Costa Rica Travel Itinerary

Costa Rica travel itinerary offers adventure and relaxation with a bounty of natural beauty. Therefore, things to do in Costa Rica center around its natural resources of the rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, oceans, volcano, and rivers.

Costa Rica Rainforests

First, Rainforests in Costa Rica are dense with birds and wildlife including the magical cloud forests covered in mists high in the mountain tops with waterfalls to discover.

Costa Rica Beaches

Second, the beaches of Costa Rica include two coasts. Fortunately, both the Pacific Ocean on the West or the Caribbean on the East coast of Costa Rica can be part of your Costa Rican vacation. Accordingly, the beaches of Costa Rica offer golden sands, oceans, and water activities to satisfy scuba divers, surfers, snorkelers, and those that have a passion for sport fishing.

Adventure Travel in Costa Rica

For the adventure traveler there is volcano trekking at the Arenal Volcano, hiking, zip lining, white water rafting, canyoning, river tours, cliff jumping, waterfall rappelling, national parks, and numerous water activities.

Most importantly, surfing is perhaps the most popular ocean sport in Costa Rica. You can also enjoy the water by sport fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, white water rafting, river tours, and kayaking.

Costa Rica Capital of San Jose

The capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, hosts museums, shopping, and a historic center to explore.

7 Day Costa Rica Travel Itinerary

Traveling to Costa Rica and taking it all in within a one week trip is a challenge. This seven day Costa Rica itinerary offers time to explore much of the best Costa Rica has to offer including the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the capital of San Jose, and the Pacific Coast luxury area of Peninsula Papagayo in the province of Guanacaste.

As an introduction, the seven day Costa Rica travel itinerary, not including flight travel days, includes hiking, waterfalls, snorkeling, beach and pool time, museums, and a road trip through the country including the cloud forest.

Flight to San Jose, Costa Rica

There are two international airports in Costa Rica, Liberia (Daniel Oduber, LIR) and San José (Juan Santamaría, SJO). Flying into San Jose offers the opportunity to explore the capital.

It is also often the airport with less expensive roundtrip flights to the United States. When searching for flights try an overnight or a few days in Mexico City and fly to Costa Rica roundtrip from Mexico City if you have the time. Although this may save you money on your flights but you have to budget in the time and expenses in Mexico City.

Depending when your flight arrives you can spend a half day or two half days seeing the top sites in San Jose. If you arrive early in the day you can begin exploring after checking into your hotel. If you arrive late or want to relax, a few hours in the morning is enough time before beginning the road trip to the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Most importantly, you will need a rental car for this Costa Rica road trip. You can rent one at the airport.

Please check the rental car policy. There was a mandatory insurance fee even if you had coverage through your credit card. Although the daily rental charge quoted was low the insurance fees were five times the price of the car rental.

Still, it was great to have a car for our adventures and we had no issues on the road or returning it. We paid a nominal fee to drop if off directly at the airport.

Day 1 Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: San Jose, Sarchi, Monteverde

San Jose, Costa Rica

Start your day by checking out of your hotel and driving to the historic center of San Jose, Costa Rica. You can have breakfast at your hotel or downtown.

If you map to the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and then circle the immediate area you can find parking lots for a few dollars and credit cards were accepted.

Once parked, head towards your first stop the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. It is located in the Plaza de la Cultura.

Please note, as hours and prices of locations change I recommend checking Google Maps for details prior to your trip for each stop and directions.

 

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: San Jose Pre-Columbian Gold Museum

The museum houses hundreds of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts with intricate gold ritual figurines and jewelry.

Once there, the museum is located below street level in the central plaza. There is a security screening.

Also, it offers free lockers and a beautiful gift shop.

We spent about an hour which was enough time to explore the three levels of the museum and read some of the descriptions.

Although allow additional time to read more about the history of gold in Costa Rica and see the documentary videos.

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: National Theatre of Costa Rica

After touring the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold return to ground level of the Plaza de la Cultura and explore the facade of the National Theatre of Costa Rica.

Jade Museum in San Jose

Next, after seeing the historic National Theatre of Costa Rica it is a five minute walk to the Jade museum. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of American jade. The Museo del Jade is located in front of Plaza de la Democracia.

 

Plaza de la Cultura Historic District

After the Jade museum, head back towards Plaza de la Cultura and where you parked.

Additionally, grab a snack or beverage or do some tourist souvenir shopping downtown before leaving the historic center of San Jose.

Lastly, you may want to buy some fresh fruit and water from one of the many stalls located near the Plaza de la Cultura for your road trip. The drive to the next stop, Sarchi, should be less than an hour but traffic in San Jose can be brutal so it may take much longer.

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Road Trip to Sarchi, Costa Rica

Once you are ready to leave San Jose, map to Sarchi, Costa Rica. Sarchi is an artisan town on the way to Monteverde and a nice stop to stretch your legs, have lunch, and explore part of the mountains of Costa Rica.

Sarchi, Costa Rica

The artisan town of Sarchi produces handcrafted painted oxcarts that are sold all over the country for over a century.

The town center displays a beautiful example of their craft with a beautiful, massive oxcart on display.

Once used to transport goods on rough roads the hand-painted oxcarts are now used in parades and celebrations and for decoration throughout Costa Rica.

Iglesia de Sarchi

The large oxcart is on display in a park across the street from Iglesia de Sarchi.

On the streets surrounding the central park are artisan shops selling woodwork crafts and restaurants. 

After a short time exploring the town, shopping, and enjoying lunch it is time to get back on the road for the day’s final destination in Monteverde.

Part of the trip is deserted so bring any snacks or water you may want for the drive. It will be a little over 2 hours but can vary tremendously with traffic.

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Road Trip to Monteverde, Costa Rica

The final destination today is the town of Monteverde, Costa Rica. This will be the launching off point to explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Monteverde offers accommodations at various price points with some very affordable options. Monteverde is where we saved on our trip and splurged for a hotel at the beach. However, choose the preference that fits your lifestyle.

In addition, there are many delicious restaurants in Monteverde, several small grocery stores, and a larger super market. The town also offers numerous tours, attractions, and shopping opportunities.

The best travel item packed for Day One of our road trip was a packable travel cooler to keep beverages and fruit cold as the trip took hours longer than anticipated due to traffic and the day was hot. Here are a few different types of collapsable coolers as you would want to buy one that you could use for your other activities.

Note, if you make a purchase I receive a small commission that helps pay for the expenses of this blog.

Day 2 Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The second day of your Costa Rica itinerary is spent in Monteverde at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Cloud forests represent less than 1% of forests remaining on the planet. Clouds hang low over the upper canopy of the forest similar to fog and then drip down to the plants below.

Costa Rica Monteverde Cloud Forest Bird Watching Tour

If you want to see the beautiful tropical birds then I recommend arranging a guide at the reserve prior to your arrival. Your hotel can likely assist with this reservation or book a tour online. The bird watching tours start early in the morning.

However, spotting the birds yourself without being a birdwatcher is very challenging.

Yet, with an arranged bird watching tour or not I would recommend arriving early as the likelihood of torrential rainfall in the afternoon is greater. Plus, you will have more time to explore the Cloud Forest Reserve.

Getting to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

You can have breakfast at your hotel or in town. Then take the short drive to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Part of the drive is on a dirt road. There is a parking lot before the reserve and a shuttle from the lot to the entrance. Once at the reserve you will pay the entrance fee and for parking.

Next, you then choose which route you would like to explore. This is so the reserve knows where hikers are located. A key card is used to enter and exit each hiking route to track hikers in and out of the reserve.

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Hiking the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

We selected the hike to the waterfall which was about one mile roundtrip with minimal inclines. I would rate it an easy route but not wheelchair friendly.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Waterfall Hike

There is also a short hike to a canopy bridge and longer hikes available. In total there are nine trails that span about eight miles to explore. There is a variety of tropical fauna and flora and you may spot wildlife and tropical birds.

What to Wear at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

As a rainforest you can expect rain. Although I had waterproof gear I was still soaked. My friend forgot his raincoat but was able to purchase a souvenir rain poncho at the gift shop.

Also, the items that were most useful to pack and wear in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve were a raincoat, waterproof hiking shoes, rain paints, a water bottle, and binoculars.

Or at least spray your hiking shoes with Scotchgard for protection.

What I wish I had with me was a waterproof backpack! Fortunately, I did use my dry bags inside my backpack for important items but everything else was soaked. I will be adding a waterproof day pack on my next tropical rainforest adventure.

After enjoying the waterfall and being thoroughly soaked we stopped in the cafe for coffees and a snack. There is a nice outdoor seating area with a balcony view of the cloud forest.

After your day exploring the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve you can enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in town and souvenir shopping.

If you still have energy, take a night time walking tour. There are several tour companies that offer this excursion to see the rainforest come alive at night.

Finally, spend a second night in the town of Monteverde.

Day 3 Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Monteverde, Road Trip to Guanacaste

On your third day you can choose what interests you most to do in the morning before heading back on the road down the mountain towards the Pacific Coast and the Peninsula Papagayo in the Guanacaste province.

Monteverde Attractions

There are numerous attractions to choose from on your second day in Monteverde. You may choose to add more time to this area if you are visiting Costa Rica for longer than a week.

You can check out frogs at the Frog Pond Ranario or bats at The Bat Jungle.

Costa Rica is home to sloths and many people do not want to leave this beautiful country without seeing one. Stop at the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde for your opportunity.

Monteverde Adventure Attractions

For more adventures there is the Selvatura Advenura Park that includes canopy bridges and zip lining or the Sky Adventures Monteverde Park that also has zip lining and a sky tram. Or, tackle the jungle with Treetop Climbing Monteverde.

You can take more strenuous hikes to see magnificent waterfalls such as the reasonably priced Monteverde Waterfall. Or visit the El Tigre Waterfalls.

If you enjoyed the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve you may select to drive to the Curi-Cancha Reserve that also offers guided tours including night time tours and touts over 200 bird species.

There are numerous tour guides and companies available that you can find online, in town, or through your hotel. You could easily spend a day or two more in this beautiful area of the world and still have much to see and do. If you are an avid hiker you could definitely spend a week in the cloud forests of Monteverde.

Monteverde Orchid Garden

In town there is the Monteverde Orchid Garden with guided tours of the hundreds of species of orchids. The Monteverde area is one of the most orchid rich areas in the world with about 10% of the orchids being endemic.

Monteverde Butterfly Garden

We chose to go to the Monteverde Butterfly Garden where they offered a guided tour of multiple butterfly habitats as well as an educational tour of their resident spiders and insects.

The lobby area also offered an expansive view of the forest and surrounding area. There were numerous tropical flowers and an easy walk through the rainforest between the habitats.

The guide was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic intern.

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Road Trip to Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste

Depending on the activity you choose will set what time you leave towards the Pacific Ocean and Peninsula Papagayo in the Northwest province of Guanacaste.

The road trip takes at least three hours. The views are spectacular driving down from the mountains from Monteverde.

Make sure you have small bills or coins for the toll roads which cost less than a U.S. dollar. They did accept U.S. dollars but it is handy to have local currency as well.

Our international cellular plans with two different carriers were on and off during the drive so map out the roads using GPS prior to leaving Monteverde.

Also, stop at one of the grocery stores in the town of Monteverde before you leave and pick up some water, beverages, and snacks for your trip in case the trip is longer than anticipated.

There is quite a long portion of the drive without facilities as you drive down through the mountains back to the highway.

Again, traffic is unpredictable and the roads are sometimes rough or dirt.

We hit a lot of traffic once we were out of the mountains and on the highway again and stopped at a restaurant directly off the highway for food.

Using our binoculars we watched a flock of green parrots in a nearby tree while we waited for a food to arrive. It felt like Costa Rica at that moment.

Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Centro de Rescate Las Pumas

Take a break after your drive down the mountain and stretch your legs with a short visit at the Centro de Rescate Las Pumas. This small Puma Rescue Center is right off the highway. The entry fee when we visited was $12US for adults.

Spend about an hour walking on the well guided path to see the tropical birds that may have been difficult to spot in the cloud forest like a toucan, perhaps a hundred green parrots, and Macaws.

There were Pumas, also known as Mountain Lions, and Ocelots. Notably, each exhibit explains why the animals are at the reserve.

We also saw our first monkeys in Costa Rica that were hanging out in the trees outside of the exhibits. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the wildlife that you are unlikely to spot in the wild and to help the reserve care for the animals in need.

As well as the reserve has restrooms, parking, and a small but enjoyable gift shop.

Day 4 -6 Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste Province

End your day at the hotel you selected in the Guanacaste Province. We stayed in two different beachfront resorts in the Peninsula Papagayo area. Enjoy dinner and the evening at your hotel.

Yet, if you arrive early change into your swimsuits and head to the pool or ocean for a swim to cool off after your drive.

Spend the next few days exploring the Papagayo Peninsula beach area. Book an excursion online or through your hotel to do sport fishing, surfing lessons, kayaking, snorkeling, or diving. Or enjoy the days relaxing on the beach and at the pool.

Recommended items to pack can be found on our Travel Packing for a Tropical Beach Vacation. Also, check out our general Packing List for Travel.

Day 7 Costa Rica Travel Itinerary: Road Trip from Guanacaste to San Jose, Costa Rica

On the last day in Costa Rica enjoy the morning at your beach resort in Peninsula Papagayo. Then head back towards the capital of San Jose for your return flight.

Break up the road trip on your Costa Rica travel itinerary with a stop at Ponderosa Theme Park. The nature park is on the way towards San Jose.

In addition, the Ponderosa Theme Park features safari tours with African animals. There are also opportunities for zip lining over a waterfall and horseback riding. The highlight of the park in addition to the giraffes and zebras is the waterfall. There are multiple tour options depending on your interests.

However, if you are short on time you can walk to the waterfalls for scenic Costa Rican pictures.

Finally, spend the evening in San Jose before your return flight home.

Enjoy your vacation time in Costa Rica!