Date
Dec 26, 2024 - Jan 2, 2025
Trip Type
Family Programs

Group Size: 15 - 30 participants
Price: $6,490 per person double occupancy (ages 12+) / $5,990 per person double occupancy ( ages 11 and younger) / Scroll down for more pricing information
 

Activity Level
3

Trip Overview

Costa Rica is a tropical treasure awaiting discovery. The region’s natural beauty comes alive as we explore the parks framed by turquoise waters, crystalline rivers, volcanoes, rainforests and cloud forests. Opportunities abound to seek out the numerous species of birds, mammals, and marine life that make these environments their home. Learn from local guides about conservation. Enjoy a cooking class, hike trails and hanging bridges in the rainforests and cloud forests, experience the nocturnal sounds of the rainforest, and raft down the Sarapiqui River.

  • Explore the winding rivers of Tortuguero National Park looking for three toed sloths, three species of monkeys and 320 species of birds.
  • Raft down Class II/III rapids on the Sarapiqui River.
  • Take a cooking class and learn about organic farming in the tropics.
  • Explore the various canopies of the rainforest on trails and hanging bridges near Arenal Volcano. Nighttime walks to experience the nocturnal sounds of both the rainforest and cloud forest.
  • Spend two days at Monteverde’s complex ecosystem, perched atop the continental divide and sustained by moist clouds and fog. Monteverde supports more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, tens of thousands of insect species, and at least 2,500 varieties of plants, 420 of which are orchids.
  • Experience the Bat Jungle, promoting public awareness of the ecological importance of bats, thereby helping to conserve bat populations throughout the world.

Schedule by Day

  • Dec 26: Depart from home city / arrive San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Dec 27: Tortuguero
  • Dec 28: Tortuguero
  • Dec 29: Arenal
  • Dec 30: Arenal
  • Dec 31: Monteverde
  • Jan 1: Monteverde
  • Jan 2: Return flights home

Pricing

  • Children (11 and younger), sharing accommodations: $5,990 per person
  • Per person (12 and older), sharing accommodations: $6,490 per person
  • Single supplement: $1,990 (limited availability)
  • $660 discount for 3rd person in a triple
  • $560 discount for 3rd & 4th people in a quad

Accommodations

  • One night at the Bougainvillea Hotel, San Jose
  • Two nights at Aninga Lodge, Tortuguero
  • Two nights at Tilajari Hotel, Arenal
  • Two nights at El Establo Hotel, Monteverde

Optional Extensions

None offered

What to Expect

Activity Level 3

To make the most of what this expedition has to offer, the trip will be active, requiring you to be in good health and physical condition. The schedule will include long days, with some early departures, and activities scheduled throughout the day and into the evening.

Daily excursions can require up to three hours of walking, often over loose rocks, and uneven terrain where stairs are unavailable or do not have handrails, and standing, often in the warm sun. Rafting down class II/III rapids on the Sarapiqui River is appropriate for kids 6 and older. The degree of difficulty for each day’s activity will be described in daily briefings.

This promises to be a memorable journey, but as with all travel, a flexible attitude, a spirit of adventure and a willingness to explore new areas will enhance your enjoyment of this program. You do not have to participate in all the scheduled activities, except when traveling to the next destination. We are sure you will be pleased with the exciting educational program provided, but we want you to be aware of the pace and activity level.

Study Leader(s)

Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; C.Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Sciences; Curator Of Mammals in the Museum of Comparative Zoology (on leave)
Additional Lecture Info
More lecturer information to be announced.

For More Information

Please email haatravels@harvard.edu or call our office at 800-422-1636 or 617-496-0806.