Arrival to San José International Airport Juan Santamaría and transfer to hotel.

Overnight: San José

Meals: Welcome dinner

After breakfast. We will travel to Costa Rica’s highlands.

Upon arrival our first task is to seek after the Resplendet Quetzal, considered by many people to be one of the most beautiful birds on Earth. Revered by Aztecs and Mayans the Quetzal which means; "perfect and pretty" in Nahuatl, language of the Aztecs is a must photograph bird in the highlands of Costa Rica. We will search for the Quetzal early morning and afternoon, and we will have an in between multiflash session to capture the most beautiful hummingbirds of the area.

Overnight: Paraiso Quetzal Lodge or similar.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Today we explore the gardens and surrounding areas of the lodge hoping to get one more chance with your majesty,” the Resplendet Quetzal “and variety of other highland birds. After lunch we will visit a local garden hoping to find the Blue throated emerald toucanet, a small size toucan only found in highland habitats, very good chance to get other highland species of birds.

Overnight: Paraiso Quetzal Lodge or similar

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

This morning we head towards the pacific coast in search of the colorful lowland specialties. An assortment of tanagers, woodpeckers, toucans, and many more colorful species of the area are waiting for us. Among the toucans we hope to photograph the “Fiery billed Aracari” one of the most colorful toucans in the world, also endemic to Costa Rica.

Overnight: Hacienda Barú Lodge or similar

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

This morning we head to the Carara National Park area, specifically the Tarcoles river basin. This avian rich region of Costa Rica will accelerate our encounters with wildlife. Tonight, though we are in search of Owls with the help of a local expert.

Overnight: Cerro Lodge or similar

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Early safari river expedition on the Tarcoles river. We will take advantage of the early morning light as well as the wildlife activity of the area to capture those photos we have been longing to get on a safari like this. Great chances for; American crocodiles, Roseate spoonbill, Osprey, Brown pelican, King fishers, Mangrove hawk, several species of Eagrets and much more, this is just a fragment of the impressive number of creatures we can find in the Tarcoles river.

Return to the hotel for breakfast midmorning, after breakfast we explore the gardens for more photo opportunities and later in the day we try for more owls.

Overnight: Cerro Lodge or similar

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

This morning we continue our journey across the mountains headed northeast, our lunch stop will give us a chance to photograph an assortment of high land tanagers and hummingbirds new to our list, our destination in the Arenal observatory Lodge, located on the foothills of the once, one of the most active volcanos of the planet “Arenal”. Surrounded by a luxuriant rain forest the Arenal observatory property is the perfect place to get you introduce to a tropical rain forest Macro photography session during the night. We will go in search of cool frogs, snakes and creepy crawlies only found at night in this type of habitat.

Overnight: Arenal Obervatory Lodge or similar

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Today we are staying on property ground looking for daytime active frogs, snakes, and variety of colorful bird, such as Great curassow, Montezuma Oropendola, two and three toe Sloths and if we are lucky Capuchin monkeys.

Overnight: Arenal Obervatory Lodge or similar

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Today we venture towards the border of Nicaragua, this lush lowland forest will give us the opportunity to get King Vulture from the blind, after dinner we have a fascinating and challenging experience, a bat photography session in waiting for us.

Overnight: Pedacito de Cielo or similar

Meals: brekfast, lunch and dinner

Busy day today starting with Toucan photography at Diego´s garden, after breakfast we will go for King voltures once more. After lunch we will get another round of Macro photography and hummingbird to bats, presided over by a wonderful dinner at our Lodge.

Overnight: Pedacito de Cielo or similar

Meals: brekfast, lunch, and dinner

Departure for the international airport with a stop in the mountains for one last chance to capture rare and colorful birds at “ Mirador Cinchona” from the one last drive to the central area to get your international flight or else stay in San Jose to get your international flight the following morning.