Day 1: Arrival in San José

You travel individually to San José airport. We will be happy to advise you with the appropriate flight connection in good time before your trip. After your arrival, you will be driven directly to our first accommodation, which is located near the capital San José.

After check-in, you will have time to recover from your journey. In the beautiful garden of the hotel you can photograph the first beautiful orchids and tropical flowers.

Overnight stay in San José.

Day 2: On the road to Boca Tapada Region

After breakfast, you will meet your local photo guide. You check out of the hotel and make your way to the Boca Tapada region. This region lies to the north of San José. The small lowland rainforest area is a paradise for birdwatchers and nature lovers. After lunch, with a bit of luck you will be able to take some great photos of toucans on the hotel grounds.

Overnight stay in Boca Tapada.

Day 3: Bird photography in Boca Tapada

Our accommodation covers an area of 500 protected hectares and provides direct access to nature via numerous trails in the tropical rainforest. There are also platforms to take photos of the wildlife from no more than four metres.

The day is spent photographing a wide variety of birds. In the evening there is a photo session with bats.

Afterwards, dinner and overnight stay in Boca Tapada.

Day 4: The journey continues to Arenal

After breakfast, there will be a photo session with king vultures in the lodge’s photo hide. You will then check out for the transfer to Arenal. On the way, you will reach a farm that is home to free-flying macaws. With a little luck, you will be able to take great photos of the colorful parrots.

You will reach the Arenal volcano in the afternoon. This volcano is the most active and youngest in Costa Rica and is considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Since the beginning of the active phase in 1968, it has continuously spewed lava and there have been glowing lava flows. Recently, the volcano has become somewhat quieter.

In the late afternoon you will arrive at your accommodation. After check-in you will have some free time at your disposal. Dinner and overnight stay in the Arenal Volcano area.

Days 5 & 6: Discovering the Arenal Volcano

You will spend the next two days around Arenal Volcano, photographing it in the best light at different times of the day. You will also discover the breathtaking wildlife of the region and take great photos of frogs, snakes and lizards. You will be supported in your search for the small creatures and thanks to creative lighting you will succeed in taking exciting macro photos.

You will also walk around the huge area of the accommodation in search of wildlife. At the feeding stations you are sure to get great shots of birds. From numerous vantage points, look out for monkeys, the rusty-bellied guan and the collared macaw. There is even a waterfall on the grounds of the accommodation.

Overnight stay and dinner in the Arenal Volcano area.

Day 7: Journey continues to the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota

After breakfast, you will check out. You will then travel on to a small town located at the foot of the imposing Talamanca mountain range. The highest point of the mountain range is the Cerro de la Muerte. At 3’451, this mountain is also the highest point on the Pan-American Highway. In this jungle region you will experience a breathtaking diversity of species. You will photograph the unique tropical biodiversity with rushing mountain streams, fresh cool air, orchids and moss-covered trees.

Upon arrival, you will check in at our lodge. Afterwards, you will have free time.

Dinner and overnight in San Gerardo de Dota.

Day 8 & 9: On the road in the jungle of the cloud forest

The next two days you will discover the amazing biodiversity of the Cerro de la Muerte region with your camera. We will take you to the best photo spots to take great photos of the beautiful Quetzal and highland hummingbirds. For photography of a wide variety of colourful birds, our local photo guide will take you to the best locations. Thanks to special equipment and the right camera settings, you will get great photos of these beautiful animals.

Dinner and overnight in San Gerardo de Dota.

Day 10: Onward journey to the Carara region

Early in the morning, set off with your camera in search of the beautiful quetzal. After the photo session, you return to your accommodation for breakfast and check-out.

You will then be transferred to the Carara region, where you will arrive in the afternoon. Our accommodation is located in extensive tropical gardens in the immediate vicinity of Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River.

You set off in search of exciting photo opportunities on the spacious hotel grounds. From the viewing platform, you are sure to take some atmospheric photos of the sunset.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Carara region.

Day 11: Boat trip on the Tárcoles River

Before breakfast, take a boat trip on the River Tárcoles and look out for animals. Afterwards, return to the hotel for breakfast and time for a break. In the afternoon, you will go on another discovery tour by boat.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Carara region.

Day 12: Return to San José

After a final photo session around the accommodation in the morning, breakfast awaits you. Afterwards check-out and drive to San José. On the way there will be a break for lunch. After check-in, you will have time to rest a bit and take some last shots of Costa Rica’s tropical flora and fauna in the garden.

Dinner and overnight in San José.

Day 13: End of the photo tour and departure from San José

On our last day, you will check out after breakfast together. Afterwards, you will be transferred to San José airport for your individual journey home or onwards.

Who is the photo tour suitable for

This photo tour is aimed at both beginners and advanced photographers. You have a basic knowledge of shutter speed, aperture and ISO and are able to set these on your camera. On this photo tour, you will be individually supervised according to your photography skills.

Costa Rica in May

We have deliberately chosen May as the travel time to show you Costa Rica at the best time of the Green Season and to guide you through the country away from the tourist crowds. We will definitely have rain on this tour, but rain is part of Costa Rica, because without it the country would not be so incredibly beautiful green. After the rain, the air is always beautifully clear, the waterfalls are impressive and the colours in nature are saturated. Great light moods are guaranteed in May and you will succeed in taking beautiful pictures.

The temperatures in Costa Rica in May range between 15 and 30 degrees, depending on the region. It is the perfect temperature to explore the beauty of Costa Rica without it being too hot or too cold.

Clothing

The weather is very changeable in September and can even be chilly. Sun, rain and wind alternate. It is best to just let the weather come to you and pack a good mix of clothes.

We recommend breathable functional clothing using the onion principle, which transports sweat to the outside without losing heat and dries quickly.

Also important are well-worn hiking boots with appropriate tread soles. You should definitely pack rain jacket and rain trousers with you.

Photo tour itinerary

We will put together the exact daily programme on site at short notice in order to be able to respond to the respective weather and light conditions.

In between, there is always some free time to relax a little, explore the surroundings individually or take part in image discussions and tutorials on request.

Fitness level

You have a good basic level of fitness to be able to take part in shorter hikes to the photo locations. Depending on the weather, we will also hike up to beautiful viewpoints with the photo equipment.

Half double room

Single travellers can book half of a double room. If there is no other guest who wants to share the room, the single room surcharge will apply.

Insurance

We strongly advise you to purchase insurance for cancellation and return journey costs, which will be needed in the event of a secluded region being evacuated, a local hospital stay or return travel costs to your home country.

Travel information FDFA

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) regularly publishes information on countries where there are potential security or other risks. The FDFA’s travel advice is based on its own sources of information that are considered to be trustworthy. This travel advice can be found on the FDFA website: www.eda.admin.ch

The Terms and Conditions

TCs of Amazing Views Adventure Tours apply, as well as all other conditions which are listed in the descriptions for the respective trips.

Prices

Prices are subject to change (in particular due to exchange rate fluctuations).