Top Central Valley Kid-Friendly Tours - page 3

One of the most popular activities in La Fortuna, a guided hanging bridges tour is a fool-proof way to spot wildlife and learn more about the Costa Rican rain forest. This nighttime hanging bridges tour in Mistico Park puts a twist on the classic excursion by introducing you to the forest's nocturnal residents, such as honey bears, barn owls, and over 4,500 species of nocturnal butterflies (twice the number of daytime butterflies!). This tour includes pickup and drop-off from some centrally located La Fortuna hotels.

Immerse yourself in nature on this 3-day, 2-night adventure. The perfect excursion for outdoor enthusiasts, the tour brings you to the artisan town of Sarchi, known for its crafts and souvenirs, and the Arenal Volcano. You’ll also visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve to hike and enjoy the Sky Walk, a combination of trails and suspension bridges above the forest canopy.

Hear the sounds of the rainforest at night during this short, small-group, guided walking tour in Arenal’s wild frog sanctuary. See what nocturnal animals do while the rest of the world sleeps and visit with some of the 28 species of frog who live here. Learn how this private nature reserve is cared for by the Rojas Bonilla family as you hike the trails to chorus of noisy frogs.

Hiking on Arenal Volcano is the best way to appreciate the volcano’s power and beauty alike. This guided tour takes you down a network of paths ranging from easy to difficult—talk to your guide to choose the path that’s right for you. No matter what you pick, your guide shares stories and information about the volcano throughout the hike and points out features like wildlife and dried lava flows that you might miss on your own.

Head to La Fortuna, home to the Arenal Volcano, on this guided all-day tour from San Jose. Sit back and relax as you travel through diverse plantations and cattle ranches on the roughly 3.5-hour drive. After arriving, enjoy lunch with a view of the volcano. Then, take a dip in the area’s thermal waters and indulge in an optional massage or other treatment.

Combine two of the top outdoor rainforest activities in Costa Rica with this full-day day tour. After pickup from La Fortuna in a minivan, head to the Arenal Hanging Bridges—two miles (3.2 kilometers) of raised walking platforms designed for viewing wildlife in the rainforest canopy and below. After walking the bridges, visit La Fortuna Waterfall, swim in the La Fortuna River, and have a restaurant lunch before returning to La Fortuna.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens lies roughly an hour away from San José—and an entire world apart. On your guided tour, you’ll wander amongst waterfalls, through a cloud forest, along hiking trails, and in the company of incredible wildlife. Beyond the butterfly observatory and serpentarium, get to know spider monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, jaguars, ocelots, toucans, and more. For flora lovers, there are orchids and heliconias, too, all in one nature-rich spot.

Discover one of Costa Rica’s most popular animals, the sloth, on this tour from La Fortuna. Join a small group and take a hike through secondary rain forest to search for these friendly creatures. Learn about the mammal from your guide and keep your eyes peeled for other fauna and flora.

Get above the canopy and observe the native wildlife in Arenal when you walk the 1.6mi (3km) of asphalt path between the six hanging bridges suspended among the trees. You'll also have awesome views of the Arenal Volcano. Your naturalist guide will be with you the entire tour (approx 3 hours) to tell you all about the native flora and fauna of the region.

Discover La Paz Waterfall Gardens on this all-day guided tour. The popular natural attraction boasts five waterfalls, a cloud forest, rainforest, an aviary and butterfly observatory, and more, plus capuchin and black-handed spider monkeys and plenty of educational animal exhibits with jaguars, pumas, ocelots, and margays. Plus, visit the largest coffee plantation in Costa Rica and learn about its production.

Discover the many different sides to Costa Rica that make it such a fascinating country to visit with this 8-day tour. Starting in San Jose, the first stop on this tour will take you up into the mountains to see sights around the Arenal Volcano. From there, it’s on to the Pacific coast to visit the beaches and national park of Manuel Antonio.

At a two hour drive from La Fortuna we visit the Tenorio volcano national park. After some hiking we will get to the Rio Celeste (blue river). The blue color you can see is the result of a chemical reaction between two merging rivers containing different volcanic minerals. (Foto tenideros) It’s a very rare phenomenon which creates a fairytale- like beauty. The hike itself is medium tough and takes about 4 hours. It will take you to a waterfall, a lookout point and the place where the river changes colors. (Foto waterfall)With the help of the guide there is a good possibility of seeing wildlife. After the hike we’ll have lunch and start our drive back to la Fortuna.

See how La Fortuna transforms after sunset with this guided walking tour. Your guide will take you and your party into a natural area, where you'll learn about local crepuscular and nocturnal creatures and maybe see some yourself, such as owls, snakes, and colorful frogs—if you’re lucky, you may even spot a red-eyed tree frog.

Discover the magic of wildlife at sunset with our new Twilight tour, a unique experience that combines day and night wildlife observation in one tour. We will start our adventure with a special hike through natural trails, where we will look for one of Costa Rica's most charismatic animals: the sloth. At sunset, you will have the opportunity to observe these fascinating forest dwellers up close. Afterwards, we will enjoy a delicious snack to recharge our batteries and continue with the second part of the experience: a night walk in a natural environment specially designed to observe frogs, insects, reptiles, and other nocturnal creatures. With a flashlight in hand and guided by experts, we will discover the incredible biodiversity that comes to life when night falls. Twilight is the perfect combination of exploration, learning, and connection with nature, ideal for those looking for a different experience during their visit to La Fortuna.

Take a tranquil journey through Costa Rica's amazingly biodiverse rain forest on this half-day safari float down the Peñas Blancas River near La Fortuna. Paddle through the calm waters without a motor so you can appreciate the many sounds of the jungle and observe wildlife like sloths, turtles, birds, and monkeys without disturbing them. Travel with a professional guide, who will point out passing plant and animal species and enhance your appreciation of the incredible ecosystem.

The tour begins with a trip to the Pacific coast towards Playa Herradura, just 90 minutes from San Jose and until you reach the Vista Los Sueños adventure park. Embark on an exhilarating adventure through the lush Costa Rican rainforest on our Zip Line Canopy Tour, gliding from platform to platform along a series of sturdy cables. Professional guides ensure your safety and provide fascinating insights into the rich biodiversity, starting with a 15-minute ride aboard our specially designed tractor. Once we reach the top of the mountain, we will explain step-by-step all the safety procedures you must follow. We then descend to the bottom via a series of zip lines, including 12 platforms and 10 cables with a total cable distance of 3.5 kilometers, among them the longest cable in the area (2400 ft.). After the tour, enjoy lunch before continue to Tarcoles River for a boat cruise, where you will admire the huge crocodiles and other wildlife species living in this river.

Explore the wild beauty and rich biodiversity of Costa Rica’s famed Arenal region on this combo hiking and waterfall tour from La Fortuna. Trek along the different levels of hanging bridges in the rain forest at Mistico Park, and later take a short hike to reach the tropical cascade of La Fortuna Waterfall. Replenish your energy with a delicious Costa Rican lunch at a local restaurant.

Explore three of Costa Rica’s natural highlights on an easy small-group day tour from La Fortuna. Nature-loving travelers who are short on time will love walking over the hanging bridges, hiking to Arenal Volcano, and swimming at La Fortuna Waterfall all in one day. Admire impressive views throughout the day and learn more about Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity from your guide.

Experience a small group guided hike through the lava flows formed by volcanic activity at the Arenal Volcano. The hike is just under a mile, and is easy to moderate level. Learn the history of when the volcano erupted in 1968, and hear how the town was rebuilt afterwards, out of almost total destruction. You can visit the hot springs at the end if you wish.

This small group tour takes you on a peaceful float down the Penas Blancas River where you’ll end up reaching the impressive La Fortuna Waterfall Reserve. The tour starts with a convenient hotel pickup (from selected hotels), then you’ll float, paddle, take an optional hike, and enjoy an included lunch, all organized by your guide, so you can just enjoy the day out.

This full-day, family-friendly combo tour in La Fortuna spans 6 to 7 hours starting at 7:00 AM, blending adrenaline and native Costa Rican culture into a single adventure. The journey begins with a 7-line canopy zipline course featuring an 18-meter tower, a flyover across a 120-meter canyon, and a high-flying pass directly above the La Fortuna Waterfall on Central America's second longest cable. Following the zipline, guests are transported to the base offices to change into dry clothes and enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch. The action continues with a 4x4 truck ride deep into the mountains, setting up an exhilarating canyoning session where participants rappel down rainforest waterfalls. The package wraps up back at the ranch with photo reviews and fresh Costa Rican coffee, with all bilingual guides, round-trip transportation, equipment, lunch, and snacks fully included.

See Costa Rica’s iconic La Paz waterfall during this full-day guided, tour with animal sanctuary visit and an eco-boat ride down the famous Sarapiqui River. Get up close and personal with toucans and monkeys and learn about the five waterfalls, flowers, and rainforest within the sanctuary. Afterward, absorb the biodiversity on a relaxing boat trip down the Sarapiqui river ecosystem surrounded by wildlife in the water and on land.

Glide through one of the world’s most important wetlands on a boat tour of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge from La Fortuna. These naturally protected marshes are an essential home to many endangered bird species, plus other Costa Rican wildlife including monkeys, tapirs, cougars, and turtles. It's a top destination in Costa Rica for any serious birdwatchers, with regular sightings of herons, ibises, cormorants, and elusive jabirus.

Experience the beauty of La Fortuna from above during this extensive zipline tour. Don your gear and climb an 18-meter tower, fly over canyons and treetops on seven extreme ziplines including a 980-meter cable, and take in views of the Arenal and Cerro Chato Volcanoes. Complete the adventure by crossing a hanging bridge over La Fortuna waterfall and admire the jungle views.