Eco-Quest Costa Rica +

Israel Journey Plus

DATES: June 25 - August 5

LENGTH: 42 Days

GRADES: Current 9th-12th

COST: $8,500
(Includes flights from NYC for Israel segment)

EXPERIENCE: Costa Rica & Israel

COMMUNITY SERVICE: 32 Hours

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Spend the first four-weeks on Israel Journey Plus traveling from the Galilee in the north to the tropical Red Sea in the south. Experience a Shabbat in Jerusalem, watch the sunrise from on top of Masada, and tap into the innovative spirit of Tel Aviv. Israel Journey Plus also contains an elective week where participants choose from a “Sea-to-Sea Hike” or a “Culture & Innovation Tour" during the first part of the week and a community service project during the second part of the week. After Israel, journey into the jungles of Costa Rica on Eco-Quest Costa Rica. This active travel experience features zip-lining above cloud forests, hiking on active volcanoes, and kayaking on the tropical beaches of the Pacific Ocean.

About the Experience

Journey into the Land of Milk & Honey for an amazing Israel experience on Israel Journey Plus. Then contine on to Costa Rica and discover the natural beauty of the cloud forests on Eco-Quest Costa Rica. Spend a full six weeks of summer travel with BBYO Passport.

PART 1 / Israel Journey Plus

Join teens from around the world on a once-in-a-lifetime summer in Israel. Israel Journey is a three-week cross-country experience – from the Golan Heights in the north to the tropical Red Sea in the far south…and everything in between. Along the way, we walk in the footsteps of Jewish history, experience the vibrancy of modern Israeli culture, and connect with Israel’s colorful society.

The program includes visits to all of Israel’s most important sites – ancient Jerusalem, contemporary Tel Aviv, the Galilee, the Negev Desert. the Dead Sea and the heights of Masada. We also make time to experience Israel’s off-the-beaten-path charm -- enjoying a bonfire on the beach, taking part in an active archeological dig, sampling unique Middle Eastern cuisine, and participating in the re-birth of Israel by planting a tree in a new forest.

The Israel Journey experience is more than just a tour. It is also about discovering the meaning of contemporary Zionism, exploring our Jewish identity from an Israeli point of view, delving into the intricacies of Middle Eastern politics, and connecting to our Jewish soul through a series of meaningful community service and spiritual experiences. Join us on the journey.

Elective Week - Choose Your Own Path

Israel Journey Plus includes a week-long elective and service learning component designed to share a different side of Israel. During the elective week, participants choose from the following options...

Sea-to-Sea Hike
Hike from the Mediterranean Ocean to the Sea of Galilee on your own two feet. Cross through the lush canyons and mountaintops of the Galilee, camping out under the stars all along the way (all gear is provided). Learn how to navigate and survive in the wilderness like our ancestors did, explore Israel’s most scenic terrain, visit picturesque villages on the route, and connect to the beauty of the land in a way that few ever do. Most important? Gain a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that you will cherish for years to come.
Culture & Innovation Tour
Discovering the cultural, technological, environmental and medical innovations that have made Israel a world leader. Get behind the wheels of an electric car at Better Place. Attend a moving theater production staged by deaf and blind actors at Nalagaat. Visit an ocean water desalination plant to learn how Israel is addressing persistent water shortages. See how Israel is pioneering heart transplants for young people from around the world at Save a Child's Heart. Explore a new and thoroughly modern side of Israel on this Tel Aviv-based experience.

PART 2 / Eco-Quest Costa Rica

After your return to the US, join teens from around the world and head for the cloud forests of Costa Rica to explore a country rich in bio-diversity, culture and plenty of adventure.

Eco-Quest Costa Rica is a two-week teen travel experience that combines outdoor touring, a Costa Rican approach to sustainable living, and opportunities for peer-to-peer connections with local teens.

Looking for adventure? Hike on an active volcano, zip-line over a rainforest, snorkel on a tropical beach, raft down a raging river, swim under a waterfall, relax in thermal hotsprings, and go on a night safari. Costa Rica is a stunningly beautiful country that is lush with colorful plants, rare animals, and endless opportunities for outdoors exploration.
Living in harmony with nature. Although Costa Rica is a very small country, it contains more biodiversity than America or Europe! On Eco-Quest, we will learn about Costa Rica's unique approach to sustainable living. Spend the weekend on a "Costa Rican-style kibbutz", explore an organic coffee plantation, and eat deliciously fresh food at every stop along the way.
Building cross-cultural connections. Costa Rica is a very friendly country. So friendly, it is one of the only countries in the world with no army at all. Spend an afternoon getting to know fellow teens from a local high school, celebrate Shabbat with the Jewish community of San Jose, and leave your mark through a series of service projects.

As a BBYO Passport experience, Eco-Quest is also an opportunity to explore your Jewish identity through the lens of life in Costa Rica. Delve into the meaning of being "eco-kosher", fulfill the Jewish value of Tikun Olam (fixing the planet), and celebrate two very memorable Shabbats.

Trip Highlights

Itinerary Snapshot

Check out the sample itinerary for a fuller picture of what this experience is about...

WEEK #1 / Jerusalem & Mediterranean Coast
Land at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and begin the ascent to Jerusalem where we will spend the first part of the week walking the Old City and exploring the history of our ancestors. From Jerusalem we head up the Mediterranean Coast to the Western Galilee where we spend our first Shabbat on the beach.

WEEK #2 / Galilee, Golan Heights & Tel Aviv
Travel eastwards through the Galilee as we learn about the mystics of ancient Safed (Tsfat), take in the beauty of the Golan Heights, learn about kibbutz life, and explore the greenest and most water-filled region of Israel. We close out week two with a visit to Tel Aviv, Israel's cultural capital and one of the world's most trendy cities.

WEEK #3 / Electives & Community Service
Our third week in Israel is an elective and enrichment experience. During the first part of the week, participants choose from either a “Sea-to-Sea Hike” or a “Culture & Innovation Tour". The second part of the week is dedicated to living in and supporting a local community through a series of service projects and cross-cultural exchanges.

WEEK #4 / Eilat, Negev Desert & Jerusalem
Head due south to Eilat, Israel's southernmost tip where we snorkel in the tropical Red Sea and learn about Israel's unique desert ecology. Continue on for a sunrise hike to Masada followed by an unforgettable float in the Dead Sea. The trip concludes by returning to where we started in Jerusalem with a somber visit to Yad Vashem followed by a moving Shabbat experience at the Western Wall.

WEEK #5 / Cloud Forests & Volcanoes!
Land in San Jose and get acclimated to Costa Rican society by visiting with a local high school. We then head up to the highlands of the Monteverde cloud forests where we will search for exotic animals and fly high above the canopy forests on a world-renowned zip-line course. From Monteverde we set off for Arenal, a volcano so active that bright red flowing lave is visible most nights. This region of Costa Rica is especially beautiful, and we will explore it on horseback, on foot, and in the water. Our first week caps off with a visit to Ranch Margot, a small Costa Rican agricultural community that can best be described as a "Costa Rican kibbutz". Here we will celebrate a unique Shabbat with yoga, community-building, and well deserved relaxation time.

WEEK #6 / Pacific Coast, River Rafting & San Jose
Our second week in Costa Rica begins descending from the mountains and heading to the Pacific coast where we snorkel, ocean kayak, and enjoy a beautiful sunset over the open ocean. From the Pacific we head back up into the highlands for a white-water rafting adventure on the raging Pacuare River and a tour of a local organic coffee plantation. The Eco-Quest experience wraps up where it started in San Jose, Costa Rica's capital. Here we will take part in a service project and spend Shabbat with the local Jewish community and learn about their history and special place in Costa Rican society.