COLOMBIA - PANAMA - COSTA RICA

Day 01. Bogota. Arrival to Bogota. Colombia's capital is located in the geographical center of the country at 8500 ft. (2600 meters) above sea level. Meet up at the airport, transfer to your hotel. Accommodation for 3 nights. Your hotel is in La Candelaria, it is Bogotá's heart and soul. Look out on to endless views of the colonial red tile roofs and the domes of the Church of San Ignacio. All around are aristocratic mansions, unexpected beautiful churches, museums, universities and theaters. Here for five centuries the cultural and academic life of Colombia has taken center stage. Enjoy a welcome drink and general orientation with your Tour Guide.

Day 02. Bogota - Monserrate Hill - Historic Center - La Candelaria. Today you will see the best of Bogota during our author's full day tour. After breakfast, you will transfer to the Monserrate Hill, the main symbol of Bogota located at 10300 feet (3.152 meters) above the sea level. Prepare for a great ride by a scenic cable car up there where the home of the Monserrate Sanctuary, a famous pilgrimage site is. From the Hill, you will appreciate the beautiful Bogota views and landscapes. Take a moment to look at the Stations of the Cross: all in all lovely. Here is the Monserrate Sanctuary. The Governor of the New Kingdom of Granada, what the majority of Colombia was called in the 17th century, Mr. Juan de Borga authorized the building of a church in the name of Monserrat's Morena Virgin whose sanctuary was located in Barcelona, Spain. Enjoy this very beautiful place of peace and harmony. Then you will transfer to the historical district La Candelaria with Bolivar Square. The historic center of Bogota is best seen on foot. Fun walking along the little streets in La Candelaria, a vibrant section of the city with small shops, ancient churches and a lot of history. There are old houses and building of Spanish colonial and baroque styles. You will make a tour through the historic Quinta de Simon Bolivar, the place where the liberator lived. You will visit the Gold Museum, home of the world's largest collection of pre-Hispanic goldsmith and visit the Botero's museum which contains a stunning collection of works by Fernando Botero and many other globally recognized artists. (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 03. Bogota - Zipaquira - Guatavita - Bogota. Today you will drive out of Bogota to the visit a magical and spiritual underground Salt Cathedral at Zipaquira built some 600 feet (180m) within a salt mine with some small chapels representing the Stations of the Cross. The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira is one of the 7 wonders in Colombia. Then you will get a panoramic tour around Zipaquira main square. Continue to the charming Andalusian-style town of Guatavita. Here is a Guatavita Lake within the crater of a volcano that was sacred to the ancient Chibchas, and home to one of the legends of El Dorado. Guatavita Lake was a sacred lagoon for the Chibchas aborigines. The legend of El Dorado has its origin in the myth through which the Zipa (Chibchas' chief) submerged in this lagoon with his body covered with gold dust, stickled with honey, meanwhile offering beautiful gold pieces to the god of the lagoon. Many of the pieces showed at the current Gold Museum were found in this place. An evening return to Bogota. (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 04. Bogota - Panama City - Sightseeing tour. Early check out. Get Box-lunch. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Panama City at 9:04 AM. Arrival to Panama City. Meet up at the airport, transfer to your hotel in Panama City. Accommodation for 2 nights. Enjoy a welcome drink and general orientation with your Tour Guide. Sightseeing tour to Panama City. Mindboggling skyscrapers and colonial mansions, colorful city markets and modern commercial centers, five-century-old ruins and controversial elite living projects-Panama is a city of contrast; city, which will definitely amaze you. Today there are three Panama Cities in Panama: Old Panama, Casco Antiguo, and New Panama. In the Old Panama, also known as Panama La Vieja, there are ruins of cathedrals from the early XVII century, monasteries and bridges, is the site of the original city founded by Pedro Arias de Avila in 1519. New Panama is a modern city, whose special feature is a well-preserved part Old Casco Antiguo, where there are numerous constructions from the colonial era. An old part of New Panama, Casco Antiguo was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Panama City has the tallest skyscrapers in the region. In a "millionaire spot", there are more of them than in the entire Central America. Panama is growing right before our eyes: American investments, second in the world in its size (after Hong Kong) offshore zone, third in the world in the amount of actions banking center. Today you will visit an inhabited zone of the canal - an ex-zone which was populated by Americans that were building the canal- and one of the most beautiful streets in the capital-Balboa Boulevard, which stretches along the coast of the Panama bay. This boulevard connects yesterday's Panama with an area of magnificent skyscrapers: 50th street, banking center, regions Punta Paitilla and Punta Pacifica. You will visit mysterious ruins Panama La Vieja, Casco Antiguo-a picturesque region with narrow streets, squares and parks, where to this day the majority of the history of the country, which survived rebirth and reconstruction, got preserved. Casco Antiguo has a mix of architectural styles, including Caribbean, Republican, Art Deco, French, and Spanish Colonial. You will spend a great time in one of the most interesting regions-San Felipe, which is a location for a three-hundred-year-old Presidential Palace. It is also called Palace of Herons-Palacio de Las Garzas. Not far from the Presidential Palace on a cathedral square, there is a magnificent church with two towers, encrusted with mother of pearl, sparkling under the bright tropical sun. You will stroll down the Square of France, visit San Jose Church, and find out about the history of the rescue of its unique golden altar. After that, you will follow to the foot of a historical Cerro Ancon, which is topped by a flag of the country. Visiting the Panama Canal's Miraflores Locks operation where you’ll observe vessels passing through the canal at close range from an observation point above the locks. Your private guided tour includes various exhibits regarding the canal’s history and its international importance. In 1904, the United States began building a canal that would link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans like never before, making trade and travel both faster and safer. Today, roughly 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal each year. You’ll also enjoy lunch at the new onsite restaurant overlooking the locks, Atlantic & Pacific Co. Lunch in the restaurant's private dining room, where floor-to-ceiling windows provide an unparalleled view of the canal, dramatically lit for 24-hour operation. After lunch, you will follow to the Amador Causeway -the most amazing neighborhood in Panama City, which used to be three separate islands in the ocean: Naos, Perico, and Flamenco. They are connected together exactly by the same rocks which were broken off the mountain during the digging of the Panama Canal. There is a road leading to Amador, on both sides of which there are palm trees reaching for the sky and an endless Pacific ocean. Transfer back to the hotel for the evening. (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 05. Panama City - The Embera Native Village at Chagres National Park. Today you will visit one of the most exotic places in Panama- National Park Chagres. You will be awaited by an excursion to an Indian tribe Embera-Vounaan, an unforgettable adventure. Crossing the lake by boat and then taking a pirogue down the river Chagres, then overtaking the jungle vegetation, you will get to National park where there is an Indian settlement, which preserved their ancient traditions. At first, you will be delivered to a small waterfall, where you will perform a small water feat-swim across a small lake and receive a light shower with clear streams of walling waters. The path to the waterfall is not easy, rocky and leads along a little river with picturesque shores. Mellow-paced young Indians will let you enjoy swimming in the lake to the fullest. Here you will be honorably met with an orchestra of tom-toms and other musical instruments and guided to a local restaurant in the open air, where you will try Indian food, take part in rituals and dances. Return to the hotel in Panama City. In the evening, you are awaited by a folk show with dinner. Music of Panama consists of a mix of Indian instruments and rhythms, Spanish colonialists, African slaves, and other nationalities that arrived for the construction of the Canal. All this brought forth the development of one of the most beautiful and energetic rhythms in Latin America. It is an allegorical play featuring music of Panama and taking place in a hall with amazing acoustics. Dancer girls wear traditional outfits - polleras-hand embroidered dresses covered with jewels. An unforgettable evening will leave you with the best impressions of the culture of Panama and its beautiful musical population. Night in Panama City. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner- show included)

Day 06. Panama City - San Jose, Costa Rica - Poas Volcano National Park - La Paz Waterfalls Garden - La Fortuna (Arenal). Early check out. Get Box-lunch. Transfer to the airport. Flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Arrival to Alajuela. Meet and direct departure to the Poas Volcano National Park. Poas volcano is a powerful symbol of geothermal forces that formed Costa Rica. Scenic drive to the top of Poas, one of the world’s widest accessible volcanic craters. Stand on the edge and look down into the bubbling blue cauldron. This volcano, whose crater reaches 1.5 km in diameter periodically spews from its depths columns of steam and gas. However, the climb to the crater is completely safe for the tourists. Poas is surrounded by a cloudy tropical forest: ancient trees stand alongside with beautiful orchids and bromeliads. Here giant umbrella-leafed gunnera has gained a name for itself «an umbrella for the paupers», thanks to its huge leaves. Surrounded by coffee plantations, Poas volcano is majestically rising 8878ft above the sea level. The view of a main crater of the volcano, and a turquoise lake hiding inside it, will definitely leave a lasting impression in your mind. The second crater, Laguna Botos, is a clear rain-fed lake surrounded by jungle that is reached by a walk through a dwarf cloud forest. Next - visiting La Paz Waterfalls, Butterfly Farms and feeders, with myriads of hummingbirds flocking around them. Lunch is a buffet, which consists of traditional Costa Rican meals at a mountain restaurant with natural cascades of a flowing downwards river. After lunch -transfer to the area of the Arenal Volcano - one of the youngest volcanoes of Costa Rica. This area is designated as a special park-natural habitat. Volcano Arenal is a tall mountain of a perfect conical shape. Arenal heats the water for the hot streams, which are located under unique pools. Your hotel is so conveniently located, that you can see a panoramic view of the Arenal, and the tropical jungle will open its embrace. Accommodation for 2 nights. (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 07. La Fortuna Waterfall - Tabacon Thermal Streams. Today you will visit the La Fortuna waterfall. The whole trip you will be accompanied by the omnipresent Arenal volcano. As you rise into the evergreen shaggy mountains, you will observe colorful natural landscape. Cascading down flow of water creates a beautiful lagoon-a natural pool with cool clean water - it is exactly here where you will definitely feel the whole joy of being in Costa Rica! You will come down to the foot of a waterfall and bathe in its cool waters. After such wonderful activity- filled time there will be a pleasant relaxation time in an unforgettable world of best thermal spas in the country, where you can bathe in relaxing hot baths of multiple natural pools, surrounded by strikingly colorful tropical vegetation. Four main life elements gathered here, creating a heavenly spot for getting away from earthly problems, for physical and mental relaxation and replenishment of personal energy. This is a bustling energy of Arenal, plus thermal pools of the river taking its place right at the foot of the volcano, plus charming flora and fauna of the surrounding moist tropical forest and peaceful aroma of the air. Here we will spend the rest of the day and have dinner in best traditions of the country, overlooking the nighttime Arenal. An evening return to your hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 08. Lake Arenal - Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Breakfast at a hotel. Today you will go to one of the most interesting ecological regions of Costa Rica- the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. You will travel to Monteverde in a very romantic way, taking a boat ride across the Lake Arenal, and getting to its other side in about 40 minutes. After that, your journey will lay across mountain spaces of the country with a visit to a Costa Rican rancho, where you can enjoy some homemade coffee taste locally made quesadillas. After that, you will arrive to Monteverde. Accommodation for 2 nights. (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 09. Monteverde - Hanging Bridges. Breakfast at a hotel. An incredible walk across Hanging Bridges, which will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the jungle for a bird’s eye view. Monteverde Hanging Bridges are the embodiment of a great engineering art, perfectly following all safety precautions. You will walk across eight bridges of varying lengths: from 186 to 438 feet. Entire trip will be approximately 2 miles. The treetop walkways are suitable for people of all ages and physical condition. One advantage of the suspended bridges is that you will be able to see up close, the variety of vegetation that lives in harmony on the trees who serve as "hosts" for numerous orchids, bromeliads, ferns, moss and vines. Monteverde is called "a cloud forest". It is always cool here, and often there is a mild drizzling rain. This creates perfect conditions for amazing nature. Enormous trees, covered with moss and parasites, various lianas: all amidst what seems to be fog, but in reality is clouds covering the mountains in which the park is located. (Breakfast included)

Day 10. Monteverde - Manuel Antonio. Breakfast at a hotel. Departure to the Pacific Ocean coast of Costa Rica, to a territory of a National park Manuel Antonio. The road is incredibly beautiful, and lays serpent-like along the mountains that blend with the horizon. The landscapes are so picturesque, that they remind of the masterful hand of a skilled artist. Along the road, there are numerous peasant shops with tastiest domestic cheese and plentiful Costa Rican natural sweets. During our casual stops, you will have time to enjoy communication and consumption of this country's culinary treasures. Your travel will continue until the Rio Grande de Tarcoles. You will have a chance to observe enormous 12-ft long American crocodiles from a bridge. You will also get to see iguanas and colorful Ara parrots. Time for lunch. After lunch, you will continue your way to a popular tourist town of Quepos, located next to the national park Manuel Antonio. A stop at a unique spot - a restaurant-airplane, which opens to magnificent views to Manuel Antonio bay. Time to take pictures. Arrival to the hotel. Accommodation for 2 nights. In Costa Rica, the locals exclaim "Pura Vida!" - Or the "Pure Life". Your experiences will be about just that - the taste of fresh-picked bananas and pineapples, the touch of a butterfly on your fingertip, the lush smell of a cloud forest, the peacefulness of the Pacific coast. Experience it with all your senses! (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 11. Manuel Antonio Park. Breakfast at a hotel. A tour to the Manuel Antonio Park. The abundant wildlife in this famous nature reserve is most active in the early morning, so we make sure to get an early start. Small in its area, Manuel Antonio contains a charming combination of rain forest, magnificent beaches and a clean ocean. The forest is home for sloths, sleepily hanging from among the leafy depths, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkeys and millions of colorful little crabs. And the trail that winds around Punta Cathedral affords some spectacular views. Experience the forest, life in the estuary, mangroves, lagoon, and rainforest as you amble through the park. The vegetation is impressive, includes everything that makes a tropical forest brim with life: mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes growing thickly on every tree. Here you can freely observe white-faced monkeys and pizotes (is a species of coati) - peculiar animals that walk around without any fear of humans. The main attraction of this park is its fourth beach. After the acquaintance with the park, there will be some leisure time on the beach. Your hotel will be conveniently located near the park and ocean, so you will be able to have a wonderful evening enjoying the sights of the ocean and going for a swim. (Breakfast included)

Day 12. Manuel Antonio - San Jose. Breakfast at a hotel. Enjoy Manuel Antonio! Manuel Antonio offer the uniquely breathtaking fusion of scenic mountain beauty and an active lifestyle. Between the main town and the national park, there are several excellent beaches in the area. Here, you can enjoy the wide variety of activities such as swimming, hiking, surfing, simply relaxing or get our Optional Excursions. Check out and transfer to the airport for flight home. * Transfer to airport of San Jose: 2, 5 hrs. (Breakfast included)

Price per person in USD for a group of 10 pax min / Taxes and Fees included
Double occupancy DBL	$2589
Single occupancy SGL	$3088

Price includes:

• 11 nights at the 4**** hotels.
• Daily breakfast.
• 8 full lunches according to the program.
• 1 full dinner according to the program.
• 1 full dinner-show according to the program.
• Flight Bogota to Panama City one way.
• Flight Panama City to San Jose, Costa Rica one way.
• A daily transport according to the program.
• English - speaking guides throughout the whole route.
• Entrance fee according to the program.
• Gratuities for airport transfers provided by Milavia International, baggage porterage.
• Hotel bellboys.

Price does NOT include:

• International flight. The cost is confirmed during the tour reservation. Participants make their own arrangements on the airline of their choice.
• Meals NOT mentioned in the program.
• The cost of additional tours and visits along the route.
• Airport Tax departure from Costa Rica - $29 per person. An airport departure tax of $29 is required upon leaving Costa Rica at the end of the trip which may be paid in cash (dollars or local colones) or using a debit card/credit card (extra fees apply).
• Gratuities for the guides & drivers. You will soon realize that the professional in-country staff is working round-the-clock to ensure the success of the experience. Gratuities are a small way to say thanks.
• Travel and Medical Insurance. Offered for an extra charge. We strongly recommend purchasing a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment.
• Tour Operator does not include insurance into the price of a tour.
• Tour Operator highly advises a Buyer to purchase tour insurance, which is offered at an additional price.
• Buyer has a right to purchase tour insurance from a company of their choice.
• A buyer carries full responsibility for the purchase or rejection of tour insurance. 

Payment:

• A full payment of a group tour is required 90 days before the beginning of the tour. If payment is not received by the due date, the reservations are subject to cancellation.
• Tour payments are only accepted in bank transfers to the bank account of Milavia International, Ltd, in a bank in the USA. Credit cards are not accepted as a method of payment.
• The payment for the tour should only occur after the Buyer is provided with a final invoice. The Tour Operator provides a Buyer with a final invoice, which indicates the deadline for the payment. The Buyer is required to comply with the deadlines for the payment, or his/her order is automatically terminated. The fee for the reinstating of the order is US$250.
• In order to confirm reservation, need a deposit of $150 per person will be included in the price if a Buyer agrees to this tour.

Vouchers:

• Vouchers for the paid service are sent out electronically 10 days before the start of the tour.

Cancellation and monetary refund policy:

• Cancellation request of the tour must be sent by e-mail address: milaviainter@gmail.com
• Cancellation fees per person:
• Cancellation of a ground part of the tour program 89- 61 days before its beginning: 20% of program price.
• Cancellation of a ground part of the tour program 60 -31 days before its beginning: 50% of program price.
• Cancellation of a ground part of the tour program 30 days before its beginning and an NO SHOW: 100% of program price. No monetary refund would be offered.
• Cancellation due to extreme weather conditions: no monetary refund would be offered.
• Unpredictable events (force majeure). There are events that can cause a tour to be terminated, in which case the Tour Operator is not responsible for financial refunds. Such events are war, revolution, strikes, terrorist threat, natural disasters, fires, and other unpredictable circumstances. The Tour Operator holds no responsibility for these events, thus has no financial accountability to return the funds to the Buyer. Tour operator strongly recommends to purchase the tour insurance and offers it for an additional fee.
• Any claim must be made in writing within 15 days after the tour.

Important: The YELLOW FEVER IMMUNIZATION

• All participants who transit from Colombia to Costa Rica are obliged to have a valid evidence of the yellow fever immunization (a yellow slip). Those who fail to submit the yellow slip at the border will not be admitted to Costa Rica.

Health Problems: If the passenger has health problems or physical limitations of any kind, it is essential to let Milavia International, Ltd know at the time of booking.

What you should bring: Everyone travels differently, and while we do not require that you follow this list exactly, please use it as a guideline for deciding what to pack. What we highly recommend:

• Two pairs of comfortable walking shoes with rubber soles.
• Shoes well closed around the ankles.
• Light clothes for the hiking.
• T-shirts and shorts.
• Jeans or khakis.
• Light and ventilated thick cotton socks.
• Swimming suit.
• A small backpack with sunglasses, solar protector, band-aid, repellent, drinking water, camera, towel, regularly taken medicine.

What we do not recommend:

• Expensive jewelry or other valuables.
• Heavy backpack.
• Heavy hiking boots.
• Expensive electronics.

The Tour Operator Milavia International chooses accommodations that balance comfort, charm and authenticity-an important combination, as we have learned through our many years in business. We mostly choose accommodations that have been specifically designed to place us “where the action is.”   The selection of our accommodations very seriously, as the places we stay can often add to the delight and authenticity of a nature travel experience. Double accommodations have twin beds or one bed that sleeps two, such as a double, queen or king.
The Tour Operator Milavia International includes all activities listed in the tour itinerary page. Milavia International does not sell any optional activities which can add hundreds of dollars to your tour price. Your free time is scheduled in great settings where there is no need to buy additional expensive activities.
Please check today to make sure that you know where your passport is and that it is not expired or about to expire. Your passport must be valid for at least three months from the start of your trip. If your passport expires within three months of your arrival date in Mexico, you may not be granted entry.
Plan to carry a photocopy of your passport with you at all times during the trip.
Please check today to make sure that you know where your passport is and that it is not expired or about to expire. Your passport must be valid for at least three months from the start of your trip. If your passport expires within three months of your arrival date in Costa Rica, you may not be granted entry.
Plan to carry a photocopy of your passport with you at all times during the trip.
Most cell phones will work in Latin America; however, the rates will be much higher than within North America. Please check with your cell phone carrier. No matter what you decide, if you plan to have a cell phone in Costa Rica, please keep in mind that the group will travel through many areas where cell phone service will be limited or non-existent. Do not expect to be in phone contact on a daily basis.

Our pictures from this tour:

• Colombia: https://milaviainter.com/en/colombia1.php
• Panama: https://milaviainter.com/en/panamas.php
• Costa Rica: https://milaviainter.com/en/costa.php

Reservation Form