Wildlife Adventure - Costa Rica Family Holiday

15 Days - from $2367

Tropical rainforestButterflies, birds and frogsMake your own chocolateRelax on Pacific beaches

Costa Rica is a natural paradise complete with jungles, volcanoes, spectacular beaches and wildlife - the perfect destination for a family holiday. Fun and varied adventures are the order of the day, including a walk to the summit of an active volcano and a boat trip through the inland waterways of Tortuguero surrounded by noisy Howler Monkeys and colourful birds. There are also great opportunities to interact with the local people, as we visit a family-run working hacienda and a rural school to meet the kids. Monteverde's forest reserves are world-famous and are the perfect place to walk in the clouds or take an exhilarating canopy zip-line tour. After an action-packed educational holiday, we head to the Pacific Coast for two days of pure relaxation.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Start San Jose. 2 Visit INBIO Park; tour of San Jose, including Children's Museum and Central Market, or free to relax. 3 Climb Poas Volcano; free afternoon in San Jose. 4 To Tortuguero Village via Braulio Carrillo N.P.; visit turtle museum. 5 Explore Tortuguero N.P. and its waterways by boat; see turtles nesting on beach (July to September only - optional). 6 To Sarapiqui by boat and bus; visit insect museum; afternoon free to relax. 7 Optional excurion to organic farm with zip-lines and rafting on offer; afternoon visit to local school. 8 A short forest hike before we make our own chocolate; on to La Fortuna for evening hot springs. 9 Opportunity to walk on active Arenal Volcano; traditional lunch with local family; free afternoon for optional activities. 10 To Monteverde, in the Tilaran mountain range; visit frog pond. 11 Walk the hanging bridges in the cloud forest. 12 Morning to beach close to Carara N.P.; afternoon free. 13 Free to relax at the beach or take an optional tour. 14 Mid-morning transfer to San Jose; afternoon free to relax by pool. 15 End San Jose.

Mode of travel: Flights via Houston with Continental; return via Newark. Transport mixture of private minibus and boat.
Group size: Min. 6, max. 16, plus guide and driver(s).
Accommodation: 14 nights in comfortable 3-star hotels with en suite bathrooms. The seaside hotel on the Pacific Coast has a private reserve with nature trails, and the family-run hotel in Sarapiqui has a butterfly house and a great insect museum.
Food: All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 2 dinners included.
Optional Single Supplement: from $637.88
Trip Reference: FNR
Reverse Itinerary: trips that run in reverse are specified with an 'R' in the dates and prices table below.