Last Updated: September 29, 2025
If you have two weeks to spend in Costa Rica—congratulations! Two weeks is plenty of time to get a taste of what this small Central American country has to offer. To get the most out of your vacation, there is one important thing to keep in mind when planning your itinerary. Don’t be fooled by how close destinations appear on a map. Costa Rica may be only the size of West Virginia/Switzerland but getting from one place to the next can take a full day due to poor road conditions, traffic, and mountainous terrain. The two-week itinerary below aims to show the best of Costa Rica while keeping travel times to a minimum. We suggest three destinations in an order that will let you experience beautiful mountains, beaches, and lush jungle, without spending too much time on the road.
Day 1: Arrive at San Jose International (SJO) airport. Stay overnight in the San Jose area.
Flights generally start arriving mid-day at SJO, so by the time you get through customs, immigration, and get your luggage (about one hour), it is already early afternoon. After a long day of travel, we recommend staying overnight in the San Jose area and getting an early start the next day.
Tip: Stay in Alajuela, which is actually closer to the international airport than San Jose. Hotel Buena Vista, in the surrounding hills, is a great option for those looking for a peaceful escape and panoramic views. Or, if you’d like something closer to the airport, try Hotel La Rosa de America, a charming hotel with typical Costa Rican decor and friendly staff.
For more lodging recommendations, read our post Best Hotels Near SJO Airport.
Days 2-4: Retreat to the Highlands and visit Costa Rica’s famous Arenal Volcano.
La Fortuna is a great place to start your Costa Rica vacation.
An unhurried downtown provides visitors with just enough convenience while surrounding plantations and mountain villages give a glimpse into the laid-back Tico lifestyle. A low rumble felt from the snoozing Arenal Volcano will be sure to wake your senses, but if you need more, try some of the many adrenaline-pumping activities available right outside town like zip lining, waterfall rappelling, or whitewater rafting.
Getting There
Renting a car is a great option for this part of your trip. It’s less than a three-hour drive from San Jose, and the rolling green mountains you maneuver will have you pulling over for plenty of amazing photo ops. Before getting behind the wheel, though, know that driving in Costa Rica can be an adventure in itself. Roads and highways are sometimes steep and curvy, and the locals seem to forget their laid-back nature when driving.
If you decide to rent a car, check out this special discount for our readers to save 10% and get free extras.
If you’d rather leave the driving to the pros, you could opt for a private or shared shuttle van service. These vans are very popular and also reliable. We describe how each type works and how to book one in our post Shuttles in Costa Rica. The cost of a shared shuttle from San Jose to La Fortuna is around $60/adult. A private shuttle for up to 8 people is $200.
Finally, if you’re looking to save some cash, take the direct bus from San Jose to La Fortuna (4-5 hours) for about $7.
Things to Do in La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano National Park
Arenal is one of Costa Rica’s five active volcanoes. In its heyday, it spewed bright orange lava on a near daily basis. Although Arenal’s activity has slowed considerably since 2010, it is still a spectacular sight. At over 1,633 meters (5,358 feet) tall, this perfectly conical shaped volcano towers behind the town of La Fortuna.
For the best view, hit the trails at Arenal Volcano National Park (easiest terrain) or one of the private reserves like Mirador El Silencio (moderate hike with view of volcano and a green lake) or Arenal 1968 (moderate hike at larger facility with a restaurant). We’ve hiked at all three of these spots and they all offer wonderful volcano views.
La Fortuna Waterfall
Just outside town, you’ll find a stunning waterfall that plummets 70 meters (230 feet) into a deep pool, perfect for swimming. La Fortuna Waterfall is accessible via a 15-minute hike down a steep set of well-maintained stairs or by horseback or ATV. Be sure to bring your swimsuit for a refreshing dip in the cool waters. This activity is perfect for families.
Traveling with kids? Be sure to check out our Costa Rica with Kids page for tons of family travel tips.
Learn more about La Fortuna’s famous waterfall with our post. Admission is $18/adult.
Hot Springs
After a day of hiking, reward yourself with a relaxing soak in one of the area’s naturally occurring thermal hot springs. You can make a day of it by visiting a resort like Tabacon (most famous hot spring resort), Ecotermales (smaller, more intimate setting), or Baldi (larger, family-friendly facility). Or if you’re on a budget, ask a local where to find the free springs that flow in the area.
Hanging Bridges
If hanging bridges are on your list, La Fortuna is the perfect place. The Arenal area has a well-known hanging bridges facility called Mistico where you can traipse through the treetop to enjoy amazing views of the lush rainforest.
If you’re planning on a zip-line tour, you can also do hanging bridges as part of that experience. Our post on Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica has more information.
We have several posts to help plan your visit to La Fortuna:
La Fortuna: What to Expect from Costa Rica’s Most Popular Destination – Our full destination guide with more details about the town, things to do, restaurants, and accommodations.
La Fortuna Hotel Guide: Where to Stay Near Arenal Volcano – Tips on the best locations in town and 10+ hotel recommendations for all budgets.
Unique Things to Do Near La Fortuna – Our picks for the best activities in La Fortuna. Hanging bridges, nature and wildlife tours, adventures, and culture.
Days 5-9: Head south to the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world—and that’s not just our opinion. Playa Espadilla has been so named by several publications and was even ranked the best beach in Central America by TripAdvisor.
But this area offers travelers more than only a great beach. With a plethora of hotels, restaurants, and bars catering to all budgets, and nature at your doorstep, it’s no wonder Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s top tourism destinations.
Getting There
This is one trip where we do not recommend taking the public bus. There is no direct bus from La Fortuna to Quepos/Manuel Antonio, so you need to change buses several times, making for a long day.
Instead, opt for a shuttle or rent a car. Shared shuttles are around $62 per person. Private shuttles are around $350 for up to 4 people.
If you’re comfortable driving, a rental car would come in handy for day trips. Not only would one let you explore lesser known spots near Manuel Antonio, but you could also visit more secluded areas to the south.
Visiting Costa Rica for the first time? Be sure to check out our First-Time Visitors Guide for essential tips on choosing an airport, climate, and packing.
Things to Do in Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio National Park
Spend the morning exploring the many trails to see white-faced monkeys, sloths, and other jungle creatures in this picturesque park. For the afternoon, relax and swim at Playa Manuel Antonio, a beautiful cove off the main trail.
This park is perfect for families because it has fairly flat terrain and easy-to-spot wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and many types of birds. Our family has been several times and it’s always a hit with the kids since wildlife is practically around every corner.
For more specific information about the park, read our post Manuel Antonio National Park: Hiking, Wildlife, and Beautiful Beaches.
Tours
Manuel Antonio is a great jumping off point for tours. There are a number of operators in town where you can book all kinds of activities, including zip lining, canyoning combo tours, whitewater rafting, ATV, mangrove tours, kayaking, parasailing, sport-fishing, catamaran cruises, and surf lessons.
Check out our Manuel Antonio Activities Guide for more ideas, or view the tours we can help you book on our Manuel Antonio Tours page.
Day Trip to the Wild Southern Zone
The Whale Marine Park, Marino Ballena
About an hour down the coast is the Costa Ballena region, where lush rainforest meets the sea. In the quiet town of Uvita lies one of Costa Rica’s only marine national parks. Here, you’ll find another beautiful beach and the famous whale tail, a naturally occurring sandbar formed by converging ocean currents.
Nauyaca Waterfalls
Another stunning sight in this area is the Nauyaca Waterfalls. This two-tiered waterfall is one of the most beautiful cascades in all of Costa Rica. You can access it by hiking or by truck or horseback. Read our full post for more details.
For lots more information about Manuel Antonio, read our posts:
Manuel Antonio: Costa Rica’s Wildlife Beach Town – Complete destination guide with more information on getting there, activities, restaurants, and local tips.
Manuel Antonio Hotel Guide: Ocean Views, Rainforest, and Wildlife – Best places to stay in and around town with recommendations for all budgets.
Days 10-12: End your trip with adventure and relaxation in Drake Bay.
By this point in your trip, Costa Rica’s pura vida attitude will have set in. You’ll feel more relaxed and be ready to experience Drake Bay in all of its glory. Located in the dense jungle of the Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay is a nature lover’s playground. Here you can find some of Costa Rica’s most rare species like Baird’s tapir, white-lipped peccaries, and if you’re lucky, even big cats.
Drake Bay is also the perfect retreat for those of you looking to unplug and unwind. The village consists of only a handful of hotels, lodges, and camps, and with very few restaurants in town, most accommodations provide everything you need, including meals.
Getting There
With few roads going in and out of Drake Bay, access is limited. While you can technically drive there, we don’t recommend it due to the rugged terrain. The good news is that you really don’t need a car in Drake Bay and there are much easier ways to get there.
An affordable and fun option is to take a boat taxi up the Sierpe River. If you book lodging in advance, your lodge will probably make the arrangements for you. The ride lasts about an hour and is a tour in itself through miles of mangrove. Grab it at Las Vegas or La Perla, two restaurants in the small riverside town of Sierpe. For those with a rental car, secure parking is available for around $8/day.
Things to Do in Drake Bay
Hiking in Corcovado National Park
Corcovado is the largest lowland rainforest on the Pacific coast. Its climate can be best described as intensely hot and soupy. While hiking under such extreme conditions should not be taken lightly, there is no substitute to the park’s biological richness.
For the serious trekker, extend your vacation with a multi-day backpacking excursion, entering the park at San Pedrillo Ranger Station and exiting at La Leona Ranger Station (37 km/23 miles). Or if you’d rather skip the days of hiking and see the park in a single day, arrange a boat tour to Sirena Ranger Station, the area of the park with the most visible wildlife. Our post on visiting Sirena Station has more information.
Snorkeling or Diving at Cano Island
Cano Island is one of the best places in Costa Rica for diving and snorkeling. Along the reefs around the island, you can see things like puffer fish, turtles, and huge schools of jack fish. We’ve snorkeled at Cano a couple of times and were lucky enough to see a white-tip reef shark on one of our visits.
The waters around Cano are notably rich in marine life so be sure to keep your eyes peeled to and from the mainland for dolphins and even whales, which come to the area to breed.
Hike to Playa San Josecito
For a long day hike, check out San Josecito Beach. The trail from Drake Bay, which follows the coast, offers scenic vistas and a chance to see wildlife like Scarlet Macaws, toucans, and all four types of monkeys that live in Costa Rica. Be sure to bring your snorkel gear as this beach has some of the best onshore snorkeling we’ve seen in Costa Rica.
For more information about visiting Drake Bay, including details on how to get there and hotel recommendations, read our post Drake Bay: Costa Rica Unplugged.
Day 13: Head back to San Jose.
To make your international flight out of Costa Rica, you’ll probably need to head back to the San Jose area the day before. You can take a boat taxi back to Sierpe, then catch either the public bus or a shuttle, or pick up your rental car. The public bus for San Jose leaves from the nearby town of Palmar Norte. The ride from Palmar Norte is about six hours, giving you a total trip time of eight hours.
Shuttles are a faster option and are available for pick up right from the boat docks in Sierpe. This is not a common shared shuttle route so a private shuttle for around $375 for up to 4 people is your best option.
Be sure to plan in advance because boat taxi service is limited.
Note that we no longer recommend small planes in Costa Rica due to safety and reliability problems. Read our full post on Domestic Flights for more information.
Day 14: Head home.
Hopefully through this two-week itinerary you’ve enjoyed your stay in Costa Rica and have some fond memories to take back home. Two weeks is certainly enough time to get a sense of what Costa Rica is all about, but there’s plenty more to see if you’re already ready for another visit. We know what that’s like. After our first week-long trip in 2007, we were hooked, scoping out other areas of the country to explore on the plane ride home. Watch out Costa Rica lovers, because as of 2013, we live here!
Have questions about this itinerary? Leave us a comment below.
Looking for more info to help plan your trip? Check out these posts:
Costa Rica Itinerary from Liberia Airport – Flying into Liberia instead of San Jose? This is the itinerary for you.
Costa Rica with Kids: A 10-Day Itinerary – This itinerary takes you to La Fortuna and a family-friendly beach town.
Itineraries: Browse all our sample itineraries in one place.
Destinations Guide: View all 50+ destinations that we cover on this website. Includes a summary of each town/city and interactive map for easy planning.
Cost of Traveling in Costa Rica – Costa Rica is more expensive than some other Central American countries. This post will give you a general sense of how much things cost, including hotels, restaurants, transportation, and tours.
