The Houston Children's Chorus Costa Rica 2027

The itinerary is the starting point to your tour, but it’s not set in stone. Your group leader may make changes leading up to departure.

Day 1, Tuesday June 8: San Jose

Depart Houston for your performance tour to Costa Rica. San José, Costa Rica's vibrant capital, serves as your gateway to a journey of music, culture, and connection. Nestled in the fertile Central Valley and ringed by volcanic peaks, the city pulses with the warmth of "pura vida" — the Costa Rican philosophy of living life fully and joyfully. There is no better spirit to carry into nine days of choral adventure. Upon arrival in San Jose, meet your Tour Manager and begin taking in the sites and sounds of the area. After settling into your hotel, gather your voices for a short evening rehearsal. It's the first time the full group sings together on Costa Rican soil — a moment to find your collective sound in a new place, and to feel the excitement of what lies ahead. Enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant after checking in at your hotel. (D)

Day 2, Wednesday June 9: San Jose

After breakfast at your hotel, your Tour Manager introduces you to the extraordinary natural drama of Costa Rica. The La Paz Waterfalls cascade through a lush cloud forest reserve, their roar a reminder of the elemental power of this small but astonishing country. Hummingbirds dart through the mist, and the sound of rushing water sets the tone for a journey that will engage all your senses. The day culminates in one of the most musical moments of the entire tour. The dramatic lunar landscape of Irazú's crater contrasts with the lush green valley below. Cartago's Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles is a pilgrimage site of striking beauty, and the Orosí Valley — with its colonial church, coffee plantations, and river — is among the most picturesque corners of Central America. This afternoon brings the musical heart of Day 2: a collaborative premiere concert with a Costa Rican choir. To sing alongside voices shaped by a different culture, a different language, and a different musical tradition — and to discover how much you share — is precisely the kind of experience that defines Houston Children's Choir's belief in raising voices in song and solidarity. Celebrate your first performance with dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 3, Thursday June 10: Aguas Zarcas

After breakfast at your hotel and hotel check out, experience a working agricultural center where you will taste locally raised pineapple freshly harvested. Continue to Aguas Zarcas for hotel check in and the experience of swimmimg in the hot springs. Enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant this evening. (B,L,D)

Day 4, Friday June 11: Aguas Zarcas

After breakfast at your hotel, the rest of the day is reserved for your local student exchange. Come together with local students your same ages who share many common interests with you. Today's exchange and joint concert is organized by SINEM , an important cultural center that is dedicated to the teaching and nurturing of music for youth. After this evening's amazing performance, enjoy dinner togfether at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 5, Saturday June 12: Monteverde

After breakfast at your hotel and hotrel check out, enjoy an educational visit to the Don Juan organic farm to learn more about the importance placed on respect and harmonious work with nature that is the very essence of Costa Rica. Continue to Monteverde for hotel check in, and time to refresh before dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 6, Sunday June 13: Monteverde

Today you leave the Central Valley and ascend into one of the world's most extraordinary ecosystems: the Cloud Forest of Monteverde. As the road climbs, the air cools and the mist gathers. Epiphytes drape every branch; the canopy hums with invisible life. Monteverde was founded by Quaker settlers in the 1950s and has grown into a model of ecological stewardship — a community that chose, collectively, to protect what it had. It is, in its own way, a community organized around shared purpose — a value OCWC knows well. The journey through the mountains is an experience in itself — a slow, winding ascent through coffee fields and misty ridgelines. Arrive in the afternoon and breathe in the cool, clean air of the cloud forest highlands. Suspended walkways carry you through the forest canopy at heights that reveal a world usually invisible from the ground. Resplendent quetzals, howler monkeys, and hundreds of orchid species inhabit this forest. Walk slowly, listen carefully — the Cloud Forest has its own music. (B,L,D) (B,D)

Day 7, Monday June 14: San Jose

After breakfast at your hotel and hotel check out, learn more about the importance of maintaining the harmony between nature and those living or visiting Costa Rica when you enjoy a sustainable coffee tour in Monteverde. Following your visit, return to San Jose for a free afternoon and time to take in more sites of the capitol city with your Tour Manager. Enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant this evening. (B,D)

Day 8, Tuesday June 15: San Jose

After breakfast at your hotel, the rest of the morning is at your leisure before afternoon rehearsal for your farewell concert. This evening's formal concert will be the artistic crescendo of the entire journey. Share the stage with a Costa Rican youth choir for a closing concert that embodies the belief that music transcends borders, voices raised together in solidarity and joy. Celebrate an amazing concert tour with a special farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 9, Wednesday June 16: Departure

After breakfast at your hotel and check out, transfer to the airport for your return flight to New York. (B)