Panama and Costa Rica

648 Days until departure
July 24, 2028 - August 3, 2028
Trip ID: VanMeter-2028

The Explorica Experience

This program delivers the proven Explorica Experience that teachers and students know and love – now powered by greater flexibility through TourFlex and backed by the WorldStrides legacy of experiential learning and consistent quality.

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Tour Itinerary print itinerary

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Day 1 Buenas Panama City (groups flying from the west coast may be required to depart day 0)
Meet your LEAP-trained Tour Director
Details: Meet your LEAP-trained Tour Director
LEAP encompasses the best practices of student-centered learning. Your Tour Director will get to know you and your group, will push you to think deeply, and will prepare thoughtful, hands-on opportunities to display your learning. LEAP is exclusive to WorldStrides and is what makes our Tour Directors unique and our programs transformative.
Day 2 Panama City
Panama City guided sightseeing tour
Miraflores Visitors Center visit
Interactive exhibits, Panama Canal observation deck, IMAX theatre film
Details: The National Handicraft Market visit
Explore and purchase beautiful handmade crafts, textiles, and souvenirs that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Panama.
Details: Biomuseo visit
Visit Panama’s newest museum dedicated to biodiversity, designed by distinguished architect Frank Gehry.
Details: Miraflores Visitors Center visit
Discover the fascinating history and global significance of the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Visitor Center. Enjoy interactive exhibits, an engaging short film, and observation decks where you can watch ships navigate the locks.
Day 3 Panama City
Gatun Lake boat tour
Chagres National Park and Emberá village excursion
Details: Gatun Lake boat tour
Lake Gatun is situated in the heart of the Isthmus of Panama. It was constructed between 1910-14 to make the Panama Canal possible. From the lake's shore you will board a fast panga style boat for a voyage of discovery. Navigate ancient routes that crossed the isthmus long before the lake’s creation. Huge ships can be seen transiting across the ocean, the canal is a water bridge that links the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Go past the rainforest to a scenic region of the lake and witness firsthand the splendor and excitement of the jungle. Exotic birds, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and crocodiles are just a few of the animals that you can view in their native surroundings.
Details: Chagres National Park and Emberá village excursion
Sail down the Chagres River to meet the community of an Embera indigenous village nestled within the lush tropical rainforest of the protected Chagres National Park.
Details: Rio Chagres boat ride
Sail on traditional piragua canoe-style boats down the Rio Chagres through the lush Chagres National Park.
Details: Waterfall hike
Follow your local guide on this easy 30-minute hike through the Chagres National Park. This tropical rainforest is teeming with natural beauty, stunning vistas, abundant tropical flora and wildlife. With over 900 endemic plant species, 100 mammals and 400 bird species, scientists are still working on identifying and naming them. Enjoy a dip in the waterfall at the end of your hike.
Details: Emberá Village visit
You will be warmly greeted by members of the Emberá community as you approach the shores of the Rio Chagres and discover a village nestled within the national park. Enjoy lunch spending time with the indigenous Emberá community and learn about their culture, traditions and crafts.
Day 4 Panama City--Bocas del Toro
Fly to Bocas del Toro
Bocas Town city walk
Details: Fly to Bocas del Toro
Representing Panama’s vibrant Caribbean culture, the Bocas Del Toro province comprises part of Panama’s mainland, as well as a chain of islands in the Caribbean Sea. In Bocas, expect to find a relatively undeveloped landscape, and a friendly, laid-back vibe. Bocas is also home to a tropical rainforest, some of the area’s indigenous cultures, like the Ngäbe and NasoTjerdi, as well as many of the country’s most popular beaches. There are three main islands in Bocas Del Toro: The main island, Isla Colon; Isla Bastimentos, which is one of the largest islands in Panama; and the small island of Isla Carenero.
Details: Bocas Town city walk
Follow you Tour Director on a walking tour of the small town of Bocas, a resort located on the southern tip of Colón Island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea.
Day 5 Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro islands excursion
Sea Turtle nesting site viewing
Details: Bocas del Toro islands excursion
Sail along the mangrove shores of the Archipelago into the calm waters of Dolphin Bay, explore coral reefs and marine life in Coral Cay and end your day on the idyllic beaches of the uninhabited island of Zapatilla.
Details: Snorkel in Coral Cay
Located amongst the small islands of the Bocas del Toro archipelago, Coral Cay island offers perfect shallow snorkeling conditions. Snorkel through calm and clear waters to spot abundant marine life and vibrant coral reefs.
Details: Dolphin Bay Preserve
Enjoy a boat ride in the idyllic Dolphin Bay where dolphins will greet you with a splash along the way.
Day 6 Bocas del Toro--Puerto Viejo
Ferry to Almirante
Cross the Panama border into Costa Rica
Travel to Puerto Viejo
Punta Uva beach time
Caribbean flavours cooking class
Details: Cross the Panama border into Costa Rica
You will be dropped off at the border in Panama to cross customs by foot and board a new bus on the Costa Rica side. Border crossing taxes are included in your tour fee.
Details: Caribbean flavours cooking class
Learn how to pair ingredients behind traditional Costa Rican cuisine from the Pacific coast. Work with the flavors of the local area to create diverse dishes that tie back to African, European and local indigenous roots. And after a lesson in slicing and dicing, you’ll educate the palate the old-fashioned way with a well-earned hearty dinner.
Day 7 Puerto Viejo
Cahuita National Park visit
Bri Bri Indigenous reserve and chocolate tour
Sloth Rescue Center visit
Details: Cahuita National Park visit
Cahuita National Park encompasses both land and sea to offer visitors an up-close look into Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity. Situated on an undeveloped beach, Cahuita is home to a coral reef full of sea turtles, eels, sharks, and more than 30 species of coral — plus an 18th century shipwreck. On land, Cahuita’s rainforest jungle houses colorful birds, thousands of plants and a wide variety of mammals like howlers and sloths.
Details: Bri Bri Indigenous reserve and chocolate tour
Guided by members of a local BriBri indigenous family, learn about the traditional BriBri way of life. The vegetation surrounding the area is put to good use: discover how chocolate and other plants are traditionally used for medicinal purposes and witness the traditional way of making chocolate.
Details: Sloth Rescue Center visit
Enjoy a fun, informative introduction to the world of sloths (and maybe meet our mascot, Tico, along the way!). Visit sloth enclosures in the Learning Center before boarding a fiberglass canoe to experience the animal’s natural habitat. Learn about the rescue, rehabilitation, research and release of Costa Rican sloths at this family-run sanctuary. *Though you will see sloths up close, only sanctuary staff can handle sloths.
Day 8 Puerto Viejo--Arenal
Travel to Arenal
La Fortuna Waterfalls visit
Canopy zipline tour
Baldi Hot Springs visit
Details: La Fortuna Waterfalls visit
Hike down through the lush rainforest alongside the La Fortuna waterfalls, which cascade down a stunning 240 feet. Finish the day with a swim in the still pool at the bottom of the falls.
Details: Canopy zipline tour
Soar through the treetops for the unmatched close-up of the New World’s best wildlife refuge. Harness yourself to cables that run between platforms high in the trees, then step into thin air and zip from tree to tree. Experience a true bird-eye view from your new aerial perspective. For safety reasons, weight restrictions apply to this activity.
Details: Baldi Hot Springs visit
Visit the Baldi Hot Springs and take the opportunity to submerge yourself in the natural medicinal waters. The springs include several pools of varying temperatures, all surrounded by nature.
Day 9 Arenal--San José
Arenal Volcano and 1968 lava trails hike
Travel to San José
Sarchí craft village visit
Details: Arenal Volcano and 1968 lava trails hike
Hike through historical lava trails from the 1968 Arenal Volcano eruption that covered most of the surrounding rainforest. Enjoy impressive views of the volcano along the way.
Details: Sarchí craft village visit
Costa Rica's premiere crafts village provides the perfect opportunity for souvenir shopping. Sarchí became famous in the mid-1800s for its elaborate hand-painted oxcarts, and now its artisans create clothing, shoes, chess sets, and other items all decorated in the traditional manner.
Day 10 San José
Whitewater rafting guided excursion
Details: Whitewater rafting guided excursion
The perfect way to experience Costa Rica at its best. After getting full safety and paddling instructions from your guide, head off into lush rainforest teeming with toucans, herons, and iguanas. Be on the lookout for basilisk lizards—these reptiles can scurry across the water on their hind legs, a feat that earned them the nickname “Jesus Christ lizards.” End your tour of Costa Rica’s most popular river with a traditional lunch prepared by your guide. For safety reasons, weight restrictions apply to this activity.
Day 11 Flight home from San José

Tour Includes

  • LEAP – Learning through Exploring and Actively Participating increases engagement, critical thinking, understanding of diverse perspectives, and personal growth.
  • WorldStrides Tour Director: An experienced education and destination professional, trained in LEAP, who engages students with hands-on learning opportunities.
  • Round-trip airfare and transportation to activities in the itinerary
  • Hotel accommodations
  • Breakfast daily except on arrival day
  • Lunch daily except on arrival and departure day
  • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
  • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
  • Traveling educators can earn professional development hours/CEUs.
  • Earn high school credit (grades 6–12) or college credit (grades 9–12) — available to travelers who complete the program and WorldStrides coursework.
  • WorldAssist staff members available 24/7/365 should your group need extra help
  • Tips for local guides and drivers are included (except multi‑day bus drivers). Tour cost doesn’t include optional pre‑paid tips for the Tour Director or multi‑day bus driver unless the pre‑paid tip option has been purchased.
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees.
  • Note: Tour cost does not cover entry requirements or related fees. This includes, but is not limited to, REAL ID, passports, visas, and travel‑authorization fees.
  • Note: Tour cost does not include optional excursions and other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included. Listed inclusions may not apply if the program is customized.

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