8 Day Costa Rica Family-Friendly Tour: Volcano, Cloud Forest and Beach
Destinations: Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Airports: San Jose or Alajuela
Description of the Tour: Experience the rainforest, volcanoes, and cloud forest with your very own tour guide! These destinations are one of the more family-friendly tours available, where your kids will learn and enjoy the richness of flora and fauna that Costa Rica has to offer. Spend eight unforgettable days discovering the natural beauty of this amazing country. (Designed for kids and adults of all ages.)
San Jose
Day 1 Upon arrival, you’ll be picked up at the airport and taken to your hotel to be briefed on the next day’s activities. The rest of the day is yours to explore the Greater San José or Liberia area as you see fit.
Travel from Alajuela to the beautiful Arenal Volcano.
Day 2
• Breakfast at your hotel.
• Enjoy a three hour drive with your bilingual travel guide to the beautiful countryside surrounding Arenal Volcano.
• After lunch (cost not included in travel package), there is an optional exhilarating hike through a lively forest with over hanging bridges near Arenal Volcano. Other optional activities can include a forest canopy exploration tour, white-water rafting, or waterfall repelling. (Note: Some optional tour activities entail an additional cost that is reasonable priced. These costs are not included in the travel package. If you are interested in an optional activity, please consult your tour guide for further details.)
• Overnight in Arenal or at a nearby motel located near the volcano (first of two nights).
Explore Arenal.
Day 3
• Early breakfast at your hotel.
• Visit the Arenal Volcano National Park and private reserve (Danaus Eco Center, Reserva el Silencio, or Lava from 1968) to enjoy an inspiring two hour guided hike through the majestic rainforest that surrounds the volcano. Arenal Volcano is one of the world’s most famous active volcanoes, rising 5010 feet above sea level!!
• Your afternoon is free for your choice of activity. (Optional activities may entail additional fees not included in the travel package. Consult your guide for details.)
• Overnight in Arenal or nearby area.
Travel from Arenal to Monteverde´s Cloud Forest.
Day 4
• Breakfast at your hotel. We will prepare for transfer to Monteverde region afterwards.
• After breakfast, you’ll join your guide for a leisurely three hour discovery drive around Arenal Lake on your way to Monteverde. If you prefer, there is an alternative route you could take by an early morning boat ride (2½ –3 hours). This route would give your family and children exquisite views of the Arenal Volcano and Costa Rican landscapes. A van will be waiting at the other side of the lake to take your family to your hotel, where you will rejoin your driver/guide as soon as he/she completes the drive around the lake.
• After arriving at the Monteverde Cloud Forest, you’ll have plenty of time to relax, explore the surrounding area, or squeeze in another optional family adventure. (Optional activities may entail additional fees not included in the family travel package. Consult your guide for details.)
• Overnight in Monteverde.
Explore Monteverde´s Cloud Forest, then off to the Pacific Central Coast.
Day 5
• Breakfast at your hotel.
• After breakfast, you´ll visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve! This private preserve protects 35,089 acres of cloud rainforest. Here, you will encounter over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles that live within its bounds. The Cloud Forest is one of the few remaining habitats that support all six indigenous species of the cat family!
• Optional family adventures for this day may include bat tours, exploring frog ponds, visiting a cheese factory, exploring tree tops in a tree canopy tour, an ATV excursion, and other unique biologically centric trips. (Optional activities may entail additional fees not included in the family travel package. Consult your guide for details.)
• Begin the afternoon with a four hour transfer from the Monteverde Cloud Forest to the Pacific Coast, where you will be staying near Manuel Antonio Beach for two nights.
• Overnight at the Manuel Antonio Beach (first of two nights).
Manuel Antonio Beach
Day 6
• Breakfast at your hotel.
•After breakfast, you could use this time to relax. There are multiple activities for the kids to partake in during this time as well.
• Possible kid activities for Day 7: Surfing classes, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, visiting an astonishing waterfall.
• In the evening, dine at a Costa Rican house, where you can make you own corn tortillas!
• Overnight at the Manuel Antonio Beach.
Manuel Antonio Beach to Alajuela.
Day 7
• Breakfast at your hotel.
• First, you’ll spend your morning relaxing or involving yourself in one of a number of unique local activities. Then, enjoy a typical fresh meal at an authentic Costa Rican house, or stop for lunch on our return trip to San Jose/Alajuela.
• After arriving at your hotel, you’ll have time to relax, prepare for your flight, and reflect on your wonderful stay in Costa Rica!
• Overnight in Alajuela.
Transfer to the international airport; departure.
Day8
(for 2-4 people, sharing one hotel room throughout tour)
Ask about our Custom Tours, available for your convenience!
For more information on the available variety of hotel and options for kid friendly tours, send us your e-mail address and Costa Rica Family Adventures will help you create a Costa Rican holiday that is custom-made and unforgettable.
Costa Rica Family Adventures will be happy to provide (via e-mail) a list of the many exciting activities you might that your kids like to consider while vacationing in Costa Rica. And, of course, your personal travel guide will happily recommend additional activities along the way.
About Us
Costa Rica Family Adventures
Costa Rica Family Adventures is a family business with more than 20 years experience in the tourism industry. The dream that has led to Costa Rica Family Adventures was born in 1988 when founder, Marvin Ugalde Arguedas acquired his first vehicle, equipped and licensed for tourist use.
Marvin’s son, Jose Pablo Ugalde Aju, has accompanied his father on various tours beginning at age six. Since then, Jose has become one of Costa Rica’s finest friends and travel guides. Together they undertook their own personal adventure in creating a first-class travel service, especially for families who come to explore Costa Rica’s culture, rich history, and natural beauty.
Here is a sample of some of Costa Rica’s most beautiful family destinations that we would love to share with you and your kids:
- Cahuita
- Rio Celeste
- Monteverde
- Manuel Antonio
- Playa Tamarindo
- Puerto Viejo de Limon
- Arenal Volcano and surrounding
Costa Rica Family Adventures is always happy to help you plan your perfect getaway and to share with you the beauty that is Costa Rica.
Our Staff:
Known widely for his “Chicken Tours,” Don Marvin has spent approximately 20 years working with Allied Tourism Enterprises, promoting their businesses. And his earliest ventures into tourism came with his work with representatives of the Methodist Church of the United States and with the Organization for Tropical Studies. Don Marvin is a certified tour guide (Costa Rican Tourism Institute, or ICT) and is an inspired lover of nature. Due to his natural empathy and joyful manner, Don Marvin has made customer service a way of life.
Jose Pablo, sometimes known as “Chicken Little,” has eight years of experience in the tourism industry, but his passion for discovery developed at a very young age, when he joined his father on a variety of Costa Rican tours. In addition to being a certified tour guide (Costa Rican Tourism Institute, or ICT), Jose is a licensed naturalist guide, certified by the National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio). He has worked for extended periods in the areas around Arenal and the Osa Peninsula as a local guide. Jose, like his father, is a lifelong nature lover and an enthusiastic bird-watcher.
Jose especially loves working with families and enjoys the company of children. His kind and generous nature will appeal to tourists of all ages, and he has a remarkable gift for sharing the spirit of discovery on every journey with Costa Rica Adventures. Jose has acquired an advanced mastery of the English language and has a basic command of French.
Cancellation Policies
For any cancellationmade between 45 and 30 days prior to passengers arrival CR Family Adventures will only charge $60 administrative cost for the arragements made for the trip.
For cancellations made 29 to 15 days prior to passengers arrival a 50% reimbursement will be granted.
For cancellations made 14 to 0 days prior to passengers arrival, no reimbursement wil be granted.
