Done-For-You Costa Rica Family Vacations
Two itineraries I designed with Costa Rica for Kids, with a private driver, vetted family hotels, and every detail handled from the airport to the airport.
If you’ve been stuck in research mode, bouncing between hotel reviews and driving horror stories, this page is the way out.
I’m not a travel agent, so I don’t book these trips myself; Vanessa and her team at Costa Rica for Kids do, and if you want a Costa Rica family travel agent who has built these routes around real kids, they’re the team I send my own readers to.
Together we built two itineraries around what I’ve learned from more than 50 trips, so you can pick one, adjust it to your family, and stop planning.
Which Costa Rica family trip is right for you?
Most of the families I talk to are really deciding two things: where they’re flying into, and whether they want their beach days to be calm or adventurous. Start there.
Flying into San José and want rainforest, wildlife, and a volcano?
Take the Manuel Antonio and Arenal trip.
Flying into Liberia, or have little ones who need a calm, swimmable beach?
Take the Arenal and Sámara trip.
Want something different from either?
Both trips are starting points, and Costa Rica for Kids will adjust hotels, dates, and activities to fit your family.
Scroll down for an overview of each trip.
The two itineraries at a glance
| Manuel Antonio + Arenal | Arenal + Sámara | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 9 days, 8 nights | 8 days, 7 nights |
| Fly into | San José (SJO) | Liberia (LIR) |
| Route | San José, Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna | La Fortuna, Sámara |
| Best for | Wildlife, national park, volcano | Calm beach, surf lessons, volcano |
| Getting around | Private driver throughout | Private driver throughout |
| Adults from | $1,995 per person | $2,099 per person |
| Kids 5 to 11 from | $699 | $799 |
| Kids 0 to 4 | Free, sharing with parents | Free, sharing with parents |
Prices are starting prices per person. Costa Rica for Kids confirms the final quote for your dates, hotel level, and activities.
Itinerary #1Manuel Antonio and Arenal Family Adventure
This is the trip I’d build for a family that wants to see Costa Rica’s wildlife without the scramble. You start with a few days on the Central Pacific coast, where the beach and the national park are minutes apart, then head inland to La Fortuna, where Arenal Volcano, the waterfalls, and the hot springs do the rest.
What your days look like
- Day 1: Private meet-and-greet at San José airport and transfer to your hotel
- Day 2: Scenic drive to Manuel Antonio, with a stop to see crocodiles along the way, then pool or beach time
- Day 3: Private guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park with a naturalist guide, entrance fees included
- Day 4: Family choice of a wildlife encounter, hanging bridges and waterfalls, or beginner surf lessons for kids and adults
- Day 5: Transfer to La Fortuna with a lunch stop, then hot springs or pool time
- Day 6: Guided hanging bridges and a waterfall with swim time
- Day 7: Your adventure day, choosing white water rafting, zip lining, a wildlife safari float, or a Río Celeste rainforest hike
- Day 8: A free day at the pool or hot springs, with optional add-on activities
- Day 9: Private transfer to the airport
What's included
- Family-friendly hotels with pools, in your choice of Comfort, Premium, or Luxury level
- Private airport transfers and a private driver for the whole trip
- Private guided Manuel Antonio National Park tour with entrance fees
- Mistico Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall
- One customizable adventure day
- Hot springs access at your Arenal hotel
- Trip planning and in-country support from Costa Rica for Kids
- A welcome pack for your family and a travel passport for the kids to track the wildlife and places they see
Arenal and Sámara Family Adventure
Arenal is my favorite family destination in Costa Rica, and Sámara is where I send families who want a calm beach that little kids can actually swim at. Put them together and you get a volcano, hot springs, and a walkable beach town without ever driving yourself, and because you fly into and out of Liberia, you skip the long San José transfers.
What your days look like
- Day 1: Private driver from Liberia to La Fortuna, with time at the hotel pool or hot springs
- Day 2: Guided hanging bridges walk, a waterfall with natural swimming pools, and a local lunch
- Day 3: Your adventure day, choosing white water rafting, zip lining, or a wildlife safari float with a cultural experience
- Day 4: Scenic drive to the Pacific coast and settle into Sámara
- Day 5: Beginner surf lesson, with the rest of the day on the beach
- Days 6 and 7: Choose your adventures, including a catamaran cruise, kayaking and snorkeling, mangrove and wildlife tours, zip lining, or horseback riding, with seasonal turtle tours as an option
- Day 8: A beach day with nothing scheduled
- Departure: Private transfer to Liberia airport
What's included
- Family-friendly hotels with pools, in your choice of Comfort, Premium, or Luxury level
- Private transfers from the Liberia airport and between every stop
- Guided Arenal hanging bridges experience and a waterfall visit with swim time
- One customizable adventure day in La Fortuna and one in Sámara
- A surf lesson in Sámara, with board use during your stay
- Hot springs access at your Arenal hotel
- Trip planning and in-country support from Costa Rica for Kids
- A welcome pack for your family and a travel passport for the kids
How it works
- Book a 15-minute discovery call with Vanessa’s team here. Tell them your dates, who’s traveling, and which trip you like.
- Costa Rica for Kids matches your hotels, adventure days, and logistics to your family.
Want something that isn't on this page?
These two trips are my favorites, but they aren’t the only way to see Costa Rica with kids. If you want a different route, a different pace, or a different mix of beach and rainforest, tell Vanessa’s team when you request your quote and they’ll build around it.
Prefer to plan it yourself?
If you’d rather book your own hotels and keep control of every choice, I can still help. In a consult we build your itinerary together on a video call, and you leave with a plan you actually trust.
Disclosure: I earn a commission when you book through my links to Costa Rica for Kids. It never changes the price you pay, and I only send families to people I’d use myself.
Costa Rica family travel agent questions, answered
No. I designed these itineraries with Costa Rica for Kids, and they handle the booking, the logistics, and the support during your trip. I’m here to help you pick the right one.
These two itineraries were built with me and are only available through Costa Rica for Kids.
Yes. Each trip includes adventure days you choose, and you can pick Comfort, Premium, or Luxury hotels. Final hotels depend on your dates and availability. If you decide to change the itinerary significantly, the price may also change significantly (higher.)
The starting prices cover your hotels, private transfers, a private driver, daily breakfast, the guided experiences listed above, and trip support. International flights, most dinners, and add-on activities are separate.
Children 0 to 4 are free when sharing a room with parents, and children 5 to 11 have a lower starting price than adults. Costa Rica for Kids confirms your final quote.
Tell Costa Rica for Kids when you request your quote. Liberia departures are available on the San José itinerary on request, and both trips can be adjusted.
