Costa Rica Natural Wonders for Families

You'll be greeted on arrival at San Jose's international airport and transferred to a very lovely hotel in San Jose. (Please note - dinner is not included in your tour price.)

Morning departure with your driver/guide. Your family will be driven to Los Angeles Cloud Forest for a short nature hike, stopping en route for lunch. Kids will have a great time hunting for footprints of the wild boars and cats that call this high elevation area home; your family might even get lucky and spot the rare Quetzal, a tropical bird with brilliant tail feathers which nests in this area between February and June. Continue to Arenal and overnight at a lovely hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, hike in one of the most  spectacular parks in Costa Rica, Arenal National Park. Considered one of the world's most active volcanoes, the park allows you to observe Arenal Volcano's continuous activity. The volcano erupted in 1968 and has since been continuously active, erupting most recently in May 1998.  Thunderous eruptions of gas, ash and lava fill visitors with awe! The volcano with its perfect imposing cone is surrounded with exuberant vegetation and sits at the side of the engineering masterpiece of Arenal Lake.  In the afternoon, you will relax at the base of Arenal Volcano in the Ecotermales hot springs, which provide you with an unparalleled relaxation experience in its natural springs and thermo-mineral water pools.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Drive east to the Sarapiqui region in the Caribbean lowlands, stopping for a hike at Virgen del Socorro en route. The roads here are famous among birders, as the combination of forests, rivers, and changes in elevation make this area especially ecologically diverse. Kids will love seeing the rainbow of colors in the tropical birds!  For lunch your family will get a real taste of Costa Rica with a traditional meal at a local farm. Enjoy a cooking lesson on how to make tortillas from scratch so you can take the flavor of the area home. Continue on to Sarapiqui and check in for a 2-night stay at an especially welcoming lodge. In the afternoon you'll visit Tirimbina Rainforest Center for a Chocolate Tour and see firsthand how the whole family's favorite treat transforms from cacao fruit to chocolate bar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you can choose from many different activities at a large nearby ranch called Hacienda Pozo Azul. Family members can choose to go zip-lining, whitewater rafting on gentle rapids, and/or horseback-riding.  There’s a lot of flexibility for you to decide to spend all or part of your day at Hacienda Pozo Azul.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Travel by road and water with your guide to Tortuguero National Park for two incredible days of exploration. The park borders the Caribbean and contains a network of canals and waterways that take you inland through the jungle. With help from your naturalist guide, search the trails and waterways for manatees, caimans, monkeys, sloths, river otters, poison dart frogs, and 300 species of birds, including the roseate spoonbill, American fin foot, great green macaws, trogons, oropendulas, and frigate birds. Turtle nesting season begins in the summer for the large green turtles. You might want to take a visit with a naturalist at night to spot for mother turtles digging their nests and laying their eggs in the sand (extra cost $15-$20 per person). Spend two nights at a local lodge.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners

Fly from Tortuguero to San Jose, where you'll be greeted and transferred to the international airport for your afternoon flight home.

Meals: Breakfast