Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. You can find nearly five percent of all known plant and animal species in its world-famous national parks and wildlife refuges. This three-week program is perfect for students who want to learn more about the environment and interact with the marine and land animals of this eco-friendly nation. During this wildlife adventure, we visit some of Costa Rica’s most iconic regions, ranging from breathtaking cloud forests to pristine beaches to lush rainforests. You will have the opportunity to assist local park rangers, scientists, and conservation experts who are committed to protecting the unique wildlife of this beautiful country as well as enjoy ziplining, snorkeling, and waterfall hikes.
Costa Rica
Protecting Rainforest Wildlife
18 days
Trip duration
9th – 12th
Grades
18 days
Jun 25 - Jul 12, 2025
Miami, FL
Arrival & Departure
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$5,295
Tuition
18 days
Trip duration
Jun 25 - Jul 12, 2025
9th – 12th
Grades
*Airfare for group flight from Miami additional
Overview
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Highlights
- Assist Scientists with Vital Wildlife Conservation Projects in the Cloud Forests of Monteverde
- Help Cloud Forest Researchers Tag and Release Tropical Songbirds and Bats
- Look For Rarely-Seen Nocturnal Animals During a Guided Rainforest Night Hike
- Protect Endangered Sea Turtle Nesting Sites and Help Newly Hatched Turtles Reach the Ocean
- Track Endangered Jaguars and Ocelots in the Monteverde Preserve
- Zipline Through the Rainforest on a Cloud Forest Canopy Tour
- 30 Hours of Community Service
Want to learn more about traveling with ARCC or have more questions about this program?
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Monteverde Cloud Forest Conservation
Travel to the Monteverde Institute to study the amazing cloud forests and help biologists with a number of different conservation projects, including mist netting tropical birds and bats, tracking endangered jaguars, and taking a night hike to search for rare amphibians and reptiles. Collect data that will help scientists create better conservation and management practices, benefitting the unique animals that call these cloud forests home.
Wildlife
Sea Turtle Conservation
Work with a local non-profit organization to help protect endangered sea turtles. Learn about sea turtle ecology, help monitor the turtle nursery, and patrol the nesting beach to collect monitoring data on sea turtles and protect recently-laid eggs. You may be lucky enough to see turtles nesting along the beach or help newborn hatchlings safely reach the ocean.
Sea Turtles
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Wildlife Center
Help out with various projects, which include preparing food, helping to feed the animals, and building and expanding a permanent outdoor habitat structure. Your hard work goes a long way in providing a safe and healthy environment for the rescued animals. As a reward for your hard work, spend an afternoon hiking among the forests of a surrounding volcano and soaking in tranquil hot springs.
Service
Wildlife
Cloud Forest Canopy Zipline
Take to the skies to get a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy through a series of suspension bridges and zip lines. The higher elevations and cooler temperatures of the northern mountains create Costa Rica’s famed cloud forests, home to thousands of animals and plants found nowhere else in the world. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for Howler monkeys, toucans, blue morpho butterflies, and resplendent quetzals as you soar over the misty forests below.
Rainforest
Explore
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Common Questions
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All food, lodging, transportation, and activities are paid for with your trip tuition. Group airfare is additional and the cost depends on the program.
In order to be sure there are enough seats available on international group flights, ARCC books the international tickets in advance and families are invoiced for the cost of the international airfare.
Families are also responsible for booking flights or arranging transportation for students to meet their leaders and other group members at the program’s arrival airport. The leaders and students then fly internationally together as a group.
Each program has a specific packing list that has been designed to fit the program’s activities, length, climate, and cultural differences. You will receive this packing list in the comprehensive Welcome Packet that is sent to all students after they enroll in a program.
In Costa Rica, the weather is a lot like Florida in the summer time. During the day it can be hot, sunny, and humid in the 80’s-90’s (26.6°-32.2°C). Late afternoons often bring showers, which will cool us off. Some days you will go to bed with only a simple cover as it is often warm enough to sleep without your sleeping bag. When we ascend into the high-elevation rainforest and cloud forest, the temperature cools to the 50’s (10°C) at night.
Costa Rica is a relatively clean and safe place to travel. However, ARCC does recommend that you take some health precautions before your program. When you enroll in the program, you will receive more complete information on pertinent travel vaccinations and immunizations. Please also refer to the Traveler’s Health section of the CDC website. Our leaders carry a full first-aid kit and are all certified Wilderness First Responders (WFR).
During this program, we sleep in a variety of accommodations: small hotels, community houses, and jungle ecolodges.
Typically we will take a private 20-person shuttle from place to place. We also take a short ferry ride during the turtle project portion of our program.
On this program, you will experience typical Costa Rican fare – rice and beans. This staple is supplemented with a delicious assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. The group will also be creating the menu and preparing the meals during some sections of the program. Vegetarians and medical dietary requirements (i.e. allergies) are catered for. Students should inform ARCC of any dietary needs before the start of the program.
We suggest you bring about $75 per week on your program. This is for souvenirs, laundry, and other incidentals. ARCC pays for all meals, lodging, transportation, and activities. There is some time to shop for souvenirs in San Jose and elsewhere during the program. We recommend you bring some of your money in cash and the rest on an ATM card. In Costa Rica, the official currency is the colón, but US dollars are widely accepted. We suggest that you carry about $25 of your money in small denominations (1’s and 5’s). Visa and MasterCard are also widely accepted. We do not recommend Traveler’s checks. ATM’s are found in San Jose, but are limited outside the city. As with any international program, we strongly recommend talking to your bank about its international withdrawal policies to avoid any surprise fees or card cancellations.
Yes, all students traveling to Costa Rica need to have a valid passport. Please make sure the passport expiration date is at least six months after your program start date. Be sure to make a photocopy of your passport and keep it in a separate place. If you lose your passport and you have a photocopy, it is much easier to replace.
No. US and Canadian Citizens do not need a visa for this program.
During the summer, Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time (Mountain Time during DST). Therefore, on your program the time will be 2 hours earlier than the US East Coast, 1 hour earlier than Central, and 1 hour later than the US West Coast.
Students are taught how to hand wash their clothes by their leaders, and will have the opportunity to do so throughout the program. Due to the remote locations we travel to, students do as the locals do, and use the warm Costa Rican sun to line dry their clothes. For ease of travel, quick dry clothes are recommended on the packing list.
You will want to bring two pieces of luggage: your main bag and a daypack. Your main bag should be a backpack, travel backpack or large duffel bag. This larger piece of luggage should be able to hold everything on your Clothing & Equipment List. The daypack should be large enough to hold an extra layer of clothing, a water bottle, sunscreen, some snacks, etc. Some travel backpacks come with an attached daypack that you can zip off and use. Otherwise, your school backpack is a good option. When you travel, you should plan to check your large piece of luggage and bring the daypack on the plane as your carry-on. Please keep in mind that while you will not be doing traditional backpacking on this program, the group will be navigating through airports, on and off buses, up and down stairways, and taking short hikes on unpaved paths. The group will be able to move much more efficiently if everyone is carrying their belongings on their back.
No. English is widely spoken in Costa Rica and your leaders and local guides will speak both English and Spanish.
Have questions? Speak to one of our Program Directors, give them a call at (415) 332.5075 , they love talking about their trips!