A local guide. A small group. A pace that fits your family. That’s how we do Costa Rica.
Our rio celeste tours and our Arenal full day are the two trips travelers ask us about the most. Both are run by Tropi Explore, a family-run team with certified local guides who plan the day around your pace, your kids, and what you actually want to see. No giant buses, no fixed scripts.
Below you’ll find what’s included in each tour, what the day looks like, what to bring, and the price. You can do one, the other, or both back to back.
Tour 1: Río Celeste and Maleku’s Village
Activity: Río Celeste & Maleku’s Village
Pick up location: Nayara
Pick up time: 7:00 AM
Duration: 6 to 7 hours
Price: $149 + Taxes
This is one of our favorite days to share with travelers. You get rainforest, one of the most photographed rivers in Costa Rica, a real Costa Rican lunch, and an afternoon with the Maleku all in the same day.
What the day looks like
We pick you up at 7:00 AM from your hotel and head north. The drive takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, and honestly, the countryside on the way is half the experience rural towns, farmland, mountains in the distance.
Once you’re at Tenorio Volcano National Park, your naturalist guide takes you on a 2.5-hour hike through the rainforest trails. They’ll point out tropical birds, monkeys, reptiles, and the plants that make the forest tick. If you’ve never walked with a local guide before, this is where you’ll see the difference they spot things you’d walk right past.
The two big stops on the hike: the Río Celeste Waterfall, which really is that turquoise blue (it’s not edited), and Los Teñideros, where two clear rivers meet and turn blue through a natural chemical reaction. Your guide will explain how it actually works.
After the hike, you’ll have refreshments and a traditional Costa Rican lunch at a local restaurant not a tourist buffet, a real place where Ticos eat.
In the afternoon, we visit a small cultural representation of the Maleku Indigenous Community. You’ll learn about their traditions, spiritual beliefs, customs, ancestral history, traditional medicine, and the meaning behind their handcrafted ceremonial masks. It’s a chance to talk with community members directly not just look at a museum exhibit.
Nature, culture, wildlife and a great lunch in one day. That’s why this tour gets booked again and again.
What’s included
- Transportation
- Bilingual and certified guide
- Hydration
- National Park entrance ticket
- Optical devices (telescope)
- Lunch: rice, beans, green salad, plantain (one protein option fish, chicken fillet, or bisteak)
What to bring
- Long pants or shorts
- Closed-toe shoes
- Reusable water bottle
- Eco-friendly sunscreen and repellent
- Camera
- Rain jacket
Tour 2: Arenal Full Day Hanging Bridges, Volcano Hike and La Fortuna Waterfall
Activity: Hanging Bridge + Volcano Hike + La Fortuna Waterfall
Pick up location: Tabacón
Pick up time: 7:45 AM
Price: $160 + Taxes
If you only have one day in the Arenal area, this is the one we tell people to do. Three of the best things to do in the region, in one well-paced day, with a guide and private transport between each stop.
Hanging Bridges
We start the day with a calm walk through the tropical rainforest. The hanging bridges are an easy, family-friendly way to get into the canopy, so kids and grandparents can both enjoy it.
Your guide walks with you, helping you spot monkeys, sloths, colorful birds, frogs, and whatever else the forest decides to show you that morning. And in the background the Arenal Volcano, which makes every photo from up there look much better than it has any right to.
Included: Transportation · Bilingual and certified guide · Hydration · National Park entrance ticket · Optical devices (telescope)
What to bring: Long pants or shorts · Closed-toe shoes · Reusable water bottle · Eco-friendly sunscreen and repellent · Camera · Rain jacket
Volcano Hike
This is a family-friendly hike, not a climb. The trail is scenic and well-marked, and your certified naturalist guide walks at a pace that works for everyone in the group. Along the way, they’ll talk you through the volcano’s history, point out wildlife, and stop at the spots with open views of the cone and the old lava fields.
If anyone in your group has been worried that “hiking a volcano” sounds intense it isn’t. This is a safe, calm introduction to Arenal that beginners and first-time hikers can do.
Included: Transportation · Bilingual and certified guide · Hydration · Optical devices (telescope) · National Park entrance fee · Fruits
What to bring: Long pants or shorts · Closed-toe shoes · Reusable water bottle · Eco-friendly sunscreen and repellent · Camera · Rain jacket
Typical Costa Rican Lunch
After a morning outside, you sit down for a Casado the classic Costa Rican plate. It’s filling and it’s what people actually eat here:
- Rice and beans, green salad, and sweet plantains
- Choice of protein: chicken fillet or beef steak
- Served with a fresh natural fruit juice
La Fortuna Waterfall
We close the day at La Fortuna Waterfall. Here’s what you’re walking into:
- 500 steps down into a green canyon (and yes, back up)
- A swim in the cool, clear pool at the base of the waterfall
- A 70-meter (230-foot) cascade that makes for some of the best photos of your whole trip
A swim after a morning of walking is the right way to end a long day.
Included: Waterfall entrance fee · Bilingual tour guide (English and Spanish) · Private transportation in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle · Hydration · Towels
What to bring:
- Swimming suit
- Change of clothes
- Camera
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
Want to Plan Your Costa Rica Trip With Us?
Whether it’s Río Celeste, the Arenal full day, or both back to back we’ll put together a plan that works for your group. No pressure, no upselling. Just tell us when you’re coming and we’ll take it from there.