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* DETAILED * FIXED DEPARTURE: COSTA RICA RIVER & RAINFOREST (9 Days/8 Nights)
From US$1,638 per person in double occupancy. Minimum age: 12 years.
Click on the Custom Itinerary tab for the version of this itinerary that can go on any date.

Begin your trip at Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp on the Osa Peninsula, where you will hike in the National Park looking for the Scarlet Macaw and other rainforest animals. Also take a guided day tour to Corcovado Lodge's Canopy Tree Platform to observe forest life 120 feet above the ground. Then on to the Talamanca Mountains and Savegre Lodge, where you will hike through a 600-year-old primary oak forest. Finally, a two-day white water rafting trip on the scenic and exciting Pacuare River. Meet our Multisport Guides.

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Day 1: Arrival Costa Rica (No meals.)
Arrive at the International Airport in San Jose. After passing through Immigration you will be met by a Costa Rica Expeditions representative who will give you a sticker to facilitate clearing customs. When you are exiting the building, look for a Costa Rica Expeditions guide in an orange shirt holding a sign with your name on it. He or she will take you to the Parque del Lago Hotel.

Day 2: San Jose / Corcovado Lodge (B,L,D)
After a welcome orientation breakfast with your guide, depart for the 30-60 minute transfer to the domestic airport for a 1-hour light charter flight (single engine Cessna 206) to Carate, a mile southeast of Corcovado Lodge. Upon arrival, walk 30�|45 mins. with a Corcovado Guide to the Lodge (luggage will be transported by horse cart). After lunch walk with your guide on the Lodge�fs loop Trail.

An enticing sampler of the different types of lowland tropical rainforest, the Loop Trail winds its way through the Corcovado Lodge property, including areas of abandoned, overgrown pasture, second growth forest, and lowland primary rainforest (virgin jungle, if you will). Appreciate views of the Pacific Ocean through vegetation that has never felt a frost. Possible wildlife encounters include Coatimundis (a relative of the raccoon), Tayras (a dark, bushy-tailed weasel), Amazon parrots, parrotlets, Poison Dart Frogs, Scarlet-rumped Tanagers, several species of snakes, Agoutis (which look like a large, long-legged guinea pig), and Hermit Hummingbirds, to name a few. Because this piece of land adjoins the larger protected Corcovado National Park, occasionally you may encounter signs made by some of the larger mammals: Tapir, Peccaries, or felines such as jaguar, ocelot, or cougar. You also may come face to face with the monkeys common to the Osa Peninsula: Spider, White-faced, and Howler Monkeys. Dinner and overnight at Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp.

Day 3: Corcovado Canopy Tree Platform (B,L,D)
Today, in groups of up to six participants at a time, you will visit the Tree Canopy Platform. The adventure begins with a one-hour guided hike through the Corcovado Lodge Private Nature Reserve to the Canopy Platform. The platform is located in an emergent tree 120 feet above the forest floor. From here, you will have the opportunity to view the rainforest from a seldom-seen perspective. White Hawks, Howler Monkeys, Anole Lizards and Pygmy Squirrels may be sighted. Meals and overnight at Corcovado Lodge.

Day 4: Corcovado National Park Hike (B,L,D)
After breakfast start off on the six-hour, round-trip hike with a Corcovado Guide, through the park to Salsipuedes Bay. Corcovado National Park covers 136,347 acres and is considered to be the most biologically diverse rainforest in Central America. Walking northwest you pass through primary and secondary forests, a small stretch of mangrove and stretches of beach. This walk is renowned for sighting large flocks of Scarlet Macaws of 20 or more individuals feeding in almond trees. While by no means probable, it is possible to see Tapir at Salsipuedes. Many of our guests have had this thrilling reward for this strenuous hike. Overnight at Corcovado Lodge.

Day 5: Corcovado / San Jose / Savegre Lodge (B,L,D)
Walk 30-45 minutes to the Carate Airstrip with a Corcovado Guide for the Costa Rica Expeditions chartered flight back to San José. Upon arrival in San José, we will stop for lunch and then depart for the three-hour drive to Savegre Mountain Lodge in the Talamanca Mountains in central Costa Rica. Upon arrival you will have the rest of the afternoon free to take a horseback riding tour, go trout fishing or relax. (Afternoon tours are at additional cost.) Overnight at Savegre Mountain Lodge.

Day 6: Cerro de la Muerte Hike (B,L,D)
After an early breakfast, depart by bus for the Cerro de la Muerte Hike. With a local guide, you will walk down the mountain, first through sub-alpine meadows then through the oak forests of the Savegre Valley. This is a 5-6 hour hike, which ends at Savegre Mountain Lodge. Picnic lunch included. Overnight at Savegre Lodge.

Day 7: Savegre / Pacuare River Rafting Class III-IV. Min. age 12 years (B,L,D)
After an early morning breakfast, depart Savegre Mountain Lodge and drive to Finca La Cruz where, depending on road conditions, you may have to switch to a 4x4 shuttle to take you down to the put-in. Depending on the road conditions, you may need to walk for less than one mile. (Driving time to put-in is 3-1/2 hours.)

After an orientation and safety talk by your professional River Guides, proceed down river on continuous Class III-IV rapids. Soak in the Pacuare Gorge�fs beauty as you raft deep into the heart of primary and secondary rainforest. Water level permitting, one of your guides will lead you on a hike up one of the many creeks that spill into the Pacuare. Upon return to the riverbank, you will find a picnic lunch prepared by your guides. Float and paddle downriver to the campsite, where you can spend the afternoon relaxing. At dusk a Costa Rican happy hour is planned, followed by a candlelight dinner with wine served by your guides. River time about 1-1/2 hours. Overnight camping on the riverbank.

Day 8: Pacuare River (B,L,D)
The most beautiful river canyon in the tropics, the Pacuare River cuts through one of those rare pockets of wilderness left on the planet. Today you will wake to the sounds of the Pacuare River canyon and the smells of your guides' cooking. After an early breakfast, you will go on a two-hour guided hike. Upon your return, the rafts will be rigged and ready to continue your adventure down the Pacuare River to the take-out. River time about 4 hours. Mid-afternoon take out. Return to San Jose by van (2 hours). Farewell dinner. Overnight at Parque del Lago Hotel.

Day 9: Departure (No meals.)
Transfer to the International Airport, arriving about two hours before your flight's scheduled departure time.

IMPORTANT: There is a 25-pound weight limit on domestic flights in Costa Rica. Please remember to pack light. If you would like to leave some of your belongings behind, we will do our best to catch it up to you when you arrive at the next destination in your itinerary.