Just wondering what people's experiences have been with one of those one day Highlight Tours from San Jose. Thinking of this one

http://www.costaricasbesttour.com/

Breakfast at Siempre Verde Coffee Plantation
Poás Volcano National Park
La Paz Waterfall
Hummingbird Gallery
San Fernando Waterfall
Lunch at Selva Verde Lodge
Float down Sarapiquí River
Braulio Carrillo National Park

Those things SOUND great to see & do!? Thinking of staying in Drake Bay 4 nights instead of 5 and doing this tour on our now "extra day" to experience more of CR. Or should we just stay in Drake Bay? We are also going to Arenal for 2 nights.

Thanks for any replies!

Don't tell anyone but I have actually done that tour. Me, who always swore she would never never do a tour on a bus with other people and having already visited CR many many times over 10 years! I didn't go with those particular people but they are all pretty much the same. Most of the stops are the same. After two weeks of remote areas down on the Osa plus another week elsewhere and my return home coming faster every day (my husband was already home) I decided to break myself in gently to the idea of leaving and spend a day or two in SJ. I spent one day shopping at the grocery stores for enough Lizano to last a year and the next day went on the highlight tour. It was actually fun! I had been wanting to see a little of the Caribbean slope but my husband wasn't too interested so after I had been there and told him about how beautiful the area was we ended up staying in a lodge there this year. The float down the Sarapiqui really isn't terribly exciting but it is a nice relaxing trip ( I had done that before) and there were plenty of monkeys and iggies, and birds. Overall, I am glad I did it and really enjoyed the day.

We did this tour on our first trip to Costa Rica. It was fun, as Suzie says. Actually, we had a very good guide and were able to see various birds, crocs, lizards, monkeys etc. during our float down Sarapiqui.

We did this trip last February. It was fun. We were fortunate in that Poas wasn't fogged in and it was certainly interesting. Our tour (and I bet the others don't either) didn't actually stop at the La Paz Waterfall Garden, it stopped a few miles down the road at a pull off where there was a lovely waterfall. I'm glad we went, we almost cancelled because we thought it would be 'too touristy'. Jean

Jean is correct in that you don't actually go to La Paz waterfall gardens. You do stop at a bridge on the road and one of the La Paz waterfalls is right there for you to look at. Jean was lucky, I was there in Feb also but Poas was socked in.
While at Selva Verde they will most likely let you go across the river on the hanging bridge for a quick look at their rainforest area. If you look carefully you will see poison arrow frogs down on the lower leaves along the path.

Thanks Iza, Jean & Susie. We will do the tour! I emailed the operators to see if they pick up at the B&B in Alajuela we are staying at. I received a speedy reply with even a money off offer because they can't pick us up at our B&B/hotel- Pura Vida. So that's quite nice, I didn't expect a discount. They can pick us up at the Alajuela Courthouse & drop us off at Hampton Inn at night. Both aren't too far. So sounds good.