Deciding to spend more than week in a foreign country, while visiting multiple locations, can be a bit daunting. Lucky for you, this short Costa Rica travel itinerary for 12 days will give you a guide of how to start. You’ll get the most out of your Costa Rica trip if you follow this Costa Rica travel schedule.
Day 1: Arrive at the international airport in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. Take a half-day city tour, which will let you see a bit of the destination, but also give you time to relax after your long journey.
Day 2: Tour the beautiful surrounds of the capital city. Start with a trip to Alajuela, and continue on to Poas Volcano. It has a summit at 8, 800-feet high, and you can hike through the cloud forest around it. Enjoy an impressive view of the massive crater, one of the largest in the world. In the afternoon, head to the town of Grecia and Sarchi, both unique and interesting in their own ways. Because you’re still close to the city, you can spend the night in your San Juan hotel.
Day 3 & 4: Head east to Tortuguero, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Many parts of this national park can only be access via waterways, so hop on a boat and go to your lodge inside the Tortuguero forest. Your lodge will offer various services and boat tours to isolated villages. Be sure to take advantage of these, because this is a very special opportunity. Keep an eye out for the turtle this park is named for, and other wildlife.
Day 5 & 6: After you’ve seen tons of animals in Tortuguero, take a bus to the center of Costa Rica, to La Fortuna de San Carlos. The trip there will be very interesting, as you travel through Caribbean lowands and into the Tilaran mountain range. The town of La Fortuna is dominated by the Arenal Volcano, which you should definitely visit. Spend your first day here relaxing, but the second day you should be sure to take an Arenal Volcano hike. You can cross over places where lava once flowed (and could again!) and in the evening you can enjoy watching the lava light up the night sky. During the day, keep an eye open for monkey, as a lot live around here. Spend the evening relaxing in some of the hot springs, heated by the volcano. The thermal springs and spas are a great way to relax after a day of hiking.