Vacances au Costa Rica

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Local travel agency · Since 2014

Costa Rica 15 Day Tour: From the Caribbean Coast to the Pacific Shores of Playa Sámara

Two weeks with a private driver to follow the rivers, rainforests and volcanoes of Costa Rica, from Cahuita's reefs to the Pacific waves of Guanacaste.

Puma Small Group Tour, Costa Rica

Upcoming departures

October 1 to 15, 2027

Places disponibles

  • Chambre Twin USD 3,004
  • Chambre Double USD 3,004
  • Chambre Single USD 3,453

Departure confirmed from 6 participants, 8 maximum. Book by August 2, 2027.

Choose this departure

October 16 to 30, 2027

Places disponibles

  • Chambre Twin USD 3,004
  • Chambre Double USD 3,004
  • Chambre Single USD 3,453

Departure confirmed from 6 participants, 8 maximum. Book by August 17, 2027.

Choose this departure

Prices per person, in US dollars, depending on the room type.

This Costa Rica 15 day tour is designed for a small group of six travelers who want to see the country slowly and in depth. You start on the Caribbean coast, where Cahuita, Punta Cocles and Manzanillo unfold between rainforest, coral reefs and wildlife conservation projects, then head inland to the farms of Sarapiquí and the wild river country of Boca Tapada, near the border with Nicaragua.

The second week brings you to the cone of Arenal Volcano, the turquoise waters of Río Celeste and the dry forest of Guanacaste, before three nights in Playa Sámara on the Pacific. Along the way, this 15-day Costa Rica itinerary balances guided walks, river outings, farm visits and night tours with real time to rest, such as a free afternoon by the pool in Cahuita and a full free day at the beach.

Throughout the trip, a private driver or driver-guide handles the road, in a vehicle suited to the size of the group. The tour was put together by Vacances au Costa Rica, a local agency based in San Francisco de Heredia since 2014, and our team answers your questions in English before and during your two-week Costa Rica trip.

Your itinerary

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Costa Rica and first evening in San José

Welcome to Costa Rica! As you step into the arrivals hall of Juan Santamaría International Airport, in the province of Alajuela, your private driver-guide is waiting for you with a sign bearing your name. A welcome note from Vincent, founder of the agency, sets the tone: Costa Rica has been his adopted home for more than 40 years, and the team has taken care of the details so you can simply settle in and let the pace of local life take over. A private transfer then takes you to your hotel in San José. This first drive is a gentle introduction to the tropical air and green hills of the Central Valley. The vacation has begun.

Modern white hotel building in San José with a green living wall, covered entrance canopy and a red cow sculpture on the lawn
First night in San José after landing at SJO airport, the starting point of this Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 2

Turrialba coffee country, then on to Cahuita

After breakfast, you leave around 9:00 a.m. for the green region of Turrialba, where the landscape shifts mile after mile between mountains, plantations and tropical valleys. Around 11:30 a.m., you visit a farm devoted to organic coffee, grown under international standards that focus on quality and on protecting the environment. You tour the beneficio, the mill where freshly harvested coffee is processed, and follow each step that turns the red coffee cherry into beans ready for roasting. The visit ends, as it should, with a cup of Costa Rican coffee and its local aromas. You then continue toward the Caribbean coast and your hotel in Cahuita.

Coffee cherries drying in rows on a concrete floor inside a white plastic greenhouse tunnel in Costa Rica
Harvested coffee cherries spread out to dry under a plastic tunnel, a step of coffee processing seen on a Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 3

Punta Cocles and Manzanillo: wildlife rescue and conservation

You leave around 8:45 a.m. for a wildlife rescue center about 20 kilometers from Cahuita, with a visit scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Set in the rainforest, this private sanctuary cares for injured, sick or orphaned wild animals and, whenever possible, prepares them to return to the wild. You learn about the daily work of its teams and may see mammals, reptiles, butterflies and birds, with sloths and frogs often part of the visit. In the afternoon, you visit a conservation project working on breeding, reintroduction and habitat protection. After a presentation, a guided walk in the surrounding forest offers chances to spot birds, monkeys, sloths, frogs and reptiles, depending on the day.

Guide speaking to three visitors beside a mesh enclosure at a wildlife center surrounded by rainforest near Punta Cocles
A guide shares information with visitors beside a wildlife enclosure in the Caribbean rainforest, a day 3 stop on a Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 4

Cahuita National Park: rainforest, white sand and coral reefs

Today belongs to Cahuita National Park, protected for both its forest and its marine life. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the full trail between the Puerto Vargas and Cahuita entrances covers about 11 kilometers. You can walk it all, or enter at Cahuita, follow part of the path and stroll back at your own pace. The trail winds through dense vegetation, often just a few meters from the shore, with glimpses of the Caribbean between palms and vines. Keep watch for monkeys, iguanas, raccoons, coatis, sloths and basilisks. At Playa Blanca, pale sand meets turquoise water: time to swim, rest in the shade or enjoy a picnic to the sound of the waves.

Curved sandy beach at Cahuita National Park bordered by tropical forest, with waves and a turquoise railing in the foreground
Day 4 of the Puma circuit: the forest-lined beach at the entrance of Cahuita National Park on the Caribbean coast.
Day 5

Organic farm and kayaking through the Caribbean forest

At 9:00 a.m., you meet your local guide for a day on the water. It begins with a visit to an organic farm, where you discover tropical crops and the know-how of people who work in harmony with their environment. Then you take your place in a kayak for a calm descent of the river, gliding between green banks. The river acts as a natural corridor: howler monkeys, toucans, iguanas and many birds may appear, and your guide helps you spot the shyer residents and explains the plants around you. Lunch is included. In the late afternoon, you return to your hotel for free time by the pool and a quiet Caribbean evening.

Yellow kayak bow on a calm jungle river lined with tropical trees and fallen branches under a partly cloudy sky
Paddling a quiet river through lush tropical forest near Cahuita on day 5 of a Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 6

Sarapiquí: hearts of palm, pineapples and red-eyed tree frogs

You leave around 8:30 a.m. for Horquetas de Sarapiquí, a rural area known for family farming. Around 11:30 a.m., the owner of a small family farm shows you how palmito, or heart of palm, is grown, and how mature palms produce pejibaye. After tasting fresh heart of palm, lunch at the family soda may include palmito ceviche, lasagna, bread, chorreada or picadillo, depending on the day. You continue to an organic pineapple and sugarcane farm, where you can plant a young pineapple yourself. From 6:00 p.m., as night falls, a guided walk goes in search of the red-eyed tree frog and other nocturnal creatures. You spend the night in a family-style cabin.

Smiling woman in a white cap carrying a bundle of freshly cut sugarcane stalks on her shoulder amid tropical plants
A local host carries a bundle of freshly cut sugarcane through a lush garden in Sarapiquí.
Day 7

Rafting on the Río Sarapiquí and the road to Boca Tapada

After breakfast, you head to an adventure center, arriving no later than 9:15 a.m. for a half-day rafting trip on the Río Sarapiquí. The class II and III run alternates lively rapids with calm stretches, led by an experienced professional guide who gives a full safety briefing. If you prefer something gentler, you can choose instead a safari float of about 2.5 hours on a non-motorized raft or a motorboat, well suited to watching birds, monkeys and reptiles along the banks. A typical Costa Rican lunch follows at the center. You then discover the complex world of leaf-cutter ants before driving on to Boca Tapada, a wild and remote corner of the northern lowlands.

Group in yellow helmets and red life jackets paddling a blue raft through whitewater rapids with a guide at the back
Rafters paddle through foaming rapids on a river in the Sarapiquí region, a highlight of this Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 8

Boca Tapada: by boat to the Río San Juan and into the rainforest

Right from your lodging, you board a boat bound for the mouth of the Río San Carlos, where it joins the Río San Juan, the natural border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The ride is quiet and unhurried, through largely untouched rainforest. Herons, ibises, egrets and kingfishers often line the banks, and with some luck you may see caimans, iguanas, turtles and frogs, while your guide explains how water, forest and wildlife are bound together here. Later, a guided walk through a rainforest reserve reveals the layers of the forest and its plant life. Howler monkeys, spider monkeys and capuchins live in the canopy, alongside birds, insects and reptiles.

Blue covered boat with orange life jackets moored on a muddy riverbank lined with tropical trees near Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
A covered blue boat waits at the riverbank, ready for a river excursion near Boca Tapada on day 8 of a Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 9

Arenal Volcano: waterfall walk and an evening in the hot springs

You drive through the green countryside of San Carlos toward La Fortuna, as the near-perfect cone of Arenal, about 1,600 meters high, rises on the horizon. It erupted suddenly on July 29, 1968, and is closely monitored today. On arrival, you visit a waterfall more than 70 meters tall that plunges into a natural pool framed by rainforest. About 530 steps, roughly 15 to 20 minutes, lead down to the base, where you can swim when conditions allow and look for butterflies, birds and perhaps monkeys. The afternoon is spent in hot springs fed by the volcano's geothermal heat, with pools of different temperatures, followed by a buffet dinner at 7:00 p.m.

Hikers descend stone steps with wooden railings through rainforest toward a tall waterfall near Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Hikers head down a forest staircase toward a waterfall plunging from the jungle near Arenal.
Day 10

Arenal Volcano National Park and the hanging bridges

Around 8:30 a.m., you set out for a walk of about 1.5 to 2 hours on the old lava flows of Arenal Volcano National Park. Most of the trail is easy and nearly flat, with a rougher stretch of 200 to 300 meters over volcanic rock that leads to a view of the volcano and its lava fields. You see the 1992 lava flows and a ceiba tree more than 400 years old, and notice how the forest has reclaimed the land. Your entrance fees help fund Costa Rica's protected areas. In the afternoon, a two-hour walk covers nearly 3 kilometers of trails with 8 fixed bridges and 6 hanging bridges, some 48 to 98 meters long, high above the canopy.

Arenal Volcano rising behind the Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal entrance sign under a blue sky with clouds
The cone of Arenal Volcano towers above the entrance sign of Arenal Volcano National Park, a stop on day 10 of this Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 11

Río Celeste hike in Volcán Tenorio National Park

You leave around 7:30 a.m. for Volcán Tenorio National Park, in the Guanacaste volcanic range, arriving between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. for a hike of about three hours through dense forest of ferns, vines and tall trees. The sound of water guides you to the Río Celeste waterfall, reached by 253 steps down and back up, where the water falls into a pool of striking sky blue. There is nothing artificial about the color: minerals in the river change the way light scatters, an effect most visible at El Teñidero, where the water takes on its turquoise tint. After dark, a guided night walk reveals frogs, insects, reptiles and spiders by flashlight.

Río Celeste waterfall pouring into a turquoise pool, with wooden stairs descending through rainforest in Tenorio Volcano National Park
The Río Celeste waterfall drops into its turquoise pool, reached by a stairway through the forest on day 11 of the Puma circuit.
Day 12

Cañas wildlife refuge, Río Corobicí float and arrival in Playa Sámara

Departure around 7:30 a.m. through the plains and pastures of Guanacaste to Cañas. There you visit a wildlife refuge founded through the work of Lilly and Werner Hagnauer, caring for animals that can no longer return to the wild, including pumas, jaguars, ocelots and several monkey species. Since 2003, a foundation has supported its mission through visits, donations and sponsors. At 11:30 a.m., you board a boat for a quiet 1.5-hour float on the Río Corobicí, through Guanacaste's dry tropical forest, where American crocodiles, some very large, and many birds can be seen along the banks. Lunch is included before you continue to the Pacific coast and Playa Sámara.

Close-up of a puma with amber eyes and open mouth against a blurred green forest background in Costa Rica
A puma looks out from the greenery at a rescue center near Cañas, a stop on day 12 of this Costa Rica 15 day tour.
Day 13

Playa Sámara: dolphin watching on the Pacific

Around 8:00 a.m., you are picked up at your hotel reception for a shared boat outing off Playa Sámara. You head out over the Pacific in search of dolphins and, depending on the season, the weather and the animals themselves, humpback whales, which regularly visit this part of the coast. Wildlife is observed respectfully, with views back over the Guanacaste shoreline. You return around noon, and the afternoon is yours: walk along the beach, swim or simply relax. As an option, not included, a turtle nesting outing leaves around 6:30 p.m., mainly from July to January and sometimes into early February, to be booked with the same company as the boat trip.

Two dolphins swimming side by side at the surface of the blue ocean off Playa Sámara, Costa Rica
A pair of dolphins breaks the surface of the Pacific during a boat excursion from Playa Sámara.
Day 14

A free day on the beach in Playa Sámara

Today has no set schedule. After breakfast, the day is entirely yours to enjoy Playa Sámara at your own pace. After two weeks of rivers, trails and early departures, this is time to let the rhythm of the Pacific take over: a long walk along the shoreline, a swim in the ocean, a book in the shade, or simply a slow lunch watching the waves. It is also a good moment to look back on the road traveled since the Caribbean coast, from the rainforests of the north to the dry hills of Guanacaste, before your last night on the coast.

Day 15

Departure day and transfer to the airport

After a last breakfast, your private driver picks you up at the hotel reception. The drive takes about 4.5 hours to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, or about 2 hours to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, depending on your return flight. Departure time is planned so that you reach the airport at least three hours before takeoff. If your flight schedule allows, you may have time to explore San José or Liberia, its parks, museums, monuments or streets; any entrance fees are not included. Then it is time to head home, with forests, volcanoes, rivers and beaches in your memory. ¡Pura vida, and we hope to see you again!

Where you will stay

San José · 1 night

A comfortable city hotel in San José with a room featuring two beds, convenient after your international flight and a calm place to rest before heading east.

Cahuita · 4 nights

A superior room in a hotel with a pool on the Caribbean coast, your base for four nights to explore Cahuita National Park, Punta Cocles and Manzanillo at a relaxed pace.

Sarapiquí · 1 night

A family-style cabin in the rural, green Sarapiquí region, surrounded by farmland and tropical forest, ideal after the evening frog walk.

Boca Tapada · 2 nights

A bungalow in a remote lodging in the northern lowlands, set in a wild area of rivers and rainforest, from where the boat trip to the Río San Juan departs directly.

Volcán Arenal · 2 nights

A junior suite in a hotel in the Arenal Volcano area, near La Fortuna, a spacious base for two days of volcano trails, hanging bridges and hot springs.

Volcán Tenorio (Río Celeste) · 1 night

A bungalow in the forested area around Volcán Tenorio National Park, close to the Río Celeste trail and the setting for the guided night walk.

Playa Sámara · 3 nights

A standard room in a hotel in Playa Sámara, on the Pacific coast of Guanacaste, for three nights of ocean outings, beach time and rest at the end of the journey.

What the package includes

Included

  • Private transfer from the airport to your hotel
  • Nights in the hotels listed, or similar if unavailable before final booking
  • Breakfast every day of the tour
  • Lunches mentioned in the program *
  • Dinners mentioned in the program *
  • The tour with a private driver or private driver-guide **
  • A vehicle suited to the size of the group, with all relevant insurance
  • National park entrance fees listed as included in the program
  • Activities and visits listed as included in the program
  • Private transfer to the airport on departure day
  • The 13% hotel tax
  • The 13% tax on tourist activities
  • Our assistance in English throughout your stay

* Meals include a main course and one non-alcoholic drink

** Included: road costs (the driver’s and guide’s meals and lodging), the guide’s entrance fees to national parks and to all activities booked in advance (with some exceptions such as horseback rides, boat trips, flights and rafting, depending on the operator), insurance, fuel, parking, ferry (vehicle fee) and tolls

Not included

  • International flights to Costa Rica
  • Drinks outside meals and alcoholic drinks
  • National park entrance fees listed as optional in the program
  • Activities and visits listed as optional in the program
  • Extensions, variations and suggestions
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • Travel or repatriation insurance
  • Any other service

Optional activities

  • Night sea turtle watching tour: USD 45, payable on site

Who this trip is for

This Costa Rica small group tour suits travelers who love nature and wildlife and who want to understand the country beyond its best-known sights: its family farms, conservation projects, rivers and forests. The pace is active but not demanding: most walks are moderate, with a few steeper moments such as the steps to the waterfalls near La Fortuna and at Río Celeste, and the rocky section on the Arenal lava flows. Rafting on the Río Sarapiquí can be swapped for a gentler river float, and several afternoons are left free. It is well suited to curious couples, friends and families traveling together in a group of six who prefer a private driver and a well-organized route to driving themselves.

Traveling with women friends? The same itinerary exists as a women-only small group trip, with its own departure dates.

Discover the women-only tour

Frequently asked questions

Which meals are included on this Costa Rica 15 day tour?

Breakfast is included every day. Lunch is included on days 5, 6, 7 and 12, and a buffet dinner is included on day 9 at the hot springs. Included meals consist of a main course and one non-alcoholic drink. Other meals and drinks are at your own expense.

Do I have to go rafting on the Río Sarapiquí?

No. The rafting trip is class II and III and led by a professional guide, but if you prefer a calmer experience you can replace it with a safari float of about 2.5 hours, on a non-motorized raft or a motorboat, which is well suited to wildlife watching.

Is the turtle nesting tour in Playa Sámara included?

No, it is an optional activity. It takes place mainly from July to January, sometimes into early February, leaves around 6:30 p.m. and is booked with the same company that runs the dolphin outing. Sightings always depend on nature and the presence of turtles.

How physically demanding is this 15-day Costa Rica itinerary?

A normal fitness level is enough. Expect around 530 steps down to the waterfall near La Fortuna, a three-hour hike with 253 steps at Río Celeste, a short rocky stretch on the Arenal lava flows and an 11-kilometer trail in Cahuita National Park, which you can shorten by walking part of it and returning the same way.

Which airport do I fly home from?

You can fly home from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, about 4.5 hours from Playa Sámara, or from Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, about 2 hours away. A private transfer is included, timed so you arrive at least three hours before your flight.

From the coral reefs of Cahuita to the turquoise waters of Río Celeste and the dolphins off Playa Sámara, this Costa Rica 15 day tour follows a route shaped by a local team that knows each stage firsthand. Breakfasts, the private driver, the listed activities and park entrance fees are taken care of, so you can focus on what you came for: the forests, the rivers and the people you meet along the way. If spending 15 days in Costa Rica this way appeals to you, our team in San Francisco de Heredia will be glad to answer your questions and prepare a quote for your Costa Rica 15 day tour.

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