Explore & Service in Costa Rica- 7 Days

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival and Travel to the Arenal Volcano Area

Today you'll start your Costa Rica adventure to make unforgettable memories with your group. Upon arrival, you'll meet with Tour Manager and begin your adventures. In the afternoon, you will continue on your travel to your host community, which lies in the northern lowlands of this beautiful and fascinating country.

On the way, you will discuss the wonders of Costa Rica and how resource management affects the people of this beautiful nation. When you arrive to your host community, you will be welcomed host families and spend the rest of the evening getting to know each other better and sharing dinner.

Day 2-4  – Host Community and Service Project

Each morning you will enjoy breakfast with your host families. The homestay experience and service project are the heart of your trip, an excellent way to bond with your host community and peers through service. In the morning on the first day you will gather at the work site to be briefed on the service project and to meet the local leaders who will be working with you. Each morning you will spend time working on your service project and will return to your host families to help prepare and enjoy lunch. After lunch, you will meet again to continue with the community project.

In the afternoons and evenings, you will spend time with your host families and take a few excursions into the surrounding area to learn more about the culture of your hosts. You may also enjoy dance lessons and cooking lessons, as well as hikes around the community. There will also be plenty of time for afternoon fútbol (soccer) games with the local youth. You will spend your evenings living and learning with your host families and gathering as a group to reflect upon your time in the community.

On your final day in the community, you will wrap up your community service project, basking in the satisfaction of a job well done. For your final evening, you will gather with the host families and community members to celebrate the completed project.

Day 5 – Waterfall Hike, Arenal Volcano Hike, and Hot Springs

After breakfast, you’ll say goodbye to your new family and friends before heading to a nearby private reserve to learn more about the ecology of the area. You will hike to a beautiful waterfall and keep an eye out for wildlife. After lunch, you will head to your hotel in the Arenal Volcano area.

Once you have checked into your hotel in Arenal, you will go on a hike through the national park. This hike takes you through three distinct environments from the old volcanic flows, to the dense jungle canopy and broadleaf underbrush. Along the way, your Program Leader will help explain the geology of the volcano and the ecology of this unusual environment. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy the natural hot springs heated by the volcano and share stories about your host families over a delicious dinner!

Day 6 – Horse Back Riding, Souvenirs Shopping, Airport Hotel, and Final Dinner

You start your day in Arenal with a relaxing horseback ride through the rainforest. After a delicious lunch at a typical restaurant, you will have some time to go souvenir shopping before you drive back to the Central Valley. During your final evening, you will celebrate with a farewell dinner reminiscing about your time shared together in Costa Rica.

Day 7 / Depart

Today your Costa Rica adventure comes to a close as you depart home.