Original
Classic Costa Rica
4.9
Excellent
795 reviews
15 days
Start
San Jose, Costa Rica
Finish
San Jose, Costa Rica
Trip Code
QVSR
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 16
Physical Rating
Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
Transport
Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat
Accommodation
Hotel (11 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
From £1,147(15 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Swap the concrete jungle for real jungle on this journey into the rainforests, waterways, hot springs and the palm-lined beaches of Costa Rica.
Spot long-nosed tapirs, white-faced capuchin monkeys, ocelots and three-toed sloths on this wildlife adventure – Costa Rica is home to many exotic animals, and this trip puts you in the perfect position to see them all.
Go deeper than the average tourist with a homestay in a quiet agricultural community – the perfect opportunity to experience local life and practice your Spanish. You’ll even have an informal cooking lesson with the locals to make dinner!
Refresh yourself after jungle hikes, spotting wildlife in the rejuvenating hot springs of volcanic La Fortuna.
Visit the indigenous Maleku community to share a traditional meal and learn about their way of life – this small tribe has big ambitions for regenerating local forests and natural habitats.
Is this trip right for you?
Many of the activities (both included and optional) on this trip take place in the great outdoors. This means you'll need to be prepared to deal with insects and occasionally rustic conditions. It's all part of immersing yourself in this natural paradise.
Costa Rica is generally hot year-round, and from May to October can be pretty wet too. At nighttime and in locations at higher elevations it can get chilly. Protect yourself from the sun, bring light clothing you can layer and a waterproof jacket, and stay hydrated. Please carefully consider which time of the year you'll feel most comfortable travelling.
There are many opportunities to get active on this adventure. Some of the optional activities require a moderate level of fitness and sturdy walking shoes. If you'd prefer to take it easy, however, there are plenty of other things you can do instead.
The homestay is a wonderful opportunity to witness everyday local life. A hearty homecooked dinner and breakfast will be served during your stay, which can be a lot more basic than what you're used to.
With so much to see and do, Costa Rica can sometimes be expensive. Expect to pay more than you would in other Central American countries for a lot of things.
Many of the activities (both included and optional) on this trip take place in the great outdoors. This means you'll need to be prepared to deal with insects and occasionally rustic conditions. It's all part of immersing yourself in this natural paradise.
Costa Rica is generally hot year-round, and from May to October can be pretty wet too. At nighttime and in locations at higher elevations it can get chilly. Protect yourself from the sun, bring light clothing you can layer and a waterproof jacket, and stay hydrated. Please carefully consider which time of the year you'll feel most comfortable travelling.
There are many opportunities to get active on this adventure. Some of the optional activities require a moderate level of fitness and sturdy walking shoes. If you'd prefer to take it easy, however, there are plenty of other things you can do instead.
The homestay is a wonderful opportunity to witness everyday local life. A hearty homecooked dinner and breakfast will be served during your stay, which can be a lot more basic than what you're used to.
With so much to see and do, Costa Rica can sometimes be expensive. Expect to pay more than you would in other Central American countries for a lot of things.
Itinerary
Dive into diverse Costa Rica, from the towering jungle to the palm-lined coast
Discover incredible, lush Costa Rica and understand why this part of the world is called the ‘rich coast’. This 15-day adventure, beginning and ending in lively San Jose, is a journey through the jungles, farmlands, beaches and cities of a pure Central American location. Stay with a local family in Santa Rosa de Pocosol and help your hosts prep a traditional meal. Soak in springs that get their heat from an active volcano in La Fortuna and take on a huge array of nature-based optional activities in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Spot three-toed sloths in the thickets of the Manuel Antonio National Park, then relax beneath swaying palms on the nearby beaches.
Inclusions
Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
Transport
Private vehicle, Public Transportation, Boat
Accommodation
Hotel (11 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
Included activities
Tortuguero - Boat ride to Tortuguero
Tortuguero - National Park Entrance
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Home-cooked Meal
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Homestay experience
Leader-led Informal Spanish Lesson
Guatuso - Maleku Community Experience
Monteverde - Cloud Forest Entrance
Manuel Antonio - Homecooked lunch
Manuel Antonio National Park - (Entrance fee)
Manuel Antonio National Park - Tour with a Naturalist Guide
Optional activities
San Jose - Pre-Colombian Gold Museum (Entrance fee) - USD17
San Jose - Jade Archaeological Museum (Entrance fee) - USD16
San Jose - National Museum (entrance fee) (Closed Sunday & Monday) - USD11
Tortuguero - Sunrise canoe trip around canals - USD45
Tortuguero - Turtle Watching Night Tour - USD45
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Soap-making workshop (cash only) (requires a minimum of 3 travellers to operate) - USD20
Santa Rosa de Pocosol - Waterfall hike (Cash Only) - USD10
Rio Celeste - River Tubing Adventure (cash only) - USD55
Rio Celeste - National Park Guided Trail Walk (cash only) - USD70
La Fortuna - Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Lava Trails (Entrance fee) - USD25
La Fortuna - La Fortuna Waterfall (Entrance only) - USD25
La Fortuna - Paradise Hot Springs (entrance fee) - USD47
Monteverde - Cloud Forest Night Walk - USD45
Monteverde - Butterfly Garden and Insects Farm (entrance fee) - USD22
Monteverde - Coffee & Chocolate tour - USD47
Monteverde - Suspension bridges tour - USD55
Monteverde - Canopy Zip Lining (Entrance, Equipment & Transport) - USD101
Manuel Antonio – Cruise (Inc transport, guide, lunch and drinks onboard) - USD95
Manuel Antonio - Mangrove Kayak Activity (with lunch) - USD75
Manuel Antonio National Park (Entrance fee) - USD18
Dates and availability
Starting
Ending
Remaining
Prices From
















Important notes
1. Full passport details are required at the time of booking in order to purchase entrance tickets to Manuel Antonio National Park. Delays to provide this information may result in changes to your itinerary and we will not be able to guarantee entry. Details provided must be accurate as per your passport bio page.
2. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm on Day 1. There are no activities planned for the final day so you may depart at any time.
3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
4. Please be careful when booking flights to/from San Jose; make sure you fly into/out of Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]. Please do not book flights to/from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport [SJC] as this is located in California, United States.
Reviews (775)
5 stars
696
4 stars
67
3 stars
8
2 stars
3
1 star
1
kathryn
Sep 12, 2025
This was a fantastic experience, I honestly have no complaints. I usually organise my own trips and find it difficult entrusting others however our guide Paula was amazing from start to finish from telling you when toilet breaks would be to booking restaurants in preparation to sharing her knowledge. There was a lot of travelling however it was often broken up with little key visits, boat trips or rest stops which really helped. Everywhere we visited was amazing and the extra and included excursions were all really good. The wild life in Costa Rica is unreal whilst always feeling safe.
Jodie
Aug 31, 2025
Highly recommend Classic Costa Rica. Wildlife is phenomenal!!!! The scenery is stunning. The food is scrumptious. The people are so friendly and welcoming. If you seriously love wildlife and adventure, this is the place to be. I will be back.
Julia
Aug 29, 2025
The entire trip was wonderful and eye opening. Marvin was a great guide - knowledgeable and friendly.
Jenny
Aug 29, 2025
Paula ran a fantastic trip . So organised friendly and approachable and we saw so many animals in costa roca but also learned alot about the environment and the people who live there . Would definitely recommend both the costa rica tpur and Paula
Donald
Aug 28, 2025
An excellent introduction to Costa Rica - starting with the Caribbean coast, then northwest to a fabulous homestay, then volcanoes, the incomparable Monteverde, and then a couple of days on a Pacific beach. Lots of accessible nature walking and hiking (including night walk). Zip lining, tubing, and rafting options are fun and accessible (I’m a reasonable fit 67 years old), and nature walks. The wet season is fine. Bring light rain gear and bug spray, but the bugs were never very bad. Budget carefully for meals and optional extras so you are not surprised. I did most options and for that I would say you might plan to spend about the same while on the trip as you did on the trip booking. No regrets. Great trip! Great group! Great guide! Marvin was excellent and I think anyone would feel lucky to have Marvin as their guide. Thanks Marvin!
Ian
Aug 28, 2025
Classic Costa Rica with Intrepid is a fantastic holiday to a wonderful country. You see and experience so much in 15 days. The leader and guides are excellent. I could not recommend more highly. Pura Vida!
Juliet
Aug 27, 2025
Our journey with Inpredid and our guide around Costa Rica was a discovery of stunning landscapes, national parks, beaches, cloud forests, waterfalls and incredible wildlife. It was also a privilege to uncover the ‘Pura Vida’ ethos of the local people - if you don’t know what that means (I didn’t before) go and find out for yourself in this beautiful country !
Ben
Aug 27, 2025
What an incredible trip around an amazing country. If you're in to wildlife, don't give it a second thought - book! Costa Rica is a little Emerald jewel in Central America and our guide Marvin was just superb. Thank you for making our holiday the absolute best!
Vanessa
Aug 24, 2025
The Classic Costa Rica tour cannot be described in words! This trip was life changing and truly amazing. It is a great way of getting a true Costa Rican experience cultural, bio-diversity, wildlife, activities, food and the amazing Pura Vida lifestyle!
Sara
Aug 24, 2025
Costa Rica is a wonderful destination and the Intrepid tour is a great way to get the most out of it!
Friends and Family Travel is an agent of Intrepid Travel. All Trip content and associated images are copyright of Intrepid Travel.
You are protected
Contact Information
Call us at
0208 058 4003
Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM GMT.
Contact our customer support
contact@friendsandfamily.travel
We’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

© 2024 Friends and Family Travel | All rights reserved.