If you’re staying in northern Guanacaste and are interested in visiting another country, the Nicaragua one day tour from Costa Rica is perfect for you. It takes you to the highlights of Nicaragua such as Masaya, Granada, Masaya Volcano National Park and Laguna de Apoyo. The tour is an excellent way to see a bit of Nicaragua especially if you don’t plan on taking a dedicated visit to the country.
Read more about the Nicaragua one day tour in this article and if you want to do this tour, we have an exclusive Mytanfeet discount! Get $10 USD off the tour!
**The Costa Rica land borders between Nicaragua and Panama have opened on April 5, 2021 but unfortunately the 1 day tour with our tour partner has not. We will update this post when it has.
Nicaragua One Day Tour from Costa Rica FAQ
When Does This Tour Operate?
This tour runs nearly every day with few exceptions during extremely busy times of the year (Christmas/New Years and Easter). They aren’t able to run the tour during these times because the border is extremely busy and sometimes can take the whole day to cross. We will let you know what days the tour is not running if you are inquiring about those dates.
Who Operates the Tour?
It is operated by Plus Papagayo, the only tour company that runs this tour every day.
What Is Included In the Tour?
The Nicaragua one day tour from Costa Rica includes breakfast, lunch, border fees, a bilingual guide, entrance fees, pick up and drop off and water.
How Much Is the Deposit and How Do I Know My Tour is Confirmed?
The deposit is $20 USD from Coco/Hermosa/Panama/Riu Guanacaste/Liberia/Dreams Las Mareas/La Cruz and $30 from Tamarindo/Flamingo/Conchal/Brasilito/JW Marriott/Portrero.
When you fill out the form, you will automatically be taken to Paypal in order to send the deposit. We will also send you an email with all details and send you a confirmation email once the tour is reserved.
How Long Is the Tour?
Depending on your location, pickup is usually around 4:30 AM – 6 AM. Depending on how long the border takes, you will return around 8 – 10 PM.
What Do I Need to Bring?
Please being your original passport, a printed ticket out of Costa Rica (a screenshot on your phone works too if you don’t have a paper copy), comfortable shoes and clothes, a rain jacket during rainy season, a day bag and camera.
We also highly recommend buying/bringing snacks. The tour includes breakfast and lunch but not dinner. Sometimes the border returning to Costa Rica may take awhile so it is best to bring something to munch on as the tour doesn’t make any stops for food in the evening except the border. The tour company includes water.
You can buy snacks at the border, Masaya market or Granada.
Does Nicaragua Take USD?
Yes. If you want to do some souvenir shopping, bring small USD. They will give you your change back in cordobas, the Nicaraguan currency. If you want your change back in USD, you have to ask.
Do I Need a Visa to Nicaragua?
United States and Canada do not need a visa. Please check the Nicaragua embassy website for your passport country to see if you need a visa. You will be responsible for checking if your passport needs a visa to Nicaragua and if so, for any extra visa fees.
Can I Do the Nicaragua One Day Tour From San Jose?
No. This tour only picks up in northern Guanacaste, the furthest they go is Tamarindo/JW Marriott Guanacaste.
San Jose to the Nicaraguan border is a 6-7 hour drive, so it is much too far. If you’d like to do the tour, the best option is to travel to Liberia and get picked up from there.
John Ramirez says
Yeison,
We would love to plan this tour on September 15. Would this be possible, due to the civil unrest within the country?
Sammi says
Hi John! THe tour company we work with have resumed this tour but things are still not 100% stable in Nicaragua. The tour is running though so it’s up to you, but Sept 15 is the Independence Day for Central America and something could happen, you never know. It’s entirely up to you and the tour company will call it off if it’s too dangerous but since things are not 100% stable, anything can change or happen. That’s just our personal opinion and recommendation.
John Ramirez says
Yeison,
Thank you for the quick response. Would you have any suggestions on where to go to celebrate Central America’s independence day. We will be in Tamarindo on the 15th and unfortunately we haven’t been able to find information on events going on within certain locations aside from San Jose, would you have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
-John
Sammi says
If you go to Villarreal, the local town outside Tamarindo the schools have parades. If you want something bigger, Liberia has the biggest parade (parades are the normal celebration for independence day here).
chels says
Hey planning on doing this tour jan 7 for 4 people is this available or do I have to check back at a later date?
Sammi says
I would definitely check back when it’s closer to the tour date, the situation hasn’t been resolved and there have been violent protests still so we don’t know how it will be in January, if it will be better or worse by then.
Calum says
Hi there,
Are you still running tours to Nicaragua sometime in September?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Calum, the tour is running for now but the tour company does always keep an eye on it in case the situation turns worse, then if it’s unsafe they will suspend it. But as of right now, they are operating the tour. My recommendation would be to check back when it’s closer to the date you want to go, like a week before. I can check for you and we can make reservations up to 24 hours before the tour.
Philip says
Hi we are heading to playa del coco tomorrow, can you do a tour on Sunday?
Thanks phil
Sammi says
Hi Phil, yes definitely, they run this tour everyday.
Es says
Hi,
Is this tour affected by the recent unrest in Nicaragua at all? I’ll be staying at Casa Aura for a week. Is pick up form there possible?
Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Hi Es, the tour company is still operating as of now but they will cancel operations if they deem it too dangerous. As of now it is still operating and they always let us know right away if they cancel the tour. They can pick up from Tamarindo.
Derrick says
Quick question – does this tour company have a tripadvisor or some sort of review page so we can check how other travelers’ experiences were?
Sammi says
Hi Derrick! Yes you can google Plus Papagayo and they are on Trip Advisor there.
Emily Eyre says
Hi, is it possible to pay the entire cost now, instead of paying the rest when you get there? We are 2 women travelling, and I hate to carry too much cash.
Sammi says
Hi Emily, our agreement with the tour company is to pay the rest in cash upon pick up to the company and pay the deposit to us. I apologize we can’t take the whole payment before but that is the conditions we have with the tour company in order to give the $10 off the tour.
Shuman Majumder says
Hi, Can I stay back in Granada after the tour and not return back to Costa Rica since I’ll be travelling onwards to Honduras? I know it’s a one day tour. But they don’t need to worry about me after I get off in Granada. As long as they know I’m not returning back it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve done this with day tours in Europe before.
Sammi says
Hi Shuman, in this case the tour company doesn’t allow for that for insurance and security reasons.
Janet says
How much would be the cost for the Nicaragua tour for 2 adults and 2 children ages 12 and 5, hotel pick up from Villas sol Playa Hermosa Guanacaste. Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Janet, the tour is $140 per person from Playa Hermosa and we have $10 off so it will be $130 per person.
Donna says
Hi We are staying at the LaCarolina condo is a pick up at the condo possible or do we need to drive somewhere for a pick up.?
Sammi says
Hi Donna, which town or beach is your condo at?