You have seen all the images, of the white waterfalls tucked deep inside the lush rainforests, of the sloths snuggling the trees, of the waves crashing on to the shores lined by tropical jungle. Now, it is time for you to live those images in real life. You plan to spend two weeks in Costa Rica but pondering over the perfect itinerary? We have got you covered with this Costa Rica 2 week itinerary covering the country’s best highlights.
We curated this itinerary such that during your two weeks in Costa Rica, you get introduced to all the nature treasures of this magnificent country in Central America, but not without getting a little glimpse of the city life. Following this Costa Rica itinerary, over just two weeks, you will be exploring rainforests and cloud forests, mountains and beaches, volcanoes and waterfalls, and wild animals, birds and marine life, all of which may inspire you to keep returning to this little land of pura vida.
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Activities: Create your Costa Rica travel plan based on our guide about the best activities in Costa Rica.
Hotels near San Jose (SJO) Airport: Looking for hotels near the San Jose Airport? Choose from our list of luxury or boutique hotels, budget, and chain hotel options in this SJO Hotels guide.
Watch our YouTube video below about the essence of Costa Rica and get inspired to book that ticket!
Costa Rica 2-Week Itinerary
This 2-week Costa Rica itinerary considers arrival and departure via the San Jose airport.
In this itinerary, you will be exploring a bit of the city and surrounds, and then head to two of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist destinations, La Fortuna and Monteverde, and finally conclude the trip with a few days in the beautiful beach town of Uvita in the south Pacific region.
Costa Rica Itinerary from Liberia: Check this itinerary if you are flying in to/out of Liberia airport.
Day 1: Arrive at SJO – San Jose Parks and Museums
If you are flying in early, you can spend the day exploring San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. This is the most population dense part of the country and other visitors may recommend you to leave from here as soon as you reach. But allow me to offer a different take here.
Costa Rica is not big on historical sites. In fact, apart from Guayabo National Monument and Finca 6, there are no protected heritage sites open for tourists. The rest of the days on your Costa Rica itinerary, you will delving deeper into knowing nature and wildlife of Costa Rica. So, to get a sniff of the country’s history, on the first day, you can visit the different museums, all clustered around the same region in San Jose.
Some of the popular museums are National Museum of Costa Rica, Jade Museum, Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and Museum of Costa Rican Art. A good way to get introduced to this cultural aspect of the city is to take a walking tour. Later, in the afternoon, you can take a stroll in La Sabana Park, the largest urban park of Costa Rica.
Please note, San Jose airport is actually in Alajuela, not in the San Jose city. If you want to explore San Jose, you can stay in San Jose city, which will be about 30 minutes cab ride from the airport. Else, you can stay in Alajuela which is closer to the airport.
Day 2: La Paz Waterfalls + Poas Volcano + Coffee Tour
For the second day of your Costa Rica itinerary, book a combo tour that will offer you glimpses of some of the country’s highlights – volcano, waterfalls and coffee.
This is a popular day tour from San Jose spanning almost the entire day. The tour includes a Coffee Experience at Doka Coffee Estate, a visit to the Poas Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park.
At Doka Coffee Estate, you get to see and learn about the techniques used for producing and harvesting the delicious Costa Rican coffee.
Only 1.5 hours drive away, Poas Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes of Cental America. You can walk right up to the crater and see up close an emerald crater lake.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park is home to 5 beautiful waterfalls, a hummingbird garden, a trout lake, an old traditional Tico model house and a wildlife refuge that provides rehabilitation in a natural setting for rescued animals that are incapable of living in the wild anymore.
Check out these interesting tour options in San Jose.
Day 3: San Jose > La Fortuna – La Fortuna Waterfall + Hot Springs
On Day 3, you transfer from San Jose to a new destination, La Fortuna. It is located about 130 km (81 miles) away and the drive takes a little over 2.5 hours.
La Fortuna is one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica. Located in the northern plains of Costa Rica, it is a small but prosperous town where you will find plenty of things to do.
Catarata La Fortuna
After you check-in to your La Fortuna hotel and settle in, head to La Fortuna waterfall. It is a lovely white waterfall that drops 70 meters (230 feet) into a sparkling green natural pool. You do need to put in a bit of work to reach this waterfall. The trail from entrance to the waterfall has 500 steps but are well-paved and are in excellent condition. However, despite the little hike, spending time at La Fortuna waterfall, surrounded by the lush rainforests, is deeply refreshing.
Watch our YouTube video below about La Fortuna waterfall.
La Fortuna Hot Springs
In the evening, wash away all your travel exhaustion by relaxing at what La Fortuna is best know for, the hot springs. The geothermal activities caused by the Arenal volcano feed the hot springs of La Fortuna.
If you are staying at a hot springs resort, you will have free access to all their thermal pools for the entire duration of your stay. Otherwise you can buy a day pass or a night pass for any of the hot springs of La Fortuna.
Some of the popular hot spring resorts are Tabacon, Baldi, Los Lagos, Paradise, Springs. Another option for some hot springs relaxation is Eco Termales, which is run independently and not as part of any resort.
Read about our experience at Eco Termales Hot Springs, a romantic setting in the rainforest.
Day 4: Rio Celeste Waterfall
On Day 4, take a day trip from La Fortuna to visit one of the most stunning waterfalls of Costa Rica, Rio Celeste.
The gushing white waterfall drops into a dreamy sky-blue colored natural pool. There is a spiraling staircase that leads you to the viewing platform near the waterfall. You cannot swim here, but the views are more than enough to keep you enticed. If you do not want to hike down all way via those hundreds of steps, you can still get beautiful views of the Rio Celeste waterfall surrounded by lush green tropical forest.
Rio Celeste waterfall is part of the Tenorio Volcano National Park. After completing the waterfall trail, you can explore the other trail that takes you through different secondary volcanic activities and at the end the confluence of two rivers, where Rio Celeste gets its bright blue color.
From La Fortuna, it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the park entrance, which is located 68 km (42 miles) away.
To know more about this waterfall, read our guide on Rio Celeste and Tenorio Volcano National Park.
This is a guided full-day tour option to Rio Celeste from La Fortuna.
Day 5: La Fortuna – Sloths, Birds and Volcano
Divide Day 5 of your Costa Rica itinerary into two parts, the first part focused on spotting birds and sloths, and the other part for getting close to the mighty Arenal volcano.
Bogarin Trail
Bogarin Trail is a glaring example of how nature rewards you if you take care it.
For years, the land was left open allowing the growth of forests to take its natural course. Along came new residents on the trees, several sloths that now inhabit the Bogarin Trail. Not just sloths, you can also spot a variety of birds while walking on these trails as well as at the natural feeder near the reception office.
Read this post for more detailed information about visiting Bogarin Trail in La Fortuna.
Arenal Volcano Lava Trails
For the second part of the day, go for a hike on the lava trails created from past eruptions of the Arenal volcano. There are two ways to experience this activity.
The first option is to hike on the trails of the Volcano Sector of Arenal Volcano National Park. Few kilometers away, the national park also has a Peninsula Sector that takes you closer to the Arenal Lake with views of the volcano as the backdrop. Check out our detailed guide for visiting both sectors of Arenal Volcano National Park.
The other option is to go on a hike on the trail of the privately owned Arenal 1968.
While both the options are good for the hike and views of the volcano, we feel the Arenal 1968 trail has better views to accompany you and for longer. From almost all parts of the trail, you get to see the perfectly shaped Arenal Volcano surfacing from a vast expanse of green plains.
Day 6: La Fortuna > Monteverde
On Day 6, you transfer from La Fortuna to the other popular destination of Costa Rica, Monteverde. It takes more than 3 hours to cover this distance of 122 km (76 miles).
The drive will take you past the vast Arenal Lake and beautiful vistas of rolling green mountains. To add one more to the list of chasing waterfalls in Costa Rica, you can also make a stop at the Viento Fresco waterfalls en route.
The journey from La Fortuna to Monteverde is not very long but can be tiring as a fair bit is on the winding mountain roads. Although there are plenty of things to do in Monteverde, take it easy on the first day. Eat a good meal, explore the town center, sip on Monteverde coffee and end the day by watching a glorious sunset.
But, even after the journey between La Fortuna and Monteverde, if you are up for some night time adventure, go for a guided night walk in Monteverde. You will get the chance to spot those animals and birds, arthropods, amphibians and reptiles that only become active after the night falls.
Day 7: Monteverde – Zip-lining + Hanging Bridges / El Tigre Waterfalls
Conclude the first of your two weeks in Costa Rica with some adventure.
For Day 7 on your Costa Rica itinerary, try one of Costa Rica’s favorite adventure activities, zip-lining. This is commonly known as Canopy Tour as you would be zipping over the exuberant forest canopies of Costa Rica. Monteverde is a great place to try this activity because you can get a feeling of floating on the clouds when you slide over the cloud forests on a good weather day.
Another way of observing the cloud forest canopies from above is to walk on the hanging bridges. The trails run a few miles long with insertion of 5-8 hanging bridges, some of them reaching as high as 50 meters (164 feet). A self-guided walk on the hanging bridges takes about couple of hours to complete the trail.
There are multiple adventure tour companies in Monteverde that offer singular or combo tours of hanging bridges and zip-lining, with some of them even throwing in some extras like hummingbird garden or sloth sanctuary in the combo packages. You can also opt to include transportation from and to your hotel in Monteverde.
Check out guided organized tour options:
Day 7 Alternative: Monteverde – El Tigre Waterfalls Hike
If you have fear of heights and would like to skip zip-lining, but are still seeking some adventure, a great alternative can be El Tigre Waterfalls hike. It is a private property where you can go on hiking for 8 km (5 miles) through rugged jungle trails to visit 4 fabulous waterfalls. Along the way, you also get to cross a few rustic hanging bridges.
After visiting all the 4 waterfalls, the return path is steep uphill. You can eliminate this part of the hike by taking the full tour that includes a 4X4 or a horseback ride for the return to the reception office.
El Tigre Waterfalls hike is one of our favorite activities in Monteverde. If you want to do the zip-lining and hanging bridges tour and have an extra day to spare in Monteverde, go for this hike.
Read about our complete experience of hiking El Tigre Waterfalls trail in this post.
Day 8: Monteverde – Birdwatching and Cloud Forest Hike
The eighth day on your 2-week Costa Rica itinerary is all about getting immersed in the gift of nature. The highlight for this day will be birds, wildlife and hiking in the cloud forest.
Birdwatching
Curi Cancha Reserve is a great place for birding. You can walk on the well marked trails where you are likely to find exotic looking birds or may even come across some land animals like agoutis or coatis. Keep an eye out for the elusive Resplendant Quetzal, but do not miss out on other birds like trogons, honeycreepers and hummingbirds among others.
The reserve opens at 7:00 am for self-guided hikes. Our tip is to start as early as you can so that you get to capture the busy morning activities of the birds. You can also buy spots for guided hikes that start earlier, at 6:30 am.
Cloud Forest Hike
After an early morning birding session at Curi Cancha, go for a day hike or an afternoon hike in the cloud forests. There are 3 different reserves in Monteverde that you can choose from for the hike.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is a large private reserve with different trails that introduce you to the characteristics of a typical cloud forest and lead you to different view points such as a hanging bridge, a waterfall deck and the Continental Divide.
Santa Elena Reserve is another great option for hiking in the cloud forest. There are different trails of varying lengths that will take you deep inside the moist forests. There is also an observation tower from where you can see as far as the Arenal volcano on a clear weather day.
Children’s Eternal Rainforest is the largest private reserve of Costa Rica. From Monteverde, you can access the Bajo del Tigre sector of the reserve. In this part, the forest transitions from rainforest to cloud forest. Look out for animals and birds while walking on the trails of Bajo del Tigre.
Day 9: Monteverde > Uvita
On Day 9 of your Costa Rica 2 week itinerary, you bid bye to the cloud forest of Monteverde and head to your next and last destination, Uvita. We have saved the beach destination for the last! But Uvita is not your typical sun, sea and sand kind of place. Instead, packed between the rainforest covered mountains and the south Pacific coast, this town is a place of rugged beauty where you will find plenty of things to do.
Located 237 km (147 miles) away from Monteverde, it takes more than 4 hours to reach Uvita, without breaks and without traffic. However, we would recommend couple of cool places for pitstops on this route.
The first one is Tarcoles Bridge, popularly known as Crocodile Bridge. As the name suggests, this is a bridge from where you can spot a lot of crocodiles. You can park at one end of the bridge, and take a short walk on either walkway on the side of the bridge. Take in the views of the greenery around and the Tarcoles river down below. We always have fun counting the number of crocodiles we spot, on land and in the water. Yes, you can spot that many crocodiles!
The other one is Mirador de Jaco. Similar to Tarcoles Bridge, this one is also right on the highway and does not need any detour. It is an observation deck from where you get nice views of the Jaco beach and the Jaco town. If you have keen eyes for birding, look out for scarlet macaws in flight. This region is densely inhabited by these exotic birds.
Day 10: Uvita – Whale Watching & Waterfall
You can divide Day 10 of your Costa Rica itinerary into two parts, for different activities. In the morning, go for a whale watching tour in the ocean waters of Uvita. After lunch, visit the Uvita waterfall in town.
Whale Watching in Uvita
Humpback whales frequent the tropical waters of Marino Ballena National Park for most part of the year. That is why whale watching tours in Uvita make for a great chance to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat. Between the months of July and November, you may have higher chances of spotting mother and baby whale duos. The tour takes 3-4 hours. There are few companies in town, like Ballena Aventura and Bahia Aventuras who offer this tour.
Uvita Waterfall
After the whale watching tour, grab a delicious lunch and spend the afternoon at Uvita waterfall. Make it as relaxing or as adventurous as you please. Surrounded by lush jungle, Catarata Uvita is a small waterfall that plunges into a green pool. You can take a refreshing dip in this pool for relaxation or for a little adrenaline rush, you can walk up to the cliff and slide down the waterfall!
Check out our detailed guide to visiting Uvita waterfall.
Day 11: Uvita – Whale’s Tail & Beach Hopping
Your next day in Uvita can be all about beach hopping, or being stationary at any of the excellent beaches for some lazing under the sun.
But start your day with a unique beach experience – walk on the Whale’s Tail on Playa Uvita!
Uvita beach has a distinctive feature. During the low tides, a strip of sandy beach emerges as the ocean waters from both sides roll back. The end of this beach strip is lined by some rocks protruding from the ocean. From above, this part of the beach, known as Punta Uvita looks like a whale’s tail, and thus Playa Uvita gets its name of Whale’s Tail beach.
Check the tide timings and plan to walk on the Uvita Whale’s Tail before the high tide takes over it.
Watch our YouTube video below about the unique Whale’s Tail formation at Uvita beach.
After exploring the Whale’s Tail, you can either spend the rest of the day at Uvita beach or explore some of the other beaches in the area. Playa Hermosa is a beautiful long stretch of sandy beach, where despite the crowd, you can find a spot of your own. Further south, Playa Ventanas is a local’s favorite beach where you get to see caves forming ventanas (windows) of views.
Another beach, which is also part of the Marino Ballena National Park, is Playa Piñuelas. Not many people visit this beach and the entry is also a bit tricky. But we spent an afternoon here and watched one of our most stunning sunsets in Costa Rica.
Day 12: Uvita – Corcovado Day Trip
When you are in Uvita, grab the chance to take a day trip to Corcovado National Park. With its abundance of flora and fauna, this national park is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, holding 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity.
On a guided hike on the trails of Corcovado, you can expect to see animals like Baird’s tapir, peccary, anteater, 4 species of monkeys and thee-toed sloth among others. Also, keep an eye out in the water for sightings of crocodiles and up in the tree for sightings of birds like trogons, crested guans and toucans.
From Uvita, Corcovado day tour is a long trip, which includes ocean transfers by boat. But it is still a great opportunity for exploring one of Costa Rica’s best national parks.
Check out this article to know more about the incredible wildlife in Costa Rica.
Day 13: Uvita > Dominical > San Jose
The SJO airport is about 210 km (130 miles) from Uvita. So, for your homeward bound flight next day, it is best to reach San Jose or Alajuela the day before so that you can avoid any delays on road transfers. For the night, book a hotel closer to the airport, and check if they can arrange for a free airport shuttle (not required if you are renting a car).
On the trip from Uvita to San Jose/Alajuela, you can make some stops along the way to explore other beaches or beach towns. Dominical is a small beach town popular for surfing and laid back vibes. You can stop here for lunch and for some beach time. If you are looking for some quieter beach, go to Playa Dominicalito.
For ideas on where to eat, check out this restaurants guide for Dominical and Uvita.
If you want to sneak in one last Costa Rica hike before leaving for San Jose, visit the Nayuaca waterfalls, one of the most gorgeous waterfalls of Costa Rica. If you are not up for the long hike on a travel day, you have the options of taking a tour on 4X4 truck or on horseback.
Day 14: Fly out from San Jose
On the last day of your two weeks in Costa Rica, enjoy one last breakfast with the typical Gallo Pinto and Costa Rican coffee. Let the taste and the smell linger as you pack your backs and head to the San Jose airport for flying back home. As the flight takes off, look down to see how beautiful this country is and start planning your next Costa Rica itinerary!
Hotel Recommendations for 2 Weeks in Costa Rica
Costa Rica being a popular tourist destination, you will find plenty of accommodation options, ranging from hostels to hotels, boutique guesthouses to luxury resorts. Choose your pick based on your budget, but here are some of our recommendations for the destinations covered in this 2 weeks in Costa Rica itinerary.
San Jose
- Barcelo San Jose: Located in a quieter area of San Jose, this mid range hotel has all the amenities from air-conditioned rooms to outdoor pool and tennis court. Click here to check prices.
- Hilton San Jose La Sabana: Part of the renowned Hilton group, this hotel is located within walking distance of La Sabana Park and National Stadium. Check the nightly prices and availability here.
- Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport: This accommodation option is closer to the airport, has modern accommodation, features pool and gym, and offers free airport transportation. Check prices and availability here.
- Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport: Part of the IHG group, this hotel offers 24 hour free airport shuttle along with their nicely appointed rooms, outdoor pool and gym. Click here to book your stay.
La Fortuna
- Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa: A perfect accommodation option to celebrate a special occasion, this luxury resort also features one of the most romantic hot springs in La Fortuna. Check prices and availability here.
- The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort: A luxury stay option with volcano view rooms, this adults-only resort has onsite hot springs and an indulgent spa. Click here to check tariff and availability.
- Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa: Located in the Arenal Conservation Area, this lodge offers the closest views of the Arenal volcano from the room. The property has nice nature trails that provide great birding opportunities. Click here to book your stay.
- Hotel Lomas del Volcan: The hotel offers spacious wooden cabins with refrigerator, coffeemaker, flat-screen TV and in some cabins, private hot tubs. The nightly tariff includes a great breakfast. Check prices and availability here.
For more ideas on hotel options, check out our article on where to stay in La Fortuna.
Monteverde
- El Establo Mountain Hotel: It is a high-end hotel with incredible views, two onsite restaurants, a spa and a swimming pool. Click here to book your stay here.
- Rainbow Valley Mountain Lodge: It is a mid-range option located on the highway few miles ahead of Monteverde. Each accommodation is an independent unit with kitchenette. Click here to book your stay.
- Cabañas Hoja Verde: It is a private cabin in the woods, great for isolated stays. The cabin features a living room, bedroom, balcony, fully equipped kitchen and a secure parking. Click here to to check prices and availability.
- Greemount Hotel: It is a family-run budget hotel offering basic no frills accommodation with comfortable bed, hot water, homemade breakfast, parking, WiFi, a common area with reading nooks and games. Check prices and availability here.
Uvita
- Oxygen Jungle Villas: This is a luxury boutique hotel consisting of private jungle view or ocean view villas, a spa, an infinity pool and an onsite waterfall trail. Check prices and availability here.
- La Cusinga Lodge: Featuring ocean view rooms with wooden decor, this lodge has an excellent onsite restaurant and a direct access to the secluded Arco beach. Click here to book your stay.
- Hotel Marino Ballena: A mid-range accommodation option in Uvita, this hotel features an outdoor pool and has rooms with balconies some of which offer mountain views. Check prices here.
- Laureles Collection Uvita: Located close to town center, this no frills hotel offers free WiFi, budget accommodation options in air-conditioned rooms and has an excellent onsite restaurant. Click here to book your stay.
For more ideas on hotel options, check out our article on where to stay in Uvita.
Read our review of Oxygen Jungle Villas.
What to Pack for 2 Weeks in Costa Rica?
Read our article on Costa Rica packing guide listing all the things that you need to pack for Costa Rica. We have also included a FREE checklist to help you at the time of packing.
How to Get Around in Costa Rica?
The best way to get around Costa Rica is to rent a car. It will allow you the flexibility of choosing your start and stop times and the independence of doing what you would like to do and when.
For this 2 weeks Costa Rica itinerary, you do not need a 4X4 vehicle. However, we would recommend renting a car with higher ground clearance as you may come across unpaved roads.
If you do not prefer driving in Costa Rica, you can take public transport between major destinations and coordinate with hotels or tour companies for pick and drop service on tour days. Or else you can rely on shared shuttles for all legs of your transfers. Work with the hotels to get all transfers pre-arranged.
Final Thoughts
Costa Rica may be small in size, but almost all its corners warrant a visit due to the country’s rich biodiversity. In this itinerary, you have covered some of Costa Rica’s most coveted destinations and some lesser known ones too. Yet there is so much more to explore.
At the end of your two weeks in Costa Rica, you will return home with memories to cherish for a lifetime and possibly a secret desire to come back to get to know more of this country. If the latter is applicable, check out our Costa Rica Itinerary Corner and start collecting ideas for your next trip to Costa Rica!
Travel Planning Logistics
- Accommodation: For several years now, Booking.com has been our platform of choice for booking accommodation while traveling. You can apply all the desired filters and shortlist the ones that meet your criteria. On continued use, you will keep unlocking their Genius benefits. For long term stays, we use Airbnb. Of late, we have also started browsing Hostelworld for finding hostels.
- Tours: When traveling to new destinations, you can plan ahead and book your activities. Check for highly rated tours on Viator and Get Your Guide.
- Packing: From swimwear to sunscreen, hiking pants to insect repellents, buy your vacation packing essentials on Amazon.
- Flights: We always start our flight searches with Skyscanner and Momondo. They are aggregators that display flight options, compiling information across airlines and combinations. What we like the best about these flight aggregators is that you can put “Anywhere” as your destination, so that you find the best flight deals from your city of departure.
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Cuánto sale esta excursión?
Gracias por tu pregunta. Compartimos información y nuestras experiencias en el sitio web de Paradise Catchers para ayudar a otros a planificar sus propios viajes. No organizamos ni vendemos ningún tour en este momento. Pero pronto vamos a escribir sobre una guía de planificación de presupuesto para viajar en Costa Rica 🙂