{"id":2467559,"date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/uncategorized\/costco-travel\/"},"modified":"2022-05-12T13:06:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T19:06:58","slug":"costco-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/adventure-travel\/advice\/costco-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Book Your Next Trip with Costco Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sure\u00a0you can get stacks of toilet paper and massive bags of dried mango at Costco. But your vacations? That\u2019s not something you usually pick up in an oversize\u00a0shopping cart.\u00a0Still, hear us out: the travel branch<\/a> of the giant retailer has been around since 2000, and unlike other travel agencies, it can get trips to coveted destinations at even lower costs due to its\u00a0massive customer base.\u00a0And thanks to an increase in off-the-beaten-path destinations and luxury packages, you might want to consider the wholesaler\u00a0for your next getaway. For instance, deluxe\u00a0seven-day safaris in South Africa can start at around $5,500, but Costco\u2019s\u00a0excursion, below, runs just $4,000\u00a0and, better yet,\u00a0covers your international airfare as well.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need a Costco membership ($60 a year)\u00a0to be eligible, and then you can start\u00a0scoring deals on rental cars, hotels, cruises, and all-inclusive trips\u00a0where expert travel agents handcraft the itineraries and perks include massage and excursion credits. After doing a deep dive through its\u00a0offerings, we\u2019ve rounded up six of the most epic\u00a0trips the company has\u00a0on deck.<\/p>\n

Rarotonga, Cook Islands<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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(Courtesy Sea Change Villas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spend six days in a private villa\u00a0in the Cook Islands, a nation of 15 isles in the South Pacific, where you\u2019ll scuba-dive coral reefs, kitesurf calm waters, paddleboard secluded lagoons, and hike volcanic peaks that tower above white-sand beaches. The package<\/a> includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, a rental car, daily breakfast, a bottle of wine as a welcome gift, and five nights at\u00a0Sea Change Villas<\/a> (from $1,749). There\u2019s also an extended 12-night deal where you get the 12th night free.<\/p>\n

Punta Mita, Mexico<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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(Courtesy W Hotel Punta Mita)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ll stay at the swanky\u00a0W Hotel<\/a> in the laid-back surf town of Punta Mita, 30 minutes south of bustling\u00a0Sayulita. With cabanas on the beach, well-appointed private rooms set into the jungle, and a surf shop with free daily clinics, you might never want to leave the hotel grounds. Prices vary depending on length of stay and departure city, but if you book through Costco, your\u00a0package<\/a> includes the hotel, airfare, ground transportation to and from the airport, breakfast, and kids\u2019 club access, plus a $100 resort credit.<\/p>\n

Guanacaste Province, <\/strong>Costa Rica<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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(Courtesy Lagarta Lodge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Explore the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica during this\u00a0six-night trip<\/a> (from $1,285), which includes lodging at the boutique, oceanside Lagarta Lodge<\/a> and a private bungalow neighboring thermal hot springs at the\u00a0Rio Perdido Hotel<\/a>. Spend your time hiking\u00a0to waterfalls, stargazing in telescopes, mountain biking rainforest singletrack, kayaking through mangrove forests, or floating in an inner tube down Rio Blanco Canyon below the Miravalles stratovolcano. Guided outings,\u00a0indulgences like a volcanic-mud skin cleanser, and a $25 massage credit are included in the trip.<\/p>\n

Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos, Greece<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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(Courtesy Santorini Hotel Ambassador)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ll start in the heart of Athens with a stay at the ultramodern\u00a0Athenaeum Grand Hotel<\/a> before heading to the stunning island of Santorini. The picturesque\u00a0Santorini Hotel Ambassador<\/a>\u00a0has 40 vaulted rooms overlooking the Aegean Sea, each with its own private pool. Finish your ten-day trip<\/a> with three nights on the island of Mykonos, staying at the 17-room\u00a0<\/em>Apanema Boutique Resort<\/a>, where you\u2019ll drink cocktails while watching the sun set over the water. The package includes airfare, ground transportation, hotels, a ferry between the islands, and food and drink specials. (Prices vary based on dates and\u00a0airfare.)<\/p>\n

Cape Town, South Africa<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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(Courtesy Shamwari Bayethe Lodge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stay four nights at Cape Town\u2019s five-star\u00a0Twelve Apostles Hotel<\/a>, right on the edge of Table Mountain National Park, where you\u2019ll tour the Cape Peninsula and its local wine scene. Next\u00a0it\u2019s off to three nights in a luxe safari tent within the 61,779-acre Shamwari Private Game Reserve at the\u00a0Bayethe Tented Lodge<\/a>,\u00a0where rangers lead daily outings in search of the Big Five\u2014lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalo\u2014as well as bird watching and guided nature walks. This\u00a0seven-day trip<\/a> includes airfare from New York\u2019s JFK Airport, lodging, guiding, ground transportation, and many of your meals. (From $3,999)<\/p>\n

Kapalua, Maui<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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(chadh\/Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Enjoy\u00a0five nights<\/a> for the price of four at Maui\u2019s beachfront\u00a0Ritz-Carlton<\/a>, located in Kapalua in one of the island state\u2019s largest nature preserves. The trip includes airfare, a rental car, daily breakfast for two, and $500 in resort credit for indulging yourself with spa treatments\u00a0and sushi dinners. You\u2019ll find miles of hiking trails through the rainforest, paddleboards and snorkeling gear for rent, and a guided 28-mile bike ride down the 10,023-foot\u00a0Haleakala volcano. (Prices vary based on dates and airfare.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Costco Travel packages might be the best way to travel on a budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109085,"featured_media":2393051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"uuid":"eff280cdf67b22e2c45976240d367a73","footnotes":""},"categories":[2570],"tags":[2680,3136,2644,2676,3146,2958,3245,2624,3196],"byline":[37],"ad_cat":[],"legacy-category":[],"class_list":["post-2467559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","tag-beaches","tag-costa-rica","tag-europe","tag-exploration","tag-greece","tag-hawaii","tag-maui","tag-nature","tag-south-africa","byline-megan-michelson"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Why You Should Book Your Next Trip with Costco Travel","url":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/adventure-travel\/advice\/costco-travel\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/adventure-travel\/advice\/costco-travel\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/01\/safari-sunset-serengeti_h.jpg","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/01\/safari-sunset-serengeti_h.jpg"},"articleSection":"Travel Advice","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"syadron"}],"creator":["syadron"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Online","logo":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/favicon-194x194-1.png"},"keywords":["beaches","costa rica","europe","exploration","greece","hawaii","maui","nature","south africa"],"dateCreated":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","datePublished":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2022-05-12T19:06:58Z"},"rendered":"