Our Costa Rica Adventure Tour is great for first-time travelers and students interested in going abroad and making new international friends. This trip is a mix of adventure travel, cultural immersion, and community service. You can also practice your Spanish everyday with local “Ticos” (Costa Rican’s nickname for themselves).

Our expert local tour leaders will lead you on excursions to some of Costa Rica’s best adventure activities like zip lining, volcano tours, waterfall hikes, whitewater rafting, surfing, and hot springs. You’ll learn about Costa Rica’s cuisine including “gallo pinto” and try some of the world’s most delicious tropical fruits.

Tour Highlights

• Ziplining in the rainforest
• Whitewater Rafting
• Waterfalls hike & swim
• Afro-Caribbean culture lecture & tour
• Chocolate Making by Indigenous groups
• Hot springs
• Volcano hike & tour
• Catamaran boat ride
• Surfing lessons
• Volunteering at food banks & soup kitchens
• Practicing Spanish with locals
• Homestay with a Costa Rican family

Itinerary

Day 1: Departure Flight
> Fly from Newark NJ to Costa Rica (SJO)
> Orientation
> San Jose city tour
> Dinner & relax

Day 2: Volcano Tour
> Arenal Volcano
> La Paz Waterfall
> Arenal Hot Springs

Days 3-4: Manuel Antonio National Park
> Rainforest hike
> Waterfall swim
> Ziplining in rainforest
> Catamaran boat ride

Day 5: Jaco Beach
> Beach fun
> Mirador de Jaco
> Surfing lessons
> Volunteer @ Jaco Library and Learning Center
> Jaco Walk Open Air Shopping Center

Days 6: Pacuare & Limon
> Pacuare River rafting
> Travel to Limon
> Relax at beach in Limon

Day 7: Limon
> Tour of Limon city
> Afro-Caribbean lecture & tour
> Chocolate Experience – Indigenous Culture

Days 8: San Jose
> Volunteer at food bank
> Shopping
> Program wrap-up

Day 9: Departure Flight for Home

Included in Program Fee

• Two professional, bilingual guides on call 24-hours
• All meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
• Daily Private transportation
• All adventure excursions
• Community Service
• 2 nights: Costa Rican host family
• 6 nights: hotel rooms at 3-star hotels
• Trip Director from the US
• Travel & Medical Insurance
• Airport Transfers in Costa Rica
• EWE Tours t-shirt & bag

Not Included: flights, vaccinations

FAQ

Entry Requirements
See our Entry Requirements page.

Travel
Flights: Our US Tour Director will travel with your group on a direct flight from Newark NJ (EWR) to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose (SJO). We will coordinate the flight date/time with your group leader(s). Ground travel in Costa Rica is by private buses operated by our local partners. There are no internal flights.

Accommodations
Hotels: Most nights, students will stay at hotels. Rooms are 2-3 students of the same gender per room. Shared bathrooms with hot water. Homestays: Students will stay a few nights with carefully hand-picked Costa Rican families. Students stay with at least one more student of the same gender per house.

Food
Meals will be mostly traditional local meals, with occasional fast food visits. A typical breakfast is “Gallo Pinto” which is rice and beans, plus cereal, bread, eggs, plantains, pancakes, and fruit. Lunches and dinners will have combinations of rice, beans, vegetables, green salads, chicken, beef, pasta, stir-fries, potatoes, and tacos. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets are easily accommodated.

Water
Tap water is safe to drink. We will also provide bottled water daily.

Dress Code
We ask that you please be respectful and follow Costa Rican customs on dress: neat, clean, and modest.

WIFI & Cell Phones
We encourage students to (mostly) disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves and get the most out of the trip. However all of our accommodations have WIFI. Most cell phone carriers have roaming plans if desired. Cell phone coverage is quite good in Costa Rica.

Emergencies
Parents will have our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff while your child is in Costa Rica. Our trip leaders in Costa Rica are available 24/7 for any illnesses or injuries. There are hospitals / clinics in all of our program areas.

Weather
From June-August expect hot and humid days (80-90 F), cool nights, and occasional rain showers.

Laundry
You will have the opportunity to do your laundry 1-2 times at a cost of $7-$12 per load.

Spanish Language
Our trip leaders are bilingual in Spanish and English. You do not need to be able to Speak Spanish for this program. However we certainly encourage you to practice with locals as much as you can.