Costa Rica Self-Drive

With airport lounge access included, you'll begin your holiday in suitably relaxed fashion before your overnight flight to San José, where you'll be met for a private transfer to your hotel. Costa Rica's capital is a treasure trove of historic neighbourhoods, home to faded colonial gems, boutique art galleries, interesting museums, colourful street art and a quirky culinary mix of refined restaurants and charming local eateries. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, exploring the city at your own pace.

To make life easy, we'll arrange for your hire car to be delivered to your hotel before you set off on the next leg of your journey, that sees you head to the town of Monteverde, located at the southern edge of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This small Quaker settlement is the jumping off point for one of Costa Rica's most important and precarious ecotourism projects. A battle to keep developers at bay and protect the precious ecosystem of the cloud forest has been raging for more than three decades, but for those who brave the region's rugged dirt roads, the rewards are huge, with an astonishing 2.5% of the world's biodiversity held within its borders. You'll spend two nights here, giving you a full day to explore the reserve's walking trails and to learn about some of the vital scientific work, taking place. We recommend a private tour in the cloud forest reserve (supplement applies) for a fascinating walk through the trails, spotting up to 500 bird species and the myriad wildlife for which Costa Rica is so well-known.

Today you'll set off to the canton of San Carlos and the imposing cone-shaped peak of the Arenal Volcano. The landscape here is exceptionally beautiful, a sea of forests, lakes and fields, dotted with palm, pineapple and citrus farms. Check into your chosen hotel for a two-night stay, and spend the following day exploring the mesmerising landscapes, beautiful waterfalls and volcanic hot springs of the Arenal National Park. It's well worth heading on a private tour of the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges, one of the country's best eco-tourism projects, that will see you walk among 250 hectares interlaced with wooden paths and bridges, alongside stunning volcano views and an extraordinarily diverse range of flora and fauna.

Stay: Tabacon Grand Thermal and Spa (Superior)

The final stop on your self-drive tour will be the beaches of Costa Rica's north Pacific Coast. The landscape here, made up of a series of beautiful forest-fringed bays, is truly breathtaking. You'll enjoy a five-night stay here, with plenty of time to relax on the gorgeous golden sands – the beautiful beaches of Tambor, Montezuma and Malpais beaches are highlights – and dip your toes in the warm, tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. Here, your luxury lodge offers an idyllic retreat with bays on the doorstep home to turtles and framed by jungles that hold the incredible amount of biodiversity. While you're here, enjoy the likes of wildlife walks, spa treatments, private surf lessons and wine-paired dinners under the stars.

Your self-drive adventure through Costa Rica comes to an end today. After breakfast at your chosen hotel, drive to San José's international airport in time for your onward flight, arriving on day 13.