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Costa Rica: Explorica Volunteer Trip

Group Information

Departing From:
Dallas
Departing:
June 2, 2026
Returning:
June 9, 2026
:
This will be my third trip with Explorica by the time this trip starts. However; my co-traveler has been a world traveler for 20 years. I am a teacher at a small charter school in Texas. I will be traveling with middle school students and their parents
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Tour Itinerary (Detailed)

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Day 1 Hola San José (groups flying from the west coast may be required to depart day 0)
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Day 2 San José--Arenal
Coffee Plantation visit
Travel to Arenal
Details: Coffee Plantation visit
World-renowned Costa Rican coffee has grown to be an emblem of local culture. Join a local tour to learn how the country's elevation, eco-system and volcanic history have all contributed to its unique taste.
Details: Travel to Arenal
Arenal is famous for its volcano, an unavoidable presence while traveling within this part of the country. It is tall, imposing, perfectly symmetrical shape makes it instantly recognizable.
Day 3 Arenal
Lake Arenal kayaking tour
Hot springs visit
Community-based project
Details: Lake Arenal kayaking tour
Glide along the still waters reflecting the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano and the surrounding rolling hills. Lake Arenal, the country's largest, is also among its most scenic, and the area has become popular area to kayak, windsurf, sail, fish, and hike. For safety reasons, weight restrictions apply to this activity.
Details: Hot springs visit
Let the volcanoes take you away. At Arenal’s hot springs, bubbling lava fields heat the waters to make nature’s own jacuzzi.
Details: Community-based project
Exploring new places is just the start: Genuine connection and participation create lasting impact. We collaborate with trusted local organizations to offer community-driven experiences, ensuring travelers engage in thoughtful, respectful interactions that support existing initiatives. When your group travels, you’ll have the chance to connect, contribute, and learn from local communities through meaningful activities. These experiences foster engagement in educational, environmental, and cultural initiatives, such as restoring schools, supporting sustainable farming efforts, participating in cultural exchanges, and assisting with community-led projects that reflect local priorities.
Day 4 Arenal--Monteverde
Travel to Monteverde
Canopy zipline tour
Details: Travel to Monteverde
Because of its humidity and latitude, the entire city of Monteverde can disappear in a second under a massive cloud cover. Founded by Quakers in 1951, the city boasts the best in Costa Rican creatures. Observe a proud display of howler monkeys, revered quetzals and native frogs in the dense cover of the cloud forest.
Details: Canopy zipline tour
Soar through the treetops for the unmatched close-up of the New World’s best wildlife refuge. Harness yourself to cables that run between platforms high in the trees, then step into thin air and zip from tree to tree. Experience a true bird-eye view from your new aerial perspective. For safety reasons, weight restrictions apply to this activity.
Day 5 Monteverde--Coastal Puntarenas
Travel to Coastal Puntarenas
Community-based project
Details: Community-based project
Exploring new places is just the start: Genuine connection and participation create lasting impact. We collaborate with trusted local organizations to offer community-driven experiences, ensuring travelers engage in thoughtful, respectful interactions that support existing initiatives. When your group travels, you’ll have the chance to connect, contribute, and learn from local communities through meaningful activities. These experiences foster engagement in educational, environmental, and cultural initiatives, such as restoring schools, supporting sustainable farming efforts, participating in cultural exchanges, and assisting with community-led projects that reflect local priorities.
Day 6 Coastal Puntarenas--San José
Travel to San José via Sarchí
Sarchí craft village visit
Optional  folklore evening  $35
Details: Travel to San José via Sarchí
On the way to San José, travel to Sarchí, a highly artistic city known for its painted designs and brilliantly colored wheels of local ox carts.
Details: Sarchí craft village visit
Costa Rica's premiere crafts village provides the perfect opportunity for souvenir shopping. Sarchí became famous in the mid-1800s for its elaborate hand-painted oxcarts, and now its artisans create clothing, shoes, chess sets, and other items all decorated in the traditional manner.
Day 7 San José
Community-based project
Details: Community-based project
Exploring new places is just the start: Genuine connection and participation create lasting impact. We collaborate with trusted local organizations to offer community-driven experiences, ensuring travelers engage in thoughtful, respectful interactions that support existing initiatives. When your group travels, you’ll have the chance to connect, contribute, and learn from local communities through meaningful activities. These experiences foster engagement in educational, environmental, and cultural initiatives, such as restoring schools, supporting sustainable farming efforts, participating in cultural exchanges, and assisting with community-led projects that reflect local priorities.
Day 8 Flight home from San José
Total Fee:* $3,302.00
Tour Quote Breakdown
The following fees apply to your full-paying participants:
Tour Fee* $3,052.00
folklore evening $35.00
Late Signup Fee $145.00
On-Tour Tipping $70.00
 
Total Fee* $3,302.00
* Last day for this Tour Fee is Mar 27, 2026.
Additional Adult Fees
The following additional fees apply only to full-paying participants 23 and older and are not included in the total price listed above.
Adult Supplement $125.00
Twin Room Upgrade $315.00
 
Additional Adult Fee $440.00

Tour Fee Includes:

  • Round-trip airfare
  • 7 overnight stays in hotel with private bathrooms
  • Buffet-style breakfast daily
  • Lunch daily
  • Dinner daily
  • Full-time services of a professional tour director
  • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
  • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
  • Tour Diary™
  • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.