Planning a Costa Rica mission trip starts with your people: who is coming, when they can travel, and how they hope to serve. For church teams and youth groups visiting Jacó with Divergent Life, the goal is to build a week around your team’s strengths and confirmed local ministry opportunities.

This guide explains the decisions to make before booking. For service opportunities, hotel options, a sample itinerary, and the trip-details form, visit our Costa Rica Mission Trips page.

Start with your team leader, group size, and dates

Choose one team leader to coordinate planning with Divergent Life. Share your total number of travelers, the number of adult leaders, participants’ ages, preferred arrival and departure dates, and any flexibility. Youth groups should plan appropriate adult supervision; your adult leaders remain responsible for their group.

Tell us what your team can contribute. Teaching, practical skills, children’s ministry, community outreach, and prayer are possible areas of service. Activities depend on participants’ ages and abilities and on what can be confirmed with local ministries. A useful trip begins with listening to the community’s needs.

Plan weekend travel around a Monday ministry start

The regional ministry itinerary begins Monday morning. Teams can plan to travel Saturday or Sunday. If you arrive Saturday and would like to attend Horizon Church on Sunday, let us know ahead of time so that can be included in your arrangements.

Travel through Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) near San José. Share flight details before transportation is finalized. Arrival time, departure time, group size, and luggage all affect the transfer arrangements. Your return transfer needs to allow for the drive from Jacó and your airline’s airport arrival requirements.

Use the sample week as a starting point

Monday can begin with meal preparation, food distribution, and prayer with Horizon Church. Tuesday may include teaching or children’s ministry, depending on confirmed opportunities. Wednesday is your team’s independently planned fun day. You may enjoy the beach or make your own arrangements.

Thursday can focus on community outreach and prayer walks. Friday allows time for reflection and remaining agreed activities. This is a sample, rather than a fixed promise of activities. Your final schedule is coordinated around your dates, team strengths, and confirmed ministry opportunities.

Decide how your team wants to stay and eat

Our Mission Trips page features Bird of Paradise Hotel and South Beach Jacó Hotel as lodging options. Share your hotel preference and room needs, including whether each person needs a separate bed. Bed configuration matters as much as room occupancy, especially when planning for a youth group.

Breakfast arrangements are confirmed with your hotel. Your team arranges and pays for lunch and dinner. We can suggest options around the ministry schedule, but meals need to be part of the team’s own planning and budget.

Build a complete budget before anyone books

Include round-trip airfare, baggage charges, lodging and applicable fees, airport transfers, any required local transportation, lunch and dinner, optional activities, and a contingency allowance. Hotel prices and transportation costs must be confirmed for your actual dates and group size.

Keep Wednesday’s independently arranged activities in mind. A beach day and a booked excursion can have very different costs. Agree with your team on what is included in the shared trip budget and what each traveler will pay separately.

For a complete checklist and a seven-night sample for 15 travelers, read our Costa Rica mission trip cost and budget guide.

Prepare for the work you agree to do

Divergent Life shares teaching materials for agreed lessons, activity guidance, and a trip-specific packing list before travel. If you will teach, prepare your lesson and bring the notes or printed materials you need. Supplies for a renovation or other work project are determined separately when that project is confirmed. Start preparing your team with our Costa Rica mission trip packing list and mission trip safety guide for church and youth teams. Follow the trip-specific instructions we share as your plans are confirmed.

Short visits support a longer mission. Learn about Divergent Life’s work in Jacó and approach the week ready to listen, build relationships, and serve with care.

Submit your team’s trip details

When you have initial dates and a group estimate, submit your team’s trip details. Include service interests, skills, lodging needs, and questions. You do not need to have every answer before starting the conversation.

We work with your leader to outline a proposed itinerary, lodging and transportation options, preparation needs, and next steps before confirming the trip.