APF Travel - Central America - Costa Rica, Panama 9 Days Highlights

Costa Rica, Panama 9 Days

Visit

San Jose
Poas Volcano
Village of Sarchi
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Tortuguero National Park
Panama City

Fare

From US$2398 + tax / per person

Itinerary

Day 1: Los Angeles / San Jose (Costa Rica) / City Tour (L/D)

Take a morning Flight from Los Angeles to San Jose, Costa Rica. Warm welcome and greeting from our professional guide. After lunch at local restaurant, explore this fascinating city. The excursion introduces you into the culture and the history of Costa Rica visiting the best museums, parks and historical sites of San Jose. We initiate our route passing by the Metropolitan Park of La Sabana, lung of the Capital City, visiting the distinguished residential area of Rohrmoser with its Apostolic Embassies. Then continue to Plaza Emeralda where you can observe or buy the finest Costa Rica handcrafts. Later on, we will go to the Paseo Colon, the National Theater constructed on 1897, an art and architecture masterpiece. We will visit the Gold Museum and the National Museum, continuing to the Supreme Court, the Monument to the first University in the Country, the Foreign Affair Minister, known as the Yellow House, Supreme Court of Elections and the old districts of San Jose (Amon – Otoya & Tournon). After dinner, transfer to hotel for overnight accommodation.

Day 2: Poas Volcano - Village of Sarchi – San Jose (B/L/D)

The Poas Volcano is located approximately one hour and a half from San Jose. The picturesque drive takes one past coffee, sugar and tropical plant plantations, and continues up through the cloud forest of Poas Volcano National Park. Accompanied by your naturalist guide you will walk up to the top and observe the enormous crater with its deep green lake. This crater is considered to be the largest crater in the world. Look deep into the crater and see the still active steam and sulfur outlets. Lunch will be served in a quaint typical restaurant. After lunch you will visit the village of Sarchí, the artesian center of Costa Rica renowned for its original woodwork, handicrafts, and the colorful hand-painted oxcarts. Return to San Jose.

Day 3: Monteverde Cloud Forest (B/L/D)

Monteverde Cloud Forest is found in 1972, which is one of the most interesting spots in Costa Rica. There are over 1,500 kinds of zoology and botany within six ecology areas. Wandering in the forest to breathe the unique fresh air, made people completely relaxed. Leaves the silva, continues to go to visit the local famous butterfly garden (Butterfly Fantasy Farm), the three meals a day all enjoy in the hotel.

Day 4: Monteverde – San Jose (B/L/D)

After breakfast, leave Monteverde to San Jose by bus. Have the lunch on the way, check-in to hotel upon arrival.

Day 5: San Jose – Tortuguero National Park – Limon / River Cruise (B/L/D)

An expedition takes in the dense jungle of one of the most beautiful and scenic regions of Costa Rica. Travel along the exotic canals of the National Park Tortuguero, famous by solitary beaches where take places the nesting of the giant marine green turtles (Jul. to Seth.) Tortuguero is the most important site of nesting for the Green Turtle in the Western Hemisphere. Our journey will begin by crossing through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park a dense cloud forest. After going down through the mountainous pass, you will reach the lowlands, and the beginning of the province of Limon, with its many banana plantations. A stop will be made for breakfast. The after traveling for approximately two and a half hours, you will reach the riverside where a specially designed boat will be waiting to take you through the system of rivers and canals that are found in Tortuguero National Park. The boat will slowly go up the canals to allow you the opportunity to observe the rich variety of wildlife to be found, and observe the thick jungle canopy above. Lunch will be served at the lodge soon after arrival. Farewell dinner at Tiquicia Restaurant.

Day 6: Tortuguero National Park – San Jose (B/L/D)

In the morning, appreciates the scenery in Costa Rica just likes Amazon River by boat. Then take a vehicle for leaving Tortuguero National Park, return to San Jose. Have the lunch on the way.

Day 7: San Jose – Panama City (B/L/D)

Fly from San Jose to Panama City. Meet arrival and transfer to Gamboa Rainforest. For a bird's eye view of the Soberania National Park and Panama Canal, climb aboard the specially designed sky tram and glide quietly through the rainforest canopy where you'll encounter plants and animals rarely seen by visitors on the ground. Transfer back to Panama City after the tour. You may enjoy your evening in the Casino nearby the hotel and try your luck there.

Day 8: Panama City Canal Cruise (B/L/D)

This morning you will take a canal cruise. The tour starts at the Panama Canal Dredging Division which is located at the north end of the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gaillard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. Your vessel will travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometers on the way to Pedro Miguel Locks. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides. Before reaching the Pedro Miguel Locks at the southern end of the Cut, you will be able to view the new Centennial Bridge, which crosses over the Canal. Next, your vessel will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is one of the two sets of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is lowered 9 meters in one step. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel from Miraflores Locks, the latter being the final set of locks before reaching the Pacific Ocean. At Miraflores Locks the vessel is lowered 18 meters in two distinct steps. Once in the Pacific Ocean the vessel will sail to the beautiful Flamenco Marina where passengers disembark. On the way to Flamenco, you will pass under the Bridge of the Americas, and later, you will be able to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City's splendorous skyline.

Day 9: Panama City: City Tour (B/L/D)

Morning tour includes a visit to the ruins of Old Panama and Casco Viejo (the old city compound), which dates from the late 1600's. Casco Viejo is home to monuments to Ferdinand de Lesseps and other Frenchmen instrumental in the ill-fated attempt of the French to construct a canal through Panama. Walking around Plaza de Francia which surrounded by churches and other historic buildings. The tour includes a visit to the Panama Canal Museum. In the afternoon, visit the Panama Canal area, including the town of Balboa, formerly part of the Panama Canal Zone. A stop at the folk art market at the old YMCA building is followed by a visit to the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal where large ships can be seen transiting the canal. Enjoy a presentation by the Panama Canal Commission on the history of the Panama Canal and marvel at the workings of this feat of human engineering. Transfer to airport in the afternoon, your homebound flight will bring you back in the evening to complete this pleasant trip!

Price includes:

International & Central America air tickets
Airport – hotel transfers
Sightseeing & show tickets
3 meals daily (exclude liquor beverage), one bottled water per day
4-star hotel or substitute hotels with similar standard whenever possible
English tour guide

Price does not include:

Tour bus driver and tour guide gratuity ($6 per day)
Airport taxes (Aprx.). Costa Rica $26, Panama $20
Accidental insurance
Beverages and meals not mentioned
Other personal expenses

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APF Travel reserves the right to make any changes to the itinerary or price without notice, due to any unfortunate event such as natural disaster, war, strike, and airline itinerary change or flight cancellation.

Air ticket fuel surcharges and taxes are subject to change until tickets are issued. We may give you the estimated amount at time of your reservation for your budgeting purposes. The airline reserves the right to increase or decrease fuel surcharges and taxes according to the current rate at ticketing time. We will inform you of the final fuel surcharge/tax that we must collect from you then.