Enchanting 7-Day Costa Rica Family Vacation

Ride a pleasure boat along Pacific beaches on this Costa Rica cruise.

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.

Countries Visited

Costa Rica

Places Visited

La Paz, Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

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:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Dinner
Day 2

La Paz – Wonders of an Active Volcano

Day 3

Manuel Antonio National Park – Pacific Ocean Bliss

Day 4

Manuel Antonio National Park – Costa Rican Wildlife

Day 5

Arenal – Ziplining Through the Trees

Day 6

Arenal – The Hanging Bridges of Monteverde

Day 7

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.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 733 reviews

Costa Rica Travel Review: Arenal, Wildlife Refuge, Nature, 10 Days

Zicasso’s travel company did an excellent job helping us to plan our trip to Costa Rica. They offered very helpful suggestions about places to stay and tours to go on. They arranged all transfers, which operated flawlessly to get us from one place to another.

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Costa Rica Vacation Review: La Fortuna, Sloth Tour, Waterfall, 1 Week

Zicasso's travel specialists were very helpful with adjusting to our change in plans before settling on a final itinerary. They also helped with a kid-friendly trip within our budget.

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Costa Rica Vacation Review: Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, 10 Nights

Everything was very well organized throughout our trip and our travel specialist was there when we had any questions or changes to our itinerary. The travel specialist and his team (drivers included) were always responsive to our requests and, with the recommendations they made, our trip was 100% unforgettable.

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Costa Rica Vacation Review: Ziplining, White-Water Rafting, ATV Ride, Hiking, Cloud Forest, 1 Week

Unforgettable Adventure Vacation Experience

This trip exceeded every expectation. From start to finish, it was the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. The ziplining through the lush canopy was absolutely breathtaking—soaring above the trees with panoramic views of the cloud forest was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

White-water rafting was equally thrilling, with just the right balance of excitement and safety. The guides were incredibly professional and knowledgeable, and made the entire experience fun and secure.

The cloud forest tour was magical—walking through mist-covered trails surrounded by exotic wildlife and vibrant greenery felt like stepping into another world. ATV riding added an adventurous edge, allowing us to explore rugged terrains and hidden scenic spots we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Hiking around the volcano was another highlight—both awe-inspiring and humbling. The views were spectacular and the guides shared fascinating insights about the region’s geology and history.

To top it all off, the accommodations were exceptional—beautiful hotels with stunning views, comfortable rooms, and outstanding service. Every detail was thoughtfully curated, making it easy to relax after a day full of adventure.

We highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for the perfect mix of adrenaline, nature, and luxury.

The team did a truly amazing job!

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Costa Rica Tour Review: Night Hike, Wildlife, 1 Week

Zicasso’s travel company did an excellent job in organizing our family trip by ensuring our top five "must-do" activities were available, despite limitations due to our last-minute planning and very busy tourist season. They really did some outside-the-box thinking for us and delivered a wonderful experience.

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Costa Rica Travel Review: La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio National Park, Ziplining, Volcano Hike, 9-Day Trip

This was the best-planned multi-generational trip for our family of six! Zicasso’s travel company thought of everything and listened to all of the activities we wanted to do on this trip, and made it all happen! We all said that we would give the trip a 6/5 because we had so much fun!!!

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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