Costa Rica Rain Forest & Pacific Family Multi-Adventure Tour
Costa Rica Rain Forest & Pacific Family Multi-Adventure Tour
6 days
5 nights
Activity Levels 1-2
Casual & Deluxe Hotels
2025: Dec2026: Jun-Jul, Dec2027: Jan, Jun-Aug
Arenal Volcano to Manuel Antonio National Park
See the world from the perspective of a howler monkey or spiny-tailed iguana. Up, down, over and around—by raft, bike, zip line and your own two feet. This is Costa Rica from every angle.
Highlights
- Soak in geothermal hot springs at the base of majestic Arenal Volcano
- Raft the white water of the pristine Savegre River’s Class II-III rapids
- Discover Manuel Antonio National Park's wealth of wildlife—monkeys, lizards, sloths, toucans and more
- Surf beginner’s waves with a local expert or just lounge on a secluded beach
- Hike and bike tropical trails surrounded by jungle teeming with wildlife
Start/End San José
* Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Itinerary
Days 1-2
Join a naturalist on a trek across a lava field at the base of Arenal Volcano • Soak in geothermal hot springs nestled within a tropical forest • Ride around Lake Arenal, keeping an eye out for furry local critters like coati • Not a biker? Dip into an interactive tour of a coffee and chocolate farm • Enjoy scenic views while on a boat cruise across the lake • Optional on-your-own activities abound—fly through the treetops on a zip line, indulge in a massage or simply relax by the pool.
Nights 1-2
Take in majestic views of Arenal Volcano while soaking in your suite's private whirlpool. (pool, spa)
Day 3
Venture through the lush habitat of sloths, monkeys, toucans and lizards • Our private charter plane whisks us to Quepos, a beachside town on the central Pacific coast • Sit down to a home-cooked casado (traditional Costa Rican meal) with a local family • Hike through the pristine Savegre Valley • Kick back at our secluded lodge on your private deck or zoom down the 100-foot-long waterslide • Venture into the jungle on a guided night walk and catch a glimpse of elusive nocturnal creatures.
Night 3
African-style luxury safari tents offer the ideal setting for enjoying the sights and sounds of the jungle. (pool)
Days 4-6
Make a splash on a thrilling white water rafting excursion on the Río Savegre • In Manuel Antonio National Park, look for white-faced monkeys and sloths lounging in the branches overhead and prehistoric-looking iguanas slithering up tree trunks • Embrace the Latin rhythms with a beachfront dance class • Opt to take a surf lesson or enjoy a leisurely afternoon soaking up the sun and watching the waves of the Pacific roll in • Paint your own Boruca mask with an indigenous artist • Enjoy a beachfront yoga class • Check out families of crocodiles sunning themselves along the Tárcoles River on our way back to San José.
Nights 4-5
Spacious private villas at this beachside resort feature large terraces and a mosaic-tiled shower that opens to your own garden. (pool, spa)
What's Included
See moreStraight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the trip that's right for you. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
On this trip we travel by air to reach the exclusive areas this destination has to offer. We will be flying by charter with Sansa Airlines aboard turboprop planes that seat ten to 12 passengers. These flights occasionally experience delays or cancellations due to inclement weather. In the rare instance a flight is cancelled, we are prepared to travel by land.
Due to the tropical climate and underdeveloped infrastructure in Costa Rica, road maintenance is a continual challenge and options for bike routes are limited. As a result, we’ve paired our core activities with ones that are suited to this destination, such as rafting. The level of these activities, combined with enough downtime to relax and take advantage of the hotels, will be the ideal way to experience la pura vida.
In order to bring you to diverse and unique regions, we spend more time shuttling on this trip than on many other Backroads trips. Our time in the shuttles will allow us to experience the incredible variety of ecosystems, scenery and activities that Costa Rica has to offer.
During the trip there’s time for you to enjoy some of Costa Rica’s favorite activities, such as zip-lining, ATVing and waterfall rappelling. These activities are often a highlight for those who choose to do them, but due to liability issues and because they’re not to everyone’s liking, they’re not included in the cost of the trip and participation is at your own risk.
The holiday and spring break months are a great time to travel; however, with days off and the desire to escape for sunshine, many others have the same idea. While we always aim to get off the beaten path, crowds and delays are unavoidable during certain times of the year.
At Rafiki Safari Lodge, we stay in large canvas-walled platform tents. Each is outfitted with an en suite bathroom. While our tents are comfortable, they do not have air-conditioning. The property has limited cell reception but does have Wi-Fi in the main common area. With canvas walls and doors, sounds may carry from nearby tents and chirping crickets, so we suggest packing earplugs.
Hotels
Adventure-Ready Hotels
Ideally located with ready access to trip activities, our Casual hotels are also known for their character and charm.
Hotels may vary based on departure. Any variations will be displayed when selecting a departure under Dates & Prices.
Nights 1-2
Casual Hotel
Take in majestic views of Arenal Volcano while soaking in your suite's private whirlpool. (pool, spa)
Night 3
Casual Hotel
African-style luxury safari tents offer the ideal setting for enjoying the sights and sounds of the jungle. (pool)
Nights 4-5
*Deluxe Hotel
Spacious private villas at this beachside resort feature large terraces and a mosaic-tiled shower that opens to your own garden. (pool, spa)
Gallery
Bikes
Choose Your Perfect Bike
Our bikes are designed and built with specific cyclists and riding styles in mind, so we can always offer you a perfect ride. Please note that bike requests are subject to availability and prioritized based on the date they're submitted.
Included in your trip price
- Suited for a wide range of cyclists
- Comfortable ergonomic seat
- Long wheel base adds to the bike's control and stability
- Upright handlebars only
Review Snapshot
by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 3 customers
Phenomenal trip
Literally every moment of this trip was amazing and created incredible memories for my family (including 17 year old daughter and 20 year old son) that are priceless. Camilla, our guide, wove a magical experience for us, taking into account our particular interests, and supported us with warmth, attention to detail and knowledge of the country. Her handling of all the details gave my husband and I a genuine vacation and enabled us to experience the beauty of the country along side our kids. All the Backroads staff (esp/also our driver Roy) and those at our lodging and other stops were warm, professional and attentive and the experiences with the local naturalists, community members and others added a dimension I would not have been able to recreate on my own and impressed me with Backroads ethical approach to travel. I highly recommend this trip --which was full of adventure, relaxation and wonder--ranging from two days looking up at Volcan Arenal from our room, hot springs, rafting and walks near a remote jungle lodge, monkeys, frogs, butterflies, iguanas, and capped with 4 macaus in the tree above us the last day while we were doing yoga on the beach! Thanks Backroads--great job.
An adventure on many levels
Our Costa Rica multi-adventure trip with our three sons, 24, 21 and 21 was such an amazing experience. It was immersive and mind expanding as we embraced the Costa Rica lifestyle, experiencing the culture first hand. The variety of activities (biking, hiking, zip-lining, camping, rafting, kayaking, hot-springs, small planes and boats) was put together seamlessly and with such great attention to detail that we were able to just enjoy the experience. My whole family was blown away at how awesome the experience was and much thanks to our great tour leaders Kayla and Adrian and the cast of local guides, drivers, cooks and others that made us feel welcome and taken care of. My first guided vacation and it will not be my last. Thanks Backroads for opening my eyes to a new way to Adventure!
Amazing trip with older teens, BEST tour guides!!!
Stephen and Peppe were the BEST tour guides! Having multiple options for the activities (bike and hike distances) worked out wonderfully for our family since some of us are less athletic than others. They anticipated our groups every need, from snacks and food to even adding additional options based upon the choices people in the group were making. Great party/dancing at the hotel for New Years and surfing w/Peppe was my sons highlight. We are already looking at booking our next vacation with Backroads. Thank you Stephen and Peppe, the trip was better than any of us could have imagined!
Dates & Prices
Dates & Prices
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations (if any) and to book your trip. Price is per person, double occupancy in USD.
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