2025 North Costa Rica Service Adventure
| Travel Dates: | June 10, 2025 - June 20, 2025 |
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| WTT Contact: |
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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 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
Improve your Spanish and immerse yourself in a homestay community
Trek to a beautiful waterfall deep in the jungle
Learn to surf with some of Costa Rica's best instructors
Collaborate on a service project in your homestay community
Discover the gorgeous beaches and world-class national parks on the Pacific coast
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to abide by itineraries as originally planned, but decades of experience teachers that we must flexible in our planning. Changes to a trip’s schedule are uncommon, but Walking Tree reserves the right to make adjustments to programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA - Alajuela | Today the group will travel from the USA to San Jose, Costa Rica! 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. | Villas Aracari |
| 2 | Alajuela - Homestays | After breakfast, 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 |
| 3 | Host Community | Today we will begin working on our service project and spending time with host families. Afternoon & evening activities will vary and details regarding service work will become available as departure nears. | Host Families |
| 4 | Host Community | Today we will continue working on our service project and spending time with host families. Evening activities will vary. | Host Families |
| 5 | Host Community | Today we will continue working on our service project and spending time with host families. Evening activities will vary. | Host Families |
| 6 | Host Community | Today we will finish working on our service project and spending time with host families. Evening activities will vary. | Host Families |
| 7 | Host Community- Tecal | After breakfast and after saying good bye to our families, we will head west to the small surfside town of Uvita on the central Pacific coast but before getting to Uvita we will hike down to Nauyaca waterfall, one of the most spectacular in a country full of spectacular waterfalls! We will spend a few leisurely hours swimming, relaxing, and enjoying lunch at the waterfall. | Hotel El Tecal |
| 8 | El Tecal - Fortuna | After breakfast, students will take surf lessons from professional instructors along a wide, expansive and empty stretch of coastline that has a reputation for breaks that are great for beginners. After lunch, we will head to La Fortuna, home of Costa Rica's most famous volcano, Volcán Arenal. In the afternoon we will visit Baldí Hot Springs, a luxurious natural hot springs heated by the volcanic activity of the Arenal Volcano. | Hotel Fortuna |
| 9 | Fortuna | Today, we will start our day by participating in a chocolate-coffee-sugar cane tour, where we will learn about these important crops and their delicate production processes. After lunch, we will hike down to La Fortuna waterfall, where students can relax, swim, and explore in the morning. Later on, students will have some free time to explore the town's center and do some souvenir shopping. | Hotel Fortuna |
| 10 | Fortuna - Alajuela | After checking out of our hotel in La Fortuna we will drive 1 hour to go whitewater rafting on the Sarapiqui river! After rafting we will have typical Costa Rica lunch and then return to Alajuela. That evening we will have group dinner and have time to reflect upon our journey as it nears its end. We will have our last group dinner tonight, then a chocolate workshop before a good night's rest. | Villas Aracari |
| 11 | Alajuela - USA | Fly home, hasta luego! | Your own bed |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing group accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, locally operated, clean and safe. We inspect each partner hotel to ensure they meet these standards.
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.
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.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
Thank you for giving my son a memorable lifetime experience. [There was] constant contact with the parents with updates and photos to ensure us about the students’ safety and that they were doing well. [The Program Leader] and the teachers were outstanding. Couldn’t have had anyone else better to do the job than they have done.
Michele
Parent of Benjamin, traveler on Costa Rica Service Adventure
Your Adventure Includes
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on the itinerary.
Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.
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Learn more here.
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.