FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!
Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️
If you have children or have spent any time with children, you already know that just as kids say the darndest things, they also ask inventive questions. In Costa Rica, when we hear young voices mutter: “What does zip-lining feel like?”, “How does a sloth not fall from a tree when it’s sleeping?”, or “Why do Costa Rican people eat rice and beans every day?”, we smile because we know Costa Rica is rife with opportunities for young explorers to experience adventure, nature, and culture, and to discover the answers to their endless questions.
Fortunately, not only is Costa Rica a great place for children (and adults) to explore and learn, it’s also a vacation destination that meshes well with family travel. There are lots of child-friendly accommodations and transportation services, as well as countless things to do in Costa Rica with kids. Below, we cover general tour and activity suggestions for children (identifying which ones typically have a minimum age limit) as well as the most popular tour and activity options for children depending on their age to help you discover amazing ways to introduce your little ones to exciting Costa Rica.
Our experience traveling around Costa Rica with kids
Our business requires us to travel around Costa Rica regularly, and we’ve long done that with our Costa Rican niece and nephew in tow. As spring chickens, they loved the thrill of visiting waterfalls, playing in rivers and pools, swinging on Tarzan ropes, and taking nature walks. As time passed, they grew patient enough to travel to more remote destinations in Costa Rica that either required long commutes or the use of a range of transportation services. They also grew strong enough to handle more challenging hikes, and they matured enough to genuinely appreciate nature and wildlife. As teenagers, they loved the thrill of adventure excursions, opportunities for deeper immersion in nature, and chances to kick back at hidden hot spots.
Boy, did they grow up fast…
Nikki; with our niece and nephew at the La Fortuna WaterfallOur niece and nephew at the La Fortuna WaterfallRicky; with our niece at Rio Chollin, the free hot springs in La FortunaRicky; with our niece and nephew while swimming and enjoying a Tarzan swingRicky; white-water rafting the Pacuare River with our nephewRicky; with our niece and nephew at the Guayabo National MonumentRicky; with our niece on the Caribbean coastNikki; with our niece in TortugueroOur niece and nephew touring the Tortuguero canals with usRicky; riding the Sky Tram (Sky Adventures Park) with our niece and nephewRicky; touring the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges (Selvatura Park) with our niece and nephewNikki; at the Danta Waterfall with our nieceRicky; hiking Arenal 1968 with our nephew and nieceNikki; canyoning with our nephewNikki; canyoning with our nieceRicky; at the Llanos del Cortes Waterfall with our nephewNikki; with our niece and nephew at the Springs Resort Hot SpringsNikki; touring the Mistico Park hanging bridges with our nieceRicky; watching monkeys in Cabo Matapalo with our nieceNikki; riding the ferry across the Nicoya Gulf with our nieceRicky; hiking the Osa Peninsula’s Coastal Trail with our nieceRicky; swimming at the Nauyaca Waterfalls with our nieceRicky and Nikki; exploring San Jose with our nephewNikki; exploring the Irazu Volcano National Park with our nieceRicky; enjoying the hot springs with our nephewNikki; enjoying the hot springs with our nephew
Things to do in Costa Rica with kids: General tour and activity suggestions for all children
To give you an idea of the variety of experiences available in Costa Rica to families with kids, we’ve compiled a list (arranged in alphabetical order) of Costa Rica tours and activities that welcome child participants. Note that in some cases, minimum age limits for participation apply. (See the bottom of this article for more information about minimum age limit policies.)
The most common tours and activities experienced by children in Costa Rica are presented in bold text. Tours and activities that tend to enforce a minimum age limit (although that decision varies across tour operators) are marked with an asterisk (*).
Hiking tours (light hikes on easy-to-moderate trails)
*Horseback riding tours
Hot spring visits
Indigenous reserve tours
*Kayaking tours
Museum visits
National park tours
Night tours
*Rafting tours (typically rivers with class II/III rapids)
Rock climbing walls
Shopping tours
Snorkeling tours
Spice tours
*Stand-up paddling tours
Sugar cane mill tours / trapiche tours
Surf lessons
Swimming hole visits
Theater visits
Tree-climbing tours
*Tubing tours
Volcano tours
Waterfall tours
Waterslide rides
Things to do in Costa Rica with kids: The most popular tour and activity options for children depending on their age
As we touched on at the start of this article, a child’s interests, preferences, and abilities change as they age. To help you understand which Costa Rica experiences appeal, on average, to children of a particular age, we’ve compiled a list (arranged in alphabetical order) of the best Costa Rica tours and activities for children age 0-4 years, 5-7 years, 8-10 years, and 11-12 years. In most cases, children ages 13 and above can participate in tours and activities geared for adults.
Costa Rica tours and activities for children age 0-4 years
The top five tours and activities for children in this particular age bracket to experience in Costa Rica are presented in bold text.
Hiking tours (light hikes on easy-to-moderate trails)
Hot spring visits
National park tours
Swimming hole visits
Volcano tours
Waterfall tours
Note that many tour operators will allow very young children (i.e., infants) to participate in tours when they’re carried by a parent. For several tours and activities, depending on the terrain at the location where they take place, the use of strollers may not be permitted or recommended.
Costa Rica tours and activities for children age 5-7 years
The top ten tours and activities for children in this particular age bracket to experience in Costa Rica are presented in bold text.
Hiking tours (light hikes on easy-to-moderate trails)
Horseback riding tours
Hot spring visits
Indigenous reserve tours
Kayaking tours
National park tours
Night tours
Rafting tours (typically rivers with class II/III rapids)
Rock climbing walls
Snorkeling tours
Stand-up paddling tours
Sugar cane mill tours / trapiche tours
Surf lessons
Swimming hole visits
Tree-climbing tours
Tubing tours
Volcano tours
Waterfall tours
Waterslide rides
Child discounts for Costa Rica tours and activities
If you’re a parent or guardian with plans to travel to Costa Rica with kids between the ages of 0 and 12 years and you’re looking for a way to save money, don’t miss the Discount Database on Pura Vida! eh? Inc., our sister site. Use the database to find hundreds of discounts for Costa Rica tours and activities, or narrow your search to discounts for child participants only.
Looking for child discounts? We’ve got ’em! Use the links below to determine which tour and activity options offer savings for children:
Student discounts for Costa Rica tours and activities
If you’re a parent or guardian with plans to travel to Costa Rica with kids older than the age of 12 and you’re looking for a way to save money, don’t miss the Discount Database on Pura Vida! eh? Inc., our sister site. Use the database to find hundreds of discounts for Costa Rica tours and activities, or narrow your search to discounts for student participants only.
Looking for student discounts? We’ve got ’em! Use the links below to determine which tour and activity options offer savings for students:
A quick note about minimum age limits and other minimum/maximum policies
Minimum age limit policies are set and enforced by tour operators in Costa Rica; therefore, they vary by company. Depending on the activity, some tour operators also have minimum and/or maximum height, weight, or waist-size requirements. If you’re in the process of planning your Costa Rica trip, don’t forget to research your chosen tour operator’s policies before you make any tour or activity reservations. The last thing you’ll want to happen on the day of your scheduled tour is for someone in your family to be denied participation due to noncompliance.
Pura vida!
Do you have questions about child-friendly tours and activities in Costa Rica, want help determining the minimum age requirements for specific tours or activities, or need to know how to best incorporate certain tours and activities into your vacation? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂
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Costa Rica Family Travel: Things To Do In Costa Rica With Kids
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Plan to travel to Costa Rica with kids? We outline things to do, discuss min. age limits, and offer free child and student discounts!
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Tagged: adventure, children, costa rica, costa rica travel, costa rica travel tips, costa rica vacation, Costa Rica with kids, family, family travel, kids, tourism, travel, travel guide, travel tips, travel with kids, vacation