Inclusive Prices
Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel and lodge accommodations, entertainment, special dinners, land transportation, sightseeing, luggage handling, the charter flight from Tortuguero to San José, and the services of the guides, drivers and the Tauck Director are included. A representative of Tauck will meet you at Juan Santamaria International Airport and provide you with transportation to the Real InterContinental Hotel in San José, provided we have your updated flight information at least two weeks prior to the tour departure date. On the last day of the tour, you will fly via charter from Tortuguero to Juan Santamaria International Airport in the morning and transfer directly to the International Terminal for check-in for your flight home.
Hotel and Lodge Accommodations – Tauck’s price includes all hotel and lodge accommodations with private baths. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality may differ slightly from place to place, this standard remains uncompromised. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot where available and are not recommended for comfort.
Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.
Tauck Director – Each ‘Costa Rica Adventure’ is conducted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of Tauck.
Gratuities Included – All appropriate gratuities for restaurant and hotel staffs, and local guides and drivers are included.
No Options Sold – Your Tauck Director will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.
Not Included
Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.
Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, Tauck will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through Tauck. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the
Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.
Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to
Tauck Travel Protection for more information.
Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, mineral water, soft drinks, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, departure taxes, visa fees and services, and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.
Tauck Director Gratuities – The customary gratuity to the Tauck Director is not included. Gratuities should be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.
Additional Information
Airline Security Measures – In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.
If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.
Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. By using Tauck's air services, you agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck's special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.
Holidays and Museum Closures – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed.
Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate your tour as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecasted at the time of printing.
Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking. The tour begins at 6:00 p.m. local time at the Real InterContinental Hotel in San José on the first day of the tour. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. Your tour ends upon your transfer to the International Terminal at Juan Santamaria International Airport. We suggest you allow a minimum 2½ hours for flight check-in.
Membership will be granted to all persons. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any person who is abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.
Photography on Tour – Occasionally, Tauck will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.
Preparing to Go
Air Conditioning – The Real InterContinental Hotel and the Tilajari Resort Hotel provide air-conditioning in their guest rooms. The Monteverde Lodge and the Tortuga Lodge are not air-conditioned but guest rooms are equipped with ceiling fans.
ATM and Credit Cards – We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing on this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.
Clothing and Packing – Your adventure in Costa Rica is casual. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. Comfortable, cotton clothing is suggested. High temperatures and humidity in most areas make lightweight clothing practical. Long pants and long sleeves are suggested for sun and mosquito protection. Evenings in all lodges are casual with no specific dress code. Casual resort wear is appropriate for dinner in San José on the first day of the tour.
Most importantly, bring comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in. It is important that your shoes have good ankle support as the walking trails can be wet and muddy.
The Real InterContinental Hotel and the Tilajari Resort Hotel provide valet laundry services; the lodges do not.
We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor’s prescription (or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you), a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.
Following is a list of recommended items to pack for travel to Costa Rica:
- Comfortable, cotton clothing
- Shorts and long pants
- Short and long sleeve shirts
- Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
- Swimwear
- A light sweater or jacket for the evenings
- Lightweight waterproof slicker
- Comfortable walking shoes with adequate ankle support
- Binoculars
- Insect repellent
- Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and plenty of film
- Battery-operated travel alarm clock
- Collapsible umbrella
- Small backpack for long walks
- Pre-moistened towelettes
- Adequate personal toiletries and sundries
- Zippered plastic bags to keep important items dry during rainy excursions
- Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling
Elevation – The overnight elevations on this tour are:
- Real InterContinental Hotel 3,760 ft 1,146 m
- Monteverde Lodge 4,450 ft 1,356 m
- Tilajari Resort Hotel 900 ft 274 m
- Tortuga Lodge Sea Level
Health – The Costa Rica Adventure is a very active tour. Our activities include visiting national parks, biological reserves, rainforests and villages. You should be in good health and able to climb into and out of small boats, river rafts, and planes and able to walk reasonable distances over unpaved and uneven terrain. Only the hotel in San Jose has elevators. The Tilajari Resort Hotel and the Tortuga Lodge are two-story facilities with no elevators where accommodations are spread out. The Monteverde Lodge has three-stories.
The road conditions in Costa Rica are improving; however, paved roads are often in poor condition. Some roads to beaches and other rural locations are not paved and some out-of-the-way destinations are accessible only by these roads. Roads into, in, and out of the mountains are unpaved and bumpy.
The itinerary includes several early morning starts and leaves little scheduled free time.
We regret that we are unable to accommodate wheelchairs on this tour. We also regret that we cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you require such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will help you.
Throughout the tour, we will provide you with clean and safe drinking water.
The only hotel that allows smoking is the Real InterContinental Hotel.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises that there is a risk of contracting malaria in and around the areas visited on this tour. While a vaccination against malaria is unavailable, you can protect yourself by avoiding mosquito bites and by taking medication to prevent malaria. Mosquito bites can be avoided by applying mosquito repellent with DEET to exposed skin and clothing, wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants if you are outdoors at night, and by avoiding perfumes and colognes.
Various types of anti-malarial medicine are available. Therefore, you should seek the advice of a physician well in advance of departure to select the medicine that is right for you. Strict adherence to recommended dosages is critical for effective protection.
If you have a medical condition which might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.
If you are a citizen of the U.S., no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Costa Rica; however, an International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever is required if you will be arriving from an infected area within 5 days of the start of the tour. For complete vaccination information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the CDC. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour, pre-recorded "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 877-394-8747 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on to the CDC Internet website at
www.cdc.gov.
If you are a citizen of another country, please contact an embassy or consulate of Costa Rica to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel.
Luggage Restrictions:
Special Luggage Restrictions for this Tour:
Space constraints and weight limitations aboard the charter flight from Tortuguero to San José require you to bring no more than 25 lbs (11.3 kg) of luggage. Therefore, we will provide you with a duffel bag (13.5 x 21.75 x 12 in, or 34 x 30.5 x 55 cm) to carry your clothing and personal items for your two-night stay in Tortuguero National Park. Your remaining luggage will be safely stored in San José.
If you reside in the U.S., the duffel bag will be sent to your home and should arrive approximately two weeks prior to your departure for Costa Rica. If you reside outside of the U.S, you will receive your duffel bag upon arrival in San José because customs regulations prohibit the easy delivery of your duffel in advance.
Checked Luggage – General
While it is common for airlines to allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.
In addition, airlines have adopted more strict policies in enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.
As of June 2006, many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage size and weight may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.
Tauck World Discovery cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage size, piece or weight policies.
Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home.
Carry-on Luggage - General:
Although oversized bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many intra-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.
For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not allow for access during daytime travel.
Travel Document Requirements – If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need a valid passport for entry into Costa Rica. You will not need a visa for the short duration of this tour. Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation.
If you are a citizen of another country, you should contact an embassy or consulate of Costa Rica to determine what travel documentation is required.
Tauck strongly recommends that your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour. Also, Tauck recommends that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as the front and back sides of your driver’s license. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.
Travel with Children – Many countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling with or without both parents. Usually a notarized letter, signed by the parent or parents not traveling with the child and stating the name of the child, the adult guardian, the itinerary and dates of travel, and the flight number, is required. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all travelers to comply with the regulations for the country you are visiting. This information is available from each country’s consulate. Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard for these letters, Tauck does offer for
download a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.
Destination Information
Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that you refrain from using your cell phone during motor coach travel, group functions, when sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually ample opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not impact others.
Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your cell phone service extends to Costa Rica.
Currency and Exchange Rates - The official currency of Costa Rica is the Colón (CRC) which is divided into 100 céntimos. U.S. dollars are also widely accepted. U.S. dollars and travelers’ checks can be exchanged in banks and many hotels. Banks charge a service fee for cashing travelers’ checks, and currency other than U.S. dollars is difficult to exchange. Major credit cards are widely accepted, although American Express and Diners Club are more limited. ATMs are becoming more widespread throughout the country, but it is advisable to always have some local cash handy, especially outside the major tourist destinations.
To obtain the most current exchange rates, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website
www.oanda.com.
Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – If you are a U.S resident who will be returning to the U.S. at the end of the tour, current regulations permit bringing back $800 worth of items duty-free, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the alcohol and tobacco that can be a part of this exemption – currently, one-liter of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes, and 100 cigars. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the United States. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs website for further details and up-to-date limits at
www.cbp.gov.
If you are a citizen of another country, please refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return
Currently, Costa Rica levies a 14% Value Added Tax (VAT) on consumer goods and services. (The tax rate may be higher for luxury items and lower for basic goods.) As a rule, if you are not a resident of the country (or of the country’s intergovernmental economic community, e.g., the European Union) in which the purchase is made, you may be entitled to a VAT refund and should inquire about the refund policy where you shop..
Electrical Current – The electrical current in Costa Rica is 110/220 V, 60 Hz, AC. If you bring electrical devices that do not conform to this standard, then you will need to bring the appropriate adapters and converters.
Time Zones – Costa Rica is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time). Costa Rica does not use Daylight Savings Time. To determine current time in major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website,
www.timeanddate.com.
Weather – Costa Rica's tranquil environment offers stable, tropical weather where the temperature remains fairly constant throughout the year. Average high temperatures range from 75 to 80°F (24 to 27°C) in the Central Valley, 63 to 69°F (17 to 21°C) in the North Pacific and 85 to 88°F (29 to 31° C) in the Northern Subdivide and the Caribbean regions. Rain is common throughout the year, with more frequent rain occurring in the "wet season" which is typically from May through October.
Rainfall:
- Central Valley (San José): From November to April the total average rainfall is 10.7 in (272 mm). During the rainy season the total average rainfall is 60.1 in (1,527 mm). April and November are considered to be transition months. In July, there is a diminishing of the rainfall due to the “veranillo de San Juan”, a few weeks of hot dry weather that breaks up the rainy season
- North Pacific (Monteverde): From February through May, the total average rainfall is 11.6 in (295 mm). During the rainier months of June through January, the total average rainfall is 64.7 in (1,643 mm).
- Northern Subdivide (Tilajari Hotel) and the Caribbean (Tortuguero): These regions do not have a true 'dry season' since the rainfall here is approximately 138 in (3,515 mm) per year. Regardless of when you visit, plan on encountering some rain.
|
Average Temperature |
| |
San José, Costa Rica
|
Monteverde, Costa Rica
|
| Month |
Hi/Lo ºF |
Hi/Lo ºC |
Hi/Lo ºF |
Hi/Lo ºC |
| January |
75 / 58 |
24 / 14 |
63 / 56 |
17 / 14 |
| February |
76 / 58 |
24 / 14 |
64 / 59 |
18 / 15 |
| March |
79 / 59 |
26 / 15 |
64 / 58 |
18 / 14 |
| April |
79 / 62 |
26 / 17 |
67 / 57 |
19 / 14 |
| May |
80 / 62 |
27 / 17 |
63 / 60 |
17 / 16 |
| June |
79 / 62 |
26 / 17 |
69 / 60 |
20 / 16 |
| July |
77 / 62 |
25 / 17 |
66 / 62 |
19 / 17 |
| August |
78 / 61 |
26 / 16 |
67 / 63 |
20 / 17 |
| September |
79 / 61 |
26 / 16 |
67 / 62 |
19 / 17 |
| October |
77 / 60 |
25 / 16 |
67 / 62 |
19 / 17 |
| November |
77 / 60 |
25 / 16 |
67 / 62 |
19 / 17 |
| December |
75 / 58 |
24 / 14 |
64 / 57 |
18 / 14 |
|
|
| |
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
|
|
| Month |
Hi/Lo ºF |
Hi/Lo ºC |
|
|
| January |
88 / 68 |
31 / 20 |
|
|
| February |
88 / 68 |
31 / 20 |
|
|
| March |
87 / 59 |
31 / 15 |
|
|
| April |
87 / 71 |
31 / 22 |
|
|
| May |
87 / 71 |
31 / 22 |
|
|
| June |
87 / 71 |
31 / 22 |
|
|
| July |
88 / 71 |
31 / 22 |
|
|
| August |
86 / 71 |
30 / 22 |
|
|
| September |
87 / 71 |
31 / 22 |
|
|
| October |
87 / 71 |
31 / 22 |
|
|
| November |
85 / 69 |
29 / 21 |
|
|
| December |
88 / 69 |
31 / 21 |
|
|
|
Average Rainfall |
| |
San José, Costa Rica
|
Monteverde, Costa Rica
|
| Month |
Inches |
Millimeters |
Inches |
Millimeters |
| January |
0.6 |
15 |
4.5 |
115 |
| February |
0.2 |
5 |
3.2 |
81 |
| March |
0.8 |
20 |
3.9 |
99 |
| April |
1.8 |
46 |
1.3 |
33 |
| May |
9.0 |
229 |
3.2 |
82 |
| June |
9.5 |
241 |
8.7 |
222 |
| July |
8.3 |
211 |
7.9 |
199 |
| August |
9.5 |
241 |
8.7 |
222 |
| September |
12.0 |
305 |
23.0 |
585 |
| October |
11.8 |
300 |
15.9 |
404 |
| November |
5.7 |
145 |
7.3 |
185 |
| December |
1.6 |
41 |
7.0 |
178 |
|
|
| |
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
|
|
| Month |
Hi/Lo ºF |
Hi/Lo ºC |
|
|
| January |
12.5 |
317 |
|
|
| February |
8.3 |
211 |
|
|
| March |
8.0 |
204 |
|
|
| April |
10.9 |
276 |
|
|
| May |
11.1 |
282 |
|
|
| June |
11.7 |
296 |
|
|
| July |
16.8 |
427 |
|
|
| August |
12.3 |
312 |
|
|
| September |
5.7 |
145 |
|
|
| October |
8.2 |
208 |
|
|
| November |
15.4 |
391 |
|
|
| December |
17.6 |
446 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
To determine current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website,
www.weather.com.
If You Have to Cancel
Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, Tauck will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in our Norwalk, CT office. To help limit your liability, Tauck offers
Tauck Travel Protection.
If you choose to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will have the cancellation penalties waived.
Click here for more details.
If you choose not to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:
60 days or more before departure
$350 per person (the cost of the deposit)
59-8 days before departure
$600 per person
7-1 days before departure
$900 per person
