One-Week Costa Rica Adventure Tour for Couples

Marino Ballena National Park at sunset in Costa Rica

What to expect on this itinerary

By including Caribbean escapism, Pacific Ocean bliss, and the rainforest canopy, this luxurious, 7-day tour captures the three essential elements of a Costa Rica adventure for couples. Handcrafted with domestic flights and private activities, this one-week tour will celebrate the unspoiled allure of Costa Rica, including hidden beaches, volcanic hot springs, hanging bridges, and sea turtles. It will provide you with a getaway from the world, where wildlife sings an evening lullaby and luxury radiates from your private locations.

Countries Visited

Costa Rica

Places Visited

Arenal, Tortuguero, Osa Peninsula

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Arenal – Private Hot Springs

After a meet and greet service at Juan Santamaria International Airport, you will be transferred to Arenal. You should note that of San Jose’s two international airports, Juan Santamaria is better as it is located on the Arenal side of the capital city. You will check-in to your lodge, where you will have a two-hour couple’s treatment in the spa. This will still leave some time for free exploration in the surrounding rainforest. Trails set out directly from your lodge, and you do not need a guide to explore these mostly private sections of Arenal. Your main highlight will likely be the hot springs. Although the Arenal area is famous for its therapeutic waters, only a couple of lodges have private hot springs.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Arenal – Hanging Bridges and a Volcano

Day 3

Tortuguero – The Caribbean Coast

Day 4

Tortuguero – Wildlife Encounters and Connections

Day 5

Osa Peninsula – Pacific Ocean Seclusion

Day 6

Osa Peninsula – Natural Splendor

Day 7

San Jose – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Escape to the Caribbean for two nights perched above a gorgeous, white sand beach
  • Stroll hand in hand upon Costa Rican volcanos
  • Relax in private hot springs while gazing across the ancient cloud forest
  • Search the rainforest for waterfalls, monkeys, sloths, and strawberry poison dart frogs
  • Discover Corcovado National Park and the breathtaking serenity of the Osa Peninsula
  • Visit a sea turtle conservancy and meet the locals of a small Afro-Caribbean village
  • Spend many private hours beneath rainforest canopies, especially when walking along hanging bridges
  • Feel the thrill of a nighttime rainforest walk and swim in a waterfall beneath the moon

Detailed Description

Costa Rica can be wonderfully romantic. During this exciting adventure, you will be drifting off in a private hot spring as a volcano peeks through cloud forest mist, swimming in a waterfall beneath the moonlight, and escaping to the Caribbean to feel the soft sand between the toes. Costa Rica can also be extremely private, and you can travel beneath the rainforest canopy to enjoy exclusive lodges that are hidden from the world. Although the beaches are not usually private, most of them are not covered in footprints, and many are inaccessible by roads. Even at the popular destination of Arenal Volcano, you will find places and activities that are only for two, including superb treetop trails. This is a country that is made for couples, where nature aids seclusion, and a sense of adventure blurs into complete tranquility.

Handcrafted so romance can thrive, this one-week Costa Rica tour features private activities, handpicked lodges, and meticulously planned travel arrangements. You will fly between three very different destinations to enjoy the complete Costa Rican experience with Arenal volcano being followed by a Caribbean rainforest and Pacific Ocean beach. Domestic flights mean that your tour can move at a slow pace, and you will have enough time to explore the destinations that you want and to relax in privacy. The premium will be on space, and with this Costa Rican vacation, you will find the space that you need to escape and celebrate in style.

After a meet and greet at Juan Santamaria International Airport, you will be transferred to Arenal Volcano, which is Costa Rica’s most iconic destination. Your lodge will be tucked into the rainforest canopy and will feature a private hot spring, where you can laze away the evening while listening to birds and passing wildlife. Day two will be all about the Arenal region, and you will stroll across hanging bridges, explore beautiful and lesser-known trails, soak in therapeutic hot springs, and feel the escapism of the Costa Rican cloud forest. While Arenal is popular, the forest has a wonderfully secluded atmosphere, and it is easy to spend these two days without other people.

On the morning of day three, you will fly to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coastline and your lodge that will be located on the water. Your treehouse-style suite will provide you with easy access to both Caribbean beaches and the tranquil creeks of Tortuguero National Park. A local guide will customize the two days for you, so you can explore both the rainforest and the beach with howler monkeys and three-toed sloths being among the wildlife to find. Included in your stay is the opportunity to interact with a small Afro-Caribbean community, a visit to a sea turtle conservation project, and a romantic boat journeys to search for wildlife. Your guide can lead you to uninhabited beaches, and there will be plenty of alone time for you to enjoy beneath the rainforest canopy.

From Tortuguero, you will fly across Costa Rica to the Pacific Coast for two nights on the Osa Peninsula. Here, your eco-lodge will be located in a lowland rainforest reserve with sweeping views across the Pacific Ocean and Golfo Dulce. You can check-in with a spa treatment before checking out the views and customizing two more days of exciting activities in Costa Rica. You can spend time on the beach and in the forest, including the opportunity for a nighttime hike and swim beneath hidden waterfalls. Like in Tortuguero, all of your activities will be private, and the focus will be on a customizable daily program, so you can make adjustments on how you feel.

Starting Price

$1,700 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 84 reviews

Travel Review: Costa Rica Vacation, Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Boat Tour, Hot Springs, Hiking, Sea Turtles, 5-Day Trip
My wife and I were well impressed with the organization of this tour (2 1/2 days in Tortuguero and 2 1/2 days in Arenal). Everything went smoothly, the transportation was always on time and the activities were well organized. All the guides were knowledgeable, well organized and very friendly. They all spoke English and Spanish fluently.

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Costa Rica Travel Review: Monte Verde, La Fortuna, San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano, Ziplinging

Our travel agency organized the perfect tour of Costa Rica. Our small group of 4 were treated as VIPs from the moment we arrived at San Jose airport, until the day we flew home. We even received a "welcome to Costa Rica" call and special "goodbye" call from our agency. Every transfer and guided tour was on time and the drivers were good. There were no worries or concerns, each day was perfectly organized and each hotel was informed of our itinerary. Our travel agency provided us with a free cell phone for local calls as well as walkie-talkies to stay in touch with each other. This added an even higher level of security to our trip.

We wanted to experience an environmental tour that would introduce us to the rain forest, the flora, fauna, birds, reptiles & animals of Costa Rica. We were amazed by the scenery and the knowledge of our guides on each of our tours. Costa Rica is truly magical. All of the hotels were interesting and clean, the staff friendly and efficient.  We stayed in bungalows & cabins in the heart of the rain forest! The food was very good and served in more than ample quantities. Our last few days were spent at the Belmar Hotel in Monteverde and the luxury of that small inn and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, were a great way to end our stay.

Our only disappointment was that our internal flight with Nature Air from Tortuguero National Park turned out to have a connection at San Jose airport with a 3.5 hour wait for the second flight to Arenal. We were expecting a direct flight, and more time to explore the village of La Fortuna.

We would definitely recommend this travel company and will use Zicasso Handcrafted Travel to help us book holidays in the future.

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Luxury Costa Rica Vacation Review: Tortuguero, Arenal, Tamarindo, Tabacon Hot Springs, Balsa White Water Rafting

My trip went very smooth. The trip was well organized. The standard large group tour to Tortuguero connection had no problems. The guide at the Aninga Lodge was excellent gets 5 stars. The pickup at El Ceibo restaurant and drive to Tabacon was pleasant. I had a great talk with my private driver all the way. The Tabacon Spa & Resort is the place to stay. I am happy the first hotel was full at final booking. Room was 5 star. I chose the buffet the first night and was overwhelmed with the food to select from. The second night tried the hotel restaurant and had a great meal. I very much enjoyed the solo singer during the meal. Tabacon Hot Springs adjacent to the hotel is the most beautiful spot on this earth. A must see place. There is so much activities at Arenal. I did the Balsa White Water Rafting and loved it. The trip from Tabacon to Tamarindo was ok. The private driver on the first half spoke very little English and the vehicle had a strong cleaning chemical smell. I needed to keep the window open for fresh air. I was glad it was only for half the journey. The second half was with several other passengers. This drive was without any complaints. The Cala Luna Hotel is a distance from the town of Tamarindo but is a great place to stay. I was scheduled for a premium room and was upgraded to a spacious Villa with private pool. The front desk staff were fantastic. Always a smile and willing to help. The distance to town is 2-3 miles depending if you do the low tide beach walk or the road walk. I did the walk 3 times during my stay. I have to give this travel agency 5 out of 5 stars for this vacation.

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Travel Review: Luxury Costa Rica Vacation, San Jose, Tortuguero, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Dominical

Our trip to Costa Rica was wonderful in large part due to the excellent planning and follow-through by this travel company.  Their representatives helped us create a very personalized itinerary, were always responsive to our needs and accessible even after we arrived.  On the trip itself, our drivers were on time, knowledgeable and friendly.  We learned so much from them about the people of Costa Rica and their love and respect for their amazing country. We stopped along our routes and were treated to sites of mountains, waterways and animals we might have missed. We found a tree full of macaws and crocs under a bridge for us to see. What wonderful photo shoots! 

Although we had some spots in mind, our travel company set up the tours in each area and arranged for the hotels as we traveled from San Jose to Tortuguero to Arenal to Monteverde to Manuel Antonio to Dominical.  It all went so smoothly, and we loved being in so many different environments. In Tortuguero we stayed at a lovely lodge (What a setting!), toured the canals and saw the Green Turtles nesting. From there we went to Arenal, stayed at a beautiful hilltop villa (great staff, food and views), visited the national park and the hot springs, and then on to Monteverde with a 20 degree drop in temperature  (best  Frutti de Mar EVER in the hotel restaurant), then on to a fun time at the hotel in Manuel Antonio - monkeys galore plus time to relax and enjoy one of the many pools (Yummy mojitos too!). Last, but certainly not least, we traveled to Dominical, the absolutely perfect way to end our visit to Costa Rica. We canot say enough about the natural and most beautiful design of the stone and wood lodges overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the amazing gourmet food and most of all about the remarkable staff and the feeling of friendliness, peace and well-being they conveyed to us throughout our too-brief stay. Add in a visit to the Boruca Indigenous People and the enduring pride of our hosts and others, in their culture, art and spritiuality and you have a perfect finale to an amazing trip.  Thank you to our agent and others at at this company. We will be in touch for our trip back!

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Luxury Costa Rica Trip Review: San Jose, La Paz Waterfall, Tortuguero, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Zip Lining, Rappelling, Hiking
We had such a fantastic vacation with this travel agency. They went above and beyond for every step of the journey and truly made this a trip of a lifetime for us.From the first time I spoke with Alex, he was a pleasure to talk to. He explained our different options and helped us plan an amazing itinerary. When we arrived in Costa Rica, he met us at the airport with a smile and a gift! We arrived in the midst of a tropical storm and the Costa Rican government shut down the National Parks for a day so we could not go to Tortuguero as planned. Alex was able to change our itinerary so we went a day later to Tortuguero and we spent the extra day outside of San Jose at La Paz Waterfall area and loved the day. Our driver was such a pleasure to be with! He was funny and engaging and shared so much great information about the country and the wildlife we saw. We all enjoyed his company so much that we requested him as our driver on future transfers between cities. My kids adored him and he educated us on the Costa Rican culture, pointed out several troops of monkeys on drives and pointed out and explained various agricultural sites along the way. He added so much to our private transfers and drives and we were so lucky to have him as our wonderful guide.All of the hotels and resorts we stayed at on our 2 week vacation were excellent, and a couple of them far exceeded my expectations... they were truly amazing and luxurious. The accommodation in Arenal was a phenomenal resort... the hot springs there were absolutely gorgeous.... dozens of natural hot springs pools, complete with waterfalls and rainforest gardens, it was truly a paradise and we enjoyed our afternoons and free day there immensely. Their breakfast buffet was over the top impressive with dozens of fresh, delicious choices of both hot and cold options and fresh fruits.Our private guides that our travel agency set up for us in each location were truly experts in their fields. Our guide in Tortuguero is an ornithologist and a wealth of knowledge about the local birds and animals. He found so many animals and local wildlife that we would have never seen without his well trained eye.In Monteverde Cloud forest, our guide was also amazing. He was also an expert in the wildlife and local birds and he found so many rare and beautiful things he pointed out to us. We saw a Quetzal, snakes, a porcupine, several species of birds (including a baby Toucan!), lots of bugs and night creatures and many other great animals. We would never have seen these creatures without his expertise.We enjoyed many adventures on our trip including Zip Lining, Rappelling/canyoneering, Nature Walks, Hanging bridges, ATV's, hikes, and more. All of the adventures included pickup at our hotel so we didn't have to worry about transportation.  Everything was professional and well run. The food was wonderful throughout the country and people were friendly.Our travel agency checked in with us often via WhatsApp and text and answered every question we had. We needed to move some adventures around and they arranged for that quickly and their communication was amazing.When we left, Alex and his wife met us at the airport again. We had such fantastic time experiencing Costa Rica and I recommend this travel company so highly. They are so well connected and truly plan an amazing trip. 

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Travel Review: Luxury Costa Rica Vacation, Arenal Volcano, Guanacaste, Zip Lining, River Rafting Experience, Trekking, 7-Day Trip
Very very positive.  Both locations, the Arenal Volcano region and Guanacaste were great.  The hotels, tours, transportation all were terrific.  The travel company tour folks were attentive and extremely professional.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

28,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews