Program Overview
Want to feel the wind in your hair, sand between your toes, and waterfalls cascading around you? Come explore Costa Rica with Travel For Teens and Springfield High School! This Costa Rican cultural immersion and adventure features central, authentic accommodations, superb meals and adrenaline-inducing adventure activities. Start off the trip at the base of the Rincón de la Vieja and adventure through this stunning national park. Hike, swim, and zipline through lush jungle wilderness and be in awe of the volcanic landscape!
Then, spend the next few days diving into the pura vida life of Costa Rica. Our days will be jam-packed with more adventure activities such as stand-up paddle-boarding, snorkeling with parrotfish, surf lessons, and taking part in our own Costa Rican cooking class!
Open to all Springfield High School students grades 9-12. Spaces are limited, so sign up today for a trip of a lifetime!
During this program, you will…
- Hike in Rincón de la Vieja National Park and spot exotic wildlife, including monkeys, toucans and sloths
- Rappel, rock climb, Tarzan swing, zipline and traverse hanging bridges through the jungle on our epic canyon canopy tour!
- Visit the incredible Las Chorreras Waterfall and swim in the natural pool underneath it
- Take a surfing lesson at a beach famous for its waves perfect for both beginners and avid surfers
- Swim and sunbathe while staying at a tropical paradise along the coast
- Ride gentle horses through the jungle to a gorgeous hidden waterfall for a refreshing swim
- Hike through beautiful jungle trails and spot exotic wildlife
- Make our own Costa Rican dinner in our favorite TFT cooking lesson!
- Relax in the natural hot springs at the foot of a volcano
- Go on an tubing adventure trip in the lush jungle, taking in waterfalls and natural pools
- Sea kayak over to a gorgeous island for an incredible snorkeling adventure
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN LIBERIA
¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica! We’ll kick off this adventure-packed trip by settling into our cozy hacienda, our home for the next few nights. This ecotourism lodge is surrounded by lush gardens, complete with exotic flowers and colorful birds. There is a large refreshing swimming pool filled with natural mineral spring water that comes from the nearby volcano. A lookout point on the property reveals to us the natural beauty of the surrounding area and provides an incredible 360-degree view of the Rincón de la Vieja volcano, the Guanacaste plains and the Pacific coastline. Sunsets here are spectacular!
DAYS 2-4: Rincón de la Vieja National Park
On our first full day at the hacienda, the adventure begins with our tubing waterfall tour. We will climb, slip and slide our way along natural rock formations and rappel down Victoria Falls. Once we reach the pool at the bottom we will do a guided climb back up the wall of the cascade. In the afternoon, we will we will take a hike to Las Pailas in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, where you can see volcanic steam and sulfur pour out of the ground at natural fumaroles.
The next morning get back to the action with an exhilarating canyon canopy tour! On this exciting adventure, nature becomes our playground. We will venture through the lush jungle to a steep canyon with a river cutting through it. While here we will spend time amongst the jungle canopy while ziplining, riding “Tarzan swings” and crossing hanging bridges. After exploring everything from high above the trees we will head down into the canyon while rappelling and rock climbing.
After a morning filled with adventure, we will spend our afternoon riding horses through a scenic forest trail to an enormous rock with a beautiful view of a rushing waterfall. There will be time for a swim at the foot of the falls before we return by horseback.
Our final day will be full of adventure – we’ll be rappeling down Victoria Waterfall, all with our expert guides! Swim, jump, and experience the best of Costa Rican adventure today! In the afternoon we will visit the Río Negro hot springs with six pools heated naturally by the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. This is the perfect opportunity to soothe our sore muscles after so many days filled with fun activities! We will even treat ourselves to a volcanic mud bath and wash it off with a cool river water shower.
DAYS 5-7: SAMARA BEACH > CHORA ISLAND
After breakfast, the group will board a private coach to Samara Beach, a small surf town with breathtaking mountain views. Sámara is famous for its gentle waves (perfect for surfing) and wild horses that roam the beach.
During our stay in Sámara we will enjoy the beach, soak up the sun, take part in our favorite TFT cooking class, swim and of course, take a surfing lesson! We will also spend our days taking kayaks out to Chora Island to snorkel and observe bi-color parrotfish and other colorful sea life!
Our trip would not be complete without our fancy final dinner, watching the sunset into the ocean as we reminisce about the amazing trip we just had!
DAY 8: RETURN TO THE USA
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Save a spot
Informational Meeting
A TFT representative will give a short presentation and answer your questions.
When: October 20, 2022
Time: 6:30 EST
Travel with us and discover why we are consistently winning awards for Top Youth Travel Organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Travel For Teens?
We are in our 21st year in the teen travel business and have emerged as the industry leader for teen travel in the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. We operate over 100 programs in 47 countries on 6 continents.
Our philosophy: We offer genuine and authentic trips for travelers, not tourists.
Our goal is to engender a passion for learning about other cultures and places through living like a local in that place.
How much is tuition and what does it include?
Tuition for the trip is $2,995, which INCLUDES all meals in Costa Rica, all accommodations, ground transportation, taxes and tips, all activities unless listed as optional on the Map & Itinerary page.
Tuition does NOT INCLUDE (not meant to be an exhaustive list): airfare, meals not listed in the itinerary, beverages other than filtered water at meals, COVID testing and PPE equipment (as applicable), phone calls home, deviations from the itinerary, laundry, souvenirs, shopping, visas and visa application fees, personal and medical expenses, activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary, excess baggage fees, damage to hotels, or additional expenses related to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. transportation delays/strikes or natural disasters), mandatory Travel Protection Plan
How much is airfare? How do the flights work?
Travel For Teens will reserve a group contract for all participants traveling roundtrip from Philadelphia, PA to Liberia, Costa Rica.
The official group flight route and airfare cost will be announced in November 2022.
Who can go on this trip?
The trip is open to all Springfield High School students in grades 9-12. Space is limited and is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.
What is the payment timeline?
Deadline to register: November 1, 2022
$750 trip deposit due within three business days of registration
Deadline for airfare: November 15, 2022
Balance due in three installments: December 15, 2022, January 15, and February 15, 2023
After I register, what happens next?
Once your deposit of $750 is paid, you will receive an email that confirms receipt of your deposit and registration.
In November 2022, you will receive an email that contains your USERNAME and PASSWORD to MyTFT. All forms to be completed by parents and physician as well as packing lists, travel tips, travel insurance information, and other important information can be found on the MyTFT portal (hard copies of the essential legal/medical forms can be mailed to participants upon request). Our contract and release must be signed by all custodial parents (or guardians) and the participant. We will host a second meeting, via webinar, in May 2023 in advance of your departure to go over all last minute questions and details.
Where do we stay?
We will be staying in three-star hotels throughout the program. The names of the accommodations are available to all families once they have signed up.
Single rooms can be requested and will cost $300 additional per person per single.
Note: singles must be requested at the time of registration to be guaranteed.
Trip Emails & Photographs
PHOTOGRAPHS
We will take dozens, if not hundreds, of photos each day. The best photos will be posted as regularly as possible (ideally every day) to a private photo-sharing platform (Waldo Photos) where you can follow along with the trip. We will send you an email to alert you when we post new photos. Low-resolution photos can be viewed for free during and after the trip. All of your High-Resolution matched photos can be purchased and downloaded in real-time during the trip or after the trip for $50.
EMAILS
The Trip Director will be in regular email contact every 24-48 hours, internet willing, with our families. Emails will include fun detailed updates about the day’s activities and are a great way for families to follow along with the journey. Email will be the best way to communicate messages to the Trip Director.
Safety, Sickness & Communication
SAFETY AND SICKNESS
The safety of our participants is our #1 concern, which is why we have only experienced trip leaders running the show. We offer 24/7 communication throughout our programs and have detailed risk management and safety policies in place. Please review our policies here.
For information regarding our specific policies with Covid-19 please review our Covid-19 protocols page here.
What are the safety qualifications for our staff?
Our staff members undergo a rigorous hiring process. They receive the same background check as school educators, an extensive training process to go over all safety precautions and protocols, and are required to be certified in CPR and First Aid. We exclusively hire responsible, multi-talented individuals who are safety-minded and are as passionate about teen travel as we are.
What is the food like on a TFT program? Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
In a word – delicious! At TFT, we believe food should be an integral part of the travel experience and always make an effort to eat at authentic establishments when we can. What better way to immerse yourself in the culture of a place than by sampling the local delicacies, and we encourage students to do so whenever possible! Just as we stay away from Americanized hotel chains, we try to avoid restaurants with menus that cater only to tourists because every good traveler knows the best food is found wherever the locals are eating!
We also love to have picnics al fresco and do this whenever possible, which is a great way to taste some local food while sitting out in the fresh air taking in the sights and sounds of our surroundings.
As always, we are willing and able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, gluten allergies, and other dietary restrictions.
Do I need to speak the language?
No, our skilled staff members will help you get around and even teach you a few fun phrases!
Are participants allowed to have their cell phones on the program?
We do allow participants to bring their phones, but we ask that they use it solely as a camera when we are out and about during the day. We want everyone to focus on living in the moment and fully experience each new destination we are visiting without being absorbed in their phones. We ask that participants look at their journey with us as a way to disconnect. When we have downtime at our hotels in the evenings it is okay for participants to use their devices to connect with friends and family back home.
What is the activity level of this trip?
This is an active trip. The goal of the trip will be to maximize each day. We aim to achieve a good balance of activity and downtime. You will need to be comfortable walking about 5 miles a day in total.