Airport Taxes

Customs fees and airport departure taxes are not included in the cost of your tour. The airport departure tax for Costa Rica is $ 26.- USD per person. This exit tax is collected by a tax official at the airport on your departure. Usually, U.S. dollars or the local currency can be used for payment.

Announcements of Planned Activity

The schedule of most activities is indicated on the day by day itinerary. Where the Tour Guide feels that additional information is required, he or she will make an announcement on the motorcoach.

Arrival Hotels

Hotel rooms may not always be available for immediate occupancy. If this should occur, check your luggage with the hotel’s bell captain until your room becomes available. Official check-in times vary. Normally check-in times are in the mid afternoon.

Hotel Incidental Charges

If you make any telephone calls from your hotel room or incur any extra room charges (i.e. drinks or in-room movie charges), please be sure to pay for these incidental charges before you leave the hotel. Some hotels will require you to provide a credit card imprint to the hotel before allowing any incidental charges.

Luggage

The tour rate includes the handling of one piece of standard sized luggage per person. Due to space limitations, suitcase size should not exceed 60" for the combined height and width and depth of a suitcase, or 25" for the longest side of the suitcase. Garment bags and canvas or nylon fold-up type luggage cannot be carried. Experience shows that garment bags do not stand up well when stored in aircraft, motorcoaches, etc. with regular hard luggage.

One small handbag and/or small flight bag may be personally carried on board the motorcoach. You are responsible for handling your carry-on luggage at all times. Please do not ask your tour guide to lift your carry-on bags for you. For the comfort and safety of all tour members, wheeled luggage exceeding 18” in length is not acceptable as carry-on luggage, and must be checked as regular luggage.  Unlike an airplane, the motorcoach does not have sufficient room to store this type of luggage in the overhead compartments or under the seats.

Due to space limitations on the Tortuguero boats, each person is permitted to take only one carry-on bag with a maximum weight of 25 pounds to Tortuguero. You leave your main suitcase behind at the San Jose hotel. When your motorcoach meets you at the Tortuguero canal cruise dock after your two-night Tortuguero trip, your main suitcase will be awaiting you on the motorcoach.

We suggests to pack clothing for warm and hot weather: 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 changes of shirts, a rain poncho, a swimsuit, and a sweater or jacket for the air conditioned bus. We also recommend footwear that has a bit of a tread and will not slip on wet surfaces. Walking shoes, hiking boots and sneakers are all acceptable.  However, open-toed shoes and sandals are NOT acceptable in the rainforest.

Quick dry clothing (especially a pair of convertible pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts) is recommended for your visit to the rainforest.  You may also pack flashlight, binoculars, camera, extra camera battery, extra memory cards or film, sunscreen, insect repellent, photocopy of your passport's photo and information page, photocopies of your credit cards, photocopies of necessary prescriptions for eyeglasses or medicines (carry photocopies separately from your passport, credit cards and prescriptions).

Meals

Meals included in the land price are indicated in the itinerary. Coffee or tea is provided at all included meals. We have found that the hotels and restaurants are unable to make provisions in advance for special diets such as: low-salt, diabetic, kosher, etc. and clients with food allergies should note we are unable to make any guarantees concerning food preparation.  Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are not included.