National Geographic Expedition Leader alongside you throughout.

Days 1–3: Tortuguero - Arrive into San José before travelling to the rainforest waterways of Tortuguero National Park. Early-morning canal excursions, sea turtle conservation, and dinner on the floating restaurant set the tone for what follows.

Days 4–5: Bajos del Toro - Trade the Caribbean coast for the cool, mist-wrapped cloud forest. Naturalist-guided walks, a waterfall, and an afternoon with a local family making tortillas and painting oxcarts by hand.

Days 6–7: La Fortuna and Arenal - Volcanic terrain, lava field hiking, natural hot springs, and an open-fire cooking class at a woman-owned restaurant on the edge of town.

Days 8–9: Monteverde - Private early-access to the Treetopia hanging bridges, guided wildlife tracking in the Santa Elena Reserve, and an exclusive visit to the Monteverde Institute's National Geographic-supported research team.

Days 10–12: Guanacaste - A final descent to the Pacific, with mangrove boat excursions through Las Baulas National Marine Park and open afternoons by the shore before the farewell dinner.