Custom Family Costa Rica Adventure
Dates, Prices & Info
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Trip Pricing
- Trip Price (based on our 7-day sample itinerary)*
Adult: $5095
Child (10 & under in a double): $2795
Child (10 & under in a triple/quad with 2 adults): $2495
*Costs vary depending on itinerary and group size.
Other Notes: Trip prices are per person based on double occupancy and are given in U.S. dollars. For a single room, add $795. A 25% per-person nonrefundable deposit is required to reserve your space.
Group Size
Please call an Adventure Specialist at 800-543-8917 for group size limitations.
Included
Accommodations, services of an NHA Expedition Leader and driver, local guides and lodge staff, meals and drinks as specified in your confirmed proposal, most gratuities, activities, airport transfers on Day 1 and final day, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Not Included
Travel to and from start and end point of trip, any meals and drinks not specified in your confirmed proposal, airline baggage fees, alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees, optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry and internet, etc.), airport and departure taxes, required medical evacuation insurance, optional travel insurance.
Physical Requirements
Easy
Because this is a trip designed to meet your needs and interests, we can develop an itinerary based on your physical abilities to the best extent possible. This trip generally does not require a high degree of physical fitness, although a number of short walks are involved. All activities are optional. Travelers should be aware that the heat and humidity may be high and roads may be bumpy. Some long drives are necessary on this trip. Children may need to be a certain age to participate in some activities.
Because this is a trip designed to meet your needs and interests, we can develop an itinerary based on your physical abilities to the best extent possible. This trip generally does not require a high degree of physical fitness, although a number of short walks are involved. All activities are optional. Travelers should be aware that the heat and humidity may be high and roads may be bumpy. Some long drives are necessary on this trip. Children may need to be a certain age to participate in some activities.
Important Information About This Trip
When you choose Natural Habitat Adventures for your custom Costa Rica family adventure, you may select from a wide range of smaller luxury and deluxe hotels and lodges. As the world’s premier nature travel company, we focus solely on small-group journeys and avoid the large impersonal hotels that devalue an authentic nature experience. Please consult with one of our Adventure Specialists to determine which hotels and lodges can best accommodate your group’s size and preferred travel style.
Costa Rica contains some of the world’s greatest natural treasures, which make it a family adventure paradise. This sample itinerary features some of the most exciting and interesting activities for families within this ecologically diverse country. The itinerary is designed with families in mind, including accommodation options that offer family rooms and some that allow young children to participate in scheduled activities. Because it is a custom adventure, we will check availability on your dates of choice, and while you will be traveling independently, you may accompany other guests from each camp as well as share a naturalist guide on wildlife drives, forest walks and other activities. Please note that there is a minimum age limit of 8 years for the zip line, and a minimum age limit of 9 years for rafting in Sarapiqui. Our recommended hotels and ecolodges combine comfort and atmosphere with the highest quality nature and wildlife experiences. Depending on the time of year and the movements of wildlife, accommodation selection will heavily influence the quality of your adventure. Our team of Adventure Specialists can help you choose the best combination of locations for your specific dates. Call our experts at 800-543-8917.
Mandatory Insurance
Since the areas we travel to are remote and wild (that’s why we go there!), we strongly recommend that all guests have, at minimum, medical evacuation insurance for this program. While this is not required, we make this strong suggestion in the interest of our guests’ safety. We recommend that your chosen independent insurance plan includes at least $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage.
To protect your investment and to provide peace of mind while you travel, we also strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance. Plans may cover everything from medical treatment to trip cancellations and delays and lost luggage. Please contact our office if you would like more information about the medical evacuation and comprehensive travel insurance policies we offer by calling 800-543-8917.
Itinerary
The following itinerary is a sample. To customize this itinerary to your wishes and preferences, please contact me.
Day 1: San Jose, Costa Rica
Our representative meets your family on arrival at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica’s thriving capital, and joins you on the transfer to your hotel. Get a preview of the lush flora and fauna in store as you wander the paths around the hotel’s extensive tropical gardens, home to a wide variety of colorful birds. At dinner this evening, your naturalist guide will provide an overview of the highlights ahead, plus details about tomorrow’s adventures.
Day 1: San Jose, Costa Rica
Our representative meets your family on arrival at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica’s thriving capital, and joins you on the transfer to your hotel. Get a preview of the lush flora and fauna in store as you wander the paths around the hotel’s extensive tropical gardens, home to a wide variety of colorful birds. At dinner this evening, your naturalist guide will provide an overview of the highlights ahead, plus details about tomorrow’s adventures.
Day 2: San Jose / Sarapiqui—Rafting / Tirimbina Rainforest Center
Depart the city and head north to the protected rain forest in the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui, an outstanding ecotourism destination where you’ll experience the thrill of a rafting through the jungle on the Sarapiqui River. Continue to Tirimbina Rainforest Center, an 850-acre reserve dedicated to research and environmental education, and learn about the region’s bats. Joined by a resident guide, make a night excursion into the rain forest on foot to examine the mist nets that scientists put up to trap and study bats. Spent the next two nights at the ecolodge run by the center.
Depart the city and head north to the protected rain forest in the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui, an outstanding ecotourism destination where you’ll experience the thrill of a rafting through the jungle on the Sarapiqui River. Continue to Tirimbina Rainforest Center, an 850-acre reserve dedicated to research and environmental education, and learn about the region’s bats. Joined by a resident guide, make a night excursion into the rain forest on foot to examine the mist nets that scientists put up to trap and study bats. Spent the next two nights at the ecolodge run by the center.
Day 3: Sarapiqui — La Selva / Hacienda Pozo Azul
Another landmark location for global rain forest research is La Selva, an international biological research station located in the Sarapiqui region. Spend a morning learning about global efforts to conserve rain forests while taking a guided walk through a section of the reserve. Along the way, look for monkeys, sloths, peccaries, iguanas and some of the 400 different species of birds found here. After lunch, head to Hacienda Pozo Azul. On this working ranch, explore trails on horseback as you keep a keen eye out for howler monkeys, three-toed sloths and an array of exuberant birdlife. Return to Tirimbina to spend the night.Day 4: Chocolate Tour / Danaus Ecocenter / Arenal
On a final morning at Tirimbina, visit a local cacao plantation to learn how cacao beans are transformed into organic chocolate, and enjoy a sample before departing by road for Arenal. En route, stop at Danaus Ecocenter for a close-up look at Costa Rica’s famed red poison dart frogs, red-eyed tree frogs, sloths and other wildlife. This private ecological reserve focuses on conservation, environmental education, and training in sustainable land use and resource production. Trails through secondary rain forest reveal a wide variety of plants and animals in their natural habitat, including more than 150 different kinds of birds. A top attraction at Danaus is the butterfly farm, with about 30 species on site, including the large blue morpho. The botanic gardens contain some 500 different plant species, while the medicinal plant garden showcases 60 varieties used to support health and healing.After your walkabout, enjoy a soak in one of the geothermal hot springs in the Arenal area, where a waterfall offers a natural massage. Spend the night across from Arenal volcano at Arenal Observatory Lodge. Although Costa Rica’s most famous volcano has been dormant since 2010, it was the country’s most active for 43 years, and its profile is still striking. Seismologists from the Smithsonian Institute and the National University of Costa Rica monitor the volcano intensively from their research station at the lodge.Day 5: Arenal National Park / Canopy Zip Line / Vida Campesina
The wonders of Arenal National Park are unveiled via more than 15 miles of trails that lace the rain forest blanketing the volcano’s lower slopes. As you search for wildlife in the forest, look for intermittent views of the volcano’s summit. Though it’s often buried under a cap of clouds, it dominates the landscape in clear weather. The park is home to 400 bird species, including a great diversity of hummingbirds, along with spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coati, brocket deer, tamandua anteaters, peccaries and the elusive ocelot.Then, venture higher into the rain forest to explore the treetops on a canopy tour. A tram transports you 125 feet above the forest floor, ascending slowly to observe the diversity of life at each elevation. Then it’s time to descend via zip line, flying between the mountainsides along a series of cables (minimum age is 8), or return via the tram if you prefer. Round out the day with a visit to Vida Campesina, a sustainable organic farm that produces more than 60 different crops including native and introduced plants. Learn about the items grown and the challenges and benefits of farming organically in the tropics, including techniques that support environmentally sustainable methods. While you’re there, learn to prepare traditional recipes made from locally grown products, then share a delicious family-style dinner with your hosts.Day 6: Arenal / San Jose
Return to San Jose and settle in for relaxing evening at Xandari Plantation Resort. There will likely be time to explore the substantial trail network surrounding the lodge, or to take a swim in one of several swimming pools with scenic views. Or, choose a beach extension and travel by road from Arenal to Costa Rica’s North Pacific Riviera today.Day 7: San Jose / Home
Transfer to the airport for homeward flights.
Another landmark location for global rain forest research is La Selva, an international biological research station located in the Sarapiqui region. Spend a morning learning about global efforts to conserve rain forests while taking a guided walk through a section of the reserve. Along the way, look for monkeys, sloths, peccaries, iguanas and some of the 400 different species of birds found here. After lunch, head to Hacienda Pozo Azul. On this working ranch, explore trails on horseback as you keep a keen eye out for howler monkeys, three-toed sloths and an array of exuberant birdlife. Return to Tirimbina to spend the night.Day 4: Chocolate Tour / Danaus Ecocenter / Arenal
On a final morning at Tirimbina, visit a local cacao plantation to learn how cacao beans are transformed into organic chocolate, and enjoy a sample before departing by road for Arenal. En route, stop at Danaus Ecocenter for a close-up look at Costa Rica’s famed red poison dart frogs, red-eyed tree frogs, sloths and other wildlife. This private ecological reserve focuses on conservation, environmental education, and training in sustainable land use and resource production. Trails through secondary rain forest reveal a wide variety of plants and animals in their natural habitat, including more than 150 different kinds of birds. A top attraction at Danaus is the butterfly farm, with about 30 species on site, including the large blue morpho. The botanic gardens contain some 500 different plant species, while the medicinal plant garden showcases 60 varieties used to support health and healing.After your walkabout, enjoy a soak in one of the geothermal hot springs in the Arenal area, where a waterfall offers a natural massage. Spend the night across from Arenal volcano at Arenal Observatory Lodge. Although Costa Rica’s most famous volcano has been dormant since 2010, it was the country’s most active for 43 years, and its profile is still striking. Seismologists from the Smithsonian Institute and the National University of Costa Rica monitor the volcano intensively from their research station at the lodge.Day 5: Arenal National Park / Canopy Zip Line / Vida Campesina
The wonders of Arenal National Park are unveiled via more than 15 miles of trails that lace the rain forest blanketing the volcano’s lower slopes. As you search for wildlife in the forest, look for intermittent views of the volcano’s summit. Though it’s often buried under a cap of clouds, it dominates the landscape in clear weather. The park is home to 400 bird species, including a great diversity of hummingbirds, along with spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coati, brocket deer, tamandua anteaters, peccaries and the elusive ocelot.Then, venture higher into the rain forest to explore the treetops on a canopy tour. A tram transports you 125 feet above the forest floor, ascending slowly to observe the diversity of life at each elevation. Then it’s time to descend via zip line, flying between the mountainsides along a series of cables (minimum age is 8), or return via the tram if you prefer. Round out the day with a visit to Vida Campesina, a sustainable organic farm that produces more than 60 different crops including native and introduced plants. Learn about the items grown and the challenges and benefits of farming organically in the tropics, including techniques that support environmentally sustainable methods. While you’re there, learn to prepare traditional recipes made from locally grown products, then share a delicious family-style dinner with your hosts.Day 6: Arenal / San Jose
Return to San Jose and settle in for relaxing evening at Xandari Plantation Resort. There will likely be time to explore the substantial trail network surrounding the lodge, or to take a swim in one of several swimming pools with scenic views. Or, choose a beach extension and travel by road from Arenal to Costa Rica’s North Pacific Riviera today.Day 7: San Jose / Home
Transfer to the airport for homeward flights.
Accommodations
Our collection of Costa Rica accommodations includes only intimate ecolodges and boutique hotels, each chosen for its authenticity, personalized experience, exceptional comforts, and proximity to the region’s best wildlife encounters. You won’t find large commercial lodges and cookie-cutter chain hotels among our offerings. The list here is meant as a sampler and is not inclusive—our Adventure Specialists can also help you select other accommodations not featured on our website. Explore the options and call 800-543-8917 to discuss details with one of our Adventure Specialists.
Hotel Punta Islita
One of Costa Rica’s most renowned luxury eco-resorts enjoys a truly spectacular setting in Guanacaste, atop a forested mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with an infinity pool that seems to meld with the sky.
Tirimbina Rain Forest Lodge
Stay within the primary rain forest on the 850-acre Tirimbina Biological Reserve, one of Costa Rica’s oldest ecological research sites, and experience an array of immersive conservation adventures.
Lagarta Lodge
Surrounding by the 90-acre Reserve Biologica, this boutique ecolodge enjoys grand Pacific Ocean views atop a forested bluff and has been awarded Costa Rica’s highest national certification level for sustainability.
Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin
This sustainable ecolodge offers guests an all-encompassing immersion in the living, breathing jungle, surrounded by thousands of acres of dry tropical forest protected in Rincon de la Vieja National Park.
Isla Chiquita
Located on an idyllic small island in the Gulf of Nicoya, Isla Chiquita blends the laidback fun of camping with the comfort and service of an upscale boutique beach hotel—with a whole array of eco-adventures on land and sea to entertain you.
Savegre Hotel & Natural Reserve
Individual blocks of chalets are secluded within lush, flowering gardens on a private cloud forest reserve bordering Los Quetzales National Park, with nature trails along the rushing Savegre River.
Macaw Lodge
A center for ecotourism, research and conservation, this family-owned and run rain forest lodge sits in an utterly secluded setting on a private 264-acre reserve in the mountains west of San Jose and is a model for sustainability.
Senda Monteverde Hotel
This new luxury ecolodge located high on Costa Rica’s continental divide features 24 suites in contemporary mountain bungalows, with a focus on fresh farm-to-table dining.
Hotel Bougainvillea
Set among 10 acres of tropical gardens, this award-winning boutique hotel is convenient to the airport and downtown San Jose and offers an attractive alternative to standardized city hotels.
La Quinta Country Inn
Owned and operated by a local family, this ecolodge within a private rain forest reserve provides easy access to Braulio Carrillo National Park, the Sarapiqui River and La Selva Biological Station.
Arenal Observatory Lodge
Located on a private 870-acre reserve adjacent to Arenal Volcano National Park, this famous lodge within the rain forest enjoys a panorama of the volcano from across a deep valley, plus views of Lake Arenal.
Xandari Resort & Spa
Relax, rejuvenate and immerse yourself in nature at this deluxe resort and spa set on a 40-acre coffee and fruit plantation laced with walking trails overlooking the scenic Central Valley.
