Arrive To: Arrive in San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport.

Proceed through Immigrations, Baggage Claim and Customs before exiting the secured area of the airport. Please use the exit door on the right. The Road Scholar representative will be waiting outside the exit door with a Road Scholar sign (does not apply to independently booked flights).

Transfer to the hotel and check-in, followed by time at leisure.

Please note that this is an international travel day; no meals or program activities are scheduled on this day. Hotel check-in usually begins at 3 p.m.

Lodging: Hotel Balmoral

San José & Depart for Sarapiqui -
Gold Museum/The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Orientation to the program.

Lecture: An Overview of Costa Rica.

Excursion to the Gold Museum with a site lecture.

This unique underground museum showcases an impressive collection of Pre-Colombian gold. The 2,000-piece collection weighs over 20,000 troy ounces making it one of the wealthiest spots in the nation. For the stamp collector, the complex also contains a philatelic museum, and coin collectors might be interested in the adjoining numismatic museum.

Transfer to Sarapiqui in Costa Rica's Caribbean lowlands.

Lunch: Lunch en route.

Afternoon: Continue with transfer to Sarapiqui.

Sarapiqui is one of the richest sites for birds in Middle America with well over 400 species recorded. Nearby, the La Selva Protection Zone and the Braulio Carrillo National Park form the only significant corridor of forest on the Caribbean slope linking the highlands with the lowlands, a corridor crucial to birds and animals that undertake seasonal altitudinal migrations.

Orientation to the lodge.

Welcome to Sarapiqui with snacks and local music on the patio.

Lecture: The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge.

Lodging: Selva Verde Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sarapiqui -
River Boat Excursion/Cultural Interaction/Visit a Local Plantation/Latin Dance

Breakfast: Early morning bird walk.

Breakfast at the lodge.

Morning: Boat ride excursion on the Sarapiqui River to look for wildlife.

Field trip to a local plantation. Examine the environmental and economic impacts of agriculture in Costa Rica.

Return to the lodge.

Lunch: Lunch at lodge.

Afternoon: Visit the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center (SCLC) to meet with locals for a "charla."

In Spanish "charla" means "chat." During this informative session, led by a local community member, you will learn about life in Sarapiqui. Topics include local ecosystems, immigration, domestic life, and local artisan work. A Q&A session concludes the activity, fostering international communication and understanding.

The Sarapiqui Learning Center (SCLC). Founded by Giovanna Holbrook in the mid-1990s, the SCLC is a registered non-profit organization whose mission is to link communities and conservation through education and ecotourism in the Sarapiqui region. Programs include environmental education, ecotourism activities, English classes, an ecology club, community outreach, a women's group and many others.

Time at leisure to enjoy the lodge grounds. Settle into one of the lodge's comfy hammocks, cool off in the pool, practice your photography skills, or use this opportunity to do some bird watching.

Dinner: Dinner at lodge.

Evening: Latin dance lessons with locals.

Participants learn three styles of Latin dance: Meringue, Salsa, and Cumbia. Local dancers first demonstrate the style of dancing, then lead the group through the dance step by step, and finally have a chance to practice with a partner.

Lodging: Selva Verde Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge.

Morning: Embark on an exhilarating river rafting excursion on the Sarapiqui River.

Return to the lodge to change clothes and get ready for lunch.

Lunch: Lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon: Transfer to Arenal.

Arenal was once Costa Rica's most active volcano and a main draw to the town of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano National Park. The volcano lords over the countryside with its perfectly conical shape and occasional smoke and gas emissions. While minor activity excites visitors, they are rarely acknowledged by the locals who have learnt to accept the antics of the volcano as part of their daily lives. The thermal waters emanating from the volcano, the clean air and the energy associated with Arenal, makes this a favorite destination for health spa enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Arrive at the hotel and check-in.

Time at leisure.

Lecture: The Arenal Volcano.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Arenal Springs Resort

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arenal -
Arenal Volcano National Park/Arenal Hanging Bridges/Farm Life in Costa Rica

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Field trip to Arenal Volcano National Park with site lecture.

The National Park is situated right in the vicinity of Arenal Volcano. Although clouds often obscure the peak of the volcano, during clear days it is possible to see gases and steam rising from the cone. It is interesting to see how the periodic lava flows have contributed to the erratic growth of vegetation in the areas around the volcano.

Excursion to Arenal Hanging Bridges.

This private nature reserve in La Fortuna de San Carlos features a network of standing bridges, hanging bridges, and trails that crisscross 250 hectares of tropical rainforest. The park’s mission is to provide natural history education in a responsible and sustainable way. Visitors are able to view the rainforest from different angles and heights, from ground level to canopy level, learning firsthand about this fascinating and biologically diverse environment.



Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.

Afternoon: Time at leisure to enjoy the hotel's hot springs.

Field trip to a local farm to learn about the history of the farm and the agricultural practices of this fertile region.

Dinner: Traditional dinner at the farm hosted by the family.

Lodging: Arenal Springs Resort

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Transfer to Monteverde. Enjoy a boat ride across Arenal Lake (45 minutes to one hour), followed by an uphill drive on scenic back roads up to Monteverde (about one hour). Bathroom stops will be made along the way.

Arrive in Monteverde and transfer to a local coffee plantation.

Lunch: Lunch at the coffee plantation.

Afternoon: Field trip to coffee farm with site lecture.

Learn about the harvesting and processing of coffee as well as the history of this crop from its beginning in the Arabic countries and Ethiopia. Discover the importance of the golden bean ¨grano de oro¨ and its impact in the social, cultural, and economic development of Costa Rica.

Arrive at the hotel and check-in.

Informal gathering at the hotel bar to watch the sunset.

Lecture: Conservation and Development of the Monteverde Area.



Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Hotel Montaña Monteverde

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Monteverde -
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve/Cheese Factory/The Quaker Story

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Field trip to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve with site lecture.

The edges of this rich forest, often cloaked in clouds and blowing mist, are home to more than 350 avian species and a myriad of other creatures and critters. Monteverde is perhaps most famous for its breeding Resplendent Quetzals, Three-wattled Bellbird, and Bare-necked Umbrellabird. While these charismatic species can be elusive, a host of other cloud forest birds and amphibians are found in the area.

Return to the hotel.



Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon: Afternoon visit to the local cheese factory, the bakery and the cooperative of artisan women's.

Lecture: The Quaker Story.

In 1951 a group of American Quakers, fearful of their nation’s growing militarism, fled the United States. The Quakers found Costa Rica, a nation without a military, to be the most inviting nation for their pacifist beliefs. This group settled Monteverde and intended to transform the area into profitable farmland. The Quakers developed a fairly successful cheese industry but they also recognized the delicate nature of the land and helped establish the area's first wildlife sanctuary.



Dinner: Dinner at a local home - Quaker style.

Lodging: Hotel Montaña Monteverde

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Return to San José - Butterfly Garden/Excursion to Sarchi/Farewell to Costa Rica.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Morning visit to the Monteverde Butterfly Garden and Arthropod Education Center.

Jim Wolfe and his wife, Marta Iris, opened the Monteverde Butterfly Garden in 1989. The couple has been hand-raising butterflies for more than 15 years and knows their preferences and habits. These fragile creatures require extreme care as they develop and grow. Every species feeds on a different variety of plants. Unlike most butterfly gardens, which buy their butterflies as chrysalides, all the butterflies you will see here were bred and raised on the premises.

Begin transfer to San José.



Lunch: Lunch en route to San José.

Afternoon: Transfer to San José via the town of Sarchi.

The crafts town of Sarchi, just a few miles from Grecia, is well known for its centuries-old tradition of making oxcarts. The brightly colored and intricately decorated carts are a national symbol and can still be seen in use in rural communities. Sarchi is also known for its handcrafted furniture and wood housewares.

Arrive in San José and check-in at your hotel.

Time at leisure to start packing, enjoy hotel amenities, or just relax before meeting your group for dinner.



Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Wyndham San José Herradura Hotel & Convention Center (previously a Ramada property)

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Transfer to the Juan Santamaria International Airport for flight to U.S.

Note: Participants with independent travel arrangements and/or scheduled on later flights can keep their hotel rooms until check-out time on this day. Except for breakfast, all other meals are on your own on this day.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel (depending on flight schedule).

Meals Included: Breakfast