- Unleash your wild side on an action-packed adventure in Costa Rica
- Embark on an exhilarating white-water rafting excursion on the Balsa River
- Join a night walk in Monteverde to see the cloud forest come alive
- Relax on Carrillo Beach and enjoy downtime on the Pacific coastline
- Watch playful dolphins on a fun-filled boat excursion
Costa Rica Active Escape
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8 Days
Excluding Flights From
9 Days
from
Culture
Activity Level
Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you
Comfort Level
Classic
Embrace the wild side of Costa Rica with an all-action adventure
The many natural wonders of Costa Rica make the perfect setting for your next big-thrills getaway. Over the course of a week, we go white-water rafting on the Balsa River, swim next to a thundering waterfall, meet the nocturnal wildlife of Monteverde on a night walk, and take to the ocean for a dolphin-watching excursion. After all that excitement, the expedition ends peacefully with a few days on the Pacific coastline, where a sandy bay is shaded by coconut palms and the water is perfect for swimming. This action-packed week will leave you refreshed and with a full understanding of Costa Rica’s most famous phrase: ‘pura vida’ or ‘pure life’.
Highlights
Key Information
- Accommodation: 2 Superior nights (hotel), 5 Classic nights (hotels)
- Travel by minibus, boat and on foot
- Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
- Countries visited: Costa Rica
What's Included
- All breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner
- All accommodation
- All transport and listed activities
- Tour leader throughout
- Arrival transfer for any flight, group departure transfer available
What's Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Single accommodation (available on request)
- Visas or vaccinations
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Saturday Saturday
17 Jan 2026 17 Jan 2026
Saturday Sunday
24 Jan 2026 25 Jan 2026
Availability Guaranteed (Limited) Only 2 spaces left!
Land Only Trip Price £ 2145 £ 2145
Optional Single Supplement
+£ 530
Available upon Request
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead but there are only 2 spaces left. Do not delay your booking!
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
14 Feb 2026 14 Feb 2026
Saturday Sunday
21 Feb 2026 22 Feb 2026
Availability Guaranteed (On Request) Only 1 space left!
Land Only Trip Price £ 2145 £ 2145
Optional Single Supplement +£ 530
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead but there are only 1 space left. Do not delay your booking!
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
28 Mar 2026 28 Mar 2026
Saturday Sunday
04 Apr 2026 05 Apr 2026
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 580
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
09 May 2026 09 May 2026
Saturday Sunday
16 May 2026 17 May 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 530
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
11 Jul 2026 11 Jul 2026
Saturday Sunday
18 Jul 2026 19 Jul 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 530
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
08 Aug 2026 08 Aug 2026
Saturday Sunday
15 Aug 2026 16 Aug 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 530
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
07 Nov 2026 07 Nov 2026
Saturday Sunday
14 Nov 2026 15 Nov 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 540
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
21 Nov 2026 21 Nov 2026
Saturday Sunday
28 Nov 2026 29 Nov 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 540
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
05 Dec 2026 05 Dec 2026
Saturday Sunday
12 Dec 2026 13 Dec 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 540
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
16 Jan 2027 16 Jan 2027
Saturday Sunday
23 Jan 2027 24 Jan 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 555
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
30 Jan 2027 30 Jan 2027
Saturday Sunday
06 Feb 2027 07 Feb 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 555
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
13 Feb 2027 13 Feb 2027
Saturday Sunday
20 Feb 2027 21 Feb 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 555
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
13 Mar 2027 13 Mar 2027
Saturday Sunday
20 Mar 2027 21 Mar 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 555
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
08 May 2027 08 May 2027
Saturday Sunday
15 May 2027 16 May 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 555
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
10 Jul 2027 10 Jul 2027
Saturday Sunday
17 Jul 2027 18 Jul 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 555
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
06 Nov 2027 06 Nov 2027
Saturday Sunday
13 Nov 2027 14 Nov 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 565
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
04 Dec 2027 04 Dec 2027
Saturday Sunday
11 Dec 2027 12 Dec 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2045 £ 2045 Book with £ 511 deposit Book with £ 511 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 565
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip Notes
Itinerary
San José Liberia Airport
Adventure starts in San José
Begin your adventure in San José, the culture-rich capital of Costa Rica. A complimentary transfer from the airport to the hotel is available. Check in and take it easy, there’s plenty of excitement on this trip, so today’s all about relaxing and easing ourselves into the adventure.
Around 7.30pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers during a short briefing and group dinner together. Our main briefing takes place tomorrow morning due to the late arrival of some flights today.
Want to explore San Jose further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Accommodation: Auténtico Hotel/KC Hotel (or similar)
To Arenal; La Fortuna Waterfall walk
This morning your tour leader will host the main welcome briefing when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Today we drive to the area surrounding Arenal volcano, which was the most active volcano in Costa Rica until it entered a resting phase in 2010. There is still lots of geothermal activity here, plus natural hot springs, waterfalls and the largest lake in the country, Lake Arenal.
We visit La Fortuna Waterfall, a 215ft (65m) cascade plunging into an emerald pool. A short rainforest trail brings us to steep steps that we must descend to reach the waterfall and then ascend to the exit; this takes around 20 to 30 minutes and will be rewarded with a swim in the pool. You can visit the lookout point to wait for the group if you prefer. There will also be plenty of time to spot forest-dwelling animals along the way; keep an eye out for colourful toucans in the trees.
Accommodation: Eco Arenal (or similar)
Try grade II and III white-water rafting on the Balsa River
After breakfast, we head to the Balsa River for an exhilarating white-water rafting excursion. The rapids here are graded II and III and have nicknames such as Magnetic Rock and Dredges – prepare to get wet and wild on this adventure. No experience of this activity is needed as a full safety briefing and instruction is given before getting into the rafts. Tropical scenery flanks the river and we may spot monkeys, toucans or other animals in the forest. There will also be a stop for drinks and tropical fruits along the way.
On our return to La Fortuna, we stop to enjoy a delicious lunch at Vida Campesina, a traditional country estate that allows visitors to experience typical country life in Costa Rica. Lunch will be made with ingredients harvested on the property and prepared on a wood stove in traditional style.
Accommodation: Eco Arenal (or similar)
To Monteverde in the Tilarán Mountains; night walk to experience the cloud forest in the dark
From Arenal, we travel to the Tilarán mountain range in the Central Highlands for a taste of the Costa Rican cloud forest. Reaching Monteverde involves a fast boat across Lake Arenal, which is incredibly scenic and will take roughly half an hour. We then complete our journey by shared land transfer, climbing into the hills towards Monteverde, whose name literally means Green Mountain. The high altitude in this Central Highlands region supports a complex ecosystem where plants thrive, particularly orchids of which there are some 400-plus varieties here. Our journey takes about 3hr 30min in total, including the lake crossing.
Around 6pm, we have a night walk to experience the forest in the dark. This gives an entirely new perspective on the cloud forest habitat with many pairs of eyes staring back at you. We may see sloths, armadillos, porcupines, possums and coatis and will likely hear a cacophony of insects and amphibians.
Accommodation: Montaña Monteverde, Hotel Cipreses or Belcruz Lodge (or similar)
Visit the hanging bridges and butterfly garden; afternoon free for optional activities
Today we visit Selvatura Park, 850 acres (345ha) of protected land dedicated to nature and adventure. We begin with the hanging bridges excursion, a system of treetop walkways designed to let you experience the beauty of the cloud forest and observe the many inhabitants. We also visit the butterfly garden, one of the largest butterfly exhibitions in the world, and the hummingbird garden, where more than 14 hummingbird species amaze you with their aerial manoeuvres.
In the afternoon, there is time to try aerial manoeuvres of our own on an optional zip line adventure through the tree tops. Before we fly, guides teach us the proper technique, including how to position ourselves and hold the cable correctly, enabling you to safely embark on this adrenaline-pumping adventure above the trees.
Accommodation: Montaña Monteverde, Hotel Cipreses or Belcruz Lodge (or similar)
To the Pacific Coast; afternoon at leisure to enjoy Carrillo beach
We travel to the Samara region on the Pacific Coast, a destination to rival any for beauty in Costa Rica but yet to be discovered by mass tourism. The broad, shady bay is backed by coconut palms and the water is calm and safe for swimming thanks to a coral reef on which the normally large Pacific waves break before reaching the shore. There are plenty of facilities in this area but there’s a noticeable absence of big resort hotels, which makes for a nice atmosphere. We have a free afternoon to enjoy the facilities and discover the area.
Accommodation: Leyenda Hotel or Nammbu Hotel (or similar)
Boat trip to see dolphins offshore from Carrillo Beach; have a go at snorkelling
Today we take a boat from Carrillo Beach in search of dolphins. You could be lucky enough to see spotted dolphins, Central American spinners or common bottlenoses, which all inhabit this area year round. Feel the ocean breeze and enjoy the coastal scenery as we search for these playful animals who love to swim in the bow wave of the boat. As we return along the coast, we anchor near the shores of Isla Chora, a white-sand beach full of hermit crabs and iguanas. This is a great spot for a refreshing swim and a chance to observe the underwater world with a mask and snorkel. Beneath the surface teems a lively world with huge marine diversity. In total, today’s excursion lasts around four hours, with the rest of your time at leisure to enjoy the area.
Accommodation: Leyenda Hotel or Nammbu Hotel (or similar)
To Liberia and end
A final breakfast at the hotel is your chance to say goodbye to the group and perhaps start planning your next adventure.
If you aren’t quite ready to leave, speak to your sales representative about extending your adventure – relax on the beach, treat yourself to some spa time, or discover more nature. To ensure total relaxation, you can stay for as many nights as you wish in a range of hotels, and we’ll organise airport transfers in either direction for you.
Hotels in Costa Rica
In San José, we usually stay at the modern Autentico Hotel, which has easy access to the downtown areas of the city.
In Arenal, our accommodation is normally Eco Arenal. There’s a view of Arenal volcano right from the restaurant and, thanks to the river that borders the hotel, there are plenty of other things to spot, including sloths, plenty of birdlife and exotic frogs. Head to the gardens and you’ll find a swimming pool lined with sun loungers and palm trees.
In Monteverde, we normally stay at the Montaña Monteverde. Right next to a private forest with trails to explore, it has 42 rooms and some wonderful views. There’s also a bar and restaurant serving homecooked Costa Rican cuisine.
By the Pacific Coast, we stay at the Leyenda Hotel by Carrillo Beach, which has a swimming pool and jacuzzi.
Reviews
Add your own reviewVikki G
Excellent trip, loved the activities and the country so much
Most Inspirational Moment
White water rafting and zip lining
Thoughts on Group Leader
Glenda was amazing with knowledge and organisation of the trip, with the assistance of our driver Victor
John R
Another excellent trip from Exodus
Most Inspirational Moment
Zip wire and white water rafting exceeded expectations.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Glenda went over and above to ensure everything ran smoothly . She was very knowledgeable and passionate about her country. She was ably assisted by Victor the driver .
Costa Rica Active Escape
I never knew of Exodus before and now I do. Guide was great. Everything was taken care of. Wonderful. Loved the adventures and flexibility when we wanted something
Most Inspirational Moment
River rafting, hanging bridge walk, zip lining
Thoughts on Group Leader
Great job
Costa Rica Active Escape
Variety of activities, knowledgeable and friendly guide, quality of hotels, bus and driver
Most Inspirational Moment
White water rafting was AMAZING! Also loved zip lining, kayaking, waterfall swim, hanging bridges hike, sloth sanctuary, coffee and chocolate tour ( not included but so worth it! ).
Thoughts on Group Leader
We believe he added to the overall enjoyment of our trip
Costa Rica Active Escape
Pablo our guide was brilliant taking us to some brilliant restaurants and you could see he had a great passion about showing us and telling us about an authentic Costa rica. The activities we did were brilliant and I have ended up falling in love with costa rica and would love to return. The exodus trip was ran really well and we would definitely use you again to book another trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
The food, the activities and Pablos knowledge and passion for his job.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was absolutely brilliant and a credit to the company
Costa Rica Active Escape
The guide, hotels and activities were all amazing
Thoughts on Group Leader
Glenda was amazing. Constantly willing to help and had so much knowledge about her country. She should be proud of the job she did and made the holiday very enjoyable
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Costa Rica Active Escape
8 Days
Excluding Flights From
9 Days
from