Overview
Read reviews and enjoy exclusive savings on G Adventures 12 Day Trek Hidden Costa Rica. Think you know Costa Rica? Trade in the same old settings for the real deal. Trek into the heart of the jungle to live with three families in a remote village. Discover the emerald core of a diverse land amid the beauty of the jungle. Learn about the medicinal plants native to these parts and how to make sugarcane candy. This is a spectacular country with opportunities for hiking, surfing, and whitewater rafting. This is what adventure is all about.
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Our Price From
US$1,462 per person
Price shown based on twin share
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Trip Length
12 Days
Trip Starts
San Jose
Trip Ends
San Jose
Departures
May 2026 to Nov 2026
Countries Visited:
Operator
G Adventures
1 Trip Review
Avg. Rating: 5/5
Trip Style
Active
Budget
Affordable
Age Range
6-99 Years
Max. Group Size
16
Pace
Challenging
Guide Style
Fully Guided
Tour Code
CRAC
Itinerary
Arrive at any time. There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and explore the city. As it is located in the central highlands, San José enjoys a moderate climate. Amid the hustle and bustle, San José has beautiful parks, museums and the ornate Costa Rica National Theatre downtown. Enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains from the downtown streets. The central plaza is a good place to people-watch. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere.
Accommodation:
Boutique Hotel Casa Las Orquideas
Included Experiences
- Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Travel by local bus over the highest mountain pass in the country. Arrive in the valley of San Isidro de El General and take a walk in the main plaza. Spend the day visiting some shops and stock up before the next day's trek into the jungle. Located near three rivers and Costa Rica's highest mountain, Mt Chirripó, this region is well-known but few travelers stay to find out why.
Accommodation:
San Isidro Hotel
Included Experiences
- Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
- Free Time: A free afternoon allows you the chance to explore the main square, located around three kilometres from the hotel, and get geared up for tomorrow’s hiking adventure.
Embark on a three-day, three-night excursion with a locally owned and operated adventure company to the community of Piedras Blancas, found in the heart of the Zona de los Santos region. The journey is always half the fun! Travel in the back of a pickup truck through lush green landscapes and end in the small town of Brujo. Enjoy a 4-hour hike to a jungle homestay while spotting tropical fauna and plenty of wildlife along the way.
Accommodation:
Lopez Homestay
Included Meals:
Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Pickup Truck: Hop into the back and ride along to the next destination.
- Jungle Trekking to Piedras Blancas: Ready for a challenge? Gear up and head off for a six-hour trek through the jungle. Local English-speaking guides will point out flora and fauna and spot birds and wildlife in the thick forest canopy. Trek up, down, and around rocks and roots. During rainy season (May-Nov), bring walking sticks to support you in the slippery mud. Save your energy for 'la cuesta roja' (the red hill) -- 20-30 minutes of an uphill slog. The payoff? Howler monkeys and toucans as travel companions.
Experience life in a remote community in and around a local family farm. Wake up with the sun today and get ready for loads of activities. Enjoy a delicious traditional Costa Rican breakfast to start the day off right. In small groups, make 'dulce' (candy) at the family's traditional 'trapiche' (sugar cane mill). Cool off in the river that flows right by the house while the sugar simmers over the fire and lunch is being prepared. Hike one hour to another household and stay the night. While there, local guides and members of the family will explain how to make fresh cheese and breads, play card games and enjoy tasty traditional Tico cooking. Once the evening winds down, head to bed for a well-deserved rest.
Accommodation:
Granados Homestay
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Sugarcane Candy Making: Roll up your sleeves and get ready for a nice arm workout! Using the traditional 'trapiche', a mill made of wooden rollers that helps draw out juices from the sugarcane, work those muscles to feed through the homegrown sugarcane and extract the sweet sugar. Let the sugar simmer over the fire and take a much-deserved break to cool down in the river and explore a 100-foot waterfall nearby. Towel off and get ready for lunch and try some of the sweet candy your hard work went into for a tasty treat afterwards.
- Bread Making: Enter a traditional community kitchen and get to know the techniques and practises involved in making local style bread as well as getting to sample the results of the the hard work at the stove.
Optional Experiences
- Swimming: Harness your inner Tarzan and Jane and plunge into the river with lush forest all around.
Travel across the Savegre River to the next homestay with an included medicinal plant walk. Start the day with a delicious home-cooked breakfast and fortify for the two-hour hike through the rainforest to tonight's home stay retreat. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the rushing waterfall directly in front of the dining area. Watch wildlife and hummingbirds up close. Reward yourself homemade chocolate made from cocoa beans collected right from the garden.
Accommodation:
Fonseca Homestay
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Hike to a local family home stay: Hike through the rainforest for two hours to reach the home of tonight's host family. Stop along the watch to bird-watch, learn about unique plants and breathe in the pure jungle air.
- Chocolate Making: There are few things more delicious in the world than chocolate. See this coveted treat produced from bean to bar. From the nearby cacao plant to your mouth, enjoy the tasty benefits of 'eating local'.
Walk through the jungle from the homestay and raft the Savegre River. Then, relax at the end of the day at camp and enjoy an included dinner. Today is a full, action-packed day. Set your alarm for an early morning start and a two-hour hike back to Brujo where we jump into rafts and head off on the Savegre River. Paddle toward the Pacific coast, then take a van to Esquipulas. Spend the rest of the day relaxing at camp before an included dinner.
Accommodation:
Esquipulas Rainforest Camping
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Hiking: Wave 'adios' to your home stay host family and trek for two hours back through the jungle to the town of Brujo.
- Savegre River Whitewater Rafting: What better way to get from A to B then taking the natural route along a scenic and exciting river? Buckle up your life jacket, grab a paddle and head off to raft the Class II - IV rapids of the Savegre River. Its water is considered some of cleanest in all of the Americas. Enjoy a natural high!
Enjoy a day trip to explore beautiful Manuel Antonio Park. In the afternoon the group will transfer back to Esquipulas for a relaxing evening and included dinner.
Accommodation:
Esquipulas Rainforest Camping
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour: Pack your sunscreen, snack, beach shoes, and prepare for a great day in Costa Rica’s smallest yet no less stunning national park. Manual Antonio offers four white-sand beaches, separated by jagged rock outcrops and tidal pools. Swim, snorkel, surf, and sunbathe. When you’re all beached out, head to the shade of the nearby hiking trails to search for sloths, monkeys, and armadillos. Climb to the lookout to capture views of the pristine Pacific Ocean and the area’s off-shore islands.
- Free Time: There's plenty to see and do in the area, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like a guided visit to Manuel Antonio National Park, mangrove kayaking, and surfing. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Experiences
- Kayaking: Choose to kayak the calm waters of the mangroves or paddle the waves of the Pacific. In the Damas Island estuary, the ocean meets fresh water rivers and creates a protected home for birds, snakes, crocodiles, and white face monkeys. For the more adventurous, opt for an open-seat ocean kayak and paddle along the shoreline and nearby islands, keeping an eye out for frigates, boobies, and jumping fish. Minimum age: 6-8 depending on tour type.
- Whitewater Rafting Manuel Antonio: What better way to get from A to B then taking the natural route along a scenic and exciting river? Buckle up your life jacket, grab a paddle and head off to raft some Class II - IV rapids. Minimum age: 6-15 depending on rapid class. (75-98 USD per person)
Enjoy a free day in the area for optional activities. Be as active or relaxed as you'd like. A free day for exploring the area, there are a number of activities to choose from depending on the group’s interest and energy levels.
Accommodation:
Esquipulas Rainforest Camping
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Enjoy a full day to explore the area at your own pace.
Optional Experiences
- Fishing: Cast a line and (depending on the season) hope to hook a marlin, sailfish, tuna or dorado (mahi mahi). Fishing in Quepos, north of Manuel Antonio, is Costa Rica’s most popular spot for blue water sport fishing.
Enjoy a morning at your leisure before travelling to beautiful seaside Uvita. Opt to surf, whale-watch, horseback-ride or kick back and relax. After a slow morning, hop in a private van and enjoy the ride to Uvita, a small beach town on the southwestern Pacific coast. Take some much deserved time to rest and relax.
Accommodation:
Hotel Luz De Luna
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Get out and explore the atmosphere of Uvita on your own.
Spend the morning swimming, relaxing, and watching humpback whales off the coast of Ballena Marine National Park, before enjoying free time in Uvita. This is a perfect day for some quality hammock time. Still need to move? There's lots to do. Take a surf lesson, horseback ride, snorkel, SCUBA dive or take a trip to nearby Caño Island.
Accommodation:
Hotel Luz De Luna
Included Experiences
- Ballena Marine National Park Visit: Ballena Marine National Park is set along a 15km stretch of coastline on the Pacific, with incredible water for snorkelling and swimming. With the largest coral reef on the Pacific Coast in Central America, this is the perfect spot to grab some fins or enjoy time to relax on the beach. This park also has prime humpback whale viewing as they migrate through the region between Dec and April.
- Free Time: Unwind on the beach or try one of the many activities available in Uvita.
Optional Experiences
- Caño Island Visit: Book a full day-trip to the protected marine reserve of Caño Island – popular with snorkellers, divers and anyone who appreciates beautiful beaches and trails that wind through mountainous untamed forests. Located 16km (10 mi) offshore from the Osa Peninsula, spend time hiking, beachcombing or just enjoying nature. Snorkel or scuba the clear waters, and see more than 100 species of fish, including barracuda, eels, white tip reef sharks, bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, and rays. (120-140 USD per person)
- Horseback Riding: Throw on some long pants, grab the reins and hop up on a well-trained horse. Trail ride through the tropical forest and across the area’s most beautiful landscape. Look for toucans in the trees and admire the ocean views. Visit waterfalls and end your journey jogging your horse along the beach. (35-45 USD per person)
- Scuba Diving: Set off by boat, admire the rugged coastline, and in 15 minutes, arrive at Marino Ballena National Park. Suit up in scuba gear and explore the diverse underwater world. See a large variety of reef fish as well as underwater pinnacles and coral covered in sea fans.
- Snorkelling: Rent a mask and fins and head underwater to check out the marine life under thriving in the warm waters off this southern Pacific coast. Take a half-day trip to Marino Ballena National Park, watch for whales, dolphins and sea turtles, then jump overboard and see a spectacular variety of fish.
Transfer back to the capital for a final evening with the group.
Accommodation:
Boutique Hotel Casa Las Orquideas
Included Experiences
- Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Depart at any time. Depart from San José at any time.
Trip Inclusions
- Trek into a remote community to live with the locals.
- Explore the Costa Rican jungle.
- Make your own sugarcane candy.
- Whitewater raft on the Savegre River.
- Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
- Your Foodie Moment: Bread Making, Piedras Blancas
- Your Foodie Moment: Chocolate Making, Piedras Blancas
- Hiking excursion to Piedras Blancas (4 days)
- Whitewater rafting on the Savegre River
- Trapiche demonstration
- Ballena Marine National Park visit
- Manuel Antonio National Park Entrance
- Free time in Esquipulas and Uvita
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
- Local bus, pickup truck, private vehicle, raft, hiking
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides
- Hotels (5 Nights), Jungle Homestay (3 Nights), Camping (3 Nights)
- You will be provided with a sleeping mat and sleeping bag for the cave camping so it is not required you bring your own. You will need to prepare a day bag for this overnight as your main luggage will be stored safely while you hike up to the cave. It's very important to bring plastic bags or dry bags for waterproofing your items.
- 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 dinners
- Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included.
Operator
G Adventures came from a desire to deliver authentic and responsible small group travel adventures that were equally life-changing for travellers and the communities they visit. And we’re been doing just that for almost 30 years. Our award-winning trips span seven continents and over 100 countries, giving you meaningful more experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, as well as offering you the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
Trip Style: Active
For travelers who prefer their adventures powered by motion - G's Active tours offer an immersive way to explore the world. Whether it’s hiking rugged trails, biking scenic routes, or kayaking along rivers and coastlines, all you'll need to bring is your energy, enthusiasm, and a love for active adventure. Our expert guides provide all the gear and logistical support needed so you can focus on the journey.
Trip Reviews (1)
Trip Costa Rica 1
Oleksandr, QC, Canada, Apr 2023
My trip to Costa Rica was very professionally planned and organized to small details. In two weeks I have visited and seen a lot of great places in Costa Rica. Experienced a home stay with locals, I was cooking local food and many other things. My trip to Costa Rica was an unforgettable experience, but unfortunately short. Next time I plan to stay read more for a longer time in the beautiful country of Costa Rica.
Dates & Pricing
USD
Saturday
25 Apr 2026
25 Apr 26
San Jose
Wednesday
06 May 2026
06 May 26
San Jose
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$2,049
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Note
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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