COSTA RICA: Gardens, Conservation, and Forest Reserves
DEC 29, 2026 – JAN 6, 2027
TOUR AT A GLANCE
- 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS
- Land Cost $4,845 per person
- (Does not include airfare to and from San José, Costa Rica)
- Single room supplement $1185
- 2 nights Hotel Buena Vista Chic, Alajuela
- 2 nights Selva Verde Lodge, Sarapiquí
- 2 nights Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal
- 2 nights Xandari Resort, Alajuela
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Activities and meals as mentioned in itinerary
- Full time guide for the duration of your program
- Private transportation and driver for the duration of the program
- Arrival and departure transfers based on individual flight schedules
- Donation of $250 to Northwest Horticultural Society
About this trip
Discover the incredible biodiversity and ecological innovation of Costa Rica while learning about agroecology, conservation, and sustainable food systems on this 9-day program with Northwest Horticultural Society. You’ll explore everything from chocolate and fruit production to forest ecology as you visit a variety of private reserves and gardens, engage with experts, and experience the country’s natural richness through guided hikes and farm-to-table meals. Plus, ring in the new year in the tropics with a “tico-style” celebration
Highlights
- Visit The Green Ark Botanical Garden, whose thematic gardens include over 1,600 species of tropical plants and fruit trees, and then enjoy a five-course, farm-to-table tasting menu.
- Take guided hikes in the private, 500-acre rainforest reserve at Selva Verde Lodge, which provides habitat to countless species of plants and animals, including the endangered great green macaw.
- Sample gourmet chocolate while learning about the history and cultural importance of cacao in the tropics.
- Visit a working farm to learn about the traditional food products that make up the diet of the local community, including pineapple, papaya, bananas, and coffee.
Traverse a series of hanging bridges near Arenal Volcano in order to inspect the vegetation that lives higher up. - Meet an expert on Costa Rica’s native orchids and tour his small, family-run garden, where nearly a hundred orchid varieties are on display.
Itinerary At A Glance
Day by Day
- Dec 29 – Dec 30
- 2 nights – Hotel Buena Vista Chic
- Alajuela
- Day 1 – Tue, Dec 29 (D)
- ARRIVAL
- Day 2 – Wed, Dec 30 (B, L, D)
- THE GREEN ARK BOTANICAL GARDEN,
- ARK RESTAURANT
- Dec 31 – Jan 1
- 2 nights – Selva Verde Lodge
- Sarapiquí
- Day 3 – Thu, Dec 31 (B, L, D)
- NECTANDRA CLOUD FOREST GARDEN,
- SELVA VERDE LODGE & RAINFOREST RESERVE GUIDED HIKE,
- NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER
- Day 4 – Fri, Jan 1 (B, L, D)
- OPTIONAL BIRD WALK,
- SELVA VERDE’S PRIVATE RESERVE GUIDED HIKE,
- CHOCOLATE FARM TOUR
- (B, L, D) – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Jan 2 – Jan 3
- 2 nights – Arenal Observatory Lodge
- Arenal
- Day 5 – Sat, Jan 2 (B, L, D)
- TOWN OF LA FORTUNA,
- FINCA ECOORGÁNICA SARAPIQUÍ
- Day 6 – Sun, Jan 3 (B, L)
- MÍSTICO ARENAL HANGING BRIDGES,
- ECO TERMALES HOT SPRINGS
- Jan 4 – Jan 5
- 2 nights – Xandari Resort
- Alajuela
- Day 7 – Mon, Jan 4 (B)
- XANDARI RESORT
- Day 8 – Tue, Jan 5 (B, L, D)
- LA CATALINA BOTANICAL GARDEN,
- XANDARI RESORT
- Jan 6
- Day 9 – Wed, Jan 6 (B)
- DEPARTURE
Meet Your Host: Daniel Sparler
An inveterate traveler and horticultural enthusiast, Daniel taught Spanish and Latin American Studies for 30 years before retiring in order to indulge his passion for gardening full time. In addition to exploring hundreds of botanical gardens in 45
countries on six continents, Daniel organized and led more than a dozen student tours of Spain, Cuba, El Salvador, China and Austria. His first solo international adventure came at age 17 in the form of an arduous series of public bus rides from Arkansas to Costa Rica and back. Now in his second six-year stint on the board of the Northwest Horticultural Society, Daniel creates the monthly Horticulturally Yours: Plunging into Plantlife column for NHS (click here for the archive). He has taught botanical Latin classes for NHS and other horticultural groups since 2006 and presented lectures and webinars for NHS, Bellevue Botanical Garden and the NW Flower & Garden Festival. When he’s not up to his knees in compost, Daniel enjoys reading Spanish literature and cooking plant-based taste treats.
The tour is SOLD OUT.
If interested, please add yourself to the waitlist.
Click the JOIN WAITLIST button below, which will take you to the tour operator’s site. There, click Join Waitlist again and follow the recommended steps. If openings become available, you will be contacted.