11 Days in Costa Rica - 6 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas

Itinerary #1: Costa Rica for Families: Outdoor Adventures & Wildlife 

This family-oriented 11-day journey leads you and your kids around Costa Rica's beautiful waterfalls, lush rainforests, smoking volcanoes, and vibrant wildlife habitats. You'll look for sloths in the wild, go for a dip in hot springs, and learn how chocolate is made.

Welcome to Costa Rica! After sightseeing in San José, you and the family will explore a private ecological reserve on a nighttime hike near La Fortuna. Hike through a sloth habitat and soak in natural hot springs before enjoying a safari-style float down the river and visiting a chocolate farm to learn how chocolate is made from bean to bar.

Get up close with monkeys and parrots on a tour of a wildlife rehabilitation center, then move on to Monteverde to explore the cloud forest. Finish up the trip in Manuel Antonio National Park with a sailing trip and a chance to snorkel off the side of the boat. Learn about a mangrove ecosystem and get the kids involved as the whole family does some birdwatching on another boating excursion on the last day of the trip. Learn more

Check out the Ultimate Guide to Manuel Antonio National Park for more information.

Itinerary #2: Family Adventure in Costa Rica: Wetlands, Volcanoes & Caribbean Beaches

Look for monkeys in the trees, go whitewater rafting, and swim in waterfall pools on this exciting 11-day adventure. With the kids, you'll explore Tortuguero National Park, the beaches of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, and the volcanoes, hot springs, and rivers of Arenal. 

Explore San José's colorful central market on the first day of the journey, then head to Tortuguero National Park for a nocturnal rainforest hike and a boat ride along the park's canals. Tour the Jaguar Animal Rescue Center with the kids before enjoying a free day of relaxing on one of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches, Playa Punta Uva.

Explore La Fortuna Waterfall Reserve and hike along the so-called "Sloth Trail" and around the base of Arenal Volcano. The itinerary ends with a gentle introduction to whitewater rafting, with a trip on the Rio Balsa followed by a tour of a cocoa bean farm, where the whole family will be able to help make and taste freshly made chocolate. Learn more

Read more about Tortuguero National Park here.

Itinerary #3: Family Trip to Costa Rica's Mountains, Volcanoes & the Gulf of Papagayo 

On this action-packed 11-day trip created for families, you'll go zip-lining and dip in hot springs in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, learn to surf in coastal Tamarindo, and enjoy a sunset cruise on the beautiful Gulf of Papagayo.

Begin the trip in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, where you will soak in the Río Negro Hot Springs and play in the volcanic mud nearby. The whole family can try horseback riding, zip-lining, and river tubing during a day of adventure. After a guided hike and a nighttime rainforest tour, you will hike around Arenal Volcano and walk across the Arenal Hanging Bridges.

Go on a whitewater rafting adventure on the Balsa River—a gentle introduction that is fun for the whole gang—then move onto the Gulf of Papagayo for a sunset catamaran cruise. In the next few days, you can try stand-up paddle boarding, go snorkeling on the beaches, and learn to surf in the coastal hub of Tamarindo. On the last full day of the trip, you'll go boating around the mangroves and estuary, looking for monkeys and iguanas. Learn more

Find out more here about the best things to do on the Gulf of Papagayo.

Itinerary #4: Family Adventure in Costa Rica: Volcanoes, Cloud Forests & the Ocean

See the best of Costa Rica on this family-oriented itinerary featuring hands-on activities at a local farm, jungle hikes, zip-lining, seeing turtles hatching and snorkeling. 

Kick off the trip with a hike in La Fortuna, where your family will look for slow-moving sloths in the wild. Kids can run, play, and learn how to milk a cow when you visit a Costa Rican farm on day two. Soak in hot springs, then tour a rescue center for local animals and go on a whitewater rafting excursion on the Río Balsa.

You will tour a coffee farm on day five, then spend the following day zip-lining through the jungle canopy at the Sky Adventures Park. Enjoy a peaceful horseback riding trip through the forest, then watch as green sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. On the last few days of the trip, discover the natural beauty of Palo Verde National Park and relax on the beach near Tamarindo. Learn more

Read more about the best activities in Monteverde.

Itinerary #5: Family Trip to Costa Rica's Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Coral Reefs

Featuring outdoor adventures and opportunities to spot monkeys, sloths, and toucans, this family-friendly 11-day trip around Costa Rica is fun for all ages. Hike to waterfalls, snorkel around a coral reef, tour a coffee farm, and more. 

Frolic in the mineral-rich mud of the Rio Negro Hot Springs on the first day of the trip. You'll do some hiking in Rincón de La Vieja National Park and walk along the gorgeous Río Celeste river, one of the country's most beautiful natural attractions, before moving onto the Gulf of Papagayo to see Pacific green turtles nesting. You'll have a few days to explore the beautiful beaches of Guanacaste or try whitewater rafting on the Tenorio River.

Day seven brings a snorkeling excursion around the Catalina Islands, where you might spot more sea turtles as well as giant manta rays. You will visit an indigenous community to learn how coffee is made, then tour a refuge for scarlet macaws before finishing the trip with a hike through a tropical reserve. Learn more

Discover more about adventures in Rincón de La Vieja National Park here.

Itinerary #6: Coast-to-Coast Family Adventure

Experience Costa Rica's best on this 11-day adventure, perfect for the whole family. Watch sea turtles nesting in Tortuguero National Park, hike around Arenal Volcano, zip-line through the cloud forest of Monteverde, and relax on the beaches of Guanacaste. 

Spend day one exploring family-friendly attractions in downtown San José before continuing to Tortuguero National Park for a boat ride and nighttime jungle tour. You'll go canoeing and wildlife spotting on day three before moving on to Arenal Volcano National Park. After hiking in the area, rest your muscles while going for a dip in hot springs.

Kids will love a hands-on chocolate tour and a visit to the La Fortuna Waterfall Reserve on day six. Continue to Monteverde's cloud forest and prepare for a day of thrills and zip-lining at the Sky Adventures Park. Finish up the itinerary with a road trip to the Gulf of Papagayo and a sunset sail along the Gold Coast. Learn more

See the Best Things to Do in Arenal/La Fortuna for more ideas.

More Great 11-Day Costa Rica Itineraries