Compare The Panama Canal & Costa Rica - Eastbound 2020 by Tauck vs Highlights of Costa Rica by Explore!

Day 1 Arrive San José

Tour begins: San José. Welcome to Costa Rica! A transfer is included from Juan Santamaria International Airport to the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San José or InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.

MEALS : D

LODGING : InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall

PORTOFCALL : San José, Costa Rica

Day 2 San José gold & Sarchi crafts

San José city sightseeing today includes visits to the Baroque-style, 19th-century National Theatre, a grand symbol of civic pride dating back to 1897 – its interior glistens with Baroque gold overlays and Carrara marble – and the Gold Museum, which houses pre-Columbian works of gold crafted by indigenous islanders. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Sarchi, an artisans’ hamlet outside of San José where workshops display the traditional painted carretas (ox carts) and other handmade products bearing the colorful starburst designs that have become a symbol of Costa Rica. After returning to the hotel, the rest of the afternoon and evening is free to spend as you wish in San José.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall

PORTOFCALL : San José, Costa Rica

Day 3 Coffee, waterfalls, wildlife & your cruise begins

Near-perfect growing conditions have made coffee one of Costa Rica’s most important exports. Begin the day with a visit to a working coffee plantation, where the soil and altitude make for ideal growing conditions. Your guide explains how the beans are produced and roasted and how different microclimates affect the taste. Next, head to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a rainforest eco-park known for spectacular waterfalls and flowing white rivers, where you’ll enjoy lunch and an afternoon of eco-discoveries. This protected reserve buzzes with the sounds and sights of wildlife; residents include toucans, butterflies, spider monkeys, two-toed sloths, red-eyed leaf frogs, pumas and jaguars – to name a few of the 100+ species. Embark your ship late this afternoon in Puerto Caldera for the start of your Panama Canal cruise.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 4 Carara National Park & Pura Vida Gardens

Your ship arrives at Playa Herradura for a choice of shore excursions offering a range of eco-activities. One includes a walking tour in Carara National Park with a local naturalist guide, after which you'll learn about various coastal bird and wildlife species on a mangrove boat tour just outside the national park; another choice offers a more active, faster-paced walk in the park, followed by the mangrove cruise. A third choice features a visit to Tropical Forest Sky Walk near the boundary of Carara Biological Reserve, where you’ll hike across suspended cable bridges skimming the top of the rainforest, up to 126 feet above the ground; from your lofty perch, you’ll see the marshlands of the Tarcoles River and views of the ocean in the distance. Your guide will point out species of birds, monkeys, butterflies and other mammals that you may encounter. Still another possibility is a visit to the spectacular Pura Vida Gardens, whose beautifully manicured gardens are bordered by one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. Pura Vida is home to over 60,000 flowering plants, including 60 varieties of heliconia, ten varieties of ginger, and orchids; look for butterflies, macaws, parrots, parakeets, toucans, kingfishers, birds of prey, and waterfowl. After your tour, enjoy a traditional lunch in the garden restaurant.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 5 Adventures at Quepos

Call on the city of Quepos this morning, a perfect jumping off point for a choice of excursions in Costa Rica's eco-wonderland.  They include a walking tour with a naturalist guide in Manuel Antonio National Park, where you’ll find coral reefs and white sand beaches, considered among the most beautiful in Costa Rica, lined with rainforest; a faster-paced, guided early-risers walking tour of the park; an exciting river float trip* on the Savegre River (which will include lunch); or a horseback ride through a mountain forest. Back aboard the ship, enjoy dinner at your leisure tonight, as your ship sets out from Quepos, bound for the Pacific Ocean.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 6 A day at sea on the Pacific

Enjoy a relaxing day at sea today, taking advantage of your Explorer Class ship’s many amenities as you make your way across the Pacific Ocean waters off Panama's coast, bound for the remote Darien region of Panama. Throughout the day, your Tauck Directors and naturalist guides will circulate about the ship answering questions – sharing their experiences and scanning the horizon for marine mammals and pelagic birds – and will also offer compelling lectures.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 7 The Embera people of the Darien

Today you’ll stop in the beautiful but remote Darien region of Panama, calling on Play del Muerto for a wet landing by Zodiac craft to visit an indigenous community of the Emberá people, whose lifestyle remains largely unaffected by modern times. You’ll meet the locals, watch them perform traditional dances, see how they live, and perhaps purchase some of their “Cocobolo” wood or “Tagua” vegetable ivory carvings. Return to the ship for lunch; enjoy a naturalist lecture this afternoon as your yacht begins preparations for tomorrow’s entrance into the Panama Canal.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 8 Transiting the Panama Canal

This morning, your ship begins to position for her transit of the Panama Canal. Opened in 1914 and considered an engineering marvel of the 20th century, the Panama Canal opened trade to the Americas by creating a transit path between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Thanks to the canal, today ships traveling from New York to San Francisco save over 7,000 miles by not having to chart a course around South America. Before our crossing, we'll welcome aboard a canal pilot, the local navigation professional who will guide our ship under the Bridge of the Americas, through Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks, into the narrow Gaillard cut and into Gatun lake, before finally clearing the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. Your Tauck Director, Tauck Naturalist and an official of the Panama Canal Authority will provide both technical and historical information about this engineering wonder.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 9 The Guna people of the San Blas Islands

Your yacht arrives in the archipelago of San Blas today, where you’ll transfer by Zodiac for a wet landing at Holandes Cayes. Here, you’ll visit Guna Indians, whose language and customs reflect lives with few outside influences, women sell handmade molas – reverse-appliquéd fabrics with brilliant images of fish, birds and jungle animals – and fishing is still done by canoe. After your visit to a Guna village, you can spend a leisurely afternoon swimming and snorkeling before returning by Zodiac to your ship. Join us for the Captain’s farewell dinner tonight, as your yacht sails to Colon, Panama.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Dumont d'Urville

Day 10 Gamboa Rainforest & crossing the Isthmus

After completing the Panama Canal crossing, your Explorer Class vessel arrives this morning at the port of Colón, where you'll disembark and bid your ship and its crew a fond farewell. Once ashore, learn more about the Panama Canal on a visit to the Agua Clara locks. Then start across across the Isthmus of Panama; during a stop at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, you’ll choose between an aerial tram ride with a naturalist through the rainforest at eye-level with exotic birds and animals (aboard the only gondola of its kind in Panama), or a boat cruise along waterways leading to hidden islands, where you might spot monkeys at play.  After lunch at a local restaurant, continue across the Isthmus to Panama City; check into your hotel in the city's heart this afternoon. Spend the rest of the day and evening as you wish in historic Panama City.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Hilton Panama

PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

Day 11 Exploring Panama City

Begin today’s exploration of Panama City in its key historic district, Casco Viejo; a walking tour will show you this walled cobblestoned city, built in the 1670s at the foot of Ancon Hill, to provide safety from attack. The area is a gem of Spanish colonial architecture in various stages of redevelopment, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; you’ll also have free time to explore on your own. After lunch at a local restaurant, tour the former Canal Zone, driving through Ancon Hill, a lush residential enclave that was home to US military facilities until a 1977 treaty granted Panamanian sovereignty over the “Zone;” Albrook, a former US Air Force Base; and Clayton, once a US Army base. Then enjoy a fascinating visit to the exhibits and gardens of the Biomuseo, the Panama City biodiversity museum designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Please join us tonight to cap your memorable Panama Canal cruise experience with a farewell reception and dinner at your Panama City hotel.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Hilton Panama

PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

Day 12 Journey Home

Tour ends: Panama City. A transfer from the Hilton Panama or JW Marriott Panama to Tocumen International Airport is included. Please allow at least 3 hours for check-in formalities.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

Day 1 Join trip in San Jose

Our tour starts today in San Jose, Costa Rica's cosmopolitan capital. Lying in a fertile valley, at an altitude of 1,150 metres, coffee and sugar are big industries here - coffee is even planted between buildings and along the roadsides on the outskirts of the city. For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for a welcome meeting, and for those that wish there'll be the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in San Jose at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), which is around a 30-minute drive from our hotel. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to head out and explore the city - the barrios are easy to navigate, laid out in a grid pattern of avenues and streets. The National Museum (Museo Nacional De Costa Rica) is also well worth a visit.

Meals Provided : None

Day 2 Visit the active Poas Volcano, drive to Arenal

This morning, we'll head to Poas Volcano National Park (a one-hour drive away), where you can spot the smoke from one of Costa Rica's most active volcanos rising majestically from the tropical rainforest. At almost a mile in diameter and 314 metres deep, the main crater is one of the largest in the world. It has erupted 40 times since 1828, most recently in April 2017. Due to recent volcanic activity, time at the crater viewpoint is restricted to 20 minutes. If activity increases again, the authorities may choose to close the park - in that case, we'll visit the Doka coffee estate instead for a tasting session of Costa Rica's finest export. Our next stop is the provincial town of Sarchi, just over a one-hour drive away, well known throughout Costa Rica for its intricate arts and crafts. The town is famous for producing decorative oxcarts, one of Costa Rica's national symbols. We'll meet Don William, a local artist, who will teach us how to paint a traditional oxcart with some of the patterns and designs familiar to the area. Afterwards, we'll continue to Arenal (around a two-and-a-half-hour drive) to catch our first sight of the famous Arenal Volcano. This classic cone, which rises to 1,633 metres, is covered by a tangled mass of vegetation on one side, while the other is starkly barren. Our accommodation for the next two nights is in La Fortuna. The town was renamed after an eruption in 1968 that decimated the towns around the volcano's western flanks. Translated as 'fortune' , La Fortuna refers to the town's luck in being located on the volcano's eastern side, and so, fortunately, escaping destruction. This evening, we can make the most of the local geothermal activity by enjoying an optional dip in nearby hot springs.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 3 Wildlife float trip on the Penas Blancas river, free afternoon with optional activities including a waterfall hike

The Arenal area is well known for its diverse wildlife, and this morning we'll set out on a tranquil rafting safari to spot some of the most sought-after species. There is no white water here, we'll simply be floating down with a local guide, who will scour the water and the canopy to point out a variety of colourful creatures from toucans and sloths to Jesus Christ lizards and caiman. We'll most likely see capuchins swinging from the trees, and a wide array of birdlife during the float trip. The afternoon is free to explore Arenal at your own pace. There are beautiful local hikes to waterfalls and along lava trails if you'd like to make the most of the surrounding nature, or those keen to relax can enjoy the hot springs in the area. Our tour leader will be able to provide information on all the options.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 4 Drive to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, night walk through the forest

Today we'll travel around Arenal Lake up into the cloud forest region of Monteverde - one of the most well-known places in Costa Rica to see wildlife. Perched on the Continental Divide between the Pacific and the Caribbean, it's thought that there has been indigenous habitation in Monteverde since 3000 BC. However, the turning point in its recent history came in 1950, when a group of pacifist Quakers from Alabama moved here to avoid subscription in the Korean War. They sought a lifestyle in a country in which they could embrace their peaceful beliefs and continue to cultivate their dairy farms. These families went on to establish the community of Monteverde and some of its famed cloud forest reserves. The drive to Monteverde will take approximately four and a half hours from Arenal. On arrival, you're free to enjoy one or several of the many optional activities available in the area. One of the most popular activities is to walk the hanging bridges that extend over the reserve, giving you the chance to get a bird's eye view over the canopy. Couple this with the thrill of zooming through the trees on a zip wire and it makes for an exhilarating afternoon. For something less adrenaline-filled, you could choose to visit the local butterfly or orchid garden. This evening, we'll have a guided night walk in the cloud forest, in search of nocturnal species such as pacas and tarantulas.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 5 Drive to Manuel Antonio National Park

We'll leave Monteverde by mid morning. If you'd like to pack in more nature before we leave, there's the optional activity to revisit the cloud forest reserve in the early morning. The paths here wind their way through gigantic ferns, underneath the lichen and moss that hang from the giant trees. The famous, but now very rare, quetzal is commonly seen in this area, one of the last remaining places in Central America where its habitat has been preserved. Sacred to the ancient Maya and Aztec peoples, it's considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world and the best time to see it is during its breeding months of March and April. Leaving the cloud forest behind us, we'll descend to the Pacific Coast, enjoying staggering views over the Gulf and Peninsula of Nicoya. Heading south, we'll cross the Rio Tarcoles Bridge, from which huge crocodiles are regularly seen. We'll stop at Carara Biological Reserve, famed for the scarlet macaws and abundant birdlife which populate this transitional forest. Finally, we'll continue along the Pacific Coast to Manuel Antonio National Park, where we'll spend the next two nights. Our journey time today will be approximately four hours.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 6 Explore Manuel Antonio's wildlife and beaches

Manuel Antonio National Park is famous for its beautiful beaches and rich wildlife. We'll spend the morning exploring the park, where white-faced capuchin monkeys swing from the trees, and poison-dart frogs hide under the protection of lush tropical plantlife. Coatimundi (part of the raccoon family), tiny squirrel monkeys and howler monkeys also make their home in the park - we might spot them on our exploration. Manuel Antonio is also one of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths. As their diet of leaves and buds gives them little energy, sloths move only when necessary and even then very slowly, making them very easy to spot! Our guides will know where they are most likely to be found. The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing on the white sandy beaches and enjoying a swim in the warm azure waters. The sunsets from this coast are spectacular and have to be seen to be believed. It's worth noting that, whilst beautiful, Manuel Antonio is an increasingly popular destination and so might be busier than you'd expect. Please note that Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays. If Day 6 of your departure falls on a Tuesday, our included park visit will take place on Day 7 instead.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 7 Free morning in Manuel Antonio National Park, return by vehicle to San Jose

This morning is free to relax in Manuel Antonio. You could choose to revisit the park (depending on the day of the week) or relax on the beaches around the town. Around midday, we'll leave the Pacific Coast, driving back inland to San Jose - around a four to five hour drive.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 8 Trip ends in San Jose

The trip ends this morning at our hotel in San Jose. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), approximately a 30-minute drive from our hotel.

Meals Provided : Breakfast