Are you dreaming of a luxury Costa Rica vacation? This 1 week luxury Costa Rica itinerary is designed for honeymooners, romantic getaways or for those who prefer to travel in style.
Featuring carefully selected high end hotels and exclusive experiences, this 1 week luxury Costa Rica itinerary offers a glamorous stay in tropical paradise.
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1 Week Luxury Costa Rica Itinerary Destinations
The destinations in this 1 week luxury Costa Rica itinerary are La Fortuna and Conchal Beach.
La Fortuna: Small town near Arenal Volcano with hiking, outdoor adventure, wellness, rainforest, birding and culture.
Conchal Beach: Considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Has clear turquoise waters and white shells in the sand.
This itinerary includes many activities, of which you can decide to keep, change or omit.
The idea of this itinerary is for an active and adventurous romantic getaway to make the most of the time in Costa Rica, as it’s not very long.
1 Week Luxury Costa Rica Itinerary
This itinerary fits exactly in one complete week (8 days) with travel days included. Perfect if you have Saturday to Saturday available.
Day 1 (Saturday): Fly into Guanacaste Airport, travel to La Fortuna (~3 hours)
Day 2 (Sunday): La Fortuna
Day 3 (Monday): La Fortuna
Day 4 (Tuesday): Travel to Conchal Beach (~4 hours)
Day 5 (Wednesday): Conchal Beach
Day 6 (Thursday): Conchal Beach
Day 7 (Friday): Conchal Beach
Day 8 (Saturday): Fly out of Guanacaste Airport (~1 hour)
If you only have 7 days available, like Saturday to Friday, then remove one day at Conchal beach. You will have two full days in the rainforest and two full days at the beach.
Best Airport to Fly Into
Fly in and out of Guanacaste Airport, airport code LIR, also known as Liberia Airport.
It is also possible to fly into San Jose International Airport (airport code SJO) and fly out of Guanacaste Airport.
Do not fly out of San Jose International Airport because you will have to give up one day to travel from Conchal to the airport, as it’s about a 5 hour drive.
How to Get Around This 1 Week Luxury Costa Rica Itinerary
Regarding transportation, the two best options are renting a car and booking shuttles.
However, it is not absolutely necessary to rent a car, if you do not want to drive. You can perfectly book shuttles to get between destinations and then book tours with transportation included.
Renting a Car the Whole Time
Pick up your rental car when you land at Guanacaste Airport and return it before your flight home.
You do not need a 4×4 for this itinerary. You can perfectly rent a sedan, for groups up to 4 adults with minimal luggage.
Learn more about renting a car in Costa Rica in our guide and get our Costa Rica car rental discount here!
Private Transfers, No Rental Car
Book private transfers from Guanacaste Airport to La Fortuna, to Conchal and then back to Guanacaste Airport.
Private transfers allow clients to enjoy the vehicle for just their group, choose their pick up time and request when to stop along the drive for a bathroom, food or supermarket break.
Ideal option for bigger parties or for anyone who does not want to drive and wants flexibility in pick up times and stops.
- Average estimated cost for Guanacaste Airport to La Fortuna is $270 USD total for 1-6.
- Estimated cost for La Fortuna to Conchal is $330 USD total for 1-6 people.
- Conchal to Guanacaste Airport costs around $120 USD total for 1-5 people.
Rates include taxes and fees, and are estimates as it depends on the provider.
Contact us to book your private transfers!
Private and Shared Transfers
The shared shuttle has pre-determined pick up times and includes one scheduled stop along the way.
Private Transfer and Rental Car
Book a rental car for days 1 through 4. Then on Day 5, have the rental car agency collect your car.
You won’t necessarily need a car for when you are at Conchal beach, as you will be spending most days at the resort and beach, not doing a lot of tours.
Then book a private transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Day 1: Land and Drive ~3 Hours to La Fortuna
Welcome to Costa Rica!
Private Shuttle
For those who booked a private shuttle, your driver will be waiting for you directly outside the airport terminal exit. You have a stop included along the way to get groceries or for food/bathroom/ATM/photo breaks.
The drive from Guanacaste Airport to La Fortuna is ~3 hours. Expect up to 4 hours with your stop included and no major traffic.
Driving
Expect to take around 4.5 hours, including picking up the car and a couple of short stops, with no major traffic.
Read about the drive from Guanacaste to La Fortuna in our guide and get our recommended stops.
You can drive to La Fortuna when you land, even in the afternoon.
IMPORTANT: It gets dark by 6 PM every day and the last section of the route is around Lake Arenal so it’s extremely curvy. You will have to drive it in the dark if you’re landing after 4 PM.
Take anti nausea medicine if you get car sick easily and drive carefully.
Read more about driving to La Fortuna after landing.
About La Fortuna
La Fortuna is one of the main tourist destinations in Costa Rica with a variety of lodging and restaurants, and activities such as hot springs resorts, hiking trails, a national park and outdoor adventure parks.
Weather: La Fortuna has hot and humid weather, around average day time temperatures in the low to mid 80s° F (29°). Night time average temperatures are around low 70s° F (21° C).
It can rain on and off throughout the day, at any time of the year, even in the tropical dry season months like January and February. Driest month is usually March.
La Fortuna Luxury Hotel Recommendations
There are many luxury hotels in La Fortuna to choose from.
Here are some of our recommendations.
- Nayara Springs: Adult only section of the Nayara property. Each bungalow has indoor and outdoor showers, private plunge pool and daily morning and night turn down service. Has a pool, spa and restaurant.
- Nayara Gardens: Family friendly section of Nayara Gardens with standard and family rooms. Has a pool, short trails and beautiful gardens.
- Nayara Tented Camp: Ultra luxury glamping tents, each with their own private plunge pool and views of the rainforest.
- Arenal Kioro: Has one of the closest locations to Arenal Volcano. Villas have ceiling to floor windows, Jacuzzi, private hot springs, spa and restaurant.
- The Springs Resort & Spa: Huge rainforest resort with views of Arenal Volcano. Has its own adventure club by Arenal River, standard and family rooms, villas, spa, gym, hot springs and pools.
- Amor Arenal: Adults only boutique resort, spacious bungalows with rainforest views, has an on-site restaurant, pools, gym and spa
- The Royal Corin: Adult only, has their own pools and hot springs, views of Arenal Volcano, a gym, on-site dining
- Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa: Comfortable and spacious rainforest rooms and suites, has on-site restaurant and its own world famous hot springs resort. Hotel guests get exclusive access before and after public hours.
Tour operators include free transportation from all of these hotels, which range from a 10 -20 minute drive from La Fortuna downtown.
Day 2: Hanging Bridges Hike, La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano Hike
Today you will visit the highlights of the La Fortuna and Arenal area: Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano National Park.
At Mistico, you will do a guided hanging bridges walk, then visit La Fortuna waterfall on your own and lastly, do the Arenal Volcano hike self guided. This is for those who have their own rental car.
If you are not renting a car, you can book a tour with round trip transportation included. Book the Hanging Bridges, Fortuna waterfall and Arenal Volcano tour with our discount.
What to Bring For Day 1
You need to bring everything required since you won’t be going back to the hotel between places.
- Clothing: Swimsuit, change of clothes and towels for the waterfall if you want to swim.
- Wear comfortable and lightweight dry fast, moisture wicking active wear such as hiking pants, running shorts, workout tanks and shirts, sun shirts, etc.
- Shoes: Sturdy hiking/walking/running shoes for the hanging bridges and volcano hike and a pair of sandals or water shoes for the waterfall.
- Extras: Insulated reusable water bottle, mosquito repellent, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, necessary medicines, camera, microfiber towel, battery pack
- Backpack: Waterproof day backpack or dry bag.
A rain jacket shell is necessary in the rainy season months, particularly May through December.
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at 9 AM
From downtown La Fortuna, Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges park is about a 30 minute drive. Make sure to have a good breakfast at your hotel!
With a network of hanging and static bridges through the rainforest, not only will you get beautiful views, you’ll feel the buzz of the lush jungle all around as you wander through the canopy tree tops.
Explore the rainforest on a 2 hour guided walk at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
You will finish around 11 AM, and then head to your next destination, La Fortuna waterfall, a 35 minute drive.
Contact us to help you book your hanging bridges guided walk (no transportation).
La Fortuna Waterfall
Now you will spend about 1-1.5 hours at La Fortuna Waterfall.
There are about 500 steps down to the waterfall and you can swim in the pool or river if conditions are suitable.
You can buy tickets upon arrival. Not necessary to buy them beforehand. Cash and credit card accepted. $18 USD per adult foreigner.
There are changing rooms, bathrooms, a cafeteria and souvenir store.
Lunch
If you booked a tour, lunch is included.
For those on your own, stop by La Finquita from Farm to Table, Restaurant Abuela Luisita and Soda Tita Rosa are great local food options nearby.
Arenal Volcano Hike
Your last activity will be a hike to see Arenal Volcano.
Although Arenal Volcano National Park is nice, it closes at 4 PM. We recommend to visit the Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Trails, which closes at 5 PM. and is literally right next to the national park.
The tour goes to Arenal 1968.
You can do this walk with a guide or without a guide if you’re not on a tour. The trails are very well maintained and nicely laid out, with excellent signage.
Expect to spend around 2 hours hiking at the Arenal 1968 park.
After Volcano Hike
You can head back to your hotel to freshen up, go to the hot springs and have dinner at the on-site restaurant.
If you rather go out to eat, Don Rufino, Travesia, The Open Kitchen and Tiquicia are great options. All around downtown La Fortuna.
It was a long day but you saw three of the most popular and iconic attractions in La Fortuna.
Day 3: Wildlife Safari Float and Night Walk
Today is to see wildlife.
Peñas Blancas Wildlife Safari Float AM
The Peñas Blancas wildlife watching safari float tour is a great option for wildlife watching. You’ll float down a slow moving river, sitting in a raft while your guide paddles and spots animals.
I chose the morning time slot, as it’s not quite as hot and has generally better weather in the rainy season. Pick up time around 730 AM, return around 11 AM.
Book the Peñas Blancas safari float tour with our discount!
What to bring: Comfortable clothes, camera, sunscreen, hat, rain jacket in rainy season. No swimming is involved.
During the time until the next activity, hang out at your hotel, go to the pool or hot springs, get a massage, nap, relax. You could also go to town to do some shopping.
Night Walk (530 PM – 8 PM)
Spend the evening learning about the rainforest and spotting critters on a night walk.
With our partners, they run an exclusive night walk on their own private farm and trail property.
What to wear: Long pants and shirt, preferably dark color. Closed shoes only, like sneakers. No open shoes like adventure sandals. Rain jacket or poncho.
Book the exclusive night walk with our discount!
Other Things to Do in La Fortuna
If you want more ideas of things to do in La Fortuna, check out our recommendations below.
Things to do in La Fortuna
2 and 3 day La Fortuna itineraries
Day 4: Travel to Conchal Beach
Today you will head to the beach!
You’ll be staying at either the luxury all inclusive Westin Conchal resort, or the high end W Costa Rica resort. They are both on the same property, beach front and has their own direct Conchal beach access.
The drive from La Fortuna to Conchal Beach is approximately 4 hours without traffic or stops.
Private Transfer: You can set your pick up time at any time with your private driver. The drive includes a stop along the way (up to 1 hour usually) for food or bathroom breaks.
Shared shuttle: Our shared shuttle partner runs one shared shuttle from La Fortuna to Conchal beach at 830 AM. It includes one 15 minute per-determined stop along the way.
Get our Interbus shared shuttle discounthere!
Driving: Enjoy the drive from Fortuna to Guanacaste. Check the link to our guide to see what the drive is like.
Additional Activities
Make the most of your day by doing an activity in the morning or a tour along the way.
These will only work for those driving their own rental car or booking a private transfer. This does not work for those booking a shared shuttle.
Option 1: Morning Activity Before Leaving
Go ziplining before heading to the beach!
Book a morning zipline at Sky Adventures to get bird’s eye views of the rainforest, Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal.
The zipline tour lasts around 2 hours, so you need to check out of your hotel before.
We recommend the 8 or 9 AM tour to avoid driving most of your route in the dark and to arrive at the hotel around check in time.
Book your Sky Adventures zipline tour!
You can ask your hotel to hold your luggage for you or to avoid driving back to the hotel if it’s far away, Sky Adventures has their own secure parking lot.
We never recommend leaving valuables in the car, but Sky Adventures park has lockers to put your valuables like passport, wallet, ipads, etc.
If you’re booking a private transfer, book a service that starts includes pick up from the hotel, wait time at Sky Adventures park and drop off at Conchal.
The driver will wait for you while you zipline so your luggage and belongings will stay safely in the van with them.
Option 2: Tour En Route
You can stop somewhere along the way to do a tour. Here are our recommendations.
La Leona waterfall hike: A fun, adventurous waterfall hike that includes swimming through blue colored rivers, climbing into caves and hiking through the dry forest.
Rio Celeste hike (Tenorio Volcano National Park): A hike in the tropical rainforest to see Rio Celeste waterfall and viewpoints along the sky blue colored river.
Rio Celeste tubing: A fun tubing tour down the sky blue colored Rio Celeste in the rainforest.
If you’re interested in a tour en route during your private transfer, contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
Day 5: Conchal Beach
Today, sleep in and relax. No activity is planned for this day.
Walk the beach, go to the pool, get a massage, go to the gym, taste the resorts’ restaurants and enjoy the beautiful beach.
If you want to return your rental car, you can. The next few days are beach days and you can get transportation from the hotel or the tour operator. Then, book a private shuttle for your airport transfer.
You can try snorkeling but be careful swimming at this beach. Waves can get strong and there is a drop off.
Weather: Conchal is hot hot hot! It is located in dry tropical rainforest. In the dry season (December through April), it is very dry and sparse.
Average day time temperatures are around low 90s° F (32°C) and average night time temperatures are around low 80s° F (26° C).
The hottest months are February and March. Rainiest month is October.
You need to have swimsuits, sunscreen with SPF 50 and up, after sun gel, sunglasses, hat, portable fans, light weight clothing and insulated water bottle.
Day 6: ATV
Book a 2 hour ATV or buggy tour to ride through the dry forest and to off the beaten path beaches for a fun day in the sun.
They have tours in the morning and afternoon. We recommend the early morning time slot, as it won’t be as hot.
We highly recommend to bring neckwear like BUFF in the dry season, as it’s super dusty.
For the rest of the day, go to the pool, read a book, take a walk on the beach, look for monkeys in the trees, and relax.
Day 7: Private Sunset Boat Tour (2-6 PM)
For your last day in Costa Rica, sleep in and enjoy a yummy hearty breakfast.
Then, you’ll spend your last evening on a private sunset boat tour from Playa Flamingo, very close to Conchal.
The private boat tour goes to a couple of hidden and beautiful beaches for snorkeling, light fishing and swimming.
Then, you’ll sail back during the sunset for a very romantic last night.
As it’s a private tour, you’ll have the boat just for you and your partner with personal attention and care from the boat captain and crew.
Day 8: Fly Home
You should arrive at Guanacaste Airport at least 2.5 hours before your departure flight.
From Conchal, expect about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive to Guanacaste Airport. Take Route 180, Route 155 and Route 21. We do not recommend to take Route 911 as this requires two river crossings.
Leaving earlier is always better, especially if you are visiting during the high tourism season months and you need to return your rental car.
So if your flight is at 11 AM, you are visiting during high tourism season and you need to return your rental car, we recommend to leave Conchal no later than 630 AM.
If you are visiting in lowest tourism months (May, September, October and November), you should leave around 7 AM, no later than 730 AM.
For those visiting in July, we recommend to leave earlier around 630 AM as that month is very busy.
Key Things to Know About This Itinerary
A 4×4 is not required if you stay at any of the hotels listed. For 2 people, a sedan is fine. For groups up to 4 with little luggage, a sedan is fine too, though a compact SUV would be more comfortable.
Be prepared for rain in La Fortuna, at any time of the year. Bring a light rain jacket shell or poncho.
Get our full Costa Rica packing list to find out what to bring.
The rainiest month is October. Be prepared for heavy rains in both La Fortuna and Conchal. Mornings are generally still dry, plan for rainy afternoons and nights.
There are mosquitoes in both places. Bring plenty of mosquito repellent.
Bring sunscreen with at least SPF 50. Sun is STRONG in both places. Please use reef friendly sunscreen when going in the ocean.
You can do this itinerary any time of the year. Most expensive time will be December through April, with Christmas, New Years and Easter week as peak times. Cheapest time (but rainy) will be August, September, October and November.
Want help booking this itinerary? Contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you in booking your transportation and tour services. We can provide discounts for certain services, like tours in La Fortuna.
Estimated Budget
This is not a budget trip. It includes many tours, luxury hotels and private services.
All prices are ESTIMATES. They depend on many factors, such as time of year, time of booking, availability, demand, party size, etc. Prices will change depending on those variables.
For 2 people, an estimated budget for this 1 week luxury Costa Rica itinerary is around $1000 USD for tours listed and $700 USD for 3 private transfers.
For a rental car, an automatic sedan can cost around $700 USD with mandatory insurance in February, one of the most expensive tourism months. In the low tourism season months like June, September or October, it can be around $280 USD with mandatory insurance.
Flights
Use points to travel, especially if you can only visit during high tourism season.
I have Chase Sapphire Preferred which is an awesome travel credit card. You can transfer points to hotels and airline partners. There is also Chase Sapphire Reserve, a premium travel credit card.
You can transfer your points to Marriott, which can then be used to book the Westin Conchal or W Costa Rica.
Sign up to flight tracking subscriptions, such as Thrifty Traveler, great if you’re flexible and looking for the cheapest flight.
Roame is another good one and that one alerts you for award seat deals. Going is a fantastic one that we’ve used since 2016, and especially good if your home airport is a major hub.
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Check our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List and check our Mytanfeet Amazon storefront.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica!
- Buy a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica to stay connected. Get 10% off your eSIM Airalo package with our promo code “mytanfeet”
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals and get our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
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