× Our children's prices are now 25% lower than the adult cost for Exodus-operated guided trips, and that goes for ages up to 16 years!
Itinerary Expand all San Jose to San Jose Airport Fly to San Jose. The group flight usually arrives into San Jose this afternoon. Land Only clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. This evening is the perfect opportunity to meet your guide and get to know your fellow travellers. Accommodation: Studio Hotel (or similar) Day 1 Start San Jose. The group flight usually arrives into San Jose this afternoon. Land Only clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. This evening's welcome briefing is the perfect opportunity to meet your guide and get to know your fellow travellers. Accommodation: Studio Hotel (or similar) Day 2 To Arenal; La Fortuna Waterfall walk. We drive to the area surrounding Arenal Volcano. Following a large eruption in 1968, Arenal was Costa Rica's most active volcano until recently when it entered a resting phase. There is a lot of geo-thermal activity in this area, with natural hot springs, waterfalls and Lake Arenal waiting to be discovered. Today we visit La Fortuna Waterfall, a 65 metre cascade of water plunging into an emerald pool below. A short trail through the rainforest brings us to a steep set of steps that we must descend to reach the waterfall and then ascend to the exit - this takes around 20-30 minutes and will be rewarded with a swim in the emerald pool. It is possible to visit the lookout point and wait for the group here if you prefer. There will be plenty of time to see what animals you can spot in the forest along the way; keep an eye out for colourful toucans in the trees! Accommodation: Arenal Manoa or Arenal Paraiso (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Try grade II and III whitewater rafting on the Balsa River. After breakfast we make our way towards the Balsa River for an exhilarating whitewater 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 which is sure to be great fun for everyone! 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 surrounding 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: Arenal Manoa or Arenal Paraiso (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 4 To Monteverde in the Tilaran Mountains; night walk to experience the cloud forest in the dark! From Arenal we travel to the Tilaran 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. Our journey is then completed by private minibus as we ascend the hills towards Monteverde, a forest-cloaked region whose name literally means 'Green Mountain'. The high altitude supports a complex eco-system where plants thrive, particularly orchids of which there are some 400+ different varieties here. Our total journey time will be in the region of 3.5 hours, 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 habitat of the cloud forest, with many pairs of eyes staring back at you! We may see sloths, armadillos, porcupines, possums and coatis and will surely hear a cacophony of insects and amphibians. Accommodation: Monteverde Country Lodge (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Zip-line adventure through the tree tops; visit the hanging bridges and butterfly garden. Today we visit Selvatura Park which has 850 acres of protected land dedicated to nature and adventure. We begin with the hanging bridges excursion, which is a system of treetop walkways through the forest designed to let you experience the beauty of the cloud forest and observe its many inhabitants. We’ll also visit the butterfly garden which has one of the largest exhibitions of butterflies in the world, and the hummingbird garden where more than 14 species of hummingbird will amaze you with their aerial manoeuvres. After this it’s time to try out some aerial manoeuvres of our own on a zip line adventure through the tree tops! Before you fly down the zip-lines, guides will teach you the proper technique, including how to position yourself and hold the cable correctly, enabling you to safely embark on this adrenaline pumping adventure suspended above the trees. Accommodation: Monteverde Country Lodge (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 6 To the Pacific Coast; afternoon at leisure to enjoy Carrillo beach. We travel to the region of Samara on the Pacific Coast, one of the best kept secrets in Costa Rica! The broad, shady bay is backed by coconut palms and the water is calm and safe for swimming thanks to a coral reef just out to sea on which the normally large, Pacific waves break before reaching the beach. There are plenty of facilities in this area but there's a noticeable absense of big resort hotels, which makes for a nice atmosphere. Our hotel faces onto Carrillo beach in the neighbouring bay to Samara. We have a free afternoon here to enjoy the facilities and discover the area. Accommodation: Nammbu Hotel (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Boat trip to see dolphins offshore from Carrillo beach; have a go at snorkelling. Today we take a private boat trip around 2 – 10 nautical miles offshore from Carrillo beach in search of dolphins. You could be lucky enough to see Spotted dolphins, Central American Spinner dolphins or Common Bottlenose dolphins which all inhabit this area year around. Feel the ocean breeze and enjoy the scenery of the coastline as we search for these playful animals who love to swim in the bow wave of the boat! As we make our way back along the coast, we will anchor near the shores of Isla Chora, a delightful 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 by wearing a mask and snorkel. Beneath the surface teems a lively world with huge marine diversity. In total today’s excursion will last around 4 hours, with the rest of your time at leisure to enjoy the area. Accommodation: Nammbu Hotel (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast To San Jose; depart San Jose A four hour journey takes us back to San Jose, where those on group flights will be transferred to the airport in time for their return flight. Land only clients end in San Jose and are advised not to book a flight leaving San Jose before 4pm today, as arrival at the airport will be timed to co-incide with the group flight. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 To San Jose; end San Jose. A four hour journey takes us back to San Jose, where those on group flights will be transferred to the airport in time for their return flight. Land only clients end in San Jose and are advised not to book a flight leaving San Jose before 4pm today, as arrival at the airport will be timed to co-incide with the group flight. Meals included: Breakfast Arrive London. The group flight usually arrives back into London today in the mid-afternoon.
Costa Rica Holders of British, US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and most EU passports can enter Costa Rica for a stay of 90 days without a visa. Proof of onward travel may be required when entering Costa Rica - we suggest you take a print out of your flight details in case officials ask to see them. All passengers flying via the USA will have to clear immigration during transit. Prior to travel you must apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (USD14) under the Visa Waiver Programme. Please see here for more information. The same applies to travel via Canada which also requires an Electronic Travel Authority. If you are not a UK citizen please check with your local U.S. Embassy.
Costa Rica There are no mandatory vaccination requirements, however, if you have travelled to a country at risk of Yellow Fever prior to arriving in Costa Rica you will be required to have a valid Yellow Fever Certificate with you. Recommended vaccinations are: Hepatitis A. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Hotels in Costa Rica We stay in four comfortable hotels during this tour for a total of 7 nights; In San Jose we stay at the modern 4* Studio Hotel, conveniently located near the airport for an easy arrival transfer at the start of the holiday. In Arenal, our accommodation will normally be at the 3* Arenal Manoa Hotel. This property is close to Arenal Volcano and has large natural grounds showcasing the surrounding rainforest. Rooms are comfortable and well equipped. There are several natural pools fed by spring water to swim in. We also use the Arenal Paraiso hotel in a fantastic setting with wonderful views of Arenal Volcano. In Monteverde, we stay at the Monteverde Country Lodge, a 3* star property providing cosy, comfortable and warm accommodation. This property doesn't have a swimming pool or air conditioning as it's in an area of Costa Rica that is typically much cooler. By the Pacific Coast we stay at the 3* Nammbu Hotel, a beachfront property overlooking Carrillo beach. This family run property has large rooms, wonderful ocean views and a lovely swimming pool.
April 28, 2020 Our Top Family Activities in the USA Seeing the world through the eyes of your children is a truly special experience, everything is new, exciting and fun
April 21, 2020 Lockdown in the Lodge: Wildlife Encounters By the early 1980s, after years of unchecked logging, the World Economic Forum estimated that two-thirds of Costa Ric
April 20, 2020 The Lodge That Saved A Rainforest Located in the south of Costa Rica, nestled in the remote Piedras Blancas National Park, lies the
March 24, 2020 Adventurous Overnighters: Unique Sleeps in the Americas We’re celebrating the most exciting and adventurous sleeping spots in the Americas!
Reviewed September 2019 Catherine and Andy White Trip: Costa Rica Family Escape A trip of a lifetime! We originally looked at booking the longer Costa Rica Family Adventure as we thought the Family Escape (at 7 nights) may be too much of a whirlwind. However, we liked the fact that there were less distances to travel (as the Family Escape does not include a visit to the Caribbean coast), and that there were more activities included, plus, on enquiry, we found out that on the dates we wished to travel the families booked onto this trip had children of similar ages to our own (16 and 12). We are so pleased we went for this option! From being met at the airport by our wonderful guide, Eduardo, and driver, Cesar, to being waved off as we boarded our transfer on the last day, we enjoyed every minute of our holiday! Costa Rica is an incredible country and this trip gives you a sense of its diverstiy - from the volcanic landscape around Arenal, to the Cloud Forest at Monteverde, and the tropical beaches of Carillo. The mix of activities is great - from the high adrenaline rafting and zip wire course at Monteverde, to fascinating nature walks and wildlife spotting. The itinery is quite pacy - there are activities most days, however, you get at least 2 nights at each hotel (apart from in San Jose) so you do get chance to unpack a little and enjoy some downtime. The hotels all offer something different: Los Lagos at La Fortuna is set in lush tropical gardens with its own resident crocodile and butterfly and insect houses. Plus, it has its own hot springs complete with water slides which our children loved. The Country Lodge at Monteverde is a little more basic, but charming, whilst the Nammbu Beachfront Bungalows are super stylish with spacious rooms and a stunning pool area. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were so many.... from waking up to the sound of howler monkeys outside your room, being surrounded by hummingbirds and having them land on your outstretched hand at Selvatura Park, conquering your fear of heights on the hanging bridges and zip wires above the forest canopy at Monteverde, seeing a sloth being rescued from overheard cables by the local fire service, hearing the sounds of the cloud forest at night as fireflies flit around around you, seeing a humpback whale for the first time, watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean at Carillo Beach.... the list goes on! What did you think of your group leader? From the moment we arrived at San Jose Airport, our group leader, Eduardo, made us feel incredibly welcome in his country. Knowedgeable and passionate about the history, culture and nature of Costa Rica, Eduardo soon shared his love of his country with us all. Within minutes of meeting us, Eduardo had memorised all our names and, refering to us "family", he ensured we got the best possible experience we could - asking us to write down our wishlist of things we wanted to do and see whilst we were in his beautiful country. Eduardo was an exceptional group leader: great with the children in the group, imparting his extensive knowledge with enthusiasm, sharing his photos with us on the WhatsApp group he created for us, treating us to chocolate and ice-cream on a daily basis and instilling in all of us a sense of the "Pura Vida"! We must not forget our driver, Cesar, either. He made sure we were safe on the roads and waited patiently for us after every excursion, always greeting us with courtesy and a smile. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? We decided to book a 3 night beach extension - staying on at Nammbu hotel at the end of the trip - which Exodus organised, along with a private transfer back to San Jose airport. We were definitely ready for some rest and relaxation after a packed schedule, so this was really worth doing, plus it gave us a chance to do some additional activies - such as scuba diving (at Samara) and turtle watching at the nearby Camaronal Wildlife Refuge. Is there anything else you would like to add? This is the first holiday we have booked with Exodus, and having never been on a small group holiday before, we were a little apprehensive.... how would the group dynamics work? We need not have worried! We were very lucky to be travelling with 3 lovely families alongside Vicky from Exodus (a bonus to have the Product Manager of this particular trip accompanying us!) Everyone got on really well, the children made firm friends, and the balance between time together as a group and time on our own worked fine. Overall, this was a truly wonderful family holiday in a beautiful country and we have many happy memories along with far too many photos!
Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday 19 reviews Experience Costa Rica's beautiful beaches, lush rainforest and plentiful wildlife Family Suitable for: Age 9+ Activity level: Leisurely/Moderate 15 Days from $3,499 USD Guided (Excl. Flights) View More Details
Inca & Amazon Adventure Family Holiday 7 reviews A family adventure combining Peru's classic Inca Trail trek with the tropical Amazon Rainforest Family Suitable for: Age 13+ Activity level: Challenging 14 Days from $3,579 USD Guided (Excl. Flights) View More Details