Private Days
Arenal Arrival Day
A one-way private day from the GAM to your La Fortuna hotel, built around a real Arenal experience instead of hours of transfer.
From$350Recommended Day from $350
- Duration
- 7 to 9 hours
- Group
- Up to 5 guests
Why This Day Works
Getting to La Fortuna usually means hours in a van with nothing to show for it but the drive. This family replaces that with one coherent day: pickup in the GAM, a real Arenal-area experience along the way, and a drop at your confirmed hotel instead of a bus terminal.
All four styles use the same route and structure, so the choice comes down to what kind of day you want. Nature and Wildlife & Water both run at a moderate pace. Adventure is built around a single major activity and runs at the most demanding level of the four. Relax keeps things easy if you’d rather arrive unwound than worn out.
Because this is a one-way trip ending at your hotel, a few things need to be nailed down ahead of time: your confirmed La Fortuna hotel, your party’s composition, and your luggage. It has to fit in the vehicle loaded for the drive, so we sort that out with you before the day, not on the road.
Once you’re dropped off, your day is done. Our drive back to the GAM afterward is our own operating time, not something you’re paying for or waiting through.
Recommended Day
Nature
A nature-focused day on the way to La Fortuna, moderate pace, built around the Arenal area's trails and landscapes.
Activity level: ModeratePace: Balanced7 to 9 hours
Your Way & Welcome private-day price
$350 USD
Party size: 1
Make It Yours
- Choose the day's focus: nature, one major adventure activity, wildlife and water, or a relaxed pace
- Activity, thermal supplier, and meal stops chosen around your group
- Pickup coordinated within the standard GAM zone
- Party composition and luggage worked out with you in advance so the day actually fits your group
What stays fixed
- This is a one-way guest journey ending at your confirmed La Fortuna hotel, not a round trip
- Pickup is within the standard GAM zone, and your La Fortuna hotel drop needs to be confirmed in advance
- Your party's composition and luggage need to be worked out ahead of time. It's loaded luggage in the vehicle for a one-way trip, and it has to fit
- W&W's return drive afterward is our internal operating time, not part of your guest day
- Admissions, the activity or thermal supplier, meals, specialists, and your lodging are all paid separately from the W&W price
Photos from this day
There is more to Arenal than one day
The four styles above are the ones we already have built. The area holds a good deal more, and every activity is run by local operators rather than by us: our part is building the day around it and coordinating the pieces. If what you want is not on the list, tell us what you have in mind.
Water
- Rafting
- Tubing
- Lake kayaking
- Boat ride
Land
- ATV
- Horseback riding
- Zipline
- Hanging bridges
- Trails
Calm
- Hot springs
- Birdwatching
- Night tour
What's Included
Way & Welcome normally includes:
- Private vehicle
- Bilingual host and driver
- Fuel
- Ordinary tolls and parking
- Route planning and coordination
- Standard-zone pickup and return, or approved hotel drop
- Standard hospitality items
Paid Separately
These are paid separately from the Way & Welcome day price:
The admission or activity you choose, hot springs when they're in, meals, any specialist, the hotel, and any extra activity you add to the day. Lodging is always separate.
We do not add these into one combined trip total, and there is no processing surcharge.
What to Expect
- Guest duration
- 7 to 9 hours
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Pace
- Balanced
- Group
- Up to 5 guests
- Pickup and endpoint
- A one-way day that ends at your La Fortuna hotel. We need the hotel confirmed, and we count on one suitcase per person. If you are bringing more, tell us in the notes of your request and we will look at it.
- Privacy and format
- The vehicle and the host are yours alone. The activity, the park and the hot springs change format depending on the style you pick, and we tell you which before you book.
- What the walking is really like
Best For
- Guests heading to La Fortuna who don't want a transfer-only day
- Groups who want one real activity built into the drive north, whether that's nature, adventure, wildlife, or rest
- Parties who can confirm their La Fortuna hotel and luggage needs ahead of time
- Anyone who'd rather arrive at their hotel having actually done something, not just ridden in a van
Good to Know
- This is a one-way day. We end at your confirmed La Fortuna hotel, we don't drive you back
- Pickup is standard-zone GAM, and we need your La Fortuna hotel confirmed before the day is set
- Luggage has to fit in the vehicle loaded for a one-way trip, so let us know your party size and bags ahead of time
- Admissions, the activity or thermal supplier, meals, specialists, and your hotel are paid separately from the W&W price
- The Adventure style is built around one major activity only, not several smaller ones stacked together
- On the Wildlife & Water style, sightings aren't guaranteed. Wild animals show up on their own schedule, not ours
Seasonality
The Arenal area sees rain most of the year since it's rainforest country, so we plan the day's activity around what conditions actually allow rather than a forecast.
We plan around the conditions we actually get that day. We never guarantee weather, wildlife or views.
Questions Travelers Ask
Do you drive us back to San José afterward?
No, this is a one-way day. We take you from the GAM to your confirmed La Fortuna hotel, and our drive back afterward is our own operating time, not part of your day.
What's the difference between the four styles?
They're all the same route and structure, just a different focus: Nature and Wildlife & Water both run at a moderate pace, Adventure is the most demanding with one major activity, and Relax is the easiest of the four.
How much luggage can we bring?
Tell us your party size and bags ahead of time. It's a one-way trip with loaded luggage, so it has to actually fit in the vehicle alongside your group.
What's paid separately from the W&W price?
Admissions, the activity or thermal supplier you choose, meals, any specialists, and your La Fortuna lodging are all separate from the W&W day price.
Your day, your party size
Selected style:Nature
Your Way & Welcome private-day price
$350 USD
Whole-party total in USD.
This option is not open for booking right now, so we are not showing a price for it. Tell us what you have in mind and we will take it from there.
The Way & Welcome vehicle and host/driver are private to your booking. Third-party experiences may operate privately, in a shared format, or in public spaces depending on the experience you choose. We confirm the applicable format before booking.
There is more to Arenal than one day
The four styles above are the ones we already have built. The area holds a good deal more, and every activity is run by local operators rather than by us: our part is building the day around it and coordinating the pieces. If what you want is not on the list, tell us what you have in mind.
Water
- Rafting
- Tubing
- Lake kayaking
- Boat ride
Land
- ATV
- Horseback riding
- Zipline
- Hanging bridges
- Trails
Calm
- Hot springs
- Birdwatching
- Night tour