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The Most Popular Itineraries for an Adventure Vacation in Costa Rica 

An adventure vacation in Costa Rica may be a playground with every corner of every region, offering a multitude of unique outdoor pursuits. Yet surely, many visitors ask, there’s an expedient way to soak up the most amount of fun, in the most hassle-free way possible? Yes, there is. In fact, there are several!

Aircraft at sunset - adventure vacation in Costa RicaYou know how overwhelming you feel when you walk into an enormous hypermarket that sells every product under the sun? Well, Costa Rica is kind of like that, except with adventure. Many first-time visitors admit to feeling slightly overwhelmed at the mere thought of planning their own adventure vacation itinerary – most, simply don’t know where to even start!

Unless you’re planning to travel to Costa Rica over land, the international airport is a great place to start…

Jokes aside, we thought we’d give you the lowdown on the most popular itineraries of all, the game-plans that have become so popular with us here at Costa Rica Rios, that they’ve become proper highlights of their own accord.

Let’s start with the single, most popular itinerary of all, then we’ll move on to the next two and, finally, we’ll let you in on some insider secrets that will ensure you nail the bespoke itinerary that’s just right for you.

Happy adventure vacation in Costa Rica itinerary planning!

Plan Your Bespoke Adventure Tour Today

Week of Adventures – The Best Group Tour for Adventure Seekers

An entire week jam-packed with adrenaline-pumping experiences that make you feel alive and revitalized: this is our Week of Adventures in a nutshell. It’s not surprising to know that this is our single most popular adventure itinerary, given that so much thought and experience have gone into its creation.

So, what’s this whirlwind week of fun all about?

Here’s a little snippet…

Our most comprehensive multi-sport itinerary suits return and first-time visitors to Costa Rica. It takes them just off the beaten path (not enough to require days of traveling but enough to dodge the crowds) and fills every day with exceptional sports that are perfect for active explorers who want to try, well, EVERYTHING. From beginner kayak to mild(ish) whitewater rafting, canyoning, zip lining, mountain biking, snorkeling and more, these are the daily thrills that whet your Costa Rica adventure appetite like nothing else.

Rafting - adventure vacation in Costa RicaThis organized tour caters to everyone: from the lone traveler to the intrepid family looking to share fun and laughter with like-minded explorers. It is also a perfect itinerary to copy and tailor to your specific wishes, if you’d prefer a bespoke adventure itinerary.

See the detailed itinerary so you’ll know what to expect.

If you want to take things up an even more adventurous notch, the next itinerary (our second most popular) might be the one for you.

Plan Your Bespoke Adventure Tour Today

Total Adventure Honeymoon – Best for True Adrenalin Junkies

Our most popular honeymoon adventure itinerary need not be specifically for honeymooners, of course. Anyone who’s addicted to adrenaline will get an incredible kick out of this week-long plan. We’ve essentially taken our Week of Adventures itinerary and turned up the heat, serving up extreme canyoning and an overnight rafting expedition that is out of this world. A full free day to luxuriate in natural hot springs, and two days at the beach, complete the idyllic picture.

This kind of Costa Rica adventure vacation itinerary works best: start strong and furious, take a chill-break half-way through, and top things off with a couple of days on an idyllic beach, where you can be as active (or lazy) as your heart desires. Most visitors find this formula to work exceptionally well.

Sunset surfing - adventure vacation in Costa RicaThis specific itinerary is ideal if you’re an active traveler who relishes adventure at every turn. This is a full-on week, with hair-raising adventures planned, every single day. On this itinerary, you’ll visit Manuel Antonio and Arenal National Parks, as well as tackle the incredible rivers of Turrialba.

As with all our bespoke itineraries, this tour is customizable: all activities are interchangeable and, naturally, you can choose the accommodation level that suits your budget best. However, if you want a hassle-free adventure, pick this itinerary right off the shelf – it works to perfection as is!

You can see the detailed itinerary, right here.

Plan Your Bespoke Adventure Tour Today

Best of Both Worlds – Best for First-Time Visitors

Mixing up extreme adventures with visits to the most popular sites is easily done in Costa Rica. Want the best of both worlds? With this tour itinerary, you can. Not only can you enjoy an overnight rafting expedition, but you can also take a guided wilderness walk through Manuel Antonio and soak in natural hot springs in a superb resort in Arenal.

This is perhaps the best itinerary for first-time visitors who want it all: the most famous and the most daring, all in the same week.

See our Best of Both Worlds itinerary and you’ll see why these will be the most unforgettable 10 days of your life!

Tips on how to plan a bespoke adventure vacation itinerary

Here are some tips that might help you tackle your itinerary-planning:

Decide what ‘type’ of adventure vacation you’d like, foremost

The best way to plan your dream itinerary is to first decide what kind of vacation you’d like. Will it be 100% pure adrenaline or would you like a little R&R time as well? Are you craving a lazy beach vacation or, perhaps, a softer adventure since you’ll have kids in tow?

Decide THIS first and then move on to the next point.

Plan your itinerary by activity (and difficulty level)

Costa Rica is the pioneer of sustainable adventure travel, so most adrenaline activities are offered throughout the country. However, some destinations are better suited to beginners, whilst others attract experts and return visitors. Knowing what you want to do and how experienced you are at a particular sport will determine where in the country you ought to be heading.

zip lining in Costa RicaTake whitewater rafting as an example. If you’re an expert and adrenaline-addicted, there’s no doubt the world-class Pacuare River is perfect for you. If, on the other hand, you wish to try the sport for the very first time as a family, we would recommend either the Savegre or Balsa River, depending on the ages of your children. This is the case with every activity in Costa Rica!

Don’t get ‘married’ to the idea of specific destinations

Many independent visitors make the mistake of planning their trip solely by choosing their destinations first. What they’ll then do is dedicate an equal number of days to each one, without knowing that one may be worthy of more time and one could be perfect to visit on a day-trip only.

When you have 7-10 days for your adventure vacation in Costa Rica, you’ll be aiming for a time-efficient itinerary that takes all these things into consideration. In the end, your list of activities will determine the destinations and how long you’ll stay in each one. Why does this matter? Because even just one day wasted on an unnecessary transfer or in a place which holds little interest to you is a heavy price to pay on vacation. So ditch the traditional ‘choose a base first and then see what’s on offer’ approach and you’ll be well on your way to planning the very best adventure itinerary in Costa Rica: the one that’s tailor-made for you.

At Costa Rica Rios, we take it one step forward: we plan bespoke itineraries following all the above criteria PLUS we do it all within your budget.

Simple? You bet!

Plan Your Bespoke Adventure Tour Today

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