Are you traveling to Costa Rica for the first time and don’t know what to include in your Costa Rica itinerary? Don’t worry, we've got your back!
There is so much to see and do in Costa Rica that planning an itinerary for just 7 days can be confusing and frustrating. From alluring wildlife, stunning waterfalls, pristine beaches, majestic volcanoes, breathtaking national parks, and world-class hot springs, Costa Rica is full of natural wonders. Therefore, you need to plan your days wisely. And, our itinerary is just what you need!
This itinerary, which we have meticulously curated, includes not only adventure activities like ziplining & hiking but also relaxing and leisure time at the hot springs. We suggest that you land in and fly back from San Jose Airport (Juan Santamaria Airport, SJO) for this itinerary.
Come, let’s take a look at the itinerary!
7 Day Costa Rica Itinerary
Day 1: Fly into San Jose Airport & go to Monteverde
Land in Costa Rica and take a shuttle/bus or drive to Monteverde. Please reserve your mode of transport well in advance. There is only one afternoon bus for Monteverde and it leaves at 2.30 pm from San Jose (there morning bus leaves at 6.30 am). Make sure you have enough time to commute from the airport to the bus terminal.
A morning flight is preferred so that you can leave for Monteverde on the same day, and be energized for activities from the next day. Take good rest and a good night’s sleep that day.
Day 2: Monteverde - Ziplining & Hanging Bridges
Numerous parks in Monteverde offer ziplining (often referred to as canopy tours in Costa Rica) through the thick forest cover. Some of the most popular adventure parks in Monteverde are Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures), Selvatura Adventure Park, Monteverde Extremo Park, and 100% Aventura.
You can directly reach the park and purchase your tickets from the counter, or book a tour through your hotel. Almost all hotels in Monteverde have partnered with these adventure parks for tours & activities, and a shuttle comes to the hotel for pickup and drop off.
For your Day 2, book a ziplining tour. Depending on the park you have chosen for ziplining, you can combine the tour with additional tours like butterfly gardens, hanging bridges, sloth habitat, etc. This will keep you busy for the whole day. If you are up for night walks, you can also book a night walk tour on this day.
Day 3: Monteverde - Cloud Forest Reserve & Coffee Tour/Frog Pond/Bat Jungle
Reserve Day 3 for some hiking in nature amidst a thick cover of vegetation and clouds. Two cloud forest reserves in Monteverde are good for hiking, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Our personal favorite is Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
For this too, you can book a tour with the hotel. But, the services will include only drop off and pick up from the reserve as the tickets to the reserve have to be paid by you. You do not need more than 4-5 hours for the total hike, so if you start early in the morning, you will be free by lunch. Anyway, hiking is not recommended after 1 pm in Costa Rica as it may start raining.
Depending on your interests, you can reserve the second half of the day for other tours & activities like a coffee and/or chocolate tour, Bat Jungle, Frog Pond, Hummingbird Garden, etc. Most of these do not take much time and you can do even two or more in a few hours.
Day 4: Go to La Fortuna + Hot Springs
On Day 4, leave for La Fortuna. Make sure you have booked or figured out your mode of transport for La Fortuna the previous day. Leave early from Monteverde to ensure that you reach La Fortuna at just the right time to grab lunch.
In case you do not have a car, you can take a Jeep-Boat-Jeep service from Monteverde to La Fortuna. In April 2022, we used a similar service for reaching La Fortuna from Monteverde. We booked this service through our hotel and it cost us 30-35$ per person. The best part about this journey is that you take a boat for one leg of the journey and you are actually crossing the Arenal Lake on a boat. It’s like a free boat tour through the lake with mesmerizing views of the Arenal Volcano.
Once you reach La Fortuna, quickly check in at your hotel and have lunch. Get ready for your next destination - Hot Springs. You can also have lunch at the Hot Springs, but depending on the resort you have chosen, you may or may not get good options for lunch.
There are a wide array of resorts offering hot springs facilities in La Fortuna. Our personal favorites are Ecotermales and Baldi Hot Springs. For a more romantic experience and to avoid crowds, head to Ecotermales. For family fun and more dining & drinking options, head to Baldi Hot Springs. You can choose to stay at a resort with hot springs or stay at a cheap hotel and take a day pass for hot springs.
Depending on the hot springs you have chosen, you can stay till dark at the resort and have dinner at one of the restaurants/bars. Some thermals, like Ecotermales, have slot-based reservations. There are separate day and evening slots, and you can’t mix the two (unlike Baldi Hot Springs). In case you have chosen the day slot, you would have to exit by 4 pm and have dinner outside. Take good rest and get rejuvenated for the next day’s activities.
Day 5: La Fortuna - La Fortuna Waterfall, ATV tour & Sloth Sanctuary
On Day 5, start early! There are a lot of activities to choose from in La Fortuna. We suggest that you start by visiting La Fortuna Waterfall in the morning. It opens at 7 am, so you can go early in the morning and enjoy the place with fewer people around. Take a dip in the clear water and soak in the tranquility of the surroundings. You can have breakfast after this activity.
After breakfast, you can either book an ATV tour (that includes a visit to a native Maleku village) or visit the Bogarin Trail for wildlife watching (including the “famous” Costa Rican sloths). The remaining activity can be done after lunch.
In the evening, sip on Costa Rican coffee at one of the cafes offering views of the Arenal Volcano. Then end your day with dinner at a nice restaurant in La Fortuna. There is live music in many restaurants on Friday & Saturday nights. So, if your itinerary coincides with a weekend, you can visit one of these restaurants.
Points to note for ATV tour - You need to have a valid driver’s license for this tour. You can choose to ride the ATV alone or have a partner and switch places during the tour. We did this tour in April 2022. The tour duration was around 2 hours and cost us around 85$ for 2 people on 1 ATV.
Day 6: La Fortuna - Arenal Volcano National Park, Arenal Lake & El Salto Rope Swing or El Choyin (Free Hot Springs)
On Day 6, start early! Have a hearty breakfast as you have to prepare yourself for a hike at the Arenal Volcano National Park. The park opens at 8 am and the hike takes around 2-3 hours, so plan accordingly.
Once you are done with the hike, grab an early lunch. And, pack some snacks because a boat ride across Lake Arenal is next! You can skip this if you’ve come from Monteverde using the Jeep-Boat-Jeep mode of transport. You can book the whole boat or book individual seats in the boat. We were 4 people and we preferred having the boat to ourselves.
After the boat ride, go to any one of the two free spots - El Salto (Rope Swing) or El Choyin (Hot Springs). You can do both if you have the time and energy, or if you skipped Lake Arenal. Both involve getting wet, so decide accordingly.
End your day with a nice dinner at one of the popular restaurants in La Fortuna as this will be your last day!
Day 7: Reach San Jose Airport & fly out
On Day 7, drive or take a bus/shuttle to San Jose Airport. It is advisable to book an afternoon or evening flight for your destination as you would need 2.5-3 hours to reach the airport and then an additional 2-3 hours for the check-in.
Points to Note
You can swap Day 2 with Day 3 in Monteverde if you like.
You can swap Day 5 with Day 6 in La Fortuna if you like.
Flying into Liberia airport is expensive and not suitable for this itinerary.
This itinerary is doable by car, shuttle, and public transport.
If you do not have a car in La Fortuna, you can take Uber and red taxis for your commute.
Final Words
We sincerely hope you found this 7-day Costa Rica itinerary helpful! Monteverde and La Fortuna are two of the best places in Costa Rica and you should definitely include them in your plans. Have an amazing vacation in Costa Rica!
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