Compare Costa Rica Family Adventure by Adventure Smith vs Arenal Volcano Package: 4 Nights by Project Expedition
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 9 days | 5 days |
| Price From | $ 2,295 | $ 791 |
| Price Per Day | $ 255 | $ 158 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Retreats |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Basic |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Internal airfare and ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
7 Breakfasts and 1 Lunch |
N/A |
| Description |
Costa Rica is one of the world's most adventurous family-friendly places, widely known for its dedication to peace, cultural exchange and environmental education. Our Costa Rica Family Adventure visits areas that exemplify these qualities creating wonderful shared memories for years to come. All aspects of this tour, from more spacious accommodations to less rigorous transfers to the planned activities, have been designed with the traveling family in mind. Starting with Arenal Volcano, with its picture perfect cone, we explore this geologic wonder and the rich surrounding rainforests filled with waterfalls, wildlife and opportunities for exploration. In Monteverde hike through the lush Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, walk the nearby platform bridges for an aerial view of these incredible forests and visit the shining example of sustainable tourism in the town of Santa Elena. Conclude with mangrove kayaking, turtle sightings and beach combing in Costa Rica's coastal playground of Tamarindo |
The breathtaking Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Ricas most iconic sites, but its surroundings are equally impressive. During this trip, youll have the chance to delve into the rainforests and caverns that make up Arenals diverse landscape. |
Day 1: Arrive San Jose, Costa Rica
Accommodation: Hotel Bougainvillea or similar
Upon arrival at San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport you are met by a representative and transferred to your hotel in San Jose.
Day 2: Arenal Volcano
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Arenal Observatory Lodge
Start your tour with a scenic drive to Arenal Volcano, stopping en route at La Paz Waterfall Gardens for lunch and an up-close view at a system of 5 different waterfalls. The gardens also include child-friendly butterfly, hummingbird and frog gardens. After lunch continue on through the scenic highlands to Arenal. From the lodge, which is situated safely on a high ridge only 1.6 miles south of the volcano, take in an impressive view of this "giant which rumbles." The lodge is the only property located within the Arenal Volcano National Park, which encompasses thousands of acres of pristine rainforest and teems with tropical birds and wildlife.
Day 3: Arenal to Monteverde
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Fonda Vela
Enjoy a morning hike to a nearby waterfall and an up-close exploration of a lava flow prior to the drive Monteverde. Skirting the shores of Arenal Lake, make your way to Monteverde, one of the most diverse and richest tropical cloud forests in the New World. Monteverde is best known as home to the Resplendent Quetzal but includes hundreds of other birds, mammals and plant species. Arrive in time to explore the nearby town of Santa Elena.
Day 4: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Fonda Vela
Morning guided hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve viewing the wet forest with its dense vegetation and majestic trees. The perpetually misty forests of the Reserve encompass eight distinct ecological zones and protect more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds and 1,500 species of plants. In the afternoon visit the SkyTrek, a system of suspended cable zip lines constructed within the cloud forest, that give the participant a unique thrill and vantage point high in the forest canopy. For those not interested in zip lining, the Sky Walk, a hiking system of suspended bridges, may be substituted at no additional cost.
Day 5: Mountains to Coast
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Capitan Suizo
Our representative will transfer you in an air-conditioned vehicle on a scenic drive through the dry savanna of Guanacaste to the North Pacific Coast, and on to your luxury beachfront accommodation just outside of Tamarindo. The remainder of the day is yours to stroll the beach or relax by your hotel's pool.
Days 6 – 7: Tamarindo Beach
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Capitan Suizo
Spend your days in Tamarindo simply soaking in the Pacific views, or opting for several activities available to your family at additional cost, such as snorkeling, horseback riding, surfing lessons, kayaking and more!
Day 8: San Jose
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Bougainvillea
Return by plane to San Jose where a representative will take you to your hotel in Costa Rica's capitol. Spend your last afternoon in Costa Rica taking in a museum or exploring one of San Jose's several colorful markets.
Day 9: Depart San Jose
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to the international airport for your return flights home or begin your trip extension.
Day 1 - San Jose
One of our drivers will meet you at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in order to drive you to the Arenal Volcano National Park Region; the transportation to Arenal takes about 3 hours.Spas. After check in you will have the evening off for optional activities as enjoying the pool or take a massage at Luna Spa with special deals and discounts for our guests Lodging at Casa Luna Hotel
Day 2 - San Jose de Alajuela - Hiking at Arenal Hanging Bridges
Hiking at Arenal Hanging Bridges. Select one tour for Day 2: Option 1/ Arenal Hanging Bridges: This is one of the most popular tours in the area, starts at 8:00 am, and is ideal for hikers who would like to admire the characteristics of the tropical rainforest.Caving at Venado Caves. Select one tour for Day 2: Option 2 / Venado Caves: Go into the insides of the earth with this tour. The tour begins at 8:00 am, and underground trails will lead us through grottos and chambers exploring a world indifferent to light. With flashlights to lighten up our way, we will enter into this labyrinth of ancient underground rivers and sea beds, all exposed now after thousands of years. Live a unique experience in Costa Rica and get ready to get wet, dirty and see this different world that will astound you with a variety of emotions.White Water Rafting at Balsa River. Select one tour for Day 2: Option 3 / Whitewater Rafting Class II & III: If you have sense of adventure and fun then rafting will be the perfect activity for you. This trip begins at 10:00 am, and you will paddle through 10 kilometers of a beautiful section of the Balsa River with over 20 safe and fun Class II and III rapids while you enjoy the natural beauty of the rainforest that surrounds it. Upgrades for class III, IV or V in other rivers are available with extra charge.Eco Tour. Select one tour for Day 2: Option 4 / Nocturnal Natural Experience: Ideal for those who want to take advantage of every minute in Costa Rica, discovering some of the country’s nocturnal wonders in a night walk. We will begin our tour in a small town known as La Tigra, located just 30 minutes from La Fortuna. Once we arrive we will take the trail in to a small patch of rainforest in the process of regeneration with some mirrored lakes which facilitate wildlife observation. You can expect to see species like nocturnal birds and mammals, insects, amphibians, bats, and more. The trail will go around the mirrored lakes to the frog sanctuary, which is an area dedicated to the regeneration and natural reproduction of frog species. Here you will discover a large amount of species such as the dart frog and the bull frog, the smallest and largest species in Costa Rica, as well as the Red Eyed Tree Frog, and the Glass Frog. After the tour, a typical Costa Rican dinner prepared on a wood burning stove will await us. We will enjoy our dinner viewing the lights of the valleys of San Carlos. Afterwards we will return to La Fortuna. Lodging at Casa Luna Hotel
Day 3 - San Jose
Breakfast will be served between 7:00am and 9:00amLeisure. La Fortuna is the best area in Costa Rica for activities & tours; you will have the day off to do optional activities with extra cost, like our special trip to the Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano. You can also explore the local town of La Fortuna, go shopping and enjoy many of the other activities that are available. Lodging at Casa Luna Hotel
Day 4 - San Jose - Ziplining
Ziplining. After breakfast, we will go ziplining along seven cables with a full distance of 1.7 miles and lengths from 400 feet to 3280 feet. This is an incredible experience to quite literally soar through the canopy of the trees, where you can get a new perspective of the jungle.Local Flavor. Next, visit a representation of a Maleku Indigenous Village, members of a tribe dressed in traditional clothes greet you with a refreshing beverage and teach you about their culture, language and traditions. They share stories about animals and the environment, expressing their gratitude for nature. You can then enjoy the butterfly garden or have the choice of a self guided walk to La Fortuna Waterfall.Hiking at Arenal Volcano. In the afternoon, you will be greeted by your guide aprox at 03:10 pm at the front desk, to visit the Arenal Volcano National Park. Here, we will walk through primary and secondary forests (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes), where we will reach an old lava flow that was formed in 1992, and observe some animals and plants. On clear days, you will enjoy incredible views of the impressive Arenal Volcano, Arenal Lake, The Tilarán mountain range, and Cerro Chato Hill. Hot Springs. At the end of the day, the perfect place to relax will be at the Arenal Paradise Hot Springs, including a dinner served at the onsite Restaurant. At about 9:00 pm you will be picked up to return to the hotel. Lodging at Casa Luna Hotel
Day 5 - San Jose
Today, you have the shuttle back to the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Alajuela at 8:00 am. Please consider this transfer takes about 3 hours to the airport, and you must be there at least 3 hours earlier your flight time for checking in; if you require a transportation on a different time we can arrange a private transportation for some extra bucks.
