jain_shashank

Hi,
We are a party of 5 - 3 adults & 2 kids aged 10 & 5 traveling for 8 days from Dec 20th to Dec 27th. We are flying into & out of San jose (SJO).

I would really appreciate help with the itinerary (depending on the tours/activities we could do with our kids) also keeping in mind if any tours are closed due to Christmas.

The kind of activities we are interested in are:
1. Rain Forest Canopy Tours - Ariel tram or hanging bridge or zip line (allowed for 5 year old).
2. Canyoning - Waterfall Rappelling
3. Intermediate hikes
4. Volcanoes
5. Hot Springs & Spa
6. Cloud Forest
7. Beaches
8. Wildlife Viewing
9. Boat Tours
10. Any other fun activities for family that I missed.
etc.

Also, after reading from other posts, I am still debating between renting a SUV vs hiring a private driver. If I do take a private driver , do I need it for the full 8 days or do I need it for just inter city transfers only (as most of the time, local tour operators can pick you up from your hotel).

Thank you very much in advance.

qwovadis

Might Divide my time between

arenal.net desafiocostarica.com skytrek.com adventures

tabacon.com my fav best free hot springs

and

manuelantoniopark.com costaverde.com Airplane suite perhaps

arenasdelmar.com more upscale

tripadvisor.com/members/natureguide best MA guide

mapache.com best car rental for me for freedom flexibility

odysseytourscr.com great drivers but lots more $$$

Book now in high season... costarica.bookit.com deals

Have fun!

qwovadis

lovecostarica.com travelexperta.com great agents to help...

tully

I would start at building your trip around where you can get availability at hotels. Not to be a bummer, but only 1 month away - at peak traveling time in CR, for tourists & locals - you're going to run into some availability issues. Many hotels also have minimum night stays for this period. I would look at all the hotels posted at arenal.net and see which ones appeal, then start checking of they have openings. You can also do the same for Monteverde, for cloud forest, at monteverdeinfo.com You can also start looking at Manuel Antonio hotels (which are probably sold out but can try) or some of the N Guanacaste beaches which would be closer.

Since you will probably have to overnight on your first & last nights in San Jose or Alajuela (where teh airport airport actually is), you really only have time to visit 2 places, so I would focus on a beach plus either Arenal or Monteverde.

You don't need a driver to stay with you at all times, your hotel can arrange a driver from point to point then just use taxis to get around or for tours, they will pick you up.

1bhcrashman

I agree with tully. You really need to get busy and make your reservations!

Deb15July

I agree about only visiting two places. I also highly recommend a private driver as it allows you to focus on the scenery and not worry about where you are going!

jain_shashank

Thank you all for your replies.
So I have decided to visit Manuel Antonio and Arenal National Parks. Since we will be passing near the Monteverde, we are thinking of staying for 1 night there also.
Here is the itineray:
1. Arrive on Tue Dec 20th at SJO afternoon at 3:00 PM and stay at San Jose for the night.
2. Wed 21st morning, leave for Manuel Antonio. Stay here for 2 nights.
3. Friday 23rd morning, leave for Monteverde and stay there for one night.
4. Saturday 24th, leave for Arenal (La Fortura) and stay there for 3 nights.
5. Tuesday, 27th, leave in the morning for San Jose to catch our flight that leaves at 4:00 PM.

We are also more inclined to rent our own car.
What is the travel time from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. Do you think we will be able to drive on the 20th itself from San Jose airport (3:00 PM arrival, not sure how much time will it take for immigration and car rental) to Manuel Antonio? Or if we take a private transportation/driver, then it is okay to travel in that afternoon?

Thanks

Deb15July

This might help

http://www.yourtravelmap.com/costari...hp?&width=1366

I loved Monteverde, but don't know that I'd try to stay for just one night.

tully

Great idea Deb, that website is always very useful for driving times & routes. I wouldn't do Monteverde for just one night either considering the drive.

volcanogirl

You definitely don't want to do Monteverde for just one night. It's a long bumpy road to get there. Don't go unless you can stay two or three nights. I wouldn't attempt the drive if you have a 3:00 p.m. arrival. Either hire a private driver or stay the first night in SJO so you're not driving in the dark. It gets dark around 5:30. It's about 3 hours to Manuel Antonio from SJO, 3 hours or a little less to Arenal from SJO, and about 5 hours between Arenal and Manuel Antonio. In the Arenal area, you would like Sky Trek, the Hanging Bridges, maybe a volcano hike (no lava right now), the Cano Negro tour with Sunset Tours or Desafio, the natural hot springs like Tabacon or Eco Termales, canyoneering with PureTrek or Desafio, and the waterfall hike where you can swim at the base. Not sure about the age limitations on some of these things, so you'd have to check on that. If you want a cloud forest environment closer to SJO, you might spend a night at the Peace Lodge. Like everyone else said, a lot of places will be already booked and things are going to be very pricey after December 15th. The holiday season is popular and very expensive. If you get a driver, just use them to go from city to city, and you can take taxis in town. If you're adventurous and want a lot of freedom, rent your own car.

jdp867

I would definitely recommend a stay at Peace Lodge. While a bit over the top, its a great place for kids. Manicured hiking trails, snake house, frog house, and butterfly garden. Very get friendly, although not particulalry authentic. Perhaps a two night stay on your way in or on your way out of SJO. Arenal is only 2-3 hours away and offers all of the activities. The canyoning is great, but I think too advanced for the kids. Sky Trek in Arenal is spectacular, and the kids can zip with guides. Our kids, who were then around trhe same age, loved it. However, that particular zipline is not for the weak of heart. It is higher and faster than the other ziplines tours we have tried.