2024 Crater Costa Rica Service Adventure

Dear Families, Friends, and Travelers – Welcome to the 2024 Crater Costa Rica Service Adventure! We have created two webpages dedicated to this exciting opportunity: this first page, the Pre-Enrollment Page, is meant to share exciting details, highlights and pertinent info that potential travelers will want to know before enrolling. Once enrolled, the Post-Enrollment Page, is meant to prepare travelers for participation on the adventure ahead. Please be sure to review the information on the appropriate page thoroughly and we hope you are excited for all Costa Rica has to offer!!
Travel Dates: June 18, 2024 - June 27, 2024
Group Organizer(s):
WTT Contact:
Program Tuition: $1,990 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
Confirmed Airfare: $1,250

Tuition Calculator

There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan.  Follow whichever works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.

Program Tuition: $1,990

Pay in Full

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All prices in United States Dollars.

Costa Rica Service Adventure

From white sand beaches to misty cloud forests, towering volcanoes to beautiful rivers that carve through tropical canyons, and  hospitable, friendly communities, Costa Rica has it all! Our service adventures give travelers the opportunity to delve deep into small, rural communities set in stunningly beautiful corners of the country.  In addition to white water rafting, relaxing on white sand beaches and swimming at the base of a towering waterfall, students will gain confidence in their Spanish, contribute to a meaningful service project and grow into more confident travelers. Adventure awaits!

Service Adventures

Service Adventures

Service Adventures can combine rural homestays, adventure travel, and meaningful service projects which are guided by our community partners. Living in these small communities provides the opportunity to engage the language and culture from a uniquely advantageous position.

Program Highlights


Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!

Have the adventure of a lifetime with your friends

Immerse yourself in the local language and culture by staying with a host family

Zip-line though the rainforest

Trek to a beautiful waterfall deep in the jungle

Visit one of Costa Rica's most beautiful volcanoes

Raft down one of Costa Rica's best rivers

The Itinerary


We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers and given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group. 

June 18LocationDescriptionLodging
June 18USA - AlajuelaToday the group will travel from the USA to San Jose, Costa Rica! Airplane
June 19Alajuela Upon arrival, we’ll settle into a lovely hotel on the outskirts of the city for dinner and an orientation meeting to discuss the upcoming trip in detail.Rosa de las Américas
June 20Alajuela- SarapiquíAfter breakfast, the group will head for Sarapiquí, an area characterized by its lush tropical rainforest and swift rivers. The bus ride is two hours north of the capital city. After lunch, we will do an Ethnobotany tour, where students will engage all five of their senses in getting to know different plants and learn about the scientific importance of the tropical rainforest in the medical and cosmetic fields. After dinner, we will have some reflection time to discuss some of our goals for the upcoming days.

Tirimbina
June 21Host CommunityWe will begin our day learning about the history of one of mankind’s favorite foods: chocolate. Originally from Central America, this plant has an extraordinary history; it was one of the most important products for the Mayan and Aztec cultures. In the afternoon, we will learn how to dance salsa, bachata, and merengue. Then we'll head to our host community. After arrival, we'll tour the town, learn more about our service project/s, and then head home with our new families for the evening. Unless otherwise specified, students will be placed two to a home. Breakfasts and dinners will be with families, while lunch will be served at the service site. In the afternoons and evenings, activities are flexible and will vary, but may include time with host families, excursions to explore the surrounding area, or group reflection sessions.Host Families -Sarapiquí
June 22Host CommunityToday we will start working on our service project and spending time with host families. Evening activities will vary.Host Families -Sarapiquí
June 23Host Community
Today, we will continue working on our service project and spending time with host families.
Host Families -Sarapiquí
June 24Host CommunityToday we will finish working on our service project, and we will also have our farewell party with our families. This is a great opportunity to practice the dancing steps that we learned during the week.Host Families -Sarapiquí
June 25Host Community - FortunaAfter breakfast, we will say goodbye to our families and experience whitewater rafting on the Sarapiqui River. Then we will head to La Fortuna, a small city right next to the Volcán Arenal, an impressive volcano that stands out in the middle of the flatlands. Students will have some free time to explore the town center and do some souvenir shopping. At night, we will relax at the Baldi hot springs, where we will have a buffet dinner as well.Hotel Los Lagos
June 26Fortuna - AlajuelaAfter breakfast, we will say goodbye to our families and we will experience the forest from a different perspective as we go ziplining. After lunch, we will make the drive back to San Jose for a farewell dinner and our final reflection before our international departure the following morning.Villas Aracari
June 27Alajuela - USAFly home, hasta luego!Your own bed

Accommodations


In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe.  We vet and inspect the accommodations to ensure they uphold the ethos of our programs, are great values for our travelers and nice places to rest after enriching days of travel.  

Below are the accommodations we anticipate using on your trip, subject to availability. 
Homestay

This will be the best part of your trip! Staying with a host family immerses you in the language and culture of the destination, and can lead to deep and lasting relationships with your hosts. Initially intimidating but ultimately unforgettable, there’s no better way to begin to truly understand the place you’re visiting.

Hotel Aeropuerto

Hotel Aeropuerto is located five minutes away from the Juan Santa María airport. Clean rooms and friendly staff will make you feel at home the moment you drop your bags. The swimming pool  is surrounded by fruit trees and flowers, which attract a number of butterflies and birds, and even some iguanas and squirrels. Students will be grouped by gender. Wifi is available throughout the property.

Villas Aracari

Villas Aracari is a beautiful property ideally located just twenty minutes from the airport. Close to the city center yet perched high in the mountains, the views of the Central Valley are breathtaking and the new pool is a delightful respite after a hot day. Spotless rooms and friendly staff will make you feel at home the moment you drop your bags.

Los Lagos

Hotel Los Lagos is roomy, beautifully decorated, and offers views of Arenal volcano in a relaxing setting. Free Wi-Fi throughout the facilities keep everyone feeling connected. Students will stay in double or triple occupancy rooms according to gender.

Safety and Support


 EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING

We wanted our 16 year old son’s first experience traveling without the family to be a positive one. We wanted a true quality program and are so glad his school chose Walking Tree. Everything went absolutely smoothly on the trip. Our son has told us again and again how wonderful, informed, friendly, and absolutely critical to the success of the trip the Walking Tree staff was.

Tina
Parent of Leo Narbonne, traveler on Peru Service Adventure

Your Adventure Includes

Estimated Airfare

In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel. 

Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.

 

Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.

Walking Tree Travel is proud to team up with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative that distributes organic coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, chocolate bars, and more.  There is no limit to the amount you can earn, so the sooner you can start, the better!

Learn more here.

WTT coffee
Resource center

Resource Center

Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.

Learn More

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