The BEST 10 Day Costa Rica Itinerary (2024)

Looking for a 10 day Costa Rica itinerary? The 10 days we spent in Costa Rica was like a dream, and it really showed us everything the country has to offer.

We spent time in the jungle, explored mountains, volcanoes, cloud forest and waterfalls, visited coffee and chocolate farms, saw exotic wildlife in their natural habitat, ate fresh fruit off of trees, stayed on a resort, and spent time on the beach. It was the perfect trip, and one I would do again.

It was my husband’s second time in Costa Rica, and my first. My travel planning expertise along with his prior knowledge and experience with Costa Rica made this an excellent trip.

I’m going to break down the itinerary, so that you can follow it yourself. I will also give you different options in case you want to spend your time doing different things from what we did.

So let’s jump in – your 10 day Costa Rica itinerary that will show you the best of what this amazing and diverse country has to offer.

What You Need to Know About This Itinerary

✅You fly in and out of San Jose, and rent a car. Read my post on driving in Costa Rica for information on different car rental companies and prices. It’s possible to do this itinerary without a car if you hire shuttles, but will be much easier with a car.

✅This itinerary is a full 10 days to explore Costa Rica. The arrival day and departure day aren’t included in those 1-10 days

✅ It’s doable with all ages. We were travelling with a baby and a 9 year old during our 10 days in Costa Rica, but this itinerary would be suitable to adults only too. I’ll provide options for activities, some geared to adults only and some for all ages

10 Day Costa Rica Itinerary

Arrival Day

It’s safe to assume that you pay spend a few hours at the Juan Santamaría International Airport airport (SJO) before being able to drive away with your rental car, especially if you’re coming between December and March)- so just keep that in mind.

Once you have your rental car, immediately start driving to La Fortuna. If you’re hungry, there are restaurants

Pro Tip: We rented our car from Budget Rent-A-Car; there was a restaurant near the Budget called Rosti that was pretty good.

La Fortuna is a 2.5 hour drive from San Jose, and it takes you through hilly, scenic countryside and some small towns. We didn’t stop at all – we wanted to get there before nightfall, as there aren’t a lot of street lights.

Check into your La Fortuna accommodation for 3 nights when you arrive in La Fortuna. Here are some recommendations:

• Budget: Hotel Villas Vilma – swimming pool, hot tub, views of the volcano, free parking, and great restaurants right across the street (we stayed here with our kids and loved it)
• Mid-Range: Sangregado Lodge – located very close to Mistico Arenal National Park, which I recommend as the first activity tomorrow morning. Has restaurants on site, and some of the best volcano views of all the La Fortuna hotels
• Luxury: Arenal Manoa Resort & Hot Springs – hot springs on site, free breakfast, stunning jungle views

Pro Tip: Most La Fortuna hotels are located just outside the main town. Many of them have swimming pools and hot springs, and are surrounded by jungle. Read my post on best La Fortuna accommodations.

Day 1: La Fortuna

1. Grab breakfast

Our favourite place to have breakfast in La Fortuna was Soda El Turnito, which serves Costa Rican breakfasts – rice, eggs, plantains, toast, smoothies. We liked it so much the first time, and decided to go back every morning.

2. Hike through Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park

Time needed: around 2 hours

Head to Mistico first thing in the morning, as its the best time to experience the rainforest and to see wildlife.

On a clear day, you have a beautiful view of the volcano from Mistico. (Unfortunately it was cloudy when we went, so we couldn’t see it. We still had a great time though.)

Mistico is also one of a handful of places in Costa Rica that has hanging suspension bridges that give you a bird’s eye view of the jungle. There are six suspension bridges in Mistico, and they range from about 150 to 320 feet off the ground.

You can either do a guided tour, or a self-guided tour of Mistico. (This is not the last jungle that you’ll have the chance to see in Costa Rica, so its up to you which one you’d rather do.)

Going at your own pace is nice, but with a guide, you have almost 100% chance of seeing wildlife.

Overall, you should budge to spend about 2 hours at Mistico. They have a number of short cut exits out of the park for those that want to cut their hike short.

3. Grab lunch

Time needed: an hour-ish

As you drive back to La Fortuna from Mistico, you will pass a few different restaurants along the way. We stopped at Restaurante El Novillo del Arenal (great food, and volcano views on a clear day) which serves good portions of traditional Costa Rican food and beers.

There are also plenty of restaurants and bakeries in the town of La Fortuna.

4. Relax in hot springs

Time needed: around 2 hours

La Fortuna has many hot springs, because of the Arenal Volcano.

Some hotels in La Fortuna have a hot spring built right into them. If not, there are also some that you can visit.

Generally, hot springs in La Fortuna are family friendly and all ages are welcome. Many of them have waterslides, and some have swim up bars.

The nicest thing that almost all of them have is connection to nature – you feel like you’re swimming in an outdoor bath in the middle of the jungle (which you are!)

Here are some of the best hot springs to visit in the La Fortuna area:

• Tabacon Hot Springs – most popular (I would avoid during high season, personally)
• The Spring’s Resort – has separate areas, a monkey slide that is open certain hours. Book here
• Baldi Hot Springs – has caves, music and waterslide. Great for all ages
• Kalambu Hot Springs – ideal for families with kids, there are swimming pools and waterslides

5. Optional Evening Activity: Night time wildlife tour

Time needed: around 2 hours

One of the most memorable things we did in Costa Rica was a night tour in the rainforest. We saw lots of animals that are nocturnal and hard to find during the day.

Lots of bugs like scorpions and spiders, snakes, tree frogs and bats – also some sloths too!

This tour is 2 hours long and offered at a private forest near La Fortuna. Tours start at 5:30pm (when it gets dark) and last for around 90 minutes.

*Keep in mind, if you don’t fit a night jungle tour in tonight – you could do it tomorrow in La Fortuna instead, or there are night time jungle tours offered at our other destinations on this itinerary too.

Book your rainforest night walk in La Fortuna here

Day 2: La Fortuna

1. Choose between 2 options

There are two different options for this morning, depending on which interests you more or is best for your group.

Option 1 is the sloth trail, and option 2 is white water rafting.

Option # 1: Bogarin (sloth) Trail

Time needed: 1-2 hours

Bogarin Trail is just a 5 minute drive from La Fortuna, right on the edge of town. Its an easygoing walk through the forest, and a good chance to get as close to wild sloths as possible.

This forest was grown only 25 years ago, which naturally brought native wildlife to the area.

Like other forests, you can choose to go with a guide or without. We went with a guide for this one, and saw lots of animals – sloths, red frog, a snake and a toucan.

Immediately when you walk through reception, there are a bunch of wild animals – mostly birds, munching on fruit.

They served pineapple at the end, which was great too. Book here on their website.

Option # 2: White water rafting

Time needed: 5-6 hours

If you’re looking for a little more adventure, La Fortuna is a very popular place for adventure activities, like white water rafting.

The white water rafting tours are generally 5-6 hours in length, which takes up the morning. Anyone 5 and up can participate.

This tour includes the pre-training, white water rafting experience on the Balsa River, as well as a traditional Costa Rican lunch.

2. Don Olivo Chocolate Farm

Time needed: 2 hours

One of our most memorable experiences in Costa Rica was our tour of Don Olivo Chocolate Farm. It’s a family-owned small chocolate farm just a 10 minute drive from La Fortuna.

A bonus is this tour, is that you will eat. They hand out fresh fruit from their trees, allow you to make juice, and you finish the tour with hot chocolate made from their cocoa beans.

If you choose the white water rafting, it will be a little bit tight, but you’ll be able to make the 3pm tour. The chocolate farm tours are about 3 hours long, and approximately $35 per person.

Book your Don Olivo Chocolate Farm Tour (2 hours) here

Day 3: La Fortuna Waterfall + Drive to Monteverde

Check out of your accommodation in the morning, have breakfast, and immediately head to La Fortuna Waterfall.

1. La Fortuna Waterfall

Time needed: 2-3 hours

La Fortuna Waterfall is about a 10-minute drive from La Fortuna. You can hike yourself, or book a guided hike, which is just under 3 hours but includes time to swim or spend time at the waterfall.

There are over 500 stairs to get down to the falls, and another 500 on the way up. It’s best to arrive early, as tours start arriving by 7am.

If you’re not doing the guided hike then buy your tickets to the park on the website here, or grab a skip-the-line ticket here.

Once you’re at the waterfall, you could spend anywhere from 30-45 minutes there.

Many people choose to swim in the pool (chilly but refreshing) and there’s a a good restaurant on-site called Rio Lounge with open-air seating.

Pro Tip: If you’re not too keen on the hike to the waterfall, there’s also a zip-line experience where you zip-line right over La Fortuna Waterfall. (2 hours and 30 minute activity.)

2. Drive to Monteverde

Time needed: 3-4 hours

After La Fortuna waterfall, start driving to Monteverde. Monteverde means “green mountain” in Spanish, and it is literally up in the mountains; 4662 feet (1,440 metres) above sea level.

The views driving there, especially as you get closer, are absolutely stunning.

This drive can be pretty stressful, because of it rocky terrain. My husband managed it just fine. I would have been fine on my own too; it just requires caution and your full attention.

3. Check into your Monteverde accommodation.

We chose to stay in an Airbnb up in the mountains, which meant we prepared most of our own food.

Some people prefer to stay in the ‘town’ of Monteverde where they’re close to restaurants and it’s much easier in terms of driving.

Whether you stay near town or further into the mountains depend on your preferences and how you feel about driving in the mountains.

Aside from the Airbnb that we stayed at, here are some great hotels in and around Monteverde:

• Budget: Casitas de Montaña Cabuya – beautiful mountain views, all rooms have a patio and free breakfast
• Mid-Range: Vistaverde Lodge – on site restaurant, breakfast, rustic decor and amazingly scenic views
• Luxury: Hotel Belmar – has a restaurant and spa, plus on-site yoga, and a great breakfast

Day 4: Monteverde

1. Head to Monteverde Cloud Forest

Time needed: 2-3 hours

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is what everyone comes here to see. It’s one of the few cloud forests left on the planet, an ecosystem which has sadly diminished due to climate change (but that they are working very hard to preserve and protect.)

Morning is the best time to visit, as that’s when animals and birds are active and when its less crawling with people.

Similar to Mistico, you can choose between a guided tour, or self-guided.

If seeing wildlife is a priority, then I recommend the morning walk that includes a guide and equipment and starts at 7 am. (Early, I know – but that’s when all the birds and animals are out.)

2. Lunch in the Monteverde village

Time needed: 1-2 hours

You can either head back to your accommodation for lunch, or sit down somewhere in the village of Monteverde.

There are a few nice places to eat (a bit pricey) and lots of Costa Rican souvenir stores.

We ate at the Tree House restaurant in Monteverde, which was great (a little pricey, but that’s to be expected.) Large portions, yummy cocktails and we sat by the window where we had a nice view.

3. Café de Monteverde Tour

Time needed: 2 hours

Monteverde Coffee Farm is a family-owned, sustainable coffee farm. Afternoon tours start at 2pm, you can book in advance on their website here.

It’s a 10-minute drive from the Monteverde village.

The tour takes you through the farm where they grow coffee, and they share a lot of details about how its made. At the end, you get to sample some of their coffee, and they have a nice shop where you can buy some authentic, locally sourced Cost Rican souvenirs.

Their farm also has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and vegetation.

Day 5: Monteverde

Today is going to be an easy day because both the morning and afternoon activity take place in the same place, plus there’s a restaurant on site.

1. Zip-lining at Selvatura Park

Time needed: 2.5 hours

Selvatura Park is a private rainforest just x from the Monteverde village. It’s a large complex where you can take the zip-lining tour from, get lunch, and there’s also a butterfly conservatory and sloth sanctuary that you can explore after lunch.

Do the zip-lining in the morning. You can book the Selvatura Park zip-lining here. It’s about $100 per person, and kids must be at least 4 years old to participate. There are about 15 different zip-lines.

2. Grab lunch at El Jardín

El Jardín is the restaurant right on-site at Selvatura Park headquarters which serves traditional Costa Rican food. Check the menu here.

2. Sloth Sanctuary or butterfly conservatory (or both)

Time needed: 1-2 hours

The sloth sanctuary and the butterfly conservatory are both right beside each other at Selvatura Park, and just a stone’s throw from the El Jardin restaurant.

If you’re in Costa Rica with kids, they’ll love it (my 9 year old was the main reason we came to Selvatura Park.)

But the sloth and butterfly garden tours are very popular for adults too. I saw many adults doing guided tours of them.

Pro Tip: If you like the idea of doing the canopy tour, sloth and butterfly experience, then you can book the “all day tour” through Selvatura Park directly. It’s $165 per adult.

Day 6: Road trip to south Costa Rica

1. Drive to Quepos

Time needed: 3.5 hours + stop at crocodile bridge

Check out of your accommodation, and drive south towards Quepos. The drive out of the mountains will be similar to what it was like driving in.

You’ll notice a huge temperature change as you get closer to Quepos, as its quite chilly in the mountains but gets much warmer as you head to south Costa Rica. We encountered some traffic jams along the way too, so budget for some extra time.

2. Stop at crocodile bridge

Time needed: 10 minutes – 1 hour (if you have lunch there as well)

We made a stop for lunch at Crocodile Bridge, which I’d recommend. Crocodile Bridge is just a regular bridge, right over a river where dozens of crocodiles like to hang out. There are sometimes as many as 10-15 crocodiles hanging out just below the bridge.

There is a restaurant right beside it, an ice cream place, and bathrooms (there is an attendant collecting change.)

You’ll reach crocodile bridge about 2 hours after leaving Monteverde, and 1.5 hours before you arrive in Quepos.

We decided to eat at the restaurant beside Crocodile Bridge, which is buffet style and very good. You can check the menu here.

Pro Tip: I’ve heard of people getting their cars broken in to at crocodile bridge, as the parking lot is across the road from where you eat. Just be sure to lock up, and keep any valuables out of sight.

3. Check into your Quepos accommodation

Quepos is a large coastal town in southern Costa Rica, which is popular because of its proximity to the famous Manuel Antonio Park.

We decided to stay at Parador Nature Resort and Spa which (like many accommodations in the area) looked out onto the Pacific ocean. We loved it. I’m not normally a huge resort person, but the food was great, we loved the pools, the monkey trail, and the staff.

Parador is in the upper to high end in terms of cost. Aside from Parador, here are a few other recommendations of places to stay in the area:

• Budget: Suenos de Amor – free parking, has AC, only 5 km (3 miles) from Manuel Antonio National Park, and near the beach
• Mid-Range: Hotel Playa Espadilla & Gardens – breakfast included, swimming pool
• Luxury: Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge– near Manuel Antonio National Park and surrounded by lush jungle and views of the ocean. Has two pools, two restaurants on-site, fitness centre, and breakfast included

Day 7: Manuel Antonio

1. Tour of Manuel Antonio

Time needed: 2 hours

If you’re not sick of rainforests by now, I highly recommend a tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s very popular, but it has something that most rainforest tours don’t have – a beach.

There’s a phenomenal beach at the end of the tour. It’s completely services with a station about 10 minutes away

It’s a family friendly beach in Costa Rica, but would be good for surfing too.

You have a few options when it comes to visiting Manuel Antonio. You can book a tour that includes round-trip transportation from your hotel, or one that is only one-way transportation, but gives you unlimited time at the beach afterwards:

• Option # 1: 2-2.5 hour guided tour of Manuel Antonio offered through the park. Includes pick up at your hotel, but no return. Spend as much time as you like at the beach afterwards.
• Option # 2: Book a 4 hour tour that includes pick up AND drop off from your hotel
• Option # 3: Make your own way to and from the park, but get a guided tour and some time at the beach on this tour
• Option # 2: For a self-guided tour of the park, simply book an admission ticket here.

For info on how to get to the park, or back from it – click here.

2. Spend time at the beach/at your resort

If you’re spending time at the beach inside Manuel Antonio, then you won’t be disappointed. You can spend as long as you want at this beach. There’s lots of shade, and there are bathrooms. It’s also a popular spot for monkeys to hang out!

When you walk back, you don’t have to go the same way you came. There is a wooden platform path that takes you through the forest back to the entrance.

If you don’t spend time at the Manuel Antonio beaches, there are a few others in the area that you could go to:

• Play Espadilla Norte (not to be confused with the other Playa Espadilla which is inside the Manuel Antonio Park)
• Playa Tulemar (a private beach, only works if you’re staying at Tulemar Resort.)
• Playa La Mancha
• Palo Seco Beach

If you’re not interested in the beach, I would just head back to your resort to spend time there. It’s likely you stayed somewhere that has activities on site, like a spa, swimming pool or hot tub.

We spent a full day just lounging around our resort, which was a nice break.

Day 8: Drive to San José

1. Drive to San Jose

Time needed: 3 hours + optional beach stop

check out of your Quepos accommodation, and start driving to San Jose. It will take about 3 hours to get there from Quepos without stopping.

2. Optional beach stop

There are a few decent beaches to stop at. We aren’t beach people so we didn’t make any stops, but if you want – its the perfect opportunity (and your last one) to spend time at Costa Rica beaches.

Here are some of the beaches you could stop at:

• Playa Hermosa – great for surfing, has all services
• Jaco Beach -known for a party scene at night, has all amenities during the day

3. Check into your San Jose accommodation

• Budget: Hotel Casa 69 -short walk from attractions and breakfast included
• Mid-Range: La Sabana Hotel Suites Apartment 24 hour front desk support, a swimming pool, great breakfast and other amenities
• Luxury: Grano de Oro Hotel is a 10 minute walk from all of San José’s major attractions, they have a famous restaurant that serves gourmet Costa Rican and European cuisine

Day 9: Poas Volcano, and La Paz Waterfall

To make today a bit easier, book this tour which includes Poás Volcano, La Paz Waterfall and a coffee farm. Its 10 hours, and costs $200 per person (includes breakfast and lunch.) If you’d rather not book the tour, then read below on how to explore these things on your own.

1. Visit Poás Volcano

Time needed: 1-2 hours

Poás Volcano is one of the few active volcanoes in the world where you can look right into its crater. It’s located 50 km or 31 miles from San Jose.

You must book your tickets on their website here in advance, as they don’t sell them at the door.

There is a large parking lot at the park, and parking costs 2000 colones (less than $4) to park.

Poás Volcano available with or without a guided tour, and you probably need about 1-2 hours here. (1 hour for main trail only, and 2 hours if you want to do the additional trail.)

2. Visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Time needed: 2 hours

La Paz waterfall is located just across the street from the Poas Volcano National Park.

It’s actually not just one waterfall, but five waterfalls – and they’re apart of what is called La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Nature Park.

At the park, there are walking trails, five different waterfalls to visit (although La Paz is the best and most popular) and also there is a zoo with animals.

Overall, you would likely spend 2-3 hours at the nature park. Book your tickets on their website here.

3. Doka Coffee Tour

If you’re driving yourself, I think that the above two activities could easily take a ful day.

If not though, Doka Coffee Farm is in the area too, and is another fun thing to do if you’re not too tired after the volcano and the waterfall nature park. Book on their website.

Day 10 (LAST DAY): Explore San Jose

For your last day in Costa Rica, explore the capital of San Jose. San Jose is definitely worth a visit, there are a lot of things to do. I recommend:

• Centro Mercado, the large food market in the heart of the city. Open 6am – 6pm, every day except Sunday
• Walk around the main square, called Plaza de Cultura. Get your photo taken in front of the San Jose sign, pictured below
• Visit the Gold Museum (which is underground, right beneath the Plaza de Cultura) which has gold artifacts and jewelry dating back thousands of years
• Do a chocolate-making workshop at Casa de Cocoa

Departure Day

Drop off your rental car at the airport, and board your flight. I hope you had an amazing and memorable time in Costa Rica.

10 Days in Costa Rica FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about spending 10 days in Costa Rica

Is 10 days enough in Costa Rica?

Yes, 10 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Costa Rica. In that time, you can get a mix of everything – waterfalls, rainforests, volcanoes, beaches, and chocolate and coffee farms. Our 10 days in Costa Rica were phenomenal and I’d recommend this time of length to anyone.

How much does 10 days in Costa Rica cost?

I would budget to spend between $1,000 to $3,000 per adult in Costa Rica for 10 days, depending on how pricey your accommodations are. This would cover transportation, all your accommodation, activities, and food. If you want to spend less, then avoid staying in high-end resorts and eat at Costa Rican restaurants rather than Westernized restaurants.

How many days should I spend in Costa Rica?

You will need at least one week in Costa Rica to make the trip worth it, but I would recommend a little bit more time if you can.

Final Thoughts on 10 Days in Costa Rica

I hope this 10 day Costa Rica itinerary has walked you through all the steps you need for this exciting vacation. We planned it for ourselves and it worked out perfectly. You can add, take away or modify anything

The bare minimum amount of time to see the majority of the highlights in Costa Rica is 7 days, but I believe that 10 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Costa Rica, because you have enough time to experience everything that it offers.

Buen Viaje!