This 10-day itinerary starts in the Guanacaste region and ends in San Juan. There are plenty of other beautiful areas of Costa Rica to explore, but I feel this was an amazing introduction to Costa Rica with the perfect balance of adventure, sightseeing, and relaxation. This was originally designed to be a family trip, so some activities here are suitable for children, although we ended up leaving the kids at home.

We definitely recommend renting your own car; driving is a great way to explore the country and road conditions are excellent! Our preferred car rental agency is National, and we did a one way rental picking up at LIR and dropping off at SJV. We rented a SUV for $1,250 total, which wasn't bad in my opinion. The SUV could be necessary as you might come across flooded roads, depending on the season and region you are visiting.

For a more detailed description of our activities, check out my blogs Costa Rica Part 1 and Part 2.

Day 1: Arrival

Fly to LIR

Drive to hotel

Beach House @ Andaz

• Open 8:30am-5pm (last call for food 4:45pm)
• Boat runs 9:30am-noon, 1-4:45pm
• Boat leaves every half hour from beach below Rio Bhongo (main restaurant)

Stay at Andaz

Day 2: Ziplining and Beach Sunset Dinner

• Diamante Eco Adventure Park
  • Ziplining
  • Wildlife sanctuary
  • Culture tour
• Beach time @ Tamarindo beach
• Dinner @ Pangas Beach Club (sunset time: 5:30pm)

Stay at Andaz

Day 3: Adventures at Rincon de la Vieja National Park

Drive 1.5hrs

• 8:30am-4:30pm: Hacienda Guachipelin Adventure Tours (Rincon de la Vieja Natl Park) - Full Day Adventure Pass (horseback riding, ziplining, thermal pools)
• Dinner @ Ostra 

Stay at Andaz

Day 4: La Fortuna

Check out of Andaz

Drive 3.5 hrs

• Cafe y Macadamia
• Mirador La armonia 
• La Fortuna waterfall
• Sloth’s territory
  • Tours are 1.5-2hrs long and start at 8am, 10am, 1pm, 3pm

Stay at Airbnb 

Day 5: Safari River Float and Arenal Volcano

• 7:30am-12pm: Safari river float with Canoa Aventura
• Arenal Volcano: Arenal 1968 Park, $15, 8am-6pm
  • 1968 Colada trail: 2.5km (~2 hrs), not as difficult, best views
  • 1968 Bosque trail: 4.7km (~4hrs), moderate-to difficult
  • There’s a restaurant viewpoint area

Stay at Airbnb

Day 6: Adventures in the Sky

• 9am: Sky Adventure - booked
  • Tram up, zipline down, and walk on hanging bridges
• Enjoy the thermal pools at Tabacon

Stay at Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa

Day 7: Wildlife Trails and Night Tour

• 7am: Bogarin Wildlife Trail (2.5km) - cash only
• 10am: Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park
  • Self-guided tour, tickets on the hour
• 5:45pm Night tour - https://www.arenaloasis.com/frog-watching

Stay at Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa

• 7:30am: Drive to Poas volcano (2 hrs)

• 10:30am: La Paz

• 1pm: Drive towards Manuel Antonio National Park (3.5hrs)

• Stop at Crocodile Bridge 

• Beach: Playa Espadilla

Stay at Los Altos

Day 9: Manuel Antonio National Park

• Manuel Antonio National Park 
  • Ignore all “parking attendants” and drive as far as you can to the end/last parking lot is the official one (3,000/4,000 to park)
  • Use a guide: +506 8425-9580 / alvinguide10@gmail.com

Stay at Los Altos

Day 10: Departure 

Drive 2.5-3hrs

Fly out of SJO