Costa Rica 5-Day Trips & Itineraries

We used KimKim to book our amazing trip to Costa Rica. They were so easy to deal with and were straight forward with pricing and trip options. The trip we booked through them was incredible! Everything went so smoothly with all of our travel arrangements and pick ups and transfers. All of our accommodations were wonderful and just was describe in our itinerary. The excursions we did were amazing as well! Perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. All of our guides were so awesome and went out of their way to make our excursion extra special. The provide breakfast and lunches were so delicious and authentic Costa Rican food! The travel throughout the Country, although terrifying at times, was easy with Ride CR. Their drivers were wonderful and made us feel safe at all times! They also went out of their way to point out things in Costa Rica and even made stops so that we could see the wildlife! We only ran into one hiccup with our transportation not showing up for our scheduled fishing trip, but I was able to contact the KimKim support line and they got on it right away and we were still able to go on the awesome fishing trip! The itinerary that KimKim provides is so easy to follow and has everything you need to get where you are going! This was a trip of a lifetime and my Husband and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to explore and experience the incredible and BEAUTIFUL Country of Costa Rica! Kimkim made it so easy to travel and we will definitely book more trips with them in the future! I only have two things left to say, Book the trip and Pura Vida! ❤️💙🤍

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

The views are everything here! Just incredible! And all the wildlife was sooooo cool!

Authenticity & Character

Small and quaint!

Location

Views, views, views!!!

Staff

Great service all around and super helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean!

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

This is a great little spot! Rooms very clean and great location where you can walk to so many things! Service was a little lacking, but this may have been due to the off season!

Authenticity & Character

It’s cute! The walking patch and all the wildlife was the best part! And the fire pit with s'more's was great too!

Location

So close to the town of Monteverde, we walked to so many shops and restaurants and it was amazing!

Staff

Service was a bit slow but the staff was very polite and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable bed!

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Absolutely beautiful! This place is everything you need and want! I do not have a negative thing to say about it!

Authenticity & Character

It’s stunning!

Location

The views of the volcano are everything!!!!

Staff

Top notch service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are amazingly clean and have everything you need!

Activity Reviews

Private Damas Island Fishing

Manuel Antonio

This was so cool! We started in the mangroves and took a boat ride through all these amazing canals and saw crocodiles and other wildlife! Then we bottom fished and trolled! It was soooo much fun and our guides were super experienced and wonderful to fish with!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

This is an absolute must do! All I can say is wow! The wildlife and everything in between was just wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joseuy it everything!!!

Transport

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

This expirence was a lot of fun! The kayaking and scenery were awesome and the snorkeling was soooooo cool! We got to swim with a sea turtle and saw all kinds of tropical fish! The lunch included was also really great! Must do!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

This is a must if visiting the Monteverde area! We learned so much and this plantation is so incredible and respects the environment and as a results all of the products they make are top notch! It was so much fun learning and seeing how sugar cane, chocolate and coffee are produced! It was all fascinating and I highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Tree Topia Park is a must! Our guides were wonderful, so much wildlife and the views!!! The hanging bridges are so cool and when you are in the clouds it’s such an experience! And the zip lining was the best I have ever done! The heights the views, it’s such an adventure. Do the vertical drop at the end, it’s sooooo worth it! They were such a great company and accommodated us when our initial zip line tour got rained out! They moved us to a morning session so we could fit it in before we left! I am so glad we got to do it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

10 out of 10 recommend! This was such a wonderful experience and great company to go rafting with! All of the guides were amazing and made us feel safe, comfortable and most of all ensured we had a blast! These rapids are no joke and it was the best adventure! It’s a must if visiting the La Fortuna area! Oh and the lunch at the company’s headquarters afterwards was perfecto!

Quality of Experience

Top notch guides!

Food

Fantastic! Authentic Costa Rican food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome! So informative, Knowledgable, professional, funny and fun!

Transport

On time and easy!

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Amazing hike up a lava flow of the volcano! Who can say they hiked a lava flow!!! Do it! Our guide Melanie was also incredible and so knowledgeable! She also takes great photos! And the lunch, perfection!

Quality of Experience

It’s beautiful!

Food

The farm to table restaurant was amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So professional and shared so much about the country and what we were seeing! Melanie rocks!

Transport

Easy, on time and kept us safe!

With the help of Serendipity Adventures, we had an unforgettable vacation to Costa Rica. I have never planned a trip out of the United States, and had never been to Costa Rica, so I was intimidated. The team at Serendipity Adventures made planning the trip so easy! All of the excursion companies the used were top notch. They also gave us great recommendations for restaurants, communicated promptly throughout the trip with further recommendations and travel tips. They sent links to google maps when we travelled throughout the country and even helped us with picking up our rental car on the last day. Every recommendations they gave us was spot on. Highly recommend Serendipity Adventures and would use them for trips to Costa Rica in the future.

We had such a fantastic time from start to finish! We had never used a service before but when our travel dates changed and we had to start from scratch because there were no vacancies to be had for a party of nine, kimkim and Holden came in clutch. In only 24 hours he had an even better plan than our initial one!!! We laugh about how grateful we are that our first plans fell apart.

The biggest bonus to using kimkim and that Holden addressed thoughtfully and thoroughly was logistics. We had an idea of all the things we wanted to do but were overwhelmed with trying to figure out the best areas in which to stay, how long to plan to get where, how many daily activities to schedule and how to do it efficiently. In the end, the pace was perfect and we loved every single excursion provided through Serendipity Adventures-Mariano, Alex, Julio, Ricardo, Antonio, Jeffery and Jarrell were kind and capable guides. We even made a last minute change because we wanted to watch the USA vs. Costa Rica game with some locals. Kimkim (Wilman) was happily accommodating.

Turns out that both the places we stayed-which were not on our radar-were perfect for us. Arenal Monoa & Hot Springs Resort was a treat given the amount of rain we had while visiting. The staff was courteous and hard-working; we hardly wanted to leave to see the town just minutes away. The daily view of what we started to call "our" volcano was breathtaking in all its versions. At Margaritaville in Playa Flamingo, the all-inclusive feature and reasonable size of the facility made things relaxing with teenagers. They could roam independently and meet their own needs when they were tired of being forced into games of corn hole and pool volleyball. The beach was the visual highlight and provided plenty of
boogie boarding fun!

So much more that could be said but all my accolades probably have people thinking this is a fake review. It's not. To keep it real, the roads and navigating are atrocious. If you or anyone in your party has trouble with car sickness be forewarned. Worth it in the end though! Pura vida! We loved Costa Rica.

Thank you kimkim team and Holden for knowing what would make for wonderful memories:)

Hotel Reviews

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo

Guanacaste

We loved that Margaritaville wasn't a mega resort where you have to wait for elevators to arrive and we could physically check on our teenagers with ease. The staff, especially upon check-in and check-out, were efficient, helpful and welcoming. The placement on the beach makes for a beautiful setting.

Authenticity & Character

It certainly has a theme but it is not over the top.

Location

We loved that it was a relatively short distance from the airport and so scenic once you arrive.

Staff

The staff at the pool bar quickly became friendly faces we enjoyed seeing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms themselves were quite nice and housekeeping kept it spotless.

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The resort and grounds were lovely and the staff was hard-working and courteous. The view of the volcano and abundance of wildlife right on the property was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

The view while dining from the main restaurant is fabulous!

Location

The 3 hour drive from the airport is a bit of a grind but once you are there, it's lovely. I wish that excursions could be a more convenient distance away. The majority of ours were close to 2 hours away.

Staff

Everyone was kind, welcoming, and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The grounds were well cared for and the rooms were serviced with attention.

Activity Reviews

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

Private Sunset Cruise

Costa Rica

WOW, just wow! We had the most amazing sunset cruise and snorkel. This experience exceeded our expectations. Jeffrey and Jarrell were top notch. Their love of sailing was evident and put us at ease to enjoy the experience. Jeffrey shared his sailing knowledge willingly and informatively while Jarrell was our snorkeling and sea life expert. They were a great duo. We were so impressed with their attentiveness and genuine interest in our having an enjoyable and relaxing time. My son started to get a little seasick and Jarrell somehow realized and brought him something helpful to drink. The meal we had was fresh and simply delicious. Their margarita was exceptional! I told them both that they made their mothers proud!

Quality of Experience

The experience was the epitome of PURA VIDA!

Food

Simple, fresh and authentic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Genuine and attentive young men that made the outing very memorable.

Transport

What could be better than a 50 foot sailboat all to ourselves?

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui River (Class III-IV)

Costa Rica

We had a blast and felt secure the entire time being that we were a small tour of just two boats and a safety kayaker all for us! The guys were super fun and easy to be around. Do it!

Quality of Experience

Serendipity was fantastic. We loved the guys including the cook who made us a delicious meal! Our teens were so happy!!!

Food

That was a little feast after our time on the river. Who knew you could make that happen with a hot plate and a cooler?!?! Our kids devoured the chicken tacos, guacamole, and pineapple! Jeffery was hard-working and kind. We really appreciated him.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was our driver and his ability to spot wildlife on the drive was mindblowing! He is FULL of information while being humorous. We appreciated that he took a stop for us to use a nicer bathroom and get a snack on the way there.

Transport

Alex was prompt and detail-oriented. He was looking out for our best interest from start to finish.

Private Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano National Park Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mariano was a blast! We learned so may fun facts from him. His sense of humor eased the long ride there and back. The park was full of surprises including white-faced monkeys, an eyelash viper, and various other creatures. The falls were so pretty and the fact that a member of our party is named Celeste made it more special.

Quality of Experience

Food

We liked that it was a typical kind of Costa Rican lunch. We seemed to hit the buffet late so there were limited options.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano was a delight!

Transport

Dios mio! We had all kinds of issues with roads but our driver hung in there with a good attitude.