Last Updated: May 22, 2025
This Costa Rica itinerary shows you the most efficient way to see the best places in the country in 7 to 10 days. It’s fast-paced but perfect for families and kids of all ages. This itinerary starts and ends at San Jose airport (SJO). It takes you to La Fortuna, Monteverde, and beaches on the central Pacific coast. While it’s not possible to visit every corner of the country in this time, visiting these 3 stops will allow you to see most of the Bucket list must-do’s in Costa Rica. This itinerary can be done any time of the year, even in the rainy season – with or without a rental car.
If you are starting or ending your journey at Liberia Airport, see 7 day itinerary from Liberia or Which Airport should I fly into? Be sure to also check out my Step-by-Step Guide to Costa Rica for Families for more valuable advice on planning and booking your trip. If you want to customize your Costa Rica itinerary, see Build your own itinerary – Best places to go in Costa Rica and Why. Don’t forget to download my free Wildlife Spotting Guide to help you and your kids learn more about the plentiful wildlife they are going to see.
If you choose not to get a rental car, you will need to arrange transfers with a tour company. This is not hard to do, but just requires some extra planning. Most day tours and activities will pick you up from your hotel. For more help deciding, see Renting Vs Not Renting a Car.
Day 0 – Arrival in Costa Rica
Airport arrival: If your flight lands before noon, and you want to get going right away, you can get started with Day 1 of the Costa Rica itinerary. If your flight arrives any later than that, consider staying overnight near the airport and starting your journey the next morning. The roads in Costa Rica are not easy to drive at night and afternoon rains can slow you down even further. There is also the risk of flight delays. Once you land, give yourself at least 1 – 2 hours to clear immigration, get your bags, exchange money and use the restrooms. If you have small kids, you can join the priority line to clear immigration faster.
Rental Car Pickup: If you are picking up a rental car, you will need to find your rental car company counter or look for someone holding a sign with your rental car company name. They will help you get a shuttle to the nearest office to complete your paperwork and deposit payment. There are no companies that do rental car pick-ups directly at the airport. The whole process usually takes up to an hour, but can take even longer if there is a long wait for the car rental shuttle or if multiple people are picking up cars at the same time.
Hilton Garden Inn San Jose Airport is the best option for staying nearby. It has a free Airport Shuttle, swimming pool, and breakfast. It’s connected to the City Shopping Mall, so you can easily walk to more restaurants, shopping, or grab some snacks for the road trip. You can also wait until the next morning to pick up your car to save on a day of rental car costs. The rental car company will bring your car to the hotel or shuttle you to their office.
If you don’t plan to rent a car: You can book a private shuttle transfer directly to La Fortuna, even if you arrive later in the day. A local driver will be more comfortable with the roads even after nightfall.
Should you go into San Jose City? It is about a 30-minute drive into the downtown area, but avoid driving yourself if this is your first time in Costa Rica. San Jose is one of the hardest places to drive in the country, so get an Uber or taxi from your hotel. Overall, the city is not considered a main tourist destination, so you can skip this entirely. But if you are keen to get a feel for this authentic, gritty, Central American city, you might enjoy this food walking tour (last tour is at 3 pm) or the National Museum.
Day 1 – San Jose to La Fortuna
Drive to La Fortuna: Pick up your rental car and begin your drive to La Fortuna. You want to be on the road no later than 2 pm so that you can reach La Fortuna by nightfall. This drive takes about 4 hours. You the option to make two great stops along the way. If you plan to make both stops, begin your drive around 8 am.
Optional Stop 1 – Poas Volcano: About 1.5 hour drive from San Jose, Poas Volcano National Park features one of the largest active volcano craters in the world (nearly 1 mile across and 900 feet deep) with a stunning blue-green acidic lake in the middle. Check the weather about 2 days in advance and reserve your tickets online on the park website.
Keep in mind that conditions are highly unpredictable and it is frequently too cloudy to see anything. The park also closes unexpectedly if there is volcanic activity, and getting a refund can be time-consuming. The park opens at 8 am and the earlier you go, your chances are better to get clear weather. It is a short ten minute walk to the crater from the visitor center and you are allowed about 20 minutes on the viewing platform. Plan about an hour if you make this stop. (Tip: Enter “Poas volcano main parking lot” if you have trouble getting google to give you directions)
Optional Stop 2 – La Paz Waterfall Gardens – If the volcano is closed or it’s too cloudy, consider stopping at La Paz Waterfalls garden instead. You can even do both if you started early enough in the day and you are done at the Volcano by about 11 am. The centerpiece of the park is a series of five stunning waterfalls along the La Paz River, connected by a 1 mile walking trail. The park also has several wildlife exhibits that kids will especially enjoy as an introduction to their upcoming jungle adventures. Grab my free Wildlife Spotting Guide before you go. You can get lunch at one of the several restaurants on-site including a kid-friendly buffet.
Plan about 3-4 hours total for this stop including lunch. Get back on the road by 3 pm to continue your drive to La Fortuna and reach your accommodation before nightfall around 6pm.
La Fortuna: Check into your La Fortuna hotel for 3 nights and rest up after your long journey. Los Lagos Spa and Thermal Resort is my choice for the best overall place to stay for families. Or if you want to shop around, you must check out my Tips to find the best places to stay in La Fortuna, where I break down the pros and cons of different neighborhoods and accommodation types.
Day 2 – La Fortuna – Ziplining, Sloths and Hot Springs
Ziplining Adventure – Start off your morning with an adrenaline rush by booking a ziplining tour. If you have kids, Arenal Ecoglide Park is the best place to go. The guides have tons of experience with kids and they accept zipliners as young as 3! Yes 3! My son was 3 when we did it and he loved it. They even have a learning area to do a practice zipline before committing to the entire course.
With older kids or adults, consider ziplining over La Fortuna waterfalls for the best scenery. Allow about 2 hours for most ziplining tours. Take the 8 am tour if you can get out of bed early enough so that you have more time at the hot springs later.
Sloth Watching at Bogarin Trail – Next, head to Bogarin Trail private reserve for a guided walk along their trails. This is easily one of the best places in the country to see sloths as well as toucans, red-eyed tree frogs and other wildlife. I very highly recommend paying extra for the guided tour. They know exactly where the sloths and other wildlife like to hide. Without their help, you might not see anything at all. The tours take about two hours. Download my FREE wildlife spotting guide for kids before you go.
Hot Springs Resort – For the rest of the day, enjoy soaking in volcano-fed hot springs either at your own resort or with a day pass to another resort. If you want an experience like no other, Baldi Hot springs is a great option for families. They claim to be the largest hot springs resort in the world, with 25 thermal pools surrounded by lush gardens and landscaping. They are moderately priced, don’t need an advance reservation, and kids 5 and under are free. They have some fun features like cave saunas, swim-up bars, dedicated play areas, and water slides for children.
To avoid crowds, head straight to the back of the resort and slowly work your way to the pools in the front. On a weekday, even during peak season, you will likely have some pools entirely to yourself. The lunch or dinner buffet option is also a worthwhile addition to your day pass, with a pasta bar, salad bar, and plenty of desserts that your kids will like.
If these activities are not right for you, See my ranked list of best things to do with kids in La Fortuna so you can customize your day as you wish.
Day 3 – La Fortuna – Safari Float, La Fortuna Falls and Arenal Volcano Hike
Safari Float or White water Rafting – If you have young kids and want a calm experience with wildlife spotting opportunities, book a half-day safari float adventure. These tours include transport to the river, a 2-hour raft ride with a guide, and some refreshments at the end. This is a good opportunity to see monkeys in the wild as they play in the trees above the river. For a more active adventure, book this white water rafting tour with one of the highest rated companies in the area. Allow the entire morning for either activity.
La Fortuna Falls – Next, head to La Fortuna falls near the town center. The view of the waterfalls plunging into the forest below is stunning and a favorite for the front page of travel brochures. You can hike about 500 steps down to the base of the falls, though just a fair warning – your kids might not be so enthusiastic on the way back up. Swimming is sometimes allowed if the weather is good. Plan for 2 hours if you choose to make the trek. Or if you’re tired or short on time, you can just enjoy the viewpoint from up top (but you still have to pay a somewhat pricey entrance fee).
Arenal Volcano Hike – You will be able to see the eastern slope of Arenal volcano from many places in La Fortuna. However, a hike in one of the three parks at the base will get you closer to the western slope. From here you can see the lava flow paths more clearly and walk over black rocks formed by cooled lava. Before heading to the park, look toward the volcano and check the weather. Arenal can be covered by clouds for days at a time, even in the dry season. Most visitors never see the volcano completely unobstructed by clouds.
There are 3 places where you can do the hike – Arenal Volcano National Park (most popular but most crowded), Arenal 1968 and Mirador El Silencio. All have equally good views but the first two require long hikes in hot weather to get to the viewpoint. With kids, I recommend Mirador El Silencio because you can drive right up to the view point and then it is a short 15 minute hike to the lava fields. You do not need a guide but definitely download my Arenal fun fact sheet to make this an educational experience for your kids.
By this point, you would have seen plenty of wildlife and enjoyed some of the best experiences in La Fortuna. If you are staying longer here or want to customize your itinerary, see my ranked list of best things to do with kids in La Fortuna.
Day 4 – Drive to Monteverde and Coffee tour
Scenic Drive around Lake Arenal to Monteverde – On the next day of your Costa Rica itinerary, start early and begin the drive to Monteverde. It should take you about 3-4 hours or so. The drive can be windy, steep, and unpaved in some sections, so take it slow when needed. The drive will take you around Lake Arenal with stunning scenery along the way. There are several places where you can pull over to take pictures and buy a snack of freshly cut fruit from local vendors.
If you don’t have a rental car: Book your transfer from La Fortuna to Monteverde. The transfer includes a boat ride across Lake Arenal. This cuts down on time on the road while also giving you a chance to experience the lake and volcano.
Monteverde – Check into your hotel for the next two nights. Our top two recommendations for families are Hotel Flor de Bromelia (more walkable with stunning views) and Valle Escondido (huge kids play area and on-site restaurant, also with stunning views). If you want to find other options, see my Tips to find the best places to stay in Monteverde.
Coffee Plantation Tour – Costa Rica is world famous for its coffee because its volcanic rich soil allows for some exceptional flavors. Even though you will see coffee and chocolate tours in La Fortuna, the higher elevation at Monteverde is why the best coffee farm tours are located there. Chocolate and sugarcane are newer to Costa Rica and are often included in these tours as well. There are several options to choose from, but I recommend the Don Juan Coffee and Chocolate tour. Their target market is families, so they focus more on interactivity over tedious technical details. We also like this one because kids are served hot chocolate at the end of the tour, so they don’t feel left out while the grown-ups sample the coffee.
Monteverde also has some other great activities. Customize how you spend your time here with my guide to Best activities with kids in Monteverde.
Day 5 – Monteverde – Bird Sanctuary, Hanging Bridges and Night Tour
Curi Cancha Birdwatching – Start your morning early with a walk through the Curi Cancha reserve. In addition to excellent birdwatching opportunities, this private reserve has a hedge maze, hummingbird garden and several massive, hollow ficus trees that you can climb inside. Ficus trees grow around their host tree but completely destroy the tree within, creating a hollow interior.
Guides can be expensive here so feel free to give them a skip if budget is tight. You will likely run across other groups looking through their scopes and cameras, and if you ask nicely, they will share their findings with you. Allow about 2 hours for this visit.
If your primary goal is to spot the Resplendent Quetzal – one of Costa Rica’s rarest and most beautiful birds, I would recommend asking your hotel staff to ask their local guide network on where the latest sightings are. They move around the various reserves throughout the year based on where they can find their food.
Cloud Forest Hanging Bridge Hike – This might just be the single best thing to do in Costa Rica if you only have time to do one thing. Cloud forests are a magical and unique type of rainforest, exceedingly rare elsewhere in the world. The best way to explore them is the hanging bridges hike at Selvatura Park. This private reserve borders the more famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve but it features 8 spectacular bridges, whereas the main reserve just has one. The trail is 2 miles long and is best done as a self-guided walk so you can cherish the solitude of nature at your own pace. The 1 pm entry slot is ideal for Selvatura as the afternoon is more likely to be mistier and cooler. Don’t forget to download my free Fun facts about Costa Rica’s Forests and Conservation before you go.
Optional Butterfly Garden: Consider combining the hike with an add-on visit to Selvatura’s butterfly garden – one of the largest in the Americas. The park also has a sloth and reptile sanctuary but you’ve likely already seen this in La Fortuna so I recommend giving those attractions a skip.
Night Tour – To wrap up your exploration of Costa Rica’s forest wonders, book a 6 pm or 8 pm night tour. There are several to choose from, I recommend Refugio Monteverde for their reasonable prices and smaller group sizes. Monteverde is better than La Fortuna for night tours because the cooler elevation means fewer bugs. Even so, make sure to wear bug protection spray before you head out. Except to spend about 2 hours exploring the whole new nocturnal world of rainforests.
If you want to extend your stay in Monteverde, see Best activities with kids in Monteverde.
Day 6 – Monteverde to the Central Pacific Coast
Optional: Bat jungle – If you or your kids are interested in bats, this small exhibit opens at 9 am and is worth a quick stop before you head out of town. There are two small interactive exhibit rooms explaining the lifestyle and habitats of native bats. This is followed by a dark enclosure filled with rescued bats that you explore with a flashlight.
Drive to the Pacific Coast – Begin your drive to the coast for some relaxing beach time before heading back home. Plan about 3-4 hours for this drive not including the pitstops listed below. If you don’t have a rental car, you can book a private shuttle transfer. Work directly with the transport company to work out the extra cost if you want to make stops along the way.
Crocodiles at Rio Tarcoles bridge – About half hour before you reach Jaco, stop at Crocodile bridge to see dozens of massive American crocodiles sunbathing on the river banks. These pre-historic looking reptiles can grow upto 15 feet in length. Be careful with kids as the walking path is narrow with fast traffic on one side. Be sure to lock all of your luggage in the trunk and take your valuables with you.
Beach Time: Next, it’s time to head to the beach where you will be staying for your final two nights. Costa Rica has two main beach hubs near San Jose – Jaco (1.5 hrs from San Jose), and Manuel Antonio (3 hrs from San Jose). North and south of these beach hubs are long stretches of empty, deserted beaches. See Best Places to go in Costa Rica and Why to get a more in-depth comparison of these two beach destinations.
Since you only have two days to spare, I highly recommend staying on the outskirts of Jaco, and not waste precious hours with more driving. The main town of Jaco has more of a busy, party-vibe, so avoid that area. If you head out a little further, you can find some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. In Costa Rica, your choice of hotel/resort will matter more to your experience than which beach you choose. Here are my top beach recommendations for families, closest to San Jose.
- Club Del Mar at Jaco South– Located on the south side of Jaco, completely away from the main town, this resort is my number one choice for families. It has beachfront access to a very quiet and beautiful section of the beach with calm water for swimming. Most areas along the Central and South Pacific coasts are rough and dangerous, so families love coming here. You are still close to Jaco’s great dining scene, and you can easily get surf lessons or tour pickups from here. They also have larger condos with washers/dryers – a feature you will be immensely grateful for, trust me! Check prices and book here.
- Los Suenos Marriott Resort at Playa Herradura – This is the best large resort on this side of Costa Rica, with a kids club, playground, 18-hole golf course, lots of swimming pools and a spa. It has direct access to the beach, but the sand here is not as nice as other nearby beaches. Choose this if you are more focused on the amazing resort facilities. Check prices and book here.
- Alma Del Pacifico at Playa Esterillos – If you want to completely avoid crowds and visit a beach that feels undeveloped and remote, Alma Del Pacifico is the perfect beachfront hotel for families in this area. Just be careful with kids near the water as the waves can be rough. Check prices and book here.
Turtle Nesting Night Tour (June to December) – Olive Ridley turtles come ashore to lay their eggs during the nesting season from June to December. After the eggs hatch, baby turtles emerge to make their way to the ocean – typically from August to December. During these months, ask your hotel if you can go on a night tour to Playa Hermosa to have a chance of witnessing this incredible phenomenon. However, be aware that Turtle nesting is unpredictable and fluctuates every year. This activity is best with kids older than 5, as it requires staying up late and waiting quietly in the dark.
Related Post: Want to customize this Costa Rica Itinerary or visit more off-the-beaten-path destinations? See Best Places to go in Costa Rica and Why? to get the low down on which places are worth it and which are really not.
Day 7 – Enjoy the beaches at Isla Tortuga or Manuel Antonio
For your final day of vacation before flying home, treat yourself and your family to some relaxation time at the beach or take advantage of your resort’s amenities.
Surfing Lessons – Costa Rica is world-famous as a surfing destination. Consider taking a private family surfing lesson at one of several surf schools in nearby Jaco. The waves here are perfect for beginners, and they cater to all levels of experience, including first-time surfers. If you have kids over the age of 7 and they are comfortable in the water, they can join you, or just watch from the beach.
Horse Riding on the Beach – Another fun option is this 2-hour guided horse riding tour on the beach. No previous riding experience is necessary and young kids can ride with adults.
If you want to extend your Costa Rica itinerary by a few more days, you can also consider these fun day trips
- Day Trip to Isla Tortuga – If you’re looking for a change from the mainland, take an hour-long cruise to this beautiful tropical island paradise with white sand beaches backed by lush jungle. Along the way, you have a chance to spot dolphins and possibly whales from July to April. Most tours include lunch, snorkeling and other activities on the island.
- Day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park – This is the most visited national park in Costa Rica for its wildlife and stunning beaches. However, keep in mind that the park can feel really crowded and requires 2-3 hours of extra time on the road. Since you will likely see plenty of wildlife in La Fortuna and Monteverde, you can give this a skip. If you choose to go, be sure to reserve your tickets in advance on the park website, or book a guided tour.
Day 8 – Return to Airport
For your last day, enjoy some final beach time before heading to the airport for your flight home. San Jose airport can get busy, so allow at least 4 hours to drop off your rental car, take the shuttle to the airport, and get through bag drop and immigration. Remember to fill gas before dropping off your car, there are several gas stations nearby.
Related Post: Want to customize this Costa Rica Itinerary or visit more off-the-beaten-path destinations? See Best Places to go in Costa Rica and Why? to get the low down on which places are worth it and which are really not.
Read Next:
Step-by-Step Travel Guide to Costa Rica for Families – Everything you need to plan your trip
Get a Free Costa Rica Wildlife Guide for kids and other fun facts about Costa Rica
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