Welcome to Costa Rica!
This is an unforgettable journey through Costa Rica's most iconic landscapes: the lively capital of San José, the volcanic rainforests of Arenal, and the sun-drenched beaches of the Pacific coast. Students will hike active volcano trails, soar above the jungle on zip-lines, snorkel crystal-clear waters, and give back through a meaningful community service experience. Each destination tells a new chapter of Costa Rica's story, one where wildlife, adventure, and culture collide, and where Pura Vida isn't just a saying, it's a way of life.
Check in to your 4-star hotel in the heart of San José. Centrally located and contemporary, it's the perfect launch point for your Costa Rican adventure.
Explore San José's historic treasures, like the National Theater, museum and others, with a local guide. A great way to ground the trip in learning about Costa Rica's culture and history before heading into the rainforest.
Spend the evening exploring San José, Costa Rica's vibrant capital, before dinner. Wander through lively streets, soak in the local culture, and get a feel for the city before the adventure begins.
A list of recommendations will be provided.
Gather all of your belongings and check out of your room.
Spend the day giving back to the community of San José, lending a hand on a meaningful service project alongside the locals. A chance to connect, contribute, and leave a positive mark on the place that's hosted your journey.
Check in to your 4-star hotel in La Fortuna, set against the Arenal Volcano backdrop. Relaxed and centrally located, it's your gateway to hot springs, waterfalls, and rainforest adventure. Freshen up for dinner and bring a swimsuit!
Kick off your Costa Rican adventure with a welcome dinner featuring the warm flavors of traditional Tico cuisine, the perfect start to your Pura Vida journey.
A list of recommendations will be provided.
Soar through the rainforest canopy on a thrilling zipline adventure, then slow it down with a walk across hanging bridges suspended high above the forest floor. The perfect combo of adrenaline and awe as you take in Monteverde's lush cloud forest from every angle.
Head back to the hotel to freshen up. Gather all of your belongings and check out of your room.
A list of recommendations will be provided.
Set sail on a catamaran for an afternoon of snorkeling in crystal-clear waters.
A list of recommendations will be provided.
Spend time making a positive impact on the environment and giving back to Costa Rica. Not only will you help keep the beaches beautiful, but you’ll also learn about local wildlife and the importance of conservation.
A list of recommendations will be provided.
This is a sample itinerary meant to be modified and changed based on your goals. Please email us at info@kairostours.com for any questions.
Unlike other student travel companies, Kairos Tours provides complete financial transparency.
Clients receive a detailed line item breakdown of expenses, including all available receipts. We account for every dollar spent. Kairos Tours never marks up an expense or charges a ‘percentage of spend’ fee – keeping all interests aligned.
We don't ask for your budget, we create your budget with you.
All of our trips are fully customizable - this sample itinerary is simply a starting point to give you a sense of what is possible! We are happy to tailor every detail to fit your group’s unique needs, interests, and preferences.
Group travel can be a difficult and frustrating experience. The group is only as fast as the slowest participant, and that is why our clients spend most of their time in Chaperone Groups. These small groups consist of roughly 4-5 students and 2-3 adults, and move much more efficiently (and happily!) through the cities, allowing students to focus on their unique interests. Keeping entire groups together while following a yellow umbrella around cities (‘amoeba style’) creates missed opportunities and makes unfortunate use of valuable time.
The beauty of any school trip is the opportunity for the student to build self-confidence, problem solve, and learn how to navigate in a new environment. The adults are present to help keep students safe, but otherwise should ‘lead from behind’. At Kairos Tours we focus heavily on student leadership and responsibility for their trip experience.
Is there a minimum number of guests required for this trip?
There’s no minimum number of participants required, but please note that the fewer people in the group, the higher the price per person. Larger groups help keep individual costs lower by sharing fixed expenses like transportation and guides.
What information will be provided before the trip?
Each traveler will receive a complete, dynamic itinerary that includes travel logistics, hotel details, tours, entrance information, meeting points, and more - everything you need to feel fully prepared.
Will there be a group meeting before departure?
Yes! We’ll schedule a pre-trip meeting (either in person or via Google Meet) to go over final details, answer questions, and ensure everyone is ready and excited.
Does Kairos Tours provide a Tour Director?
A Tour Director can be arranged to accompany your group upon request. Please note this may affect the overall cost of the trip.
Will the itinerary change from what’s currently listed?
Kairos Tours will make every reasonable effort to provide this trip in accordance with the descriptions provided. Although it is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your reservation or cancel confirmed reservations, we reserve the right to do so should it become necessary or advisable, in our sole discretion. We’ll always prioritize the best possible experience for your group!
Are trip prices guaranteed?
All pricing is based on current estimates and subject to change due to factors like group size, travel dates, currency exchange rates, and seasonal variations.
Are meals included in the trip price?
Lunches and dinners are typically not included in the trip price, allowing for flexibility and the opportunity to explore local dining options. Personal incidentals, such as snacks, souvenirs, and optional activities, are also the responsibility of each traveler.
What if there are unexpected delays or issues?
Kairos Tours is not responsible for costs or disruptions resulting from circumstances beyond our control, such as flight delays, changes or cancellations, injuries, weather, war, natural disasters, strikes, social discourse, pandemics, etc., and/or other unforeseeable matters.
My name is David Mebane and I am a lifelong traveler that experienced my first international trip as a 2nd grader, and I haven’t stopped since. I founded Fat Tire Tours in Paris, France in 1999 and love showing people around the City of Light. That passion has grown to include other incredible destinations around the globe, and is the genesis for Kairos Tours. I don't know every destination on the globe, but I do know several well, and I love to take people with me to create experiences and memories that last a lifetime.
I live in Austin, Texas with my wife Kelly and our son Weston and daughter Caroline. However, we spend as much time as we can elsewhere since there is nothing better than an adventure with family and friends.
Long before Spanish explorers arrived on its shores, Costa Rica was home to a mosaic of indigenous peoples. The Chorotega, Bribri, Boruca, and Cabécar had built rich cultures across its volcanic highlands, Caribbean lowlands, and Pacific coast. When Christopher Columbus arrived on the Caribbean shore in 1502, he encountered a land of extraordinary natural abundance. Spanish colonizers who followed named it Costa Rica, "Rich Coast," though the riches they imagined in gold proved elusive. What they found instead was something far more enduring: fertile soil, a temperate climate, and a land of remarkable resilience.
Unlike other Spanish colonies, Costa Rica lacked large indigenous slave labor populations or vast mineral wealth, which shaped its colonial development in a distinctive way. Settlers were forced to work their own land, and a culture of small-scale farming took root. This relative equality among landowners became one of the defining threads of Costa Rican identity, a tradition of egalitarianism that separated it from more stratified neighbors. Colonial life centered on the Meseta Central, the fertile highland plateau where cities like Cartago, Heredia, San José, and Alajuela would grow, and where coffee would eventually transform the entire national economy.
Independence came quietly. On September 15, 1821, Costa Rica gained independence from Spain, reportedly receiving the news a month after it had already happened. It was a telling symbol of the country's geographic remoteness. After briefly joining neighboring federations, it became a fully sovereign state in 1848. It was during these early years that coffee emerged as a transformative force. By the mid-19th century, el grano de oro, the golden bean, was funding roads, schools, and public institutions, and shaping a small but educated ruling class of coffee barons.
The most consequential moment in Costa Rican history came not through revolution, but through renunciation. In 1948, a disputed election triggered a brief civil war led by José Figueres Ferrer. After his victory, Figueres made a decision that would define the country for generations: he abolished the military entirely. In 1949, Costa Rica became one of the only nations in the world to enshrine the elimination of its army in its constitution. Funds once spent on armed forces were redirected to education and healthcare, setting Costa Rica on a path of social investment that continues to distinguish it in the region. Figueres also extended voting rights to women and Afro-Costa Ricans, a sweeping expansion of democracy that few Latin American nations matched at the time.
The latter half of the 20th century saw Costa Rica become a regional model of stability and environmental stewardship. While neighboring countries suffered civil wars and authoritarian regimes, Costa Rica remained a democracy, earning a reputation as the "Switzerland of Central America." President Óscar Arias Sánchez won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for brokering peace accords that helped end conflicts across the region. Around the same time, Costa Rica was pioneering a conservation revolution, setting aside land for national parks and biological reserves at a scale unmatched in the world per capita.
Today, more than 25 percent of Costa Rica's territory is protected land, home to an estimated five percent of the world's biodiversity despite covering just 0.03 percent of the Earth's surface. Ecotourism has replaced the old extractive economy, drawing visitors who come not for gold, but to witness nature in its most concentrated and spectacular form.
Costa Rica's story is one of quiet revolutions: the abolition of an army, the protection of a rainforest, the investment in a teacher over a soldier. It is a small country that has consistently punched above its weight in peace, sustainability, and human development. And at the heart of it all is Pura Vida, pure life. Not just a greeting, but a worldview. A reminder that the richest coast was never about gold at all.
