Plan an Exciting Family Costa Rica Trip

If you’re trying to plan and exciting trip for the whole family, Costa Rica should be up there on your list of destinations! In this guide, we’ll talk about why we love taking our kids to Costa RIca and some highlights they love.

Why Costa Rica is the Perfect Family Adventure Destination

Costa Rica ranks as one of our top destinations for a family adventure trip. Our two kids are four years apart, so sometimes it can be a challenge to find activities the fit each of their ability levels; but Costa Rica is perfect for this, as there are plenty of activities for every age and type of traveler. As a country known to be safe and welcoming to tourists, with the added bonus of following a high standard of environmental protection and ethical tourism, it's the perfect place to introduce our kids to international outdoor adventure travel.

Planning Your Family Adventure in Costa Rica

When to Visit Costa Rica

Most of the country has a distinct rainy and dry season. The dry season, as you might expect, is the most popular time of year to visit. This runs from around December to April, making winter and spring breaks a great time to visit weather-wise. Tourist crowds and prices will be higher during these times, so plan ahead, and consider visiting one of the less popular regions of the country.

On a couples trip, we actually love visiting during the rainy season when the country is greener and quieter. But getting caught in a rainstorm creates a bit more stress with kids in tow; so ideally, we recommending visiting in the shoulder seasons, around May-June or November, where it's not quite as rain or crowded. Regardless, it's the rainforest - come prepared for rain and with some flexibility in your itinerary, whenever you choose to visit.-

How Long to Stay and Where to Start

We recommend spending at least one week in Costa Rica to be able to experience 2-3 different regions and a variety of activities. If you're short on time and coming from the U.S., it's an easy enough flight to make a 4-day trip worth it (though I would simply park in one spot in that case rather than try to fit in multiple regions). Although the country is fairly small, it can take more time than you'd expect to travel from one area to another, thanks to small, sometimes mountainous roads.

Costa Rica has two international airports. San Jose (SJO) is located in Costa Rica's capital in the central valley, and Liberia (LIR) is located in the western province of Guanacaste. Liberia is fantastic for quickly getting to the beaches of Guanacaste, as it's within an hour's drive of some of the more northern beaches. SJO is a bit of a longer drive from most of the popular tourist destinations, but is the best airport to fly into if you plan to go to the Caribbean coast, Manuel Antonio, Uvita, or Corcovado. Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Cloud Forest are fairly equidistant from either airport.

How to Get Around Costa Rica

We booked private transportation ahead of time on our first visit to Costa Rica, not wanting to worry about a rental car and unaware of the state of the roads. In retrospect, we realized we absolutely could have driven ourselves (even in the rainy season). But it was nice to leave the driving to a professional. There are plenty of private and shared shuttle options from both international airports to the popular tourist areas of the country.

If you prefer to drive yourself, a vehicle with high clearance will be most comfortable. Most of the roads are in decent condition these days, but watch out for high water in the rainy season.

Explore the Jungle

The main draw of Costa Rica is the rainforest, and it will leave a memorable impact on your kids. On our first trip, we saw sloths, howler monkeys, even a troup of spider monkeys swinging through the trees at Mistico Hanging Bridges Park. The nature reserves are not free, but we always felt the price of admission was well worth it, especially as our dollars went not only to Costa Rica's economy, but also to rainforest preservation.

Here are some of the nature preserves and what to expect:

Northern Zone:

• Monteverde - the Monteverde Cloud Forest is one of the most popular tourist spots in Costa Rica. An alternative option is the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, which is less popular (thus, less crowded) than Monteverde. Santa Elena has the added bonus of being free for kids under 8 years old (including the guided hike). Walking through a cloud forest is a must, as it's such a unique experience you can't get in most parts of the world. Just keep in mind that these reserves are at higher altitude and denser than some of the jungle in the country, so you won't see as much wildlife as other jungle experiences.
• Curi Cancha Reserve, also in the Santa Elena area, is less of a cloud forest atmosphere and less dense, so tends to be better for birding. All of these parks have short, family-friendly trail options.

• Mistico Park - near Arenal, this hanging bridges park as an abundance of wildlife and beautiful views of Arenal Volanco. We visited Mistico on our first trip to Costa Rica as part of our week-long itinerary combining beach, jungle, and volcano, and this was the highlight of our trip. The views are fantastic, and whle you can certainly enjoy the park on your own, joining a small group tour with an expert guide was every penny. Our guide spotted animals across the vast stretches of jungle we never would have seen on our own. We were even lucky enough to spot a troop of spider monkeys swinging through the trees in the distance!

Central Pacific:

• Manuel Antonio is a national park along the central Pacific Coast where the rainforest spans all the way to the beach. It's a great area for viewing monkeys and sloths, and as a national park rather than a private reserve, the entrance fees are more affordable than some of the other rainforest options I've listed ($16 per adult and $5 per child). The drawback to Manuel Antonio is that it's fairly small and popular, so it can become quite busy in the peak season. The park’s main trails are wide, shaded, and easy to walk even for young children. Outside the park gates, the town of Manuel Antonio and nearby Quepos offer family-friendly hotels, open-air cafés, and sunset viewpoints

Caribbean:

• Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast offers an entirely different experience from anywhere else in the country. It’s often called the “Amazon of Costa Rica” thanks to its maze of winding canals, dense jungle, and quiet lagoons that teem with wildlife. Visit during turtle nesting season (July to early October) and book a night tour for the incredible experience of watching green sea and leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. While the scenery and array of wildlife is worth the visit alone, the turtle nesting is really quite the experience, and can only be seen at night - so consider your kids' evening stamina accordingly. In our experience with our own kids, this destination is probably best for kids older than 6 or so, due to the night tour and the lengthier commune to actually get to this park.

Volcano Hikes

Costa Rica has over 100 volcanoes, some of which offer great hikes easy enough for the whole family. This list is certainly not all-inclusive, but these are are favorites:

Northern Zone:

• Arenal Volcano - the most famous of Costa Rica's volcanoes, Arenal is dramatic and stunning as it dominates the horizon of the town of La Fortuna. We hiked Arenal as part of a guided tour that also included Fortuna Waterfall and Mistico Hanging Bridges Park, and it was an easy walk that took us through lava flow rocks. Since Arenal is an active volcano, hikers are not permitted past a certain point around 1-2 km away from the summit.

Guanacaste:

• Rincon de la Vieja National Park - In Guanacaste, this national park is just around an hour from Liberia airport and nearby a few eco-adventure parks, making it a great area for families not wanting to spend a ton of time in the car. There are actually two volcanoes in this park, Rincon de la Viega and the Santa Maria. Trails here range in difficulty, but the Las Pailas loop is perfect for young kids, as it's an east, flat hike while still getting to see volcanic formations such as boiling mud pots. There are moderate and challenging hikes here as well that take hikers through hot springs, waterfalls, and more volcanic landscapes, so it's the perfect park for whatever activity level suits your family.

Central Valley:

• Poás Volcano - This volcano is not far from San Jose, with a viewpoint that looks down into the impressive crater, making it an easy stop if you're flying into SJO. The Botos Lagoon Circuit trail offers beautiful views on a clear day (early morning is the best time to have the chance of a cloudless view) and a relatively easy hike. There are more challenging half- and full-day hikes from nearby points of interest such as the Children's Eternal Rainforest.

Beaches

There is no shortage of great beach options in Costa Rica. The Pacific and Caribbean coasts have their own distinct vibes. Most people visiting Costa Rica frequent the Pacific side, which is more developed for tourism, has a wider coastline this greater number of beaches, and better waves for surfing. The Caribbean side has a more laid back feel with beautiful, scenic beaches, and a greater diversity of wildlife. The Caribbean beaches are also a bit more removed from an international airport, at least a few hours drive from SJO, whereas some of the Pacific coast beaches in Guanacaste (such as Playa Hermosa) are within an hour of Liberia airport

Our favorite beaches for kids are Playa Conchal and Playa Hermosa. Both are in the northern Guanacaste province (easy to access from Liberia airport), have calm waves, and are not quite as crowded as Tamarindo.

Cultural Adventures & Local Connections

While Costa Rica is known for its adventurous excursions, some of our favorite experiences have been connecting with local people. This is all the more important when traveling with our kids; introducing them to other cultures and ways of life is so beneficial for their personal growth. Booking family-operated tours is also a great way to support the local economy. A few ideas that kids can also enjoy:

• Book a coffee and chocolate farm tour and the kids can grind their own cacao
• Visit a local farm
• Take a cooking class
• Visit a wildlife rescue
• Attend a football match
• Take a food tour in San Jose (this is probably best for teenagers rather than young kids, based on our own kids' attention spans)

Practical Tips for Stress-Free Family Travel

Traveling with kids is always a challenge and requires twice as much preparation (if not more) as an adults-only trip. The best advice we can give when traveling with kids is to come prepared, but with a flexible mindset, especially somewhere like Costa Rica where the weather can change at the drop of a hat. A few more specific tips:

Packing for Costa Rica

We always try to pack light and wash clothes on our trip, which is very doable with the right kind of athletic, quick-dry fabrics. For Costa Rica specifically, make sure to pack rain gear, hiking shoes, binoculars, reusable water bottles, and mosquito protection. If you are planning to take the kids hiking, take a look at our hiking with kids guide.

Transportation

When planning your trip, make sure to map out the routes to understand how long it will take to get from point A to point B, as the small, mountainous roads can make for a longer trip than you'd think. Sunset in Costa Rica is between 5-6pm all year long, and you may not want to be driving at night, being unfamiliar with the road conditions. If your kids are not used to twists and turns, consider bringing bags in case of car sickness. Download offline maps ahead of your arrival.

Set the Right Pace

Pencil in one "big" activity in the morning but leave the afternoons more flexible for downtime, or in case of bad weather. You can always add more - most tourist areas have an abundance of activities that can be booked last minute.

Sample Itinerary: 7-Day Family Costa Rica Trip

Day 1 – Arrive in San José & Transfer to Arenal (La Fortuna)

• Arrive in Costa Rica and head north to the Arenal Volcano region (~3 hours from San José Airport)
• Check into your lodge and spend the evening unwinding in natural hot springs surrounded by rainforest.

Day 2 – Arenal Volcano National Park & La Fortuna Waterfall

• Hike the Arenal Volcano trails
• In the afternoon if the weather is good, visit La Fortuna Waterfall, where older kids can swim at the base while younger ones enjoy the view from above
• Soak at EcoTermales or Paradise Hot Springs. Both are family-friendly with shallow pools.

Day 3 – Adventure Day: Hanging Bridges, Ziplining, or Chocolate Tour

• Choose one or two depending on your family's activity level:
  • Mistico Hanging Bridges Park
  • Sky Adventures Park: zipline over the jungle for incredible views (best for kids 7+).
  • Rainforest Chocolate Tour

Day 4 – Travel to Manuel Antonio (Central Pacific Coast)

• Drive ~5 hours (or take a shuttle).
• Check into your family-friendly hotel

Day 5 – Explore Manuel Antonio National Park

• Easy family trails full of monkeys, sloths, and iguanas.
• Spend the afternoon swimming at Playa Manuel Antonio inside the park.

Day 6 – Beach Day & Optional Activities

• Relax at Playa Espadilla or try a short catamaran cruise for dolphin spotting.
• Other options: surf lessons, mangrove kayak tour, or visit a wildlife rescue center.

Day 7 – Return to San José & Depart

• Drive ~3 hours back to San José.

Final Thoughts

Costa Rica is one of our favorite places for our family thanks to its beauty and warm culture along with the variety of activities for every age level. It offers the perfect mix of exciting adventures, nature, and peaceful downtime to escape our busy lives.