Explore Costa Rica on The Grand Tour. Arrive in San José, the capital city. Next, drive through a banana plantation on your way to a boat ride exploring the canals through lowland rainforest. Enjoy volcanic hot springs, stroll through a "cloud forest." See a variety of wildlife from monkeys to land crabs. Chat with local students, and create an authentic local dinner.
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Itinerary
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Costa Rica
10 Days
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Banana Plantation, Costa Rica
Beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park, Quepos, Costa Rica
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Price This Itinerary
We often offer seasonal and early registration pricing incentives on selected trips all over the world. Contact us today to find out the price for this itinerary.
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Your adventure, day by day
Day 1 :
Fly to Costa Rica
Arrive in San José
Arrive in San José, the capital city. Costa Rica is known as the Switzerland of Central America, a country with no armed forces.
Day 2 :
Tortuguero
LEAP Costa Rican School VisitDrive through a Banana Plantation
En route to Tortuguero, drive through a banana plantation, a subsidiary of the Dole Company. Discover the four main processes involved in banana production.
Boat to Tortuguero
Later, journey by boat to Tortuguero, the most important breeding ground for the green sea turtle in all of the Caribbean.
LEAP Activity | Costa Rican School Visit
Visit a Costa Rican school to meet local students, practice Spanish and see the differences between schools there and schools at home.
Day 3 :
Continue in Tortuguero
National Park of Tortuguero
Enjoy a boat ride exploring the canals of an 18,946 hectare coastal park, the National Park of Tortuguero. The park offers an excellent sampling of Atlantic lowland rainforest.
Day 4 :
Arenal
Continue to ArenalVolcanic Hot Springs
Travel to Arenal and visit the volcanic hot springs for a relaxing soak.
Day 5 :
Arenal--Monteverde
Continue to the Monteverde ReserveGuided Nature Walk
Enjoy an evening guided walk along a nature trail to see the nocturnal wildlife.
Day 6 :
Monteverde
Add on: Canopy Zipline Tour
Harness in and soar above the jungle canopy on a thrilling zip line tour that takes you through the Costa Rican rainforest.
LEAP Cocina Tica
LEAP Activity | Cocina Tica
Cook Costa Rican style! Create authentic local foods and sit down to savor your delicious creations.
Day 7 :
Monteverde--Manuel Antonio
Tour of Cloud Forest
This morning, take a guided walking tour of the reserve. At an altitude of 4,000 to 5,800 feet, this "cloudy" forest straddles the low continental divide and is known for abundant fauna and flora.
Continue to Manuel Antonio
Day 8 :
Manuel Antonio
Visit Manuel Antonio National Park
Combining white sandy beaches with lush tropical forest, Manuel Antonio is the perfect place to see a variety of Costa Rican wildlife, from white-faced monkeys and sleepy-faced sloths, to green turtles and orange-and-black-shelled land crabs. Explore the cays and inlets of this national park during a full-day excursion.
Day 9 :
Manuel Antonio-San Jose
Return to San JoséLEAP Dance the El Torito
LEAP Activity | Dance the El Torito
Costumed Costa Rican folklore dancers teach you the El Torito, as well as other traditional dances. After your lesson, relax and watch the pros perform.
Day 10 :
Return Home OR Extend your Stay
Add on: San José Rafting Extension
Days 10 & 11: Add an extra day to your itinerary to experience a white water rafting expedition through the Costa Rican landscape. Breakfast and lunch are included today. Return to San Jose for the evening, and fly home the following day
Yes. The safety and security of our traveling teachers and students is our top priority, and one measure we take to ensure this safety, and support, is through Tour Central.
Tour Central is staffed by WorldStrides employees and is available 24/7 for all traveling groups. Tour Central is there to assist you with any questions or problems that may arise—no matter how big or how small. The staff is specially trained to monitor events domestically and around the world, and has dozens of contingency plans in place to help us jump into action when necessary.
The Tour Central number for your group is printed on the WorldStrides name badges that are given to all our travelers for easy access should you need it. This is just one of the many measures that we take to ensure that your trip really is the experience of a lifetime.
Up to Three College Credits Included with this Program
Through our Discovery for Credit Program, students traveling on an international WorldStrides program have the opportunity to earn academic credit by completing an online course that allows them to reflect upon many of the themes and topics explored during their travel program. Those in grades 6–12 at the time of travel can earn free elective high school credit upon successful completion of both the travel program and online course. Through our university partner, George Mason University, eligible students in grades 9-12 at the time of travel can earn up to three college credits upon successful completion of both the travel program and online course. Students who earn credit with WorldStrides will find this distinguishes them as online learners and gives them a jump-start on their path to a successful higher education experience. Click here for more details.
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Class is in session. And, by that, of course we mean
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