Costa Rica Cultural Experience
Vacation Costa Rica
6 Days / 5 Nights

VISITING: San José, Irazu Volcano, Cartago City, Sarchi and Britt Coffee Farm

LETTER CODES: (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner.

BREEF DESCRIPTION:

DAY 1. Welcome to Costa Rica. Meet & Great at San Jose Airport and transfer to hotel.

DAY 2. Discover the most important sites of San Jose, Costa Rica with our professional tour guide and in a private tour with delicious lunch.

DAY 3. Private tour to Cartago Province, the former Capital City of Costa Rica. Visit the famous Irazu Volcano, Orosi Valley, Ujarras Ruins, the Basilica and more.

DAY 4. Visit the picturesque City of Sarchi & Grecia and learn about the traditional hand painted Ox Carts. Enjoy free time for shopping at the multiple souvenir shops and taste the local flavors with a delicious lunch.

DAY 5. A special day for all coffee lovers. This private tour to Britt Coffee Tour with lunch is a perfect experience for enjoy the best coffee in the world.

DAY 6. Transfer to International Airport. Time to say goodbye. Have a safe and pleasant journey back to home.

Day by Day Itinerary.

Day 1.   WELCOME TO COSTA RICA. Arrival to the International Airport Juan Santamaria. Upon arrival at the San Jose airport, you will be met by one of our representatives how will explain your itinerary, answer any questions and provide you with a packet of vouchers and information about your trip. Transfer to the hotel and free time at leisure.

Day 2. SAN JOSE CITY PRIVATE TOUR. (B, L). Explore our Capital City, San Jose, with a professional guide on this bus & walking unique San Jose City Tour. Starting with a 9:00 AM Pickup directly from your hotel, you will be able to learn about our culture, architecture, customs and traditions. Touring the main streets and avenues, know La Sabana Metropolitan Park, the largest park in the middle of the city where many sport activities can be practice for free now, but in the past, was the main international airport of Costa Rica. This beloved place by the Costa Ricans, houses important attractions such as The Costa Rican Art Museum and former Control Tower of the airport, The Headquarter of the Costa Rican Soccer Federation, The National Gym, The Olympic Swimming Pool, The National Stadium, a Lake and many soccer, basketball, and tennis courses for the free use of the citizens.

In the heart of the city, know our Central Park, which dates from 1885, the main Roman Catholic Cathedral, The Melico Salazar Theater and the National Theater, our most important masterpiece and most beautiful building we have in Costa Rica. Inaugurated on October 19, 1897, our jewel is still our maximum cultural center at national and international level.

Next to the National Theater it is the Plaza de la Cultura. A very popular square where different public and open-air activities are carried out daily. Below the square is one of our most important museums. The Gold Museum. This is belonging to the Central Bank of Costa Rica and its own the largest Pre-Columbian Gold pieces found in our country.

Few blocks East the Gold Museum we have the National Museum, one of the most emblematic and important historical buildings we have in Costa Rica. A former headquarter for the military forces in Costa Rica, back in 1948 and after the civil war, the Costa Rican army was abolishing at this place and the facilities were transformed into the museum. Today, the National Museum protects the pre-Columbian patrimony and preserves the nature and cultural history of Costa Rica. During our San Jose City Tour you will be able to explore this beautiful place with our guide.

After touring San Jose City, enjoy a delicious typical lunch in a small and cozy restaurant located in an old house. This place, called Grandma’s Corner specializes in the preparation of authentic typical Costa Rican meals and they use fresh ingredients from the garden and that are very traditional.

After lunch, continue our San Jose City Tour visiting other important areas of our capital city such as Barrio Otoya and Barrio Amon, two of the most traditional neighborhoods, Parque España, Metal School, The Yellow House (host of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs), The National Center of Culture, The Parque Nacional with our National Monument (representing the Rivas and Santa Rosa Battle), Our National Congress, The old Train Station, The National Library, The Electoral Tribunal and Democracy Square, Parque Morazán and Music Temple.

Driving a little bit west from this area, you can enjoy the beautiful architecture of our Oficina de Correos or Post Office. It is a major landmark and postal center of the city. Completed in 1917, it was designed by the foreign architect Luis Llach in an eclectic style, originally has a pea green colored facade and Corinthian style pilaster. The arch centerpiece contains angels bearing the Coat of arms of Costa Rica.

After all this great San Jose City Tour experience, we will bring you back to your hotel.

Day 3.  CARTAGO HIGHLIGHTS PRIVATE TOUR. (B, L). This popular tour star with the pick up at your hotel. After it, one-hour transfer will take you to the summit of this beautiful volcano.

Irazú Volcano National Park is a National Park in the Central Volcanic Conservation Area of Costa Rica.  The volcano is still active although the last major eruptions were between 1963 and 1965, with occasional minor eruptions and some small lava flows since that time.

The Crater Principal lake has an unusual greenish yellow coloring caused by rainfall dissolving the minerals along the craters walls. It has also been known to change colour to rust-red depending on the minerals present.

The name could come from either the combination of “ara” (point) and “tzu” (thunder) or a corruption of Iztarú, which was the name of an indigenous village on the flanks of the volcano. In Costa Rica, it is known by the name of “El Coloso” (The Colossus) due to the catastrophes that it has provoked in the past.

After the visit to the volcano, you will enjoy the beauty of the Orosi Valley and Town, Ujarras Ruins and Cachi Lake and its Hydroelectric Dam. Lunch included in a beautiful local restaurant before to descend to the historical City of Cartago. Here you will visit the mysterious ruins of the old Parish and view the beautiful Basilica of our “Virgen de los Angeles” with rich displays of carvings, statues and art. Return to the Hotel by 5:00 PM.

Day 4. PRIVATE TOUR TO SARCHI & GRECIA (B, L) Breakfast at the hotel and departure on a private tour to the beautiful cities of Sarchi and Grecia. From San José, just 40 kilometers away, is the picturesque and small town of Sarchi, known throughout Costa Rica for its beautiful and intricate crafts. And memories. Sarchi is perhaps the most widely recognized for its finely colored and decorated bullock carts, which has made this souvenir the most popular in Costa Rican culture.

Costa Rica’s national symbol, the ox cart, plays a key role in the country’s history, as they were used to transport coffee beans and other products to nearby and distant markets and ports. Starting in 1840, most rural roads were very rugged, making the ox cart the only means of transportation for goods and families, although travel could take weeks at times.

Highly adorned, these bullock carts are elegantly decorated and are usually hand painted in bright colors. The painting of the ox cart is a Costa Rican tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, most ox carts in Costa Rica are used as decorations as well as symbols of Costa Rica in celebrations and parades. The oldest and largest cart factory is also located in Sarchi. The Joaquín Chaverri cart factory was built in 1902 and is considered the birthplace of ox cart crafts in Costa Rica.

Plus, throughout the city are dozens of furniture stores and souvenir shops that sell everything from beautifully decorated bowls and trays to carved wooden utensils, jewelry, and masks. Elegant and stylish, many wooden furniture is also available at Sarchi, from tables and chairs to dressers and desks. These items are generally intended for the local market and often reflect the cultural and traditional diversity of Costa Rica.

During this tour we will be able to visit the main souvenir shops, as well as take a picture with the largest ox cart in the world. A typical lunch will be the perfect complement to this adventure. We will also visit the city of Greece, next to Sarchi, where a beautiful Church built entirely in Metal and which was brought from Europe, is the symbol of the city. In the middle of the afternoon we will return to the hotel.

Day 5. BRITT COFFEE TOUR. PRIVATE (B, L) The adventure for coffee lovers begins from your hotel and a relaxing 45-minute tour of the city and province of Heredia, where the Casa de Café Britt is located.

Experience the original coffee tour of Costa Rica at our farm located in Barva de Heredia. Since 1991, more than 500,000 guests from around the world have visited our plantation to learn about and share our passion for Costa Rican coffee.

On our Classic Coffee Tour, our experts will guide you through the life cycle of gourmet coffee. The tour explains from the process of selecting the best seed, nurseries, planting, care, harvesting, harvesting and even the best roasting process. Learn how Costa Rica’s unique climate and diverse landscapes provide perfect growing conditions for gourmet coffee beans.

Learn how experts “break the cup” using coffee tasting or “cup” techniques to identify and qualify the characteristics that qualify a gourmet coffee.

Finally, surrounded by our tropical outdoor paradise and while listening to traditional music, you have the option of savoring a buffet lunch with local ingredients in our Don Prospero restaurant. Visit our cafeteria, order and enjoy the coffee drink of your dreams. Visit our craft store and acquire that beautiful souvenir that you can take to your loved ones.

After lunch, we will return to the hotel. In the afternoon, free time to enjoy the city on your own.

Day 6. AIRPORT TRANSFER. (B). After a wonderful experience in Costa Rica our program comes to an end. Depending on the time of your flight, our staff will provide the transfer to the airport. We hope that your visit and stay has been to your total satisfaction. We wish you a happy and pleasant journey back to your home. Goodbye … Pura Vida

WHATS TO BRING: Hiking Shoes, Bathing Suit, Binoculars, Camera, Beach Sandals, Suntan Lotion, Hat, Mosquito Repellent.

INCLUDE: 5 nights lodging in high quality Hotels, all land transportation within Costa Rica, all airport/ hotel transfers on scheduled arrival/ departures dates only, specified meals, specified tours and taxes.

NOT INCLUDED: International air fare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, and room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

RATE OPTIONS FOR THIS PACKAGE: All our packages are quoted according to our clients budged preferences in 3 categories. Silver, Gold or Platinum. Minimum 2 people.

SILVER PACKAGE	GOLD PACKAGE	PLATINUM PACKAGE
Includes 3 Star Hotels Shuttle Bus Transfers	Includes 4 Star Hotels Shuttle Bus & Private Transfers	Includes 5 Star Hotels Private Transfers
Rate per Person: $1.715	Rate per Person: $1.865	Rate per Person: $2.385

IMPORTANT NOTES:

HOW TO RESERVE THIS PACKAGE: Please send an email to info@greenwaytours.com indicating: Number of passengers adults, children and ages, travel dates and selected category (Silver, Gold or Platinum)

DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENTS: Once you confirm your package selection, we will send a confirmation form and request a 20% deposit. The Balance must be paid 45 days before the arrival date.

SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE: The shuttle bus is a service where a maximum of 6-7 passengers travel in the same vehicle and to the same destination. By this way, we reduce the price of the transfer service and can arrange more economical packages. The service is very good, door to door, with recent model vehicles, full insured and A/C.

PRIVATE TRANSFERS: Exclusive VIP service. Door to Door in deluxe Mini van or vehicle. Recent model vehicles, full insured and A/C.

TRAVEL DATES: You select the best date for you. All our options are available all year around and we just need your travel dates in order to check the hotel’s availability and arrange it.

HOW BIG THE GROUPS ARE: Our vacations are operated in an independent basis and you will not travel as part of a group unless you are part of a group. However, during the transfers and Daily Tours you will travel with other tourist we might have for that particular activity or service.

CAN I CUSTOMIZE A PACKAGE: Yes, you can use our packages as a base and make any change on it. We are very flexible. If these packages do not fit on your desired vacation, just send an email to us and we can prepare a new option for you.

AIRFARE IS NOT INCLUDED: All our options include the Land Portion only. Airfare must be on your own and indicate your arrival and departure dates to us in order to arrange the hotel’s bookings.

HOTEL CATEGORIES: All the hotels used by Greenway Tours had been selected considering the best standards of quality and service. Our hotels are between 3 and 5 stars. All inspected by our company’s owners and managers to guarantee an excellent service. At least 50% of our lodging contractors had been certified as Green Companies by the Costa Rican Tourist Board (Certification in Sustainable Tourism CST).

AIRPORT TRANSFERS: All our packages include Airport – Hotel – Airport Transfers with a professional bilingual tour guide upon your flight arrival.

VOUCHERS & WECOME KIT: During the transfer service to your hotel, our tour guide will provide general information about your tour and give you a welcome kit with all the vouchers and documents you will need for your trip.

FAST AND EASY COMMUNICATION WITH US: We highly recommend the use of the App WhatsApp. This is a very well-known and free communication system. If you already use it, great. Let´s get connected. If not, we invite you to download it in your phone and start using it. Our number in Costa Rica is +(506)8530-2973.