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11 days
Specific Tour
10 people
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The Costa Rica Expedition
A small-team expedition through the rainforests of Talamanca — immersive, physical, guided by people who know the terrain intimately.
It’s easy to forget how capable you are when nothing really tests you.
So we built something different.
This isn’t a holiday. This is a real jungle expedition through one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.
No experience required. You’ll be in the safe hands of our expert guides, you just need a willingness to show up.
Embark on the Expedition
Who is it for?
This expedition is for people who want to experience immersion in genuine wilderness and is designed to activate your mind and body in ways modern life rarely allows.
The environment is real, unpredictable, and alive. This experience is expertly guided, but it is not curated.
Each day brings challenges that demand focus and adaptability, and rewards you with confidence, clarity, and a deep connection to the wild.
The jungle itself is an unparalleled experience: absolute seclusion combined with vibrant nature, far from the beaten track. This trip is both relaxing and physically and mentally challenging - Lars, The Costa Rica Expedition, 2025
We keep groups small to protect the environment and the experience. To see if this expedition is right for you download the full expedition brief.
Wild Globe expeditions are fully immersive and deliberately off the beaten track.
Expect long days, real terrain, and practical skills. We travel in small groups, practise self-sufficiency, and spend time properly embedded in the environment rather than moving quickly from place to place.
Each trip is built from lived experience. We know this region intimately and work closely with trusted local guides and communities, ensuring the environment is approached with genuine respect and care.
It’s not for everyone — and that’s intentional. For those who join us, the experience consistently earns 5-star feedback.
You’ll leave with a deeper respect for the environment and a renewed confidence in your own capabilities.
Included:
Not included:
Life in the jungle is hands-on. You’ll carry your own kit, help with camp activities, and move through hot, humid rainforest on uneven trails with a 15–20 kg pack. A solid level of fitness and stamina helps, but the most important thing you bring is a positive, adaptable approach to whatever the jungle throws at you.
One of our main objectives is to replace the commonplace fear of the jungle with a sense of awe and respect. That being said, it is important to have an understanding of the potential hazards of any expedition before you embark on it so please do read the risk awareness page.
Your expedition will be led by an experienced expedition leader and local guide with strategies in place to deal with any incidents that may occur.
You will need to fly into Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica. This is in the district of Alajuela, near San Jose.
*Depending on your return flight time you may need to book a night’s accommodation in Alajuela at the end of the trip (not included). We would recommend this approach as delays have been known on the mountain road from the coast.*
Respecting the Jungle
We run our expeditions with deep respect for the jungle. Small teams, careful planning, and strict guidelines on resource use keep our impact low. This means:
We do not cut live trees.
Leaves and materials are harvested sustainably, following local indigenous practices.
Firewood is collected responsibly, and all fire scars and campsites are restored before we leave.
Camps are rotated, and group sizes are kept small to reduce soil erosion and footfall.
Hunting or animal trapping is never part of the expedition.
Participants bring reusable water bottles — no single-use plastics are provided.
The aim is simple: move with care, leave the rainforest as you found it, and experience it fully without harming it.
Supporting Local Communities
Our expeditions connect with local communities in meaningful ways:
Staying at an indigenous village helps support sustainable development, cultural preservation, and environmental protection.
Indigenous guides lead the expeditions, paid at fair, competitive rates.
We use local transport wherever possible, including minibuses and dugout canoes operated by village members.
The result is a trip that respects the environment, supports local people, and gives you an authentic, responsible experience in the rainforest.
FAQ
Our expeditions are designed to challenge you — both physically and mentally. You’ll carry your personal equipment in your rucksack as we journey into genuinely remote wilderness, so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
If you’re constantly moving in the jungle, you miss much of what makes it special. We balance trekking days with extended stays at camp, allowing time to properly immerse yourself in the rainforest while also giving your body a chance to rest and recover.
You should expect periods of strenuous activity in a hot, humid environment. There may be moments of discomfort — from heat, terrain, or the occasional insect bite. But for most people, this challenge is exactly what makes the experience so rewarding, culminating in a strong sense of accomplishment and stories you’ll be proud to tell.
You should be prepared for rain at any time of year — it’s exactly what makes the jungle so green, vibrant, and alive with plant and animal life.
That said, it doesn’t rain as constantly as many people imagine. Even in the driest months (February and March), you can expect around 8–15 days with some rainfall. The wettest period on the Caribbean coast is typically September and October, but rainfall rarely lasts all day, every day.
In fact, the rain is part of the magic. Watching rivers swell, seeing the jungle at its most intensely green, and enjoying the cooler air after a downpour makes a little rain more than worthwhile.
Temperatures generally range from 23°C to 32°C. Humidity on the Caribbean coast sits around 80–90% for most of the year, so you should be prepared for warm, tropical conditions.
We recommend a good level of all-round fitness before joining one of our expeditions. Stamina, general strength, and — most importantly — a positive attitude toward challenge will serve you well.
If you’re not currently very active, we strongly advise doing some preparation beforehand. Regular walking, building up to carrying a loaded backpack, and improving your general endurance will make a significant difference to how much you enjoy the experience.
You don’t need to be a marathon runner or an Olympic weightlifter. However, the fitter you are, the more comfortably you’ll adapt to the environment and the more energy you’ll have to fully engage with the experience.
During the expedition, you’ll complete four hikes of approximately 5–6 hours each, carrying your personal kit and food. The terrain is true jungle — steep and uneven ground, high heat and humidity, potential rain and mud, and occasional river crossings. We maintain a steady, sustainable pace to help everyone adjust to the conditions.
On treks into camp, rucksacks typically weigh between 15–20kg. We operate as a team and ensure loads are shared fairly based on individual size and strength, so no one is overloaded.
At camp, you should be prepared to take part in practical tasks such as using a machete, carrying firewood, joining short exploratory hikes (without your main pack), and helping to cook over an open fire.
If you’re booking as a private team, we can design a bespoke expedition tailored to your group’s interests, abilities, and preferred level of challenge. Get in touch to discuss creating your own adventure.
In the jungle, you’ll sleep in a hammock under a tarp. If you’ve never slept in a hammock before, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Being gently cradled off the ground is incredibly comfortable, and it allows you to fully immerse yourself in the sounds and atmosphere of the rainforest. You’ll fall asleep to the jungle symphony and often wake to the distant calls of howler monkeys.
For washing, you’ll bathe and rinse clothes in the river each day using biodegradable soap. It’s a simple, refreshing routine that quickly becomes part of jungle life.
Our toilet system is a traditional wilderness method: a trench dug into the ground at a discreet distance from camp. It’s straightforward, hygienic, and managed responsibly in line with Leave No Trace principles.
Once in the jungle, we encourage you to embrace the rare opportunity for a true digital detox. While there may be occasional pockets of signal during certain sections of the trek, we strongly recommend using the time to fully switch off and immerse yourself in the experience.
Before departure, your loved ones will be provided with emergency contact details. Your expedition leader is familiar with known signal points and will check for important messages where possible. We also operate with clear communication protocols in place for any emergencies.
If you’d like to keep devices charged for photos or personal use, you’ll need to bring a power bank or spare batteries. Solar chargers can be brought, but their effectiveness is often limited by the jungle canopy and cloud cover.
There is WiFi available at the hotel in Puerto Viejo before and after the expedition. Once you leave for the jungle, you should expect no WiFi access until you return.
Costa Rica is globally renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity. Although it covers just 0.03% of the Earth’s surface, it is estimated to harbour around 5% of the world’s biodiversity — making it one of the most biologically rich countries on the planet.
The country is a paradise for birdlife, with over 900 recorded species, including toucans, macaws, and hummingbirds. Mammals range from sloths and several monkey species (howler, spider, and capuchin) to tapirs, anteaters, and, more rarely, jaguars and pumas.
You may also encounter vibrant poison dart frogs, iguanas, snakes, and an astonishing diversity of insects and arachnids — butterflies, beetles, ants, and spiders are all part of the ecosystem you’ll be immersed in.
Throughout your trek, you’ll be accompanied by an experienced local guide with exceptional wildlife-spotting skills and deep botanical knowledge. They will help you identify species, understand their ecological roles, and teach you how to observe wildlife respectfully and safely.
Hunting is illegal in Costa Rica, and the country has strong protections in place to safeguard its natural heritage. We fully support this conservation-led approach and recognise the privilege of entering these wild spaces. There may be the opportunity to do a small amount of fishing with our local guide, but only with their permission and in line with local regulations.
11 days/10 nights
Alajuela
Costa Rica
Hotel, Cabin, Hammocks (wild camping)
Up to 10
18+
Dates:
2 November – 12 November 2026 £3125 per person
3 March – 13 March 2027 £3295 per person
29 May – 8 June 2027 £3295 per person
Please note that departures are not guaranteed until the minimum group size has been reached.
Contact us here with any questions or use the WhatsApp button for a no-pressure chat
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