The Ultimate 5 Day Costa Rica Itinerary
Planning a 5 day vacation to Costa Rica? If so, this article’s for you.
Costa Rica is a tropical paradise, with natural attractions and fun activities in every corner. With 5 days, you’ll have plenty of time to see some of the top attractions, and have a memorable trip.
I spent over 10 days in Costa Rica, driving from region to region. I flew into San Jose, then drove to La Fortuna, then to Guanacaste, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio (Quepos). If you only have five days. I recommend staying in no more than 1-2 regions.
To help you plan an adventure packed trip with limited time, I’ve put together a sample itinerary. This itinerary will cover how to get around, where to stay, and exciting activities each region has to offer.
Here is my suggested 5 day Costa rica itinerary.
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Day 1-3: La Fortuna
La Fortuna is the perfect place to stay, whether you’re flying into San Jose or Liberia. It’s only a 2-3 hour drive from both airports. La Fortuna is a lush green rainforest town with amazing views of the Arenal volcano all throughout.
It has a walkable downtown area, and several natural attractions that are all within a 15 minute drive. I stayed in an Airbnb in La Fortuna for the first few days, and it was by far my favorite place in all of Costa Rica. In La Fortuna, there are excellent hotel and Airbnb options.
There are a variety of spa resorts with natural hot springs, from the luxurious Tabacon resort to the more budget-friendly Los Lagos Thermal Resort. But you don’t need to stay in these hotels to access the hot springs, as they all offer day passes.
Things to do in La Fortuna
If you’re landing in San Jose, it’s around a 2.5 hour, easy drive to La Fortuna. On the way to Fortuna, you can stop by the Catarata del Toro, Blue Falls, or La Paz Waterfall.
Catarata del Toro is a beautiful, over 200ft waterfall that flows into a volcanic crater. The Blue Falls are seven bright blue waterfalls and natural swimming pools, located at the same entrance to Catarata del Toro.
I hiked to Catarata del Toro and it was really beautiful, but there were over 300 stairs so it’s a crazy leg workout. If you plan on visiting, I recommend just checking out the viewpoint at the top, since it’s equally as great.
And La Paz Waterfall is a lovely waterfall you can see for free off the side of the bridge, or by paying an entrance fee for their nature park.
Day 1: Sloths, Hot Springs
La Fortuna Park
Once you arrive in La Fortuna, stop in La Fortuna Park for a croissant or meal. This is a charming little park in the center of town with a church, and a strip of stores.
There’s cafes, bakeries, restaurants, souvenir shops, and local vendors selling tropical fruit and other goods.
Sloth Tour
After settling into your hotel/accommodation, get your camera ready to spot sloths and other fascinating wildlife on a sloth tour.
La Fortuna is one of the best places in Costa Rica to spot sloths, and there’s three main tours available, the Bogarin Trail ($45/person), Sloth’s Territory ($45/person), and Sloth Watching Trail ($50/person).
I did a self-guided tour of the Bogarin trail and didn’t see any sloths, so I went on a tour of the Sloth Watching Trail downtown. This was the most memorable experience I had on my trip.
Our group was able to spot sloths, lizards, owls, tree frogs, and other wildlife through a telescope with a friendly guide. If you only go on one tour in La Fortuna, I’d highly recommend going on a sloth tour!
Natural Hot Springs
After a long day of driving, soak in La Fortuna’s natural hot springs, heated up by the Arenal Volcano. You can purchase a day pass to any of the following spa hotels:
- The Springs Resort (2 DAY PASS): $105/person, open till 10pm
- Tabacon resort: $89/person, open till 10pm
- Ecotermales: $47/person, open till 10pm
- Los Lagos (CHEAPEST): $25/person, open till 10pm
- Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites: $33/person, open till 8pm
- Baldi Resort: $47/person, open till 10pm
If you’re traveling on a shoestring budget, La Fortuna has one free hot spring, El Choyin. El Choyin is a natural hot spring with warm water, located underneath a bridge, adjacent to the Tabacon resort.
To get here, you’ll park alongside the street leading up to the bridge. There’s parking attendants here that will charge you a few dollars for parking ($3–$5 USD), so make sure to bring cash. Additionally, don’t leave any valuables in your car.
Once you pay for parking, it’s a short hike under the bridge to get to the hot springs. I’d avoid visiting it if it’s raining or at night, as it can get muddy, and there’s no street lights in the area.
Day 2: Waterfall, Rainforest Hike, Chocolate Tour
La Fortuna Waterfall
Start your day off by visiting the iconic Fortuna waterfall. This is a spectacular 246 ft waterfall nestled in the rainforest, with a teal natural pool that you can swim in. There’s an easily accessible viewpoint at top, and over 500 steps to get to the bottom!
Once you reach the bottom, you can cool off in the chilly waters underneath the fall. If you plan on swimming, bring water shoes, as there’s rocks surrounding the natural pool.
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Hike
If you enjoy hiking, head to Mistico Park to hike and spot wildlife in the rainforest. This park has 6 suspension bridges, and is one of the best places to spot animals without a guide.
It’s home to everything from monkeys to coatis (Costa Rican raccoons), owls, and snakes. Plus, you’ll have a beautiful view of the Arenal Volcano while walking over the suspension bridges.
Beyond Mistico Park, you can hike at the Arenal Volcano National Park. If you hike Arenal, you’ll have the best view of Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano peeking out of the clouds. However, it’s not as good for wildlife watching as Mistico Park.
Chocolate Tour
Unwind after a long day hiking by joining an evening chocolate tour. You’ll get to learn how chocolate’s made from bean to bar, and enjoy samples of chocolate, coffee, and a variety of tropical fruit.
Day 3: Driving To Next Region
El Salto Morning Swim
Start your morning off by taking a refreshing dip in El Salto, La Fortuna’s free natural swimming hole. This natural swimming pool is located underneath a bridge, and you’ll only have to pay a few dollars for parking when you arrive.
To get here, you’ll park along the street leading up to the bridge. It has cascading waterfalls, and a swimming pool with a rope swing you can swing off of into the water. I recommend visiting it early in the morning, or when it’s not raining, so the water will be nice and clear.
Driving To Manuel Antonio or Guanacaste
After spending 3 days in the rainforest, it’s time to visit some of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches on the Pacific Coast. If you’re flying out of San Jose, head to Manuel Antonio (4.5 hour drive). But if you’re flying out of Liberia, head to Guanacaste (4 hour drive).
On the way from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, you can stop by the Crocodile Bridge in Puntarenas. This is a unique roadside attraction where you can spot crocodiles in the river, off the side of the bridge! It’s completely free to visit, but just remember to bring a few dollars for parking.
On the way from La Fortuna to Guanacaste, you can make a detour to see the famous Rio Celeste Waterfall. This is one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful waterfalls, and it’s located in the Tenorio Volcano National Park.
To enter the park, you must buy your tickets beforehand on SINAC. It’s definitely worth visiting, but the roads leading up to the park are very rough. So, just make sure to drive extra slowly over potholes, and bring cash for parking.
Day 4-5 (Flying out of San Jose): Manuel Antonio
Things To Do In Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio (Quepos) is a very nice area on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, with beautiful beaches, great wildlife watching opportunities, and tons of activities for visitors.
It’s only a 2.5 hour drive from the San Jose airport, so I spent 3 days in Quepos before leaving Costa Rica. If you want to relax on the beaches near San Jose, I recommend staying in Quepos or Dominical, as they’re much nicer regions than Jaco.
Day 4: Wildlife Watching, Beaches, Ziplining
Manuel Antonio National Park
Start your morning hiking at the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. This is arguably the best place to spot wildlife without a guide in Costa Rica, and it has many beautiful white sand beaches.
There’s hiking trails within the park that lead to scenic viewpoints of the coast and the different beaches. It took me around 3 hours to explore the entire park, and I saw monkeys, lizards, birds, deer, and even a sloth right by the beach!
To enter the park, you must buy your tickets online at SINAC. When you arrive, make sure to park as close to the entrance (by hotel San Bada). There are parking attendants here that charge around $6–$7 USD to park at their private lots.
Ziplining
If you’re up for an adventure, go ziplining and rappelling in the jungle. This tour companies that provide transportation from Manuel Antonio to their adventure parks, where you can go ziplining and enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch.
Day 5: Waterfall Hike, Night Time Jungle Tour
Nauyaca Falls Hike
On your last day in Costa Rica, go on an amazing waterfall hike to Nauyaca Falls. This is a breathtaking tiered waterfall with a large natural pool you can swim in. The hike to get to the waterfall is 5 miles roundtrip (8km) from the main entrance (Don Lulo’s).
It’s a very long but easy hike, and they offer 4×4 and horseback riding tours to the waterfall as well. The main ticketing office closes at 2pm, so just make sure to arrive well before then to buy an entrance ticket.
For full details on how to get there, check out our guide to visiting Nauyaca Falls!
Night Walk At Rainmaker Park
To end your last night in Costa Rica, go on a jungle night walk at Rainmaker Park. You’ll get to spot sleeping birds, tree frogs, and other fascinating nocturnal wildlife. The tours include dinner, and transportation from hotels in Manuel Antonio.
Day 4-5 (Flying out of Liberia): Guanacaste
If you’re flying out of Liberia, I recommend staying in Guanacaste for your last 3 days. Guanacaste has upscale resorts like the Westin and Four Seasons, located less than an hour from the airport. Or, you can stay in a beach town like Tamarindo or Playa Samara.
Tamarindo is a popular surfing beach town with a main strip lined with shops, restaurants and bars. I stayed at the Best Western in Tamarindo for one night, which was within walking distance to the beach. Playa Samara is a more lowkey, family-friendly beach town around an hour south of Tamarindo.
Things To Do In Guanacaste
Day 4: Beach Day
Tamarindo Beach
Head to Tamarindo Beach to swim, surf and relax on the beach. Tamarindo Beach has a lively surfing beach vibe, and a variety of activities for tourists. On the beach, you can take surfing lessons, go horseback riding, or ride ATVs along the coast.
It’s within walking distance from many great cafes, shops, restaurants and bars.
If you prefer less touristy areas, you can have a beach day at Playa Hermosa or Playa Potrero. I visited Playa Hermosa during sunset and it was incredibly beautiful.
Day 5: Volcano Hike, Hot Springs, Waterfall Swim
Horseback Riding, Ziplining, Volcano Hike
For the ultimate adventure on your last day, go horseback riding, ziplining, whitewater rafting, and more with Guachipelin Adventures. Hotel Guachipelin is located just outside of Rincon de la Vieja National Park, where this excursion takes place.
On their tour, you’ll also get to take a dip in natural hot springs and mud baths at Rio Negro Hot Springs. They provide lunch, and full transportation from hotels in Guanacaste.
You can also go on a day trip to hike at Rincon de la Vieja. I hiked Las Pailas trail at Rincon de la Vieja, and saw boiling mud pots, sulfur pools, and a waterfall.
However, the road leading up to the park was incredibly rough, so I wouldn’t recommend visiting it for the hike alone. But, it’s worth visiting if you plan on buying a day pass to the Rio Negro Hot Springs, which is just 10 minutes away from the park.
Visit Nearby Waterfalls
If you prefer chasing waterfalls, Guanacaste has two amazing waterfalls that you can swim in, Llanos de Cortez and La Leona. Both of these waterfalls are within a 30 minute drive of the airport.
Llanos de Cortez is a beautiful 90 ft waterfall that’s easily accessible, and has a large parking lot on site.
La Leona is a stunning turquoise blue waterfall tucked inside of a canyon that’s only accessible by guided hiking tours. The hike takes around 2.5-3 hours, and requires you to swim (with the use of ropes) to get to the waterfall.
5 Day Costa Rica Itinerary Map
Flying Into San Jose Airport
Flying Into Liberia Airport
Summary
Although I spent over a week in Costa Rica, you can have an amazing time with just 5 days. I recommend staying in no more than 1-2 regions, and focusing on nearby attractions to reduce driving time.
For details on what to pack for your trip, check out our essential Costa Rica packing list!
And for more ideas on what to do in each region, see our list of things to do in Guanacaste, Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Manuel Antonio!