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

Shaheen Z.
Costa Rica Trip Review: Gulf of Papagayo, Sunset Sail, 1 Week

It was a nicely prepared and executed trip. The staff was responsive and seemed quite knowledgeable. The local vendors used were all professional, seemed passionate about what they do, and were quite accommodating and flexible.

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Nancy G.
Costa Rica Tour Review: Tortuguero, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Arenal, La Fortuna, Wildlife, Ziplining, River Rafting, 12-Day Trip

I was immediately impressed by Zicasso’s travel agent’s professionalism and the initial outline he prepared after reading my notes of what we’d like to do on our trip.

His revision included most everything we wanted to do (even the pineapple tour!).

As an event planner myself, I understand the amount of work and time it takes to prepare an itinerary. He nailed it!

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Sonya R.
Costa Rica Vacation Review: Sailboat, Wildlife, 1-Week Trip

Zicasso’s travel company did a great job with our tours. Our dedicated driver added so much to our vacation. The house and views were fantastic. Wildlife was abundant.

The only thing I would change would be the sailing trip, as three of us got seasick. This kind of boat was awful for those of us who suffer that fate—a catamaran, which I have been on many times without getting seasick, would have been a better choice for us. We saw pilot whales!

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Nabil C.
Costa Rica Travel Review: Arenal Volcano, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Ziplining, Whitewater Rafting, Canyoning, Waterfall, 10 Days

Zicasso’s travel specialist was absolutely amazing! I appreciated his insight and help when I initially presented my preferences. I think he did a fabulous job organizing our schedule and answering all my questions. He was always attentive and thorough. Later on, when his co-worker took over, she was also very thorough in explaining and answering any questions I had. Most of our tours were absolutely fantastic.

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Bob C.
Costa Rica Travel Review: Wildlife, 1 Week

We had a great trip and highly recommend others visit Costa Rica. Zicasso’s travel agent recommended great hotels and activities, and found outstanding local guides. We were amazed by the local wildlife that infused each element of our trip. The travel agent was responsive throughout the trip, including when we needed to change transportation arrangements because of a delayed flight.

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Bonnie S.
Costa Rica Travel Review: Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Beaches, Wildlife, 1 Week

The hotels were wonderful and the staff were uniformly helpful. The areas we visited were great, especially Manuel Antonio. It was easy to contact Zicasso’s travel company via WhatsApp. Costa Rica is a magical country and this travel company is great.

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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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