Costa Rica Road Trip For Families With Children (Long)

Upon arrival, you'll be met by a representative from our local travel agency and transferred to your hotel. Depending on the time of your flight, you and your family will have the whole day to relax and acclimatise to the weather or explore your surroundings on foot.

Transfer time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Today, your adventure begins. After breakfast, you'll set off to collect your rental car and head to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica! Spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach or taking a dip in the crystal-clear ocean water after your journey.

Drive time: 5 hours 

Today, you and your family will get to experience the world-renowned Sloth Centre to make some adorable new furry friends! Buttercup, the centre's first ever resident sloth, will even be there to greet you, but be warned, you might have a hard time getting your kids to leave at the end of the day...

Tour time: around 4 hours

After breakfast, you'll head out on a private guided visit of Cahuita National Park. As well as boasting stunning white-sand beaches, the park's lush jungles are bursting with wildlife that you and your family will be able to learn all about.

Today, your journey continues to the Sarapiquí Rainforest, where your cosy jungle lodge awaits you. Spend the afternoon looking for wildlife in the lodge's surroundings, or taking a dip in the pool listening to the sounds of the rainforest.

Drive time: 4 hours

Chocolate lovers: you're going to enjoy this one! Today, you'll head to Tirimbina Reserve to learn all about the history of the cacao bean, and will even get the chance to make and sample some chocolate yourselves!

Next stop: La Fortuna, home to the iconic site of Arenal Volcano. You'll have the afternoon free to bathe in the hotel's hot springs overlooking the volcano, or parents, why not take a trip to the thermal spa for a truly relaxing evening?

Drive time: 2 hours

The water calls! Get your bathing suits on and head to the glistening Arenal Damm Lake for a morning of stand-up paddle boarding and splashing around in the water. You'll have the rest of the day to put your feet up back at the lodge.

Today, you'll head to Arenal's Eco-Centre for a half-day guided visit to learn about - and meet - the diverse species of butterfly, reptiles, and butterflies endemic to the area.

Tour time: approx 3.5 hours

Next stop: Monteverde Cloud Forest! The drive around Arenal Lake to Monteverde is a particularly beautiful one, and you'll arrive in the afternoon with the rest of the day free for you to relax, explore your surroundings by foot, or even join an optional night hike to see Monteverde's nocturnal inhabitants.

Drive time: 3 hours

Get ready for one of the highlights of your tour: walking over Monteverde's famous Hanging Bridges! Keep on the lookout for birds and animals hiding in the jungle canopy. If you're not too tired in the afternoon, you can go on to visit the colourful Butterfly Gardens or Frog & Snake Garden (optional).

Drive and tour time: 3 hours (30 minute drive each way, 2 hour easy walk on Hanging Bridges)

Today, your journey continues to the final destination of the tour: Guanacaste. The Guanacaste region is one of the most family-friendly parts of Costa Rica, with gentle beaches for children and abundant wildlife. Your first stop: Playa Carrillo. 

Drive time: 4 hours

Today, you and your family will head to Camaronal Refuge Conservation Centre to meet some of the friendly local wildlife, including sea turtles! 

Tour time: approx 2-3 hours

Get your cameras ready and set off for the dolphin and whale-spotting experience of a lifetime on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast! You'll also be able to snorkel in some of Costa Rica's most beautiful spots, before having the rest of the afternoon to relax on the beach or in the hotel pool.

Depending on the dates of your trip, you'll spend the day visiting a baby sea turtle hatchery to watch baby sea turtles hatching at Playa Carrillo - a firm favourite among children!

Today, you'll have a final day free to do as little or as much as you'd like. Either wind down on the beach, or take part in some optional activities. For families with children, we recommend the following:

• Snorkelling or sea kayaking
• A family surf lesson
• A day trip to another nearby beach

Free time all day

Enjoy your last morning on the beach before your afternoon drive back to San José. Upon arrival, you'll return your rental car and can spend the evening resting up in your hotel before your flight home the following day.​

Drive time: 5 hours

Enjoy a last breakfast and Costa Rican coffee at the hotel before your transfer to the airport. We hope you've had an amazing time in Costa Rica and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Transfer time: 45 minutes - 1 hour