Clothing Tips

This is a casual tour. Casual wear is suggested for sightseeing and daytime travelling. Dress code for evenings is casual. Suit jackets for men and dresses for women are never required on Caravan's Costa Rica tour. It is recommended to wear drip-dry clothing (such as that offered by Columbia, ExOfficio and Travelsmith) in the rainforest. Shirts with long sleeves and long pants are recommended for rain forest and cloud forest hikes. Pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts are very comfortable in the rainforest. See Travel Tips for more details.

My Tour Price Includes

Virtually everything! Hotels, all meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary pages, airport transfers in select cities, gratuities to hotel porters, restaurant staff and local guides. Caravan’s professional Tour Directors and local guides will be with you every step of the way, ensuring a worry free vacation. They are fluent in English, experienced and fun, ensuring a worry-free vacation.

My Tour Price Does Not Include

Prices do not include air travel, country entry or departure fees, airport porters, visas, phone calls, valet, laundry, all items of a personal nature, extra food and beverages not on the regular menu, and tips to the Caravan Tour Director and Driver. General fees and taxes are additional and listed separately beneath each tour’s price.

Caravan’s $99 Protection Plan Offers Peace of Mind

Caravan’s Travel Protection Plan offers peace of mind if you cancel for any reason whatsoever prior to the departure of the tour. The travel protection plan also includes air, baggage, evacuation and medical coverage. The cost is $99.

Age of Travelers on a Caravan Tour

Usually, you find a mix of different age adult travelers on a Caravan Tour. Children age five (5) and over are welcome, and children usually join tours offered during Christmas holidays, summer vacation and spring break vacation.

A Well-Paced Itinerary

A well-paced and unhurried itinerary is our goal, after all, you are on vacation! Touring days begin and end at reasonable hours and include frequent stops. While the occasional early morning departure is necessary, we do our best to ensure a leisurely vacation.

Preparing for the Tropics

It is recommended to bring at least one pair of quick-dry pants and one quick-dry shirt. The quick-dry pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts are particularly popular. Be sure to also bring a sweater or jacket for the cooler night temperatures. Caravan does not make product endorsements, but many Central Americans feel that Avon Skin So Soft oil (not cream), or Avon's Expedition anti-mosquito spray is effective protection against mosquito bites in the jungle. Caravan does not endorse any vitamin, but please note that Central American pharmacies sell 500 milligram vitamin B-1 tablets, a non-prescription vitamin, as "anti-mosquito" pills. Many Guatemalans take Vitamin B-1 pills and eat garlic for about two weeks prior to and during their visits to the jungle because they believe that the smell of Vitamin B-1 and garlic repels mosquitoes. If you believe this may be of value, consult your doctor for further information on Vitamin B-1 and garlic. Guatemalans also avoid eating bananas in the rainforest, as it is believed that this smell attracts mosquitoes. Also, it is wise to wear light-weight quick-dry long-sleeved pants and shirts in these tropical areas.

Meals

Included meals for each tour are listed at the end of each day. Meals are shown by B (breakfast), L (lunch) and D (dinner). All meals in Latin America are included. Many meals are included in the USA and Canada. Full, buffet, or deluxe continental breakfasts are included everywhere. Coffee and tea are provided at all meals. In Latin America, bottled water is provided free on the motorcoach and purified water is provided at the meals. Alcoholic beverages are not included unless specified.

"I took the tour to see the nature and beauty of Costa Rica. It was beyond my expectations. Several friends had recommended this Caravan tour to me and now I am ready to recommend your company to others."

"This was the best vacation I've had. It is the only way to see Costa Rica."

"The sights were absolutely fabulous! We visited all the places we were interested in seeing. This was an exceptional tour at an exceptional price. The guides were very eco-minded. We received a good education from them and their passion for preserving their environment was contagious. We totally get it. Your Costa Rican tour was awesome."

"The superior lodging and food made our concerns seem silly. We found all the hotels clean and modern and we were exceptionally pleased with the luxury, botanicals and unique character of the J.W. Marriott. We always try to support local artists when we travel, so we were delighted to visit Sarchi with its oxcart factory and its shop with an extensive selection of goods made in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the spectacular and clean pools at Baldi Hot Springs, cruising the Rio Frio; the focus on flora and fauna attracted us to this trip in the first place."

"I was in awe. I was in Costa Rica on vacation. Couldn’t have asked for a better ride from our driver. A first class guy. My first Caravan trip and I would recommend you guys to anyone."

"It is almost impossible to visit a country in one week, but Caravan is doing a wonderful job in Costa Rica. Food was incredible, very fresh, great variety and plentiful. Love all activities. Got to see all birds and animals including the elusive sloth. We had a smooth ride, everything was just wonderful."

"I definitely want you to know our feeling about this tour considering it is one of if not the best tours we have ever taken. Every hotel was very good with outstanding locations - of course the Marriott was over the top. The efficiency that Caravan developed in hotel check-in was easy and fast. The sightseeing was outstanding for sure. We had been to Costa Rica previously and this was by far superior by the extensive destinations geographically seeing most of the country that tourists would be interested in. This coupled with the extremely skilled guide made it superior to what we had seen before. He was so very knowledgeable concerning every possible thing we were witnessing and much more. In addition, he has an extremely entertaining wit. We both had a wonderful time and were amazed at all we got for the $’s."