Are you looking for a sample Costa Rica itinerary? In this post, I have outlined our favorite Costa Rica itinerary ideas. You’ll find recommendations for itineraries of 4 days to 1 month, very helpful for your Costa Rica trip planning.
We have created many itineraries for our family and friends and Yeison was an itinerary planner when he worked for a Costa Rican travel agency, so we know exactly what to include and what information is important. We have written these itineraries to give you a kickstart to your Costa Rica itinerary planning. Feel free to change them up according to your own wants and needs!
What You Will Find In These Costa Rica Itinerary Ideas
Destination Information
Each itinerary contains a short snippet of important information about each destination such as what the place is known for and the highlights of the area.
Transportation
How to get around this itinerary. Distance and driving times from San Jose and Liberia Airport. Also has information on how to get around each destination.
Where to stay, what to eat, what to do
Our recommendations for hotels, hostels, lodges and Airbnb/vacation rentals. Also includes recommendations for restaurants and things to do and day tours.
Budget
An estimation of how much you will spend for that itinerary, particularly on hotels and tours.
Extra Travel Tips
Miscellaneous travel tips related to the Costa Rica itinerary ideas. Kid friendly? Better for couples? Things to know about certain destinations, tours, etc. Recommendations for other beaches and towns to visit/stay nearby. What to pack. Weather. All that kind of good stuff so you are prepared for your trip.
Discounts
We include our own Mytanfeet exclusive discounts so you can save money on car rentals, hotels and tours. There are also helpful links to other posts and resources in the itineraries so you can be fully prepared for your trip.
I’ll be updating this post whenever I write new itineraries so don’t forget to check back!
One Month Coast to Coast
Highlights
Destinations: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Playa Hermosa, Samara, Manuel Antonio, Uvita and Drake Bay.
This itinerary goes to both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Costa Rica. Must rent a car for the ultimate road trip adventure. If you don’t rent a car, you will have to book shared/private shuttles.
Must fly into and out of SJO (San Jose International Airport).
For adventure, beach, wildlife and nature lovers looking to experience the best of Costa Rica all in one trip. Ideal for active travelers: solo travelers, couples, backpackers and older families.
Two Weeks Beach, Adventure, Nature, Forest
Highlights
Destinations: La Fortuna, Monteverde, Santa Teresa and Playas del Coco
Fly into LIR or SJO Airport, must fly out of LIR Airport.
Includes beach, rainforest, volcano, cloud forest, adventure and relaxation. Ideal for any traveler as it has a mix of relaxation, beach time and some adventure. Good for solo travelers, backpackers, couples and families.
Two Weeks: Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde, Guanacaste
Highlights
Destinations: Tortuguero, La Fortuna, Monteverde
Two Weeks: Tamarindo, Monteverde, Bijagua and Rincon de la Vieja
Highlights
Destinations: Monteverde, Bijagua, Rincon de la Vieja and Tamarindo. Visits the cloud forest, rainforest, volcano and beach.
Must fly in and depart from LIR Airport. You must rent a car – 4wd or at least a car with high clearance.
Is ideal for those who like hiking and nature – this Costa Rica itinerary goes to just 1 beach town so more rainforest, less beach. This itinerary focuses a good deal on hiking to see the dry and tropical rainforests so travelers need to be active and with good energy.
10 Days Chasing Waterfalls: Rincon de la Vieja, Bijagua, Grecia and Manuel Antonio
10 Day Itinerary: San Jose, Puerto Viejo and Manuel Antonio
One Week Itinerary: Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Uvita
Costa Rica Family Itineraries: 7/8 days (2 itineraries)
Costa Rica Itinerary 8 days: Playas del Coco and La Fortuna
Guanacaste 5 Days
San Jose 5 Days
5 Days Arenal and Monteverde
Tara M says
In the picture above, with the heading embedded ‘1 Month Itinerary’, where was that rafting/float picture taken? Thank you!
Also, amazing site, thank you so much!
Sammi says
That was from the Pacuare River, the 1 day white water rafting trip class 3 & 4 (you can read more about it and and we also have a small discount for this tour One day Rio Pacuare white water rafting)
Kelly says
Hi! I’ll be travelling to CR for a total of 7 weeks (I will be working remotely, so hoping to see as much as I can while slowing down for work too). I’m looking to split my first 4 weeks up between La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo, and Manuel Antonio. Would 10 days in each place be way too much time, or if you had to spend more time in one of them over the other, which would you recommend spending more time? After this I may head to Drake Bay, Monteverde, Samara and perhaps Playas del Coco..still deciding, but open to any recommendation in terms of how to split my time.
Thank you!
Sammi says
10 days is a great amount of time to spend in each place to get to know it and not rush
Tina Snyder says
Hi there! We’re heading to CR for 11 days and at one point will leave from Tamarindo to stay in Arenal. Is it easier to drive north around the lake to get to Arenal or we could stop in Monteverde and then do the ferry across the lake. What would you recommend?
Sammi says
You can’t take the car on the ferry so you have to drive
Kyle Harris says
Hi Guys,
Me and my girlfriend have booked flights to liberia but we are extremely torn on itineraries as we only have 2 weeks and there’s so much of costa rica we would like to explore. We are mid 20’s and are aiming to find a mix of diverse wildlife, beautiful beaches and fun sports/adventure to pursue.
Is there any places you would advise?
Pura Vida!
Kyle
Sammi says
Hello Kyle, I have a few two week itineraries on this page and also 10 days and 1 week that you can use to build off of
Claire says
Hi Kyle – we did a two week trip back in 2019. We stayed in the Rincon de la Vieja area for 3 nights (accommodation at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin) then we drove down to the Manuel Antonio area and really enjoyed seeing the national park and the beaches there. We had 6 days in that area. We went kayaking through the mangroves, went white water rafting, and enjoyed great seafood and warm hospitality. Finally, we spent a night or two in the Monteverde Cloud Forest (ziplining and walking through the forest). It was a great trip.
Elisabeth Bohlmann says
Hi! We (a couple in our 30’s) are currently on a 2.5 week vacation through this beautiful country. We did a few days in the Caribbean, Arenal, and now Guanacaste by Playa Grande (Flamingo, Conchal, etc). We’re debating where to spend our last 3-4 days before heading back ti San José. We had considered the area around Samara or Santa Teresa or go towards the Manuel Antonio Park. But could really consider anything to complement our trip. We love the beaches, unique nature spots, some adventure. We’re not surfers, we’re not that much into party/ nightlife. Would you rather recommend we go down to Santa Teresa, the MA park or would you have any other suggestion? Thank you so much in advance, your site is super helpful!
Sammi says
Both Santa Teresa and Manuel Antonio are very nice but they are very different as Santa Teresa is more “rural” and Manuel Antonio is more developed, you can check our posts to read more about them
Laura says
Hi! We will be in La Fortuna from Nov 12-17. We were thinking of taking a 2 day trip to Monteverde. We have a 4×4 but we are inexperienced 4×4 drivers. I know the roads can be pretty bad, especially right now. Any advice on driving up there or just staying in La Fortuna?
I know there is a taxi-boat-taxi option, thanks to your page 🙂 but it also looks like we will need a car when in Monteverde to get to all the attractions?
Thank you in advance!
Laura
Sammi says
You could do the taxi boat option and then there are buses to the reserves, lots of taxis around and the big parks like Selvatura offers their own transportation included in their passes.
Shannon Timpane says
Hi Sammi,
The picture above of the rafting through the trees with the 1 month itinerary, where is that? Also, any suggestion for a quick overnight stay in San Jose after arrival but before hitting the road very early in a.m.? Thanks!
Shannon
Sammi says
Hi Shannon, that was taken during our One day Rio Pacuare white water rafting and here are our recommendations for hotels near San Jose Airport
Kim Kimbro says
Hi Sammi!
What a wealth of information, I’m so glad I found you! We are coming in September and are basically using tours to get around, and our last stop is in La Fortuna and we are flying out of San Jose. Do you have any suggestions as far as ANY tour that would get us transportation back to San Jose from La Fortuna? Taking a shuttle is a last resort, but definitely an option, but I’m really trying to see if we can get around without it 🙂
Thank you!!
Sammi says
The Pacuare rafting offers an interconnection between San Jose and La Fortuna and we offer a small discount for this tour which you can check here: https://mytanfeet.com/special-deals/rio-pacuare-costa-rica-white-water-rafting/
Wesley Quenichet says
Hey Guys,
Thanks for your help, it really made my trip easier. I stayed in Tamarindo and had a great time with my 20 year old son. Your trip suggestions and help booking were helpful, and I found the pricing to be a little cheaper through you guys. I drove over to Coco and Flamingo but just really fell in love with the beach and vibe of Tamarindo. We could have spent the whole week surfing and eating along the beach and it would have been fine, but the tours definitely gave us a good insight into what Costa Rica is all about. The tour guides, including Randall, were great. I saw you guys in Tamarindo in your Mytanfeet Truck, but didn’t have enough time at the moment to stop and say hello. Anyway, thanks very much!
Sammi says
Hi Wesley! Thank you for your comment and we’re so glad you had a good time with your son. It was our pleasure to help! Next time if you see us please feel free to say hi 🙂
Doris says
Hi guys
Love you blog. So much great information. We are going to be there in June for 12 days. We are staying on Flamingo beach the first 7 days and we hope that Nicaragua will open so that we can take the day trip you recommend into that country. What are your thoughts for the other 5 days? Volcano or Monteverde
Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Doris, you can check our Things to do in Guanacaste post for ideas.
MYLENE LARDET says
Hello Yeison and Samantha,
Thank you so much for your fantastic blog!!!!
We’ll come for three weeks in July with our children of 5 and 7 years old. I don’t know CR at all but we are really looking forward to it!
We are aware that it is the rainy season but we would like to try to avoid too much flooding…
I’m following your blog closely! Could you please tell me what you think of the following schedule please?
1 night in San Jose
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park (1 or two nights?)
Alfaro Ruiz then drive to La Fortuna (4 night)
Another national park, but which one? :
a) Tenorio (see the Rio Celeste, not too hard in summer / Tapir Valley Nature Reserve)
b) Rincon de la Vieja?
4/5 days in the Nicoya peninsula? Does Samara allow easy travel from Montezuma to Tamarindo? Is it a good place to fall?
Ferry in the morning to Tarcoles and then road to Manuel Antonio
4/5 days to Manuel Antonio (you have to cut and go 3 days + 2 days to Uvita to see the whales or go to Uvita as a day excursion?)
Return to San Jose
Is there any other park you would advise during this period?
Thank you very much in advance for your advice!!!
Sammi says
Hello, in La Fortuna you can visit the Arenal Volcano National Park and there are also many private reserves around like Arenal 1968 and Mistico Arenal hanging bridges.
Here is our guide to Samara, Costa Rica and our Manuel Antonio guide.
Abby W says
Hi!
Your site is awesome! Packed with so much information that it’s almost making it harder to decide what to do and I’ve really left it to the last minute.
I’m arriving on 11/17 and I have nothing booked yet! I have 8 days in Costa Rica and it’s my first time. I’m traveling solo, I’m 40ish and I’d prefer to avoid the family loaded locations and not at all looking for a crazy party scene. Mostly want to spend time chillin’ on beautiful beaches with turquoise warm waves gently lapping at my feet.
I’m thinking 2-3 days at Tabocon (probably just 2 due to $$, this will be my hotel splurge, the rest have to cost under $150/night)
Then 3 days in Manuel Antonio and then where should I spend the remaining 3?
Maybe Samara? Or should I venture out to the Caribbean side and go to Puerto Viejo.
I don’t want to waste too much time in cars/buses. I’m open to short flights.
Help!
Thank you!
Sammi says
You can check Uvita, Costa Rica, it doesn’t have turquoise water but it’s warm.
The Caribbean is really far and if you’re traveling by bus, you’d have to do MA – SJ – PV which is a full day of travel (like 10 hours on a bus) and so I’d recommend somewhere close like Uvita, there is a bus from Quepos to Uvita.
Sammi says
October is the best month for the Caribbean as it’s their “summer” month. Sept and Nov can be nice too there but October is the best month.
You can read more about Best time to visit Costa Rica here.
If you don’t want any rain in Guanacaste, then you should visit Dec – April.
Lisa Rosado says
Hi,
Your info is fantastic, but I am so confused now as to when to come! I was trying to come third week of September for my 60th birthday. I really love to sit on the beach and take in the sun, although I love to venture out to see the land, animals, and environment- not a water sports couple.
Everyone told me to go to Guanacaste but if it’s raining daily then the beach is out from what I gather. I thought you said the Caribbean side has less rain in September, but then I thought somewhere else you said it’s rainy?
I love the Caribbean? Heard it’s more of a Jamaican feel? I want to come and eat all the tropical fruit that I can’t get in USA.
Do you think to fit my needs November or December would be better? Ugh
I appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you,
Lisa
Alicia says
Hi, Thanks for all the great content. My family is traveling to Costa Rica the last week in March and I just can’t decide on an itinerary. Any recommendations you have would be great. My first obstacle is that we arrive 3/23 on a red-eye at 6:30 am. What would you suggest that isn’t too far of a drive from SJO that would be too draining as we’ll be going on little sleep. And there’s also the issue of having to leave luggage in our rental vehicle until we are able to check-in. We have a total of 6 days leaving from SJO on the morning of the 29th so we will stay the night of the 28th by the airport. We’d like a combo of rain/cloud forest and relaxing beach time. Do you think that possible? If so what would you suggest route and stops would you suggest? Thanks sooo much
Sammi says
You could go to Jaco as it’s about 1.5 hours from San Jose and usually hotels are nice about letting you leave your luggage at the hotel before checking in and they can try to check you in a little earlier. You could do a couple nights at Jaco and then go to La Fortuna or Manuel Antonio National Park as Manuel Antonio has nice rainforest.
Angela says
Hello!
My friend and I are planning a 11day trip! We are thinking of doing Arenal then Monteverde then a beach on the pacific coast. We are having a hard time deciding where to go! We are looking for beginner surfing, snorkelling, and not overly touristy. What would your suggestion be? Also we don’t plan on renting a car so will be taking shuttles & buses.
Thank you!!
Sammi says
Hi Angela, you can check our Guanacaste, Costa Rica guide for ideas for beaches on the Guanacaste coast. You can also check our destinations map and read guides to the other beaches on the Pacific coast: Costa Rica destination map
Kim says
Hi, we are retired couple 60s , would like to have a 10 days (March) relax trip on the beach, light hiking, light adventure, more in beach, culture, food, scenery.
Need to depart from San Jose, should we arrive to Liberia instead of San Jose? Does Adobe rent the car pickup at Liberia and return at San Jose ? Any suggestion for itinerary is very appreciated . Thank You very much
Sammi says
Hi Kim, you can pick up the car in Liberia and return at San Jose, but there is a $45 USD fee for this change of locations.
Ron says
Looking for 10 days in CR in late Feb-early March… want to hit up SJ, La Fortuna, Monteverde, but torn between Manuel Antonio or Corcovado (or something else). A friend went and said that they were underimpressed with MA and I should go to Corcovado.
I plan to drive… but not sure if I’m overdoing it here. Also not sure whether I need a 4×4.
This is a loaded comment!
Sammi says
Corcovado is very far so you’ll need to plan accordingly to give yourself adequate time for travel. A 4×4/4wd is highly recommended for Monteverde and Osa Peninsula
Jessamyn C Trocio says
Hi,
Two of us will be flying into San Jose Airport on March 17th. We are trying to do La Fortuna/Arenal, Monteverde, Carara or Jaca National Park and Manuel Antonio National Park….do you think this is possible in one week? Do you recommend staying at multiple accommodations? Thank you in advance.
Sammi says
It’ll be a bit tight for one week but doable. You could even visit Carara on your way from Monteverde – Jaco.
Sammi says
Hi Lisa! I’m working on this page because the links are broken. Here is the 1 month one
Lisa says
Hi!
I am having trouble opening any of the itineraries. I am interested in the month long one. Is it possible you could send me a link?
Enjoying all the info so much!
Thank you,
Lisa
Sammi says
Hello Mark, here is the link
(Sorry I need to re-do this page for some reason the links were not working!)
Mark Lipari says
Hi,
We would like to know more about your suggested five days in Arenal and Monteverdi. For some reason we are not able to see all the information in your suggested itinerary. Not sure if it is an issue with the website or our computers (we have tried with an iPad and a laptop). Any information you can share would be appreciated. Thank you
Steve says
Hi my wife and I are currently planning our honeymoon to Costa Rica. Adventures and beaches are the 2 priorities. Being in non toristy areas is preferred. We have high interest in checking out the osa peninsula. We are hoping for a 7-14 day trip and we will rent a car. Any advice for places to go?
Sammi says
You can check our Osa Peninsula Costa Rica advice.
chris says
Hi!,
I love this blog! I am in the middle of planning a trip for my family ( adults) over Christmas.We are looking for the best experience, arriving on 12/22 and leaving 12/28. I didn’t know if it would be best to fly into Liberia and out of San Jose in order to get a variety of experiences? I feel overwhelmed! I would love suggestions from you. We would be at a mid price range, would like to be close to good restaurants. Can you help?
Many thianks!
Chris
Sammi says
Hi Chris! I’d definitely check out some of the itineraries in this post to give you some ideas of where to go and do. You can also read this post for best plaes: Best places in Costa Rica
Sammi says
Hi Hannah, my recommendation would be to stay somewhere in Guanacaste as your base so you will be at the beach, and then you can do a day trip to La Fortuna for volcano/rainforest and then up to Rio Celeste or Rincon de la Vieja for waterfalls and hikes. I wrote a sample itinerary here
Hannah says
Hello!
My girlfriends and I are planning a 4 day Costa Rica trip from my bachelorette party. We want to do a short/easy hike, see the waterfalls, rainforest, volcano, beach, and also have down/relaxing time. We are not looking to party and are more interested in experiencing the outdoors (but nothing strenuous) and just relax. Any suggestions? We aren’t set on which part of the country to stay at and which airport since we want to see which area would make more sense first. This trip will be Mid April of next year.
Thank you so much!
Hannah
Abbey says
Hello,
Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you have provided! This will be my first international solo trip and I have spent hours reading your blog trying to plan my trip for May. Your sample itineraries have really helped me to narrow down my options. I will be in Tamarindo for 6 days for a surf camp, then I have another 10 days before I fly out of San Jose. I would like to split my time between Monteverde and La Fortuna. I am fairly active and adventurous so I’m looking forward to hiking, zip lining, canyoning, white water rafting, etc. My question is would it be worth me adding in another town/city during this time? I saw that there are day trip opportunities to Rio Celeste which I would love to do. Would it be worth me staying a day or 2 in Bijagua to maximize my chances of getting some good weather? Or is there somewhere else that is accessible without a car? I am hoping to not rent a car for the entire trip, but would be open to getting one for part of the trip if needed.
Any insight you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Abbey, I’m glad the blog has been helpful!
You can do a day trip from La Fortuna to Rio Celeste which I recommend to do instead because getting to and from Bijagua is a bit tricky if you don’t have a car and for a solo traveler. There isn’t a bus that goes directly to Rio Celeste, all the shuttles and buses will drop you off in Bijagua and then you will need to take a taxi to the national park which is around $40 one way. There is a shuttle from Monteverde to Bijagua with Quality transfers but it requires 2 passengers minimum and there isn’t one from La Fortuna.
It’ll be a lot easier to do a day trip. There is a company called Arenalevergreen that provides daily shuttles and round trip transportation for $50 per person. This is a non guided hike – it only includes transportation so you will need to pay for the entrance fee, any food and water and the hike will be on your own. You can also do a tour which includes transportation, guide, lunch and entrance fees. We have a 10% discount with Jacamar Naturalist Tours in La Fortuna and we can check to see if there are any tours already running that you can join as a solo traveler. Just let us know if you would be interested.
Sammi says
Hi Marion, that’s a good itinerary and I would recommend taking shared shuttles for all your destinations because there aren’t direct buses to most of your routes (La Fortuna to Tamarindo requires 4 buses, Monteverde to PV requires 2, etc.) and shared shuttles will pick you up and drop you off directly at your hotel. They’re a bit more expensive but it’s the best way to save time and the hassle of switching buses (without renting a car).
For activities, we have a 10% discount with Jacamar Naturalist tours in La Fortuna for most of the tours in Arenal. You can check out the discount here: Arenal and La Fortuna tours discount and read what our favorite activities to do there are: Things to do in Arenal and La Fortuna
If you like adventure, I would definitely do the white water rafting trip at Rio Pacuare. This and canyoning are my two favorite outdoor activities and the Pacuare River is stunning with Class 3 and 4 (and 4+) rapids. You can read about it here: One day Rio Pacuare white water rafting and we have a $10 discount here: Rio Pacuare white water rafting discount. You can do this tour as an interconnection between Puerto Viejo to San Jose so the company we work with, Rios Tropicales will pick you up at Puerto Viejo, take you rafting and then drop you off at San Jose so you save money on a transfer and you can go rafting instead of sitting on a shuttle all day. It’s $105 per adult but we have a $10 discount and it includes breakfast, lunch, the rafting and the transfer so it’s a super great value!
Diamante is also really fun but there is no way to get there via public transportation. Diamante offers round trip transportation from Tamarindo for $30 per person and we also have a 10% discount with them you can read more here: Diamante discount and here is our post on Diamante: Diamante Eco Adventure Park But I think if you go ziplining in La Fortuna or Monteverde, you don’t necessarily need to go again in Diamante since for my personal opinion, the ziplines in La Fortuna and Montevede like Sky Trek, Selvatura and 100% Aventura are more fun. Diamante is great but their zipline is a bit short since they focus on having one long cable with an ocean view. The others take you through the rain and cloud forests. And you will most likely see a lot of wildlife in the destinations where you’re going so you can see animals in the wild as opposed to their zoo.
Your budget can be doable depending on what tours you do and what hotels you stay at. You’ll need to stay in pretty cheap places if you want to do tours since some tours are around $75-100 or more. For example, Diamante is $118 per person for the Adventure Pass (ziplining, animal sanctuary, botanical garden, beach) or $78 pp for the zipline (not including our 10% discount). Canyoning in La Fortuna is $101 per person, SkyTrek ziplining in Arenal is $81 per person. So tours will take up a good chunk of your budget but if you find some cheap places to stay and eat cheap, it is doable since you won’t be doing tours every day. You can read more about how much it costs to travel in Costa Rica here: Cost of traveling in Costa Rica
Thanks for reading Mytanfeet!
Marion Rogers says
Hello!, me and my boyfriend(20&29 yo) will be traveling to Costa Rica in late July and early August for 20 days. We love beaches and just chilling there, and we also like all kinds of activities! like raffting, canyoning, ziplining, parasailing, hiking, etc, Anything that gets our adrenaline kicking!
We have come up with a possible itinerary but we will like to hear your opinion as well!
Day 1-2: San Jose
Day 2-5: 3 nights in Manuel Antonio(were we would like to parasail, go to the beaches and the NP)
Day 5-10: 5 nights in La Fortuna ( this is were we ideally would be doing most of the adventure activities and visiting waterfalls and hot springs)
Day 10-13: 3 nights in Tamarindo( we are planning on relaxing here and having fun!. I’m also interested in Diamante park because of their zipline, do you think it’s worth it to spend a day there? and it is possible to get there on public transportation?
Day 13-15: 2 nights in Monteverde( to do maybe one fun activity and see the cloud forest(?)
Day 15-19: 4 nights in Puerto Viejo( to enjoy the beaches that are in that area punta uva, cahuita NP)
Day 19-20: San Jose
My questions are: Do you think this itinerary is doable? we will be depending mostly on public transportation and maybe some shared shuttles.
Will you change something? add a place or omit some?
Our budget is pretty restricted, around 100-150 usd per day for the both of us.( not counting the flights)
Dieter Rachal says
We will be flying into San Jose and stay for 9 days in Bejuco at the end of May. I hope we did not isolate ourselves too much from the best itineraries. We will have a car but again I don’t want to spend all of our time driving. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, I love your website, so much great information.
Dieter
Sammi says
Hi Dieter, from Bejuco you’re close to Jaco, Carara National Park, Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Uvita and all of the Central/South Pacific. Those will be your closest destinations and are all within a 20 minute – 2 hour drive.