If you’re staying in Guanacaste, I highly recommend taking the one day Nicaragua tour from Costa Rica. It’s a great day trip for visitors staying in Playas del Coco, Tamarindo, Liberia or La Cruz (Dreams Las Mareas).
This is an excellent way to see another country, especially if you don’t plan on visiting Nicaragua in the future. The tour company takes care of all the border fees, immigration, transportation, guiding and itinerary, making it an easy and convenient day excursion.
Unfortunately our tour operator partner no longer runs this tour.
Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica Itinerary
The Nicaragua one day tour from Guanacaste is a full day activity starting from about 5 AM to 9 PM.
Places you visit on the Nicaragua day excursion:
- Lake Nicaragua (take pictures of the Ometepe volcano)
- Laguna de Apoyo
- Masaya Volcano National Park
- Masaya Market
- Granada
We got picked up at 5:30 AM very close to our condo in Playas del Coco. Our second time at the tour we got picked up at Tamarindo at 4:45 AM.
Nicaragua one day tour pick up locations
Tour companies can pick up in:
- Liberia
- Las Salinas Bay (Dreams)
- La Cruz
- Tamarindo/Conchal/Flamingo/Portrero/Brasilito
- Huacas
- Playas del Coco/Ocotal/Hermosa/Panama
- Andaz/Four Seasons/Occidental/Planet Hollywood/Secrets
- JW Marriott
- Riu Guanacaste
Border
After you get picked up, it’s about a 2 hour drive from Liberia to the Penas Blanas border. When you arrive at the border, the guide will tell you what to do.
Border crossings are really easy when you’re on a tour since the guide does half of it for you. You need to do the Costa Rica one yourself but the guide does the Nicaragua one. This gives you time to check out duty free and if you want to buy anything, I highly recommend getting some Nicaraguan Flor de Cana (rum).
Lake Nicaragua Breakfast and Photos
After crossing the border, they take you to breakfast at a local restaurant in Nicaragua near Lake Nicaragua. It’s a typical Nicaraguan breakfast with gallo pinto (with red beans), eggs, cheese, coffee and plantains.
When you’re done eating, you can walk around and take some photos of Lake Nicaragua. It is a huge lake with windmills all around and on a clear day, you can see the two volcano.
After breakfast, our next stop was Santa Catarina.
Catarina town and Laguna de Apoyo
At Catarina, a very small town in Masaya, there is a great viewpoint of Laguna de Apoyo. This volcanic lake is a nature reserve in an extinct volcano and it is just beautiful! It’s one of our favorite places in Nicaragua.
We stayed for about 20 minutes and then headed off to Masaya Volcano.
Masaya Volcano National Park
Our next stop was Masaya Volcano. Unfortunately it was a pretty rainy and cloudy day so we couldn’t see the crater, but this active volcano is famous for being one of the few in the world and the only one in the western hemisphere where you can actually drive up to the center.
We got out and spent about 45 minutes walking around and taking pictures.
Along the way there, our guide told us some history and background about this volcano and the national park which was really interesting. The Mayans who used to live in this area would sacrifice beautiful women at the cross whenever the volcano erupted or rumbled.
To this day, this active volcano continuously spews sulfur dioxide gas. As of December 2016, there is lava flowing at the volcano!
If you walk towards the entrance of the parking lot, you can get some beautiful views of Nicaragua below.
Masaya Market
Our next stop was the Masaya market, one of the most famous souvenirs stores in Central America. We first had lunch which we got to choose from a variety of dishes.
Nicaragua has excellent beef so if you like meat, this is a good place to get some. They also have kebab, vegetarian and chicken options.
After lunch we had about 20 minutes to browse the Masaya market. If you want souvenirs, this is the best place to buy them.
Souvenirs in Nicaragua are cheaper than Costa Rica and their leather items are top notch quality. You can find everything from leather bags and purses, shoes and belts for a good price.
You can also get cheap shirts for $5, hammocks, cigars and other knick knacks. Remember to bargain! They’ll always start high but you can negotiate down a lot. I highly recommend doing souvenir shopping here since it is so much cheaper than Costa Rica.
You can use dollars at the market but they give your change back in cordobas. Ask if you want your change in USD.
Lake Nicaragua boat ride
After Masaya, we headed to Grenada. First we passed through the city to take a boat ride on Lake Nicaragua which was my favorite part of the tour. We climbed into a boat and went off into the lake to see the thousands of little islands.
If you’ve ever wanted to have your own private island and build a house on it, this is a premiere place to do so! We saw a sign for a house on an island for $300k.
Granada
After the boat ride, we stopped in Granada which is one of the most important cities in Nicaragua due to its very rich colonial heritage, apparent through its architecture and city design.
You’ll see colonial buildings and churches everywhere and automatically see why so many people love this little city. In fact, many foreigners who move to Nicaragua choose Granada as their new home.
We walked through town towards the main yellow church and visited a hammock making shop along the way.
The second time we did this tour we took a horse carriage ride throughout the town and stopped at a chocolate factory. This was such a fun way to see Granada since they take you to the park, important historical buildings and plus, who doesn’t love a horse ride?
The horse carriage ride now costs $10 USD per person and is optional. If you don’t want to do it, you can walk around town or go up the yellow church which costs $1 USD to get a great view of the city.
Back to Costa Rica
After Grenada, it’s the end of the Nicaragua tour from Costa Rica.
We drove back to the border (about 1.5 hours) and got out to do the border crossing. Similar to what we did for entering Nicaragua, we filled out a custom form and gave that plus our passport to our tour guide to do our Nicaragua exit. Then we got out to enter Costa Rica and after that finished, they dropped us back home.
Things to Know About This Nicaragua One Day Tour
- You need to bring your original passport.
- The guide does the entry and exit to Nicaragua for you but not Costa Rica. You need to stand in line to exit and enter Costa Rica and the guide will help you fill out the forms.
- Bring small USD bills if you want to purchase souvenirs. Nicaragua accepts USD but NOT Costa Rican colones so you do not need to exchange. They will give you your change back in cordobas (Nicaraguan currency) or you can ask them to give you dollars back.
- Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.
- The tour provides water, breakfast and lunch but not dinner so bring snacks.
- The bathroom at the border on the Nicaraguan side costs a dollar. Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Bathrooms are not the best at the border but they are clean at the other stops.
- Bring a print out copy of your flight itinerary out of Costa Rica to present when you’re entering Costa Rica (madantory)
Video
Read about other things to do in Guanacaste below!
Diamante Eco Adventure Park (get 10% off): Adventure park in Gulf of Papagayo with a zipline, animal sanctuary, local house with chocolate/coffee/sugar cane tour, botanical garden and a beach.
Hacienda Guachipelin: Adventure park next to Rincon de la Vieja National Park that has rooms, ziplining, horseback riding tours, white water tubing, mud baths, hot springs, waterfalls and an terrarium. Most popular is their one day adventure tour.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park: National park in Guanacaste with hiking trails, waterfalls, rivers, volcano and boiling mud pots.
Ash says
Your Masaya guide had a vivid imagination! It was the Chorotega people who lived in the area, not the Mayan – in fact there are many small towns (“pueblos blancos”) in the surrounding area (including Catarina) where many Chorotega still live and manufacture traditional wares. There is a museum at the Masaya volcano that perhaps provides a more reliable history – as far as I recall the cross was put up by Spanish missionaries to “banish the evil” emanating from the volcano. But yeah, they did allegedly throw people down there from time to time.
Cristie March says
Hi, do you know if this tour is running again in December 2021/January 2022?
Sammi says
Unfortunately our partner isn’t operating this tour anymore 🙁
Brit says
Do you have another connection to do a similar tour?
Sammi says
No sorry 🙁
Callie Frazier says
Hi!
We are do to renew our visa stamps and we were wondering if booking this day trip would make it easy & fun. Would that work? Have you used it for a run?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Callie, unfortunately the tour has not resumed operations yet.
Ryan Finch says
Hi, we are fro. The UK and staying at Riu Guanacaste next year. We won’t have USD, so is there any way to exchange for Nicaraguan curency at the hotel?
Sammi says
You can exchange Costa Rican currency for Nicaragua currency at the border.
Peter says
Hi
I read that the Nicaraguan immigration officers might ask for a yellow fever card for entering the country. Do you know if that’s true?
At what time is the tour usually back in playa del coco?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Peter, you will need a yellow fever card if you have just previous been to South America. You’ll arrive around 9 PM depending on how long the border/traffic is.
Chadrock says
We took the Nicaragua tour last week and felt 100% safe. It seemed to us that any turmoil that the country had been going through is no longer there. We had about 20 people on the tour. The Masaya Volcano itself was worth the cost. I’ve been to many places but have NEVER seen anything like that. Beautiful!
Sammi says
Thanks for your feedback Chadrock and glad you had a great time! Masaya Volcano is pretty spectacular!
Sammi says
Hi Victor! You can request your Nicaragua tour here and then we do communication via email.
Christina says
Hi there
I thinking of booking this for myself and my two kids (11/13) for December 30th. Wondering about the safety factor right now? Have you heard any updates? Also how big are the tour groups?
Thanks
Christina
Sammi says
Hi Christina, the tour company has been operating the tour like normal, they will cancel operations if the conditions get too serious and unsafe and so far they haven’t cancelled the tours. The tour groups are as big as however many people sign up for the day as these are open tours. Holidays are usually quite busy for tourism so that time of year usually has a decent amount of people.
Sammi says
Hello Victor, the tour from RIU is $140 USD per person and we have a $10 discount so it’s $130 USD per person. The tour picks up around 5 AM and drops off around 8-9 PM depending on the border. The lake is super calm and the boats are on motors so they speed around, I get seasickness too but have never gotten seasick because this lake is huge and aren’t really any waves. You can read more about booking it with our discount here
Victor says
Thanks!
How can I contact you from Riu? Give me phone number or you have a person to contact at the resort?
Victor says
Hi Samantha!
My wife and I will be in Riu Guakanaste in mid-December and plan to go on a tour to Nicaragua. How much will it cost? What time do you pick up tourists from Riu and drop them back? I have seasickness, so the question is how big are the waves on the lake?
Gail says
Hi,
My husband and I will be in Costa Rica tonight, staying for about a week. We are staying at Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas. Does the tour company pick up from there? If not, where would be closest place to meet them and park a rental car?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Gail, they do pick up from Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas 🙂
Gail says
Thank you for your blog, the recommendation to do the Nicaragua day tour and the discount to do it! We had a fabulous time and even got to see the lava! We highly recommend this tour!
Sammi says
So glad to hear that Gail! 🙂 Glad you had a good time!
Nino says
Hi, again, Sammi.
Our schedule now to go to Nicaragua will be Monday, 9/16. Do you know if the company have availability?
Also, our hotel is Hotel Laguna del Cocodrillo and was wondering if they pick up from there. If not, which pickup location will be closest and if parking is available for our car.
Thanks so much. Again, there will be 3 of us.
Sammi says
Hi Nino, they’ll be running it the 16th and they can pick you up directly from your hotel. You can book the tour using the form
Nino says
Thanks so much!!!
Nino says
Hi, Sammi.
We will be there on the weekend of the13th. Do you think the weather will be good enough for a trip to Nicaragua? Would be nice to do another country. Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Nino, which month are you visiting?
Nino says
Hi. September. I’ll be there next Friday :/
Sammi says
Weather hasn’t been too bad lately, cloudy with some rains in the afternoon but short. It is much more humid in Nicaragua though so it may have some longer rains and the volcanoes may be very cloudy.
Nino says
Hi, again. I’m considering going to Nicaragua on Sunday, 9/15, would it be available, do you think? Thank you
Sammi says
Sep 15 is Independence Day here in Central America so I would have to check if they are running the tour that day as the border may be too crazy. I’ll get back to you once I find out.
Sammi says
They operate the 15th but not the 13th.
Nino says
Thanks so much! I will be sure to use your codes when I finalize
Sammi says
You’re welcome 🙂
Lillian says
How physically strenuous is this tour? How much walking/hiking would be required?
Also, for our trip we’re looking at staying at the El Mangrove Papagayo Hotel, do they pick up from this hotel? Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Lillian! Very minimal physical activity level required. You walk a little bit around Masaya Volcano but not too much since the viewpoint is small, you walk around the Masaya market if you want to do some shopping, Granada city and then you go for a boat ride so it’s very minimal walking.
They do pick up at the Mangroove.
Irene says
Sounds like a great experience. We will be making CR our base for several months but we need to exit the country at least once , perhaps twice to renew our tourist visa. We had planned on only going to Panama ( we’ve been before & loved the old city in Panama ) but I have always wanted to see Nicaragua , at least the “highlights.” Can I use this as a “visa run” and will a bus pass to Panama for instance work for proof of onward travel ? ( we own a truck down in CR so this trip we planned to drive to a place close to Panama border & take a bus to David) My return to Canada ticket exceeds the 90 days so I can’t use my plane ticket.
Sammi says
I know some people who have used this and generally I would say it is OK. It really depends on the immigration officer you get however, I have seen officers who only accepted a plane ticket so hopefully you will get an officer that doesn’t care too much. Just make sure the Panama bus ticket is within the 90 days of your entering Costa Rica.
Jessica says
Hi, I would like to get your opinion on the safety of Nicaragua right now. We have been staying just south of Coco for the last 2 months and have been wanting to take this trip, but have been told by many locals that it just isn’t safe to do right now. We are traveling with 4 young children, if that makes a difference.
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Jessica!
We actually just did this tour on Sunday, March 31st and we had a great time. We felt safe the whole time and all the sites are actually kind of empty. More tourists are going back to Nicaragua since things have settled down and we really enjoyed it. We went on this day tour with two other ladies and they had a very nice time too.
Dustin says
Whats the best way to go to nicaragua cheap? If i rent car in coco can I take it into nica? Let me know please! Your site is great btw.
Sammi says
Rental cars aren’t allowed to cross borders, the cheapest way is to take the bus. Ticabus and Nicabus go throughout Costa Rica.
Erika says
Do you have to have a printed copy of your flight itinerary or can your phone reservation work instead?
Sammi says
Printed is best but I have used my phone before. Make sure to take a screenshot if you don’t have internet and that it shows your name and date of the flight.
Vi says
Hello! I will be there around July 2018, when do you recommend booking this tour? (does it fill up quick?)
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Vi, you can book it about a week before. They run this tour every day.
taylor a says
Hello,
Can I take this tour but not return to Costa Rica? In other words, just stay in Nicaragua after Granada.
Sammi says
Hi, no this is a one day tour so you will need to go back to Costa Rica (and they will look for you if you don’t and that would be not very nice to do to the tour company). If you want a transfer to Granada, I recommend taking the Ticabus or Nicabus.
Subde says
Hi, I like your blog. I am coming to visit Cista Rica with my family. I want to take the day trip to Nicaragua. I have a 2 year old daughter. Will she need a ticket? Also after I pay the deposit through PayPal, the balance I will need to pay to the driver. Will he accept US credit cards?
Sammi says
Hi Subde, your daughter only needs to pay the $30 border fees and the company doesn’t take credit cards, only cash.
Michelle says
Wonderful and informative! How long is the ride there?
Sammi says
It depends on where your pick up location is but it is around a 2.5 hour-3 hour drive
William says
Hello
My wife really want to do this tour but we fly on to and staying in San Jose CR, is there any shuttle or service to get us there before the 6AM departure
Sammi says
Hi William! You can take a bus or shared shuttle to Liberia (the closest and most convenience city the tour company picks up from). You will need to go the day before though since there are no buses or shared shuttles at 2 AM, or if you want to get there at 6 AM and not go thte day before, you’ll have to book a private shuttle but that is more expensive (around $200).
Sammi says
Hi Katie! Yes the tour company can pick up from Playa Brasilito. It costs $160 per person and with our discount, you get $10 off. You can book the tour and get the discount here: Nicaragua one day tour discount
Katie says
Hi,
Great blog! I continue to reference it!
We are going to be in Playa Brasilita near Playa Flamingo tomorrow. Do you know if the one-day Nicaragua tour can pick us up there? Or does it start from Tamarindo? Sounded like it was cheaper if we stay more north. I couldn’t find the tour on the company site.
Thanks for any tips.
Sammi says
Hi James, I have a post of things to do in Guanacaste here for ideas of day trips: Nicaragua one day tour discount
James says
We are staying in Guancaste for 1st week July 2017. Planning a rental car to drive several day trips in Costa Rica and book a one day tour to Nicaragua . Any suggestions for Costa Rica day trips and a tour to book for Nicaragua?
Robbie says
I would like to visit there in June 2017. How is the weather?
Sammi says
June is the beginning of rainy season so it gets more humid and may rain occasionally.
Diane Lalonde says
My frriend Rosetta was on a tour of Nicaragua with you yesterday and loved it.We would like to go and visit and stay on one of the islands for a couple of days. Any suggestions ?
Sammi says
Hi Diane, we have never stayed on the islands in Lake Nicaragua before, most of them are private residential homes. You can visit Isla Ometepe though which is super cool!
Sammi says
Hi Kenny, it’s normally $160 from the Tamarindo/Conchal area but Mytanfeet readers get a $10 discount. You can reserve the tour here: Costa Rica car rental discount
Kenny Su says
My family plan to take a day trip to Nicaragua in July-2017. I would like to how much it cost for 2 adults and 2 children (8 and 11) pickup from Westin Hotel in Guanacaste.
Vivian says
Are there any tours to Nicaragua that have an overnight stay?
Sammi says
I do know of this one operated by Costa Rica Monkey Tours: http://costaricamonkeytours.com/nicaragua-costa-rica-tour/
Carla says
Hi Sammie,
My cousin and I are trying to plan to trip to Nicaragua, and your post is incredibly helpful since we wanted to visit Costa Rica as well. If we wanted to add on going into Panama City for the day from Costa Rica, is the process similar to that of entering Nicaragua?
Sammi says
Hi Carla, for border crossings yes. Panama is a bit more strict than Nicaragua and they will ask for your ticket out of not just Panama, but Costa RIca as well and you need $400 (I think) to show you have enough money for your travels. Also I should note that Panama City is about an 8 hour drive from the costa Rica/Panama border, so going for a day isn’t possible.
Sammi says
Hi Rachelle, you can take Ticabus from Liberia, they stop by the Burger King in Liberia and you need to be there to wave it down. From Granada, you can take a chicken bus to the border and from the Penas Blancas border, you can take another bus back to LIberia. You can read more about crossing the border here: Crossing the Costa Rica Nicaragua border guide
As for beaches, you can check out these ones we have written about but any beach in Guanacaste is a great option for relaxing:Best beaches in Guanacaste. I would definitely book your hotels before you go because January is high season and it is super busy in Guanacaste.
Thanks for reading!
Rachelle says
Hi Sammi. Great post! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Nicaragua this December. We will be flying in to Liberia Costa Rica, as the flights to that airport were cheaper than flying to Nicaragua directly. I was wondering what do you think the best way to get to Granada would be? I have read that the Ticabus is a good option; however, can you only purchase tickets from San Jose? This tour company you used sounds like a good option for people who want to take a day trip into Nicaragua. However, $140 per person would be a little expensive for us considering we only need a way of getting to Granada (and not a round-trip tour / day trip.) On the other hand, we do like the option of using a shuttle / tour service because from everything we have read, it sounds like that will help expedite the border crossing. Do you have any recommendations on the best way to get from Liberia Costa Rica to Granada Nicaragua? Also, after returning back to Costa Rica from Nicaragua, we will have 5 days to spend in Costa Rica. We want to spend the last few days of our vacation just lounging on the beach…and doing nothing. Any tips for best beaches near Liberia? And hotel recommendations? This will be around Jan 7th 2017. Do you think since it’s near the holidays we should book now or could we just wing it and try and find hotels when we get there?
Sorry so many questions! But thank you so much in advance for all your help on our travel planning!! =)
Sammi says
Hi Ron, we don’t operate the tour, a tour company called Plus Papagayo does and they have buses that can fit around 60 people so they can accommodate large groups. We can help you book a tour with the tour company and we have exclusive discounts for Mytanfeet readers with them. You can read more about it here: Costa Rica car rental discount and please send us an email about the tour if you’d like to book it. Thanks!
RON says
How many people are normally on the tour ? There will be 12 of us staying at the RUI Palace in late February. Would it be better to book a private tour or stay with this tour, which by the way, sounds and looks fantastic. Will definately book through you.Thanks.
Sammi says
Hi Merry! The tour runs every day and from Coco, it is $140 and we have an exclusive discount for Mytanfeet readers.
merry says
Hi! We are a party of 6 currently staying in Playas del Coco. We are interested in the one day your of Nicaragua. What day is the tour available and what is the cost? We are here until sept 8th.
Sammi says
Hi Barbara, they can pick you up at the hotel. If you’d like to do the tour, we offer an exclusive Mytanfeet discount you can read here:Costa Rica car rental discount and you can contact us 🙂
Barbara Mullen says
Hi Sammie,
This is great. We’re going to Costa Rica in October (RAIN!) but we’re staying at the Secrets Resort, I still want to do this for a day. Do I need to go into town to get picked up?
Big Mike says
Thanks, nice article. Is there anything to do right at the border since we can’t bring our rental car over?
Sammi says
There are a couple duty free stores and a couple bars. Not much else around.
Maurice says
This is a great blog – -we’re visiting Costa Rica in a few weeks, and learning a lot from it. The big question this article raises is this: can we rent a car at the Nicaragua border, after leaving our car behind at the border? Thanks for any thoughts you have on this.
Sammi says
Hi Maurice, yes there is some Nicaraguan car rental companies at the border.
Ryan Biddulph says
Loved the review Sammy! Kelli and I are going to Grenada for a house sit in about a month. Excited to do the Lake Tour! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ryan
Sammi says
You’re welcome Ryan, have a great time in Grenada and Nicaragua!
Mike Orobona says
I found myself trying to eat your picture of a churrasco. It might have been one day, but it sounds like it painted a decent picture of the place.
Sammi says
I just looked at the picture again and imagined myself eating it, it was so good haha. The tour definitely lets you see a nice bit of Nicaragua, and enough to make you want to go back!
Stef says
Thanks for your answer, will definitely take that as an option for us. What a pity we miss us!!
Sammi says
I knoww! You must be excited though! I hope you and your family have a great time. Definitely let me know if you happen to swing by Jaco in Sept or have any other questions Stef!
Stef says
Hi guys! We stay a week in Tamarindo to get to know the Nicoya Peninsula. Do you think it’s worth to go to Nicaragua for a day? Or is there so much to do on the Peninsula that you would suggest staying there? Thanks! Hope to see you soon! You’re living in Puntarenas province right? Will be there in mid August.
Sammi says
There is definitely lots of things to do in the Tamarindo area for a week but Nicaragua is definitely a great option if you don’t have time to go already and you want to see Nicaragua. My parents were in Coco for a week and the Nicaragua trip fit perfectly with our itinerary.
Aw we will miss you actually. We will be in the US in August!