The itinerary below is a sample itinerary. Depending on the group and travel times, the actual itinerary may vary in day-by-day content and total number of days. Call us (888-359-3801) for specific details.

Day 1. Travel to Costa Rica

After arriving in San Jose, students settle into a cozy hotel, eat and get some rest.

Day 2. Visit INBio, a Coffee Farm and Travel to Sarapiqui

Students visit the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio). INBio is a private research and biodiversity management center, established in 1989 to support efforts to gather knowledge on the country's biological diversity and promote its sustainable use. During their educational tour, students see and learn about the diverse ecosystems of Costa Rica. Next, they head to a coffee farm where they learn how one of Costa Rica's most important crops travels from the farm fields of Costa Rica to your cup back home. Finally, we head by van to the Sarapiqui region of the country.

Day 3. Study Tropical Montane Ecology in Sarapiqui

From our beautiful base at the top of a hill overlooking the Tirimbina Reserve, students will begin studying tropical ecology and conservation. After a morning bird walk and a healthy breakfast, we spend the day hiking through the reserve, conducting field research and getting up close and personal with bats on our night hike!

Day 4. Community Service Project

Working side-by-side with local students, we will spend the day giving back to the community that we are visiting. Service projects might include building a community garden, painting a local school or constructing compost bins. We work on projects selected by the community in order to be sure we're meeting local needs. This evening's hike emphasizes amphibians and reptiles!

Day 5. La Selva Biological Field Station and Banana Plantations

La Selva is one of the most important sites in the world for scientific research on tropical forests. Established in 1968 as a biological reserve, it protects 3,900 acres of tropical and premontane forest and connects to the Brauillo National Park (100,000+ acres). At La Selva, we are likely to see some of the mammals of the tropical forest such as monkeys and coatimundi. Next, we head to a banana plantation to learn about how bananas are harvested and the significant impacts that banana plantations have on the environment.

Day 6. River Float, Sustainable Cattle Farm and Arenal

This morning, we travel along a beautiful river through the tropical forest, providing us a fresh new perspective on the forest. We also stop by a sustainable cattle farm as we learn about the mechanics of a milking farm and how manure can be made into a natural gas that produces energy. This afternoon, we head to Arenal National Park. Arriving in the evening, we'll see if we are lucky enough to see the volcano's lava erupting through the night.

Day 7. Monteverde and Sustainable Coffee Farm

We head along the shores of Lake Arenal up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve today. We stop for lunch and a tour of a local Fair Trade and Sustainable Coffee Farm along the way. This local, rural farm offers a sharp contrast to the much larger scale production farm that we visited earlier in the trip. We end the night at the Monteverde Reserve, falling asleep to the sounds of the forest.

Day 8. Canopy Exploration

Students learn about canopy ecology today in one of the world's most famous tropical cloud forests: Monteverde. Home to everything from resplendent quetzals to jaguars, Monteverde's well protected forests have an amazing diversity of plants and animals. This morning we explore the forest by foot while in the afternoon we zip above the canopy on a series of spectacular zip lines. We finish the evening with a night hike through Monteverde and a discussion of the unique way that this forest has been preserved.

Day 9. Tropical Dry Forest Exploration

After an early morning bird walk, we head down the mountains to the Pacific Coast and the few remaining areas of tropical dry forest left in Central America. Along the way, we see the devastating impacts that cattle ranching and timber harvesting have had on the dry forests. After an introduction to the park and its conservation issues, we begin exploring Palo Verde National Park. Along with neighboring Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, Palo Verde is considered one of the sites with the greatest ecological diversity in Costa Rica, encompassing more than 13 different habitats, including mangrove and swampy forests, salty and freshwater marshes, evergreen forests, deciduous forests, lowland and limestone forests and secondary forest in a wide range of successional stages.

Day 10. Tropical Dry Forest Research

Students learn and practice some basic field research techniques used by scientists to study biodiversity. In the process, they learn what makes the tropical dry forests so unique. Along the way, we watch for monkeys, birds, deer and much more. This evening, we have a closing ceremony as we share what we've learned from this educational journey.

Day 11. Return to San Jose and Shop for Handicrafts

We head back to San Jose today, stopping along the way to see some of the beautiful handicrafts of Costa Rica. Crafts might include oxcarts, painted bowls and trays, natural wood serving utensils, tables, jewelry boxes and carvings. We finish the day with a quick glimpse of downtown San Jose and a farewell meal.

Day 12. Return Home

Hasta luego!