Highlights
- Sample street food on a guided tour of San José
- Climb Cerro Tortuguero, the region's highest peak, for views over the Caribbean
- Explore lush Peñas Blancas River on a boat tour
- Spot monkeys, sloths, tropical birds, and more on a guided wildlife hike
- Visit an animal rehabilitation center to see jaguars up close
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive & Explore San José's Food Scene | San José |
| Day 2 | Spot Wildlife on a Night Hike in Tortuguero | Tortuguero |
| Day 3 | Boat Along the Tortuguero Canals | Tortuguero |
| Day 4 | Travel to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Day 5 | Visit a Jaguar Rescue Center | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Day 6 | Discover the Beaches Around Puerto Viejo | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Day 7 | Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall | La Fortuna |
| Day 8 | Go on a Sloth and Bird Hike & Dip in Hot Springs | La Fortuna |
| Day 9 | Embark on a Safari Float & Visit a Chocolate Farm | La Fortuna |
| Day 10 | Depart Costa Rica |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive & Explore San José's Food Scene
Colorful fruits for sale in the market
Welcome to Costa Rica! You'll arrive in San José and transfer to your hotel. After checking in, you'll head out for a food-focused walking tour around the city.
Start by strolling through the Central Market with your local guide to learn about the uses of the roots, herbs, and fruit common in local cuisines. Sample traditional snacks—kids will love trying empanadas, freshly cut fruit, and batidos, or smoothies. Then make your way down Central Avenue toward one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in the city, the Teatro Nacional (National Theater). Walk through Morazan Park, then continue to Spain Park for a fantastic view of the Yellow House.
Continue to charming Barrio Amon, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. You'll spend the rest of the evening at a local restaurant specializing in Costa Rican cuisine. The view from the terrace is like looking out onto an open-air museum. Enjoy a three-course meal (with wine pairings for adults) before heading back to your hotel to get some rest. Read more about Where to Eat in San José.
Day 2: Spot Wildlife on a Night Hike in Tortuguero
Starting at your lodge, you will leave by boat around 5:30 pm for a 5-minute ride to the lodge's network of private trails, located close to Tortuguero National Park. Your walk with an expert naturalist guide begins, taking you along forest trails as twilight descends. There are many creatures for kids to spot—keep your eyes open for moths, crickets, spiders, frogs, bats, sloths, porcupines, nocturnal birds, and caiman. You'll return to the lodge in time for dinner.
See the Ultimate Guide to Tortuguero National Park for more ideas.
Day 3: Boat Along the Tortuguero Canals
After lunch, get ready to see the most spectacular panoramic view in Tortuguero as you climb the area's highest peak, Cerro Tortuguero. Start with a boat ride from Mawamba Lodge to the trailhead. The peak is only 390 feet (119 m) above sea level, but climbing through the jungle is nevertheless demanding. When you get to the top, the most exquisite view of Tortuguero opens up, spanning the Tortuguero canals, the Caribbean Sea, and the communities of San Francisco and Tortuguero. After hiking down to the trailhead, you will take your boat back to the lodge.
Day 4: Travel to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
You will travel from Tortuguero today to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. No trip to this stunning coastal area would be complete without time to explore the diversity of its Caribbean beaches. You'll have your pick of black, golden, or white sand beaches, all within a short distance of town. The rest of the day is yours to sunbathe, swim, and relax on the sand. Enjoy some unstructured time as the kids run and play on the beach. Check out this article for ideas of what to see and do in the area.
Day 5: Visit a Jaguar Rescue Center
Start the morning at the Jaguar Animal Rescue Center, which offers shelter, treatment, rehabilitation, and protection to ill or wounded wild animals in the area. The shelter is run by a biologist with many years of experience caring for wild mammals in captivity. The center has become a sanctuary for wild animals through the organization's hard work, with terrariums for snakes and small animals, larger spaces for the monkeys, and special quarantine cages for animals arriving with serious injuries. It's fascinating for kids, and your entrance fee and support help keep the center running.
After the rescue center, visit a local family that grows cacao trees on their land. They will show you the entire process, from cacao fruit to a bar of chocolate. Kids can sample different kinds of homemade chocolate, and you will have the opportunity to purchase sweets and handmade crafts. Later, your guide will bring you to a waterfall with beautiful swimming holes. Enjoy a dip in the water before hiking back to the vehicle and returning to the hotel. Read more about the day's activities here.
Day 6: Explore the Beaches Around Puerto Viejo
Day 7: Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall
In the morning, you will travel to La Fortuna, the closest town to Arenal Volcano. Later in the afternoon, visit La Fortuna Waterfall Reserve. After paying the entrance fee, you'll cross a small bridge to get to the trailhead. Beyond that is the first observation deck, where you can snap photos of your kids with a great elevated view of the waterfall as it plunges into the river below.
After taking in the views from the platform, it's time to descend the steps to get close to the waterfall at its base! As you make your way down the roughly 500 steps along the trail, feel free to take breaks to check out the local flora and fauna. Once you reach the falls, cool off with a swim in the refreshing water of La Fortuna River, staying close to the shore to avoid the strong undercurrent. Alternatively, downriver and to the left of the waterfall is another natural pool that is calmer and warmer, ideal for kids.
Enjoy the falls and the river as long as you like before starting the trek back up the stairs. For dinner, hit the town and try out one of La Fortuna's many good restaurants. Kids might spot toucans, iguanas, and even sloths in the trees near your table.
Day 8: Go On a Sloth and Bird Hike & Dip in Hot Springs
Go on a hiking excursion today along the so-called "Sloth Trail." This nature trail cuts through a habitat for sloths (both two-toed and three-toed) who like to hang on the branches of the trees and feed on bright green leaves. It's fun for the whole family to look for these slow-moving creatures overhead! On this two-hour guided hike, you'll see a few of these animals and perhaps even spy a mother sloth and its baby. During the walk, your bilingual guide will also point out other animals common to this area, like the famous red-eyed tree frog.
In the afternoon, go for a hike around Arenal Volcano and other nearby nature reserves. The trails in the area are generally not strenuous—perfect for a leisurely and informative hike with a naturalist guide. Start at the entrance of the 1968 Trail, where you'll hit the well-maintained trails that skirt the base of the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. This family-friendly 1.5-hour route offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the park, and your naturalist guide will keep a well-trained eye out for exotic birds, monkeys, and other animals along the way.
In addition to the forested parts where you can spot wildlife, you'll also walk through sections of the park devastated by the lava flow of 1968, resulting in little to no vegetation in its surroundings. Your guide will explain the history of the area, both pre-and post-1968 eruption, while also pointing out the unique flora and fauna you will encounter. Of course, the trail also provides magnificent views of the massive Arenal Volcano, the pristine Lake Arenal, and the extinct volcano Cerro Chato. After hiking the trails, your guide will drop you off at Tabacon Hot Springs so you and your kids can soothe your muscles with a dip in mineral-rich waters. Find out more about the hot springs experience here.
Day 9: Embark on a Safari Float & Visit a Chocolate Farm
Get acquainted with the tropical river ecosystem and experience the tranquility of the forest while floating slowly down the wildlife-rich Peñas Blancas River. This is a golden opportunity for your family to observe many wildlife species such as monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, and alligators, as well as different types of birds like herons, cormorants, American darters, and passerines. You might even get lucky and spy a quirky reptile called a basilisk lizard, capable of walking on water.
This tour is perfect for kids and those who don't want to do as much walking but would appreciate plenty of opportunities to observe and photograph nature's beauty. The raft makes for a quiet and peaceful trip—you will only occasionally need to paddle to avoid an obstacle. The raft's material allows it to be light, highly buoyant, and stable without affecting the river floor as it passes or disturbing the animals that inhabit it. In addition, the boat captain is an experienced naturalist guide equipped with the knowledge to interpret the ecosystem and provide interesting information about it. For more on rafting in Costa Rica, read this article.
A delicious activity awaits in the afternoon. During a hands-on chocolate tour, you'll learn about the origin, history, and production of one of Costa Rica's most famous exports. Kids can participate in the cacao harvest, as well as the drying and grinding of the seeds used to produce creamy cocoa butter, and learn how a traditional Costa Rican chocolate drink was developed centuries ago. Your family will also have the opportunity to sample plenty of freshly made chocolate. It's a sweet end to the trip!
Day 10: Depart Costa Rica
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