Day 1:  Panama City, Panama
Welcome to Panama City at the junction of continents and oceans.  Our representative will meet you and transfer to your hotel beautifully set on the bay. La Concordia Hotel

Day 2: Panama City
This morning, you explore the ruins of historic Panama la Vieja northeast of downtown with your bilingual guide, who will describe the history leading up to the eventual movement of the capital city to its present location. The city was founded 1519, and is the oldest Spanish settlement on the Pacific, with a population of about 10,000 in the mid-17th century. You can climb up the old cathedral tower, and visit the Panama La Vieja Museum and the Panama Canal Museum.  The Casco Viejo, old city compound, dates from the late 1600s and is home to monuments, including those to Simon Bolivar, Ferdinand de Lesseps and other Frenchmen, who participated in the ill-fated attempt of the French to construct a canal through the country.  After lunch at a typical Panamanian restaurant, you discover the Panama Canal area, including the town of Balboa, formerly part of the Panama Canal Zone. Visit the Miraflores Locks, where large ships can be seen transiting the canal. A presentation by the Panama Canal Authority gives you an interesting look at the history and workings of the famous canal. Late this afternoon, return to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.  La Concordia Hotel (B,L)   

Day 3: Panama City / Ella Drua Emberá Community / Panama City
Early this morning, you have the opportunity to meet members of the Ella Drua Emberá Community, who live near the Soberania National Park. The Amerindian population of Panama includes seven indigenous peoples: Ngäbe, Kuna (Guna), Emberá, Buglé, Wounaan, Naso Tjerdi (Teribe) and Bri Bri. In this active Embera village, you are welcomed as they share their traditions and culture. With about 80 residents, the community is tucked away in the hills and jungle on Gatun Lake. The women wear brightly colored wrap skirts called parumas while the men sport traditional cloths and beaded jewelry. The Emberá are master artisans known for their textiles such as woven baskets and for masks and carvings that use cocobolo wood and tagua nuts. Enjoy the traditional music and dance of the Emberá and a traditional lunch. You can opt for a short hike in along the botanical trail at the community before returning to your hotel. La Concordia Hotel (B)

Day 4: Panama / San Jose, Costa Rica
Today, you are off to San Jose, Costa Rica’s lovely capital city and home to a quarter of the population. Upon clearing immigration and customs, you exit the airport to meet your driver and guide who will be waiting for you.  Board your private van, and sit back to enjoy the 1.5-hour drive to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is home to four spectacular waterfalls, the world’s largest butterfly farm and an enchanting hummingbird gallery.  Spend a few hours hiking the trails as you come close to these powerful waterfalls, before you return to San Jose and check into your hotel.  The remainder of the day is at leisure. Grano De Oro Hotel (B)

Day 5: San Jose / Turrialba
Head out early this morning for a river adventure on the Pacuare River, about two and a half hours from San Jose. Enjoy breakfast en route.  The Pacuare River is ranked as one of the top five rivers in the world for whitewater rafting!  What earns the river this acclaim is its 18 miles of Class III-IV rapids and some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Costa Rica.  Savor the thrill of the rapids, as well as the natural beauty that surrounds the river such as cascading waterfalls and an abundance of tropical flora and fauna.  Check in to Costa Rica’s premier eco-lodge, Pacuare Lodge tucked away in the heart of Costa Rica’s most pristine rainforest on the banks of the river.  Surrounded by nature in its purest and most primitive state, you experience that most coveted of travelers’ rewards – the opportunity to savor the spirit of a place.  The lodge was designed and constructed to blend with the surrounding environment with minimal impact. It has been recognized by the World Tourism Organization as one of 65 examples throughout the world of good practice in sustainability and ecotourism.  The jungle view rooms are among the newest rooms and were especially designed for families.  Each features a canopy king-size bed, hardwood flooring, spacious terrace with hammock, and a private bathroom with heated water and rainforest view.  Pacuare Lodge  (B,L,D)

Day 6: Turrialba
Awaken to bird songs and the soothing sound of the river.  Today is at leisure to simply relax and savor your surroundings or opt for some of the optional activities available. The lodge employs a resident naturalist guide who can provide unique insights into ecology and wildlife of the area.  Optional activities here include a fun and exciting tree-top tour along a series of transverse cables through the jungle canopy and the highest rappel of the Original Canopy Tour in Costa Rica. You can hike the trails used by the Cabecar Indians for centuries; or enjoy a personal visit with a Zutkia, or Cabecar medicine man to learn about the Cabecar’s relationship with nature. Encounter members from the community of Bajo del Tigre, who make this jungle habitat their home. Go horseback riding guided by a local horseman. Explore the river region and rainforest.  You can set your own pace today. Pacuare Lodge  (B,L,D)

Day 7: Turrialba  / Arenal
Midmorning, you depart by raft for a fun-filled day of whitewater rafting over Class III-IV rapids.  Stop for a delicious picnic lunch along the river.  At the end of the run, you can change clothes before being transferred to Arenal, about three hours. Check into your hotel, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Leading Spas of the World and has been recognized by both Spa Finder’s Readers´ Choice Awards and Travel & Leisure.  Nestled within the flat, rich lands of San Carlos, Arenal Volcano rises up from the rainforest like a natural monument.  One of many remarkable sights in the area, this mountain of fire symbolizes the adventure and mysticism of the region.  Known as the adventure capital of Costa Rica, the region’s attractions include Arenal National Park, Fortuna River Waterfall and Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve. With its rolling hills, cattle farms, rainforest, and Costa Rica’s largest lake, the area’s verdant landscape is a cornucopia of bio-diversity. Optional activities include visiting Fortuna River Waterfalls; rafting on the Sarapiqui River, with its Class II, III and IV rapids; a floating safari, with Class I- II rafting, takes you through the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge; and canyoning, which entails rappelling down four walls, including three waterfalls. Kayak Lake Arenal. Hike a volcano in the national park to learn about its ecology. For extreme adventure lovers, the Venado Caves challenge you with wall climbing, sliding through mud-holes, hiking in underground rivers to explore these unique caves.  Your clothes are likely to be ruined, but the adventure makes it worth it.  Mountain bike on an old dirt road and take in view of the volcano, lake and rainforest.  This area is also considered one of the premier sites on the continent for bird watching, and is home to other animals such as sloths, three types of monkeys, caimans, lizards, bats and a myriad of native flora. Nayara Springs Villa (B)

Day 8: Arenal
Go on a discovery hike through a 243-hectare/600-acre reserve of lush vegetation. Your experienced guide will help you spot some of the native flora and fauna. The trail itself is 3.1 km/1.9 miles long and crosses nine fixed bridges and six suspension bridges.  It is laid out at a maximum grade of seven degrees so that anyone can walk it.  The Arenal Ecoglide canopy is built following the highest standards and has two separate cables to insure safety. The canopy consists of 15 cables and 18 platforms that are divided into three sections mostly in the trees, which are designed to provide visitors greater contact with nature.  You can also try the optional “Tarzan Swing,” similar to a bungee jump. Nayara Springs Villa (B) 

Day 9: Arenal / Guanacaste
This morning, you are picked up at your hotel for the two-hour drive to Guanacaste. Sit back and enjoy the drive which travels from lush rainforest to the tropical dry forests of the Guanacaste Savannah.   Upon arrival, you will check in at hotel Rio Perdido. The remainder of the day is at leisure to enjoy the facilities at your four-star, 20-room hotel. It boasts a thermal river with hot-spring pools, spa treatments and an award-winning restaurant. Rio Perdido Hotel (B) 

Day 10: Guanacaste
Today you are free to peruse your own interests such as a visit to the hot springs, biking mountain trails, go canyoning, or enjoy the spa. Rio Perdido Hotel (B) 

Day 11: Guanacaste / Tola, Nicaragua
This morning, you will cross the border to Nicaragua and will be transferred to Tola about two hours or so, where you will enjoy 3 nights of leisure enjoying the area. Malibu Popoyo Boutique Hotel (B)

Days 12/13: Tola

Malibu Popoyo is not just a hotel, a surf break, a retreat center, a restaurant, or a yoga studio. It is all of these and so much more. It offers a curated experience, with something for explorers, adrenaline junkies, and first-timers. The goal is to immerse you in nature, culture and vitality, so you leave with more life in your mind, body, and spirit. At Malibu Popoyo, you score an all-access pass to soak up all that Nicaragua has to offer.

Enjoy these days at the beach and leisure time.  Malibu Popoyo Boutique Hotel (B daily)

Day 14 : Tola / Liberia , Costa Rica depart
This morning, you will be transferred back to Costa Rica border and will be transferred to Liberia Airport to board your flight back home (B)

Disconnect from your usual routine and technologies to reconnect with nature, adventure, and yourself. We provide everything you need to push your physical limits, to stimulate your mind, and to stir your soul.

Land price, per person, double occupancy:  From US$350 per person per day