menu icon
menu icon

SPRING SALE NOW ON

Ends 28 April 2024 | T&Cs apply

Discover Costa Rica tours

The Essence of Costa Rica

A peaceful, pristine Eden of eco-tourism, Costa Rica is all about the great outdoors. Teeming with wildlife on land, sea and air, its tropical terrain is an adventure playground of rainforest, river rapids, surfing beaches and steaming volcanoes.

Why choose a tour in Costa Rica?

With its eco-ethos, unparalleled biodiversity, undiluted tranquillity, and untamed wilderness of jungles, rivers and brooding volcanoes, Costa Rica is a magnificent masterpiece of Nature, a kaleidoscope of colour, from coast to coast, and from coffee plantations to cloud forest canopies, vividly feathered tropical birds, and starlight vigils on the shores of green sea turtles. In short, it is paradise preserved.

Jules Verne’s journeys travel by road and riverboats on two terrific tours, an 11-night discovery of the Costa Rica’s flora and fauna, circling the central area, and a 19-night grand tour of amazing landscapes and little-known towns, from north to south, and east to west.

National Parks along the routes include Irazú, the most magnificent of Costa Rica’s volcanoes, its name meaning ‘thunder and earthquake’; Arenal Volcano, the soaring symmetrical cone currently ‘resting’, after forty years of fiery emissions; and Rincón de la Vieja, a volcanic enclave of rapids, hot springs, simmering mud pools and cascading waterfalls.

Tortuguero is a watery wonderland, where marshes meet the ocean and Amazonesque channels twist around the lagoon; Monteverde is the high-elevation home of jaguars, ocelots, and brilliant birdlife, filled with orchids, ferns, and luxuriant foliage; Palo Verde teams wetlands with dry tropical forests and river cruises; and Carara’s ecosystems are habitats for armadillos, amphibians, and hordes of scarlet macaws.

Among the towns and cities enroute are Potrero Beach, a perfect crescent of pale sand hemming the Pacific Ocean; easy-tempo Dominical, with small coves, huge waves, and dolphin and whale watching boat trips; Cartago, the country’s former capital, and San José, its contemporary capital and cultural heart, where modern buildings mingle with Spanish colonial and Belle Epoque architecture.

From the dazzling plumage of quetzals to dizzying heights in canopy walks, and from the cool air of the Guanacaste Mountains to the tranquil aura of Turrubares, the hills of San Gerardo de Rivas, where hummingbirds hover, and woodpeckers hammer the tree trunks, and the rainforest reserve of La Selva, home to almost half of Costa Rica’s 850 species of birds; these tours could see you spotting anything from crocs and caimans to howler monkeys and Mexican porcupines, tree frogs, sloths, or shy agoutis.

When to go on Costa Rica holidays

While Costa Rica’s Central Valley area enjoys average temperatures around 22° year-round, the coastal Caribbean areas are often much hotter and more humid, and the Pacific north-west is largely dry but can be uncomfortably hot. In general, December to May is the warm, dry season. Jules Verne tours are planned for the best times to visit the regions, with departures in January to March, October and November.

Who are Costa Rica tours suited to?

Crossing the country from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and visiting varied national parks of fiery volcanoes and forests teeming with wildlife, tours in Costa Rica encapsulate the Costa Rican “Pura Vida!” (Pure Life) ethos. Home to exotic amphibians, endearing mammals, hundreds of bird species, and thousands of orchids, this peaceful place is an idyll for birdwatchers and naturalists, and an unforgettable experience for adventurous travellers of all ages.

Why book Costa Rica tours with Jules Verne?

With 45 years’ experience and a passion for creating extraordinary adventures, Jules Verne visits iconic and lesser-known landmarks. Accompanied by naturalist tour guides who share their local knowledge and show you hidden gems, special experiences on our Costa Rica journeys include visits to the Doka Coffee Estate, the town of Grecia famed for its flamboyant ox carts, a bird’s eye view from the hanging bridges of Arenal, a night walk in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, and a cookery class in Sarapiquí.

All our guided tours to Costa Rica are ABTA and ATOL protected, and we offer a 100% price guarantee, so you can book with complete confidence.

currency

200

Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

Grand Tour of Costa Rica

A comprehensive journey from Caribbean coastal wetlands to cloud forest mountains, volcanic landscapes, rainforest valleys, Pacific shores and exotic wildlife

More 19 nights from £4795

Central America's Garden of Eden

Costa Rica is renowned for its eco-ethos, unparalleled biodiversity, untamed wilderness of jungles, rivers and rainforests, and undiluted tranquillity

More 11 nights from £3145