Enchanting 7-Day Costa Rica Family Vacation

What to expect on this itinerary
This luxurious 7-day journey combines three iconic destinations with adventures on volcanos, in the cloud forest, on Pacific beaches, and within wildlife refuges. Green, tranquil, wild, and full of wonder, Costa Rica is an enchanting destination for a family foray with a focus on interactive fun. Hot springs and bucolic lodges provide space to unwind, and private activities provide your family with much of the best of Costa Rica. Get ready to explore La Paz, Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenal, and Monteverde.
Customizable Itinerary
La Paz – Smothered in Cacao
Your Costa Rican vacation will begin the moment that you land in San Jose, and a nearby cacao plantation will be the perfect place to engage your kids immediately. You will be picked up at the airport by your driver and transferred to La Paz. Along the way, you will stop at an organic farm, where you can wander through the cacao bushes and wonder how such a bizarre plant can create such a delicious delicacy. From the cacao plantation, you will continue your journey to La Paz, which is a small destination that is surrounded by lush valleys. Here, your welcoming dinner will be complemented by traditional song and dance and a platter of local cuisine.
What's Included:
La Paz – Wonders of an Active Volcano
Manuel Antonio National Park – Pacific Ocean Bliss
Manuel Antonio National Park – Costa Rican Wildlife
Arenal – Ziplining Through the Trees
Arenal – The Hanging Bridges of Monteverde
Arenal – Intimate Wildlife Encounters
Trip Highlights
- Venture up-close and personal with an incredible range of wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park, including sloths and monkeys
- Discover cacao from bean to bar, and your kids will have the opportunity to smear their faces in chocolate
- Immerse yourself in the cloud forest and walk together across the hanging bridges of Monteverde
- Relax into the blissful atmosphere of Manuel Antonio National Park, where quiet Pacific beaches help you escape your everyday
- Fly through the trees on a thrilling zipline adventure beneath Arenal volcano
- Indulge in a visit to a wildlife sanctuary to learn more about Costa Rica’s wildlife and to look endangered monkeys in the eye
- Luxuriate around in thermal hot springs, which is the soporific way to unwind after your family adventures around Arenal
- Enjoy a treasure hunt on an active volcano, which will include peering into its bubbling crater and searching for hidden waterfalls
Detailed Description
Costa Rica is perfect for families who want comfort with their adventure. Safe and surprisingly small, Costa Rica is a country that packs a wonderful array of experiences into a landscape of wild biodiversity and protected national parks. Volcanos rise like kings above the interior with their iconic shapes towering above cloud forests and tropical hues. Golden Pacific beaches often provide a refreshing breeze, and the thermal hot springs create places to completely unwind. Howler and capuchin monkeys may present themselves in the jungle, while sloths and more than 800 different birds can be witnessed among the trees. During your luxurious, 7-day adventure, you will have excellent family time as Costa Rica is a place to both relax and explore together.
This idyllic, 7-day journey has been handcrafted to include three distinctive destinations, so you can discover three unique sides to the country. La Paz is convenient to travel from San Jose, which is the main international airport, and will create charming experiences with cacao, coffee, and a very active volcano. Manuel Antonio National Park will provide beachside bliss with intimate wildlife experiences. It is also a place where the rolling surf meets monkeys and where you can watch the wide-eyed wonder of your kids. The Arenal area is all about adventure tourism, such as ziplining and walking across hanging bridges in a cloud forest, but the thermal springs and spectacular views mean that this is also a place where you can unwind and find tranquility.
These three destinations will be connected by short local flights, and with seven days in Costa Rica, you can discover much more by flying than you could by losing a day or two on the road. All of your activities will be private, so whether you are smearing your kid’s face in raw cacao or searching for quetzals in the cloud forest, your exact itinerary can be timetabled and customized to you. Hotels and lodges have also been handpicked for their family suitability, and inter-connected rooms will keep you together.
Over these exciting seven days, you will be provided with the opportunity to come face to face with three monkey species, discover some of the world’s finest coffee, ride a sky tram above the forest canopy, and indulge in a family treasure hunt around an active volcano. They have a local saying in Costa Rica that you will hear regularly: Pura Vida, which means that life is very good indeed. Life can be almost perfect when you can explore such wondrous locations with the family on a vacation that will make a week feel like a lifetime of memories.
Starting Price
$2,100 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 694 reviews
Zicasso’s travel specialist was fantastic to work with in planning our trip. He was patient, answering all of our questions and tweaking the itinerary to fit our needs. The travel company made the trip easy for us with transfers along the way, excellent guides, information on what to expect, and a packing list. I would highly recommend them to anyone.
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It was a fantastic experience!! It surpassed all my expectations! Zicasso’s travel company listened to my wants, needs, and priorities, and made a customized itinerary that was perfect for me. Do not hesitate to work with this travel company. I highly recommend!
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Zicasso’s travel agent was great to work with and put together a fantastic trip. The itinerary allowed us to see a wide variety of what Costa Rica has to offer, and she selected hotels and guides who were first-rate. We would highly recommend this travel company to anyone who wants to explore this beautiful country.
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Zicasso’s travel specialists pulled off the impossible! They took all of our, admittedly unreasonable, requests and fashioned a fantastic winter getaway vacation. We did not spend too much time in the car, it was not too hot or too humid, and we got a mix of mountains and beach, all at lovely, tranquil, spacious hotels. Both venues had the right mix of activities and downtime, all at the right price point.
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Thank you so much for referring us to Zicasso’s travel company. Their authentic experience, friendliness, and organizational skills in creating a most memorable Costa Rica experience for my whole family were incredible. It was indeed a trip of a lifetime! With grateful thanks...
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We booked late and were impressed with what Zicasso’s travel company was able to put together on short notice.
We stayed at two totally different hotels, both wonderful. Our hotel near Drake Bay was in an amazing location, with breathtaking views. The staff was fantastic and the home-cooked meals were wonderful. The room was comfortable, but small, all you needed, nothing more. More spacious rooms were available; we just booked too late and wanted to stick to a budget. Getting to Drake Bay certainly required some effort, but it was well worth it. One day, we did not go on an excursion and had the entire beach to ourselves, how amazing.
From Drake Bay, we traveled to Puerto Jiménez, which was also a journey, but again, well worth it. The travel company booked us at our hotel in Puerto Jiménez, a hidden gem. We had great excursions, saw lots of wildlife, and met some wonderful people. Here too, the staff was great. We had an amazing time, when can we go back?
Thank you to the travel company for putting a great trip together.
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