Planning a week-long Costa Rica itinerary? This is the route I’d take for a first trip: three nights in La Fortuna, three nights in Monteverde, and one night on the Pacific Coast in Playa Conchal.

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I got out of the frigid Kansas January winter for a 7-day Costa Rica itinerary built around gorgeous landscapes, wildlife and nature experiences, all while minimizing unnecessary travel days.

This week-long trip is designed for first-time visitors who want to combine La Fortuna, Monteverde and the Pacific Coast without spending their entire trip driving between destinations.

This is exactly where we went, what I’d steal, what I’d skip, where I’d splurge and where I’d save plus and what our Costa Rica trip actually cost.

7-Day Costa Rica Itinerary at a Glance

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Start: Liberia, Costa Rica
Transportation: Rental car
Hotel Bases: Three
Travel Days: 2 major drives (~3 hours each)
Pace: Adventure, nature and downtime
Where we stayed:

• Arenal Manoa Hot Springs & Resort
  • La Fortuna, 2 nights
    • If you want to see a detailed review on Arenal Manoa, I’ve got you covered.

• Camino Verde B&B
  • Monteverde, 3 nights
    
• Bahia del Sol
  • Playa Potrero, 1 night

*I may earn a small commission from qualifying bookings made through some links in this article.

Why did I plan this route for my first visit to Costa Rica?
This 7-day Costa Rica itinerary is optimized for the traveler who doesn’t want to stay in five different hotels in seven nights and spend hours in the car.

I’m a perfect mix between a “vacationer” and a “traveler”, meaning I love to balance a slower pace with adventure. This route was great for extremely diverse scenery, activities and even climates.

In a rush? My favorite hotels in Costa Rica
Arenal Manoa Hot Springs & Resort – Check rates and availability (La Fortuna)

Camino Verde Bed & Breakfast – check rates and availability (Monteverde)

Bahia del Sol – check rates and availability (Playa Potrero)

7-Day Costa Rica Daily Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrival in Liberia to La Fortuna (3-Hour Drive)

Afternoon/Evening: Liberia to La Fortuna

We arrived in Liberia, grabbed our rental car and reached Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs Resort just past sunset.

I would not schedule or plan anything here. Explore the gorgeous property with volcano views, have dinner on site and head to bed.

❌SKIP:
Do not stay in your arrival city if you can avoid it! There is so much to see that is far more worth your time.

Day 2: La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal 1968

Morning: La Fortuna Waterfall

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel (particularly special if it has views of the Arenal Volcano like ours did). First up is one of the top things to do in La Fortuna: the La Fortuna waterfall.

FYI: the steps down and back WILL have your legs shaking like Bambi by the end.

💡SMART TIP:
Do the waterfall hike and a swim first thing in the morning so you’re not hit with afternoon rain.

Afternoon: Arenal 1968 Hike

Visit Arenal 1968 Private Reserve.
Choose either the Bosque Trail (3 miles) or the Lava Flow Trail (2.5 miles). Both will have you walking over dried lava flow rocks with insane views of the volcano.

✨ STEAL:
Have lunch at the cafe onsite either before or after your hike (or both like we did). The views are gorgeous and the smoothies and food are worth it.

Evening: Hot Springs

Rest and head to downtown La Fortuna to do a little exploring and have dinner.
One thing I’d absolutely make time for is enjoying the hot springs at Arenal Manoa. There are several private ponds at different temperatures, so you can move around and find the one that feels just right.

🤑 SPLURGE:
If you’re going to spend a little more on one part of your La Fortuna stay, I’d make it a hotel with its own hot springs. Our stay at Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs Resort included volcano views, lush greenery, private villa rooms, and numerous hot spring ponds.

Day 3: La Fortuna to Monteverde (~3-Hour Drive)

Morning/Afternoon: Travel to Monteverde

Stop at Cafe & Macadamia for a halfway snack break and some views of Lake Arenal.

Evening: Settle in & Night Walk Tour

Once you’re settled at your accommodation, Camino Verde B&B, the must-do activity on your Monteverde itinerary is a night wildlife tour.

Seeing snakes wrapped around the branches, hearing nocturnal animals and experiencing the stillness of the forest at night is unlike anything else.

Day 4: Zipline & Hanging Bridges

Morning: Ziplining at Treetopia Park

We ziplined at Treetopia Park. As someone who had never ziplined before, it was certainly a way to jump right in. Visitors will do the practice cable, then ride a scenic cable car all the way up the mountain before doing seven ziplines down.

Afternoon: Hanging Bridges at Treetopia Park

Let your adrenaline wear off before walking down 1.7 miles of hanging bridges above the cloud forest at Treetopia Park.

This was one of my favorite experiences, getting to walk on the tall swinging bridges felt like I was in the clouds – all without the adrenaline we had previously experience.

Day 5: Hiking at the Cloud Forest Reserve & Coffee Tour

Morning: Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

We grabbed breakfast at Stella’s and headed to Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve for some hiking.

We had some muddy trails and rain, but it was a true Costa Rica jungle experience.

Afternoon & Evening: Sloth sanctuary and Coffee Tour

Take a quick tour through the sloth sanctuary at Selvatura Park before a coffee, chocolate & sugarcane tour. Be prepared with some arm strength – they might ask you to squeeze fresh sugarcane for juice.

There are plenty of coffee tours; we loved this one since it was 3-in-1 and included chocolate and sugarcane too.
☕Explore the coffee tour!

Day 6: Monteverde to Playa Conchal (~3.5-Hour Drive)

Morning/Afternoon: Monteverde to Playa Conchal

The last stop on this 7-day Costa Rica itinerary is the Pacific Coast, near Playa Conchal.

We arrived and after lunch at a local soda on the beach, we went horseback riding on the white sand beach of Playa Conchal and then relaxed at Playa Potrero, which we enjoyed directly from our hotel, Bahia del Sol.

🤑 SPLURGE:
Spend the money and go horseback riding on the beach. We got amazing photos from our guide that were truly frame-worthy.

Evening: Sunset and Dinner at Gracia Mar Vista

Gracia Mar Vista is a modern, open-air restaurant in the Mar Vista gated community between Brasilito and Playa Flamingo. It features a gorgeous infinity pool that is open just until it’s time to take in the gorgeous sunset view over the Pacific.

💰SAVE:
Go for a snack or drinks at Gracia Mar Vista and enjoy the views and pool. The food was just okay and honestly not worth the price, but the ambiance is worth it.

Day 7: Departure: Playa Conchal to Liberia (~1.5 Hour Drive)

After some fresh papaya and watermelon for breakfast and one last walk on the beach, we drove to the Liberia airport and said our goodbyes.

How Much Does a 7-Day Costa Rica Trip Cost?

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Here’s my final verdict, plus what this first-time Costa Rica trip itinerary actually cost.

My Final Costa Rica Verdicts: What to Steal, Skip, Splurge & Save

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STEALS ✨

• Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs Resort
  Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs Resort was my favorite hotel of the trip. The combination of volcano views, private-feeling hot spring ponds and a beautiful property made the resort itself part of the Costa Rica experience.
  • This is my Arenal Manoa hotel review!
  • Availability and rates: Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs Resort!
    
• Night Walk Tour
  Don’t miss a night walk tour to experience the forest and see the many nocturnal Costa Rican animals.

SKIPS ❌

• Ziplining in the Cloud Forest in Monteverde.
  I know this sounds otherworldly, but you really didn’t get to see any scenery because you’re literally in the clouds.
  
  For over $100 per person, you may be better off ziplining somewhere you can actually enjoy the views from the sky.

• Sloth sanctuary at Selvatura Park in Monteverde.
  Seeing the sloths was great, however, the cost and experience of being herded around with a large group for just 30 minutes wasn’t worth it to me.

SPLURGES 🤑

• Stay at a resort with hot springs on the property.
  This is where I’d spend extra money in La Fortuna. Having hot springs steps from your room made the resort itself part of the experience.
  
• Add one more day to your La Fortuna itinerary.
  If I did this trip again, I’d give La Fortuna another day for more time at the hot springs and a trip to Río Celeste.

SAVES💰

• Eat at sodas instead of touristy restaurants.
  Listen to the advice during your research to eat at sodas while in Costa Rica. This will save your pockets, and your taste buds will thank you.
  
• Choose Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve.
  We chose the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve over the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve as there was a lower entry fee and the ecosystems are nearly the same.

SURPRISES‼️

• Driving a rental car in Costa Rica is really not that bad.
  When researching, lots of travelers said driving in Costa Rica was rough. We rented a small 4×4 SUV, which was definitely needed, and we had no issues.
  Don’t be scared of the people that say the roads are really bad.
  
• Be ready for different climates.
  Landing in Liberia was warm and sunny, probably closer to what someone envisions when they hear “Costa Rica”.
  La Fortuna was temperate with a mix of clouds, sun and humidity. Monteverde was much windier, colder and under a constant mist/rain.
  Playa Conchal was typical beach weather with sun and warmth.
  
  You probably don’t think of the word “cold” when you hear Costa Rica (my husband didn’t…and he was stuck buying an overpriced rain jacket).
  
  If you’re heading to Monteverde, pack accordingly with some extra layers and a good quality raincoat.
  
  This 7-day Costa Rica itinerary was enough to see the highlights, but as you can tell, there were definitely things I’d repeat, things I’d skip and things I’d do differently.

See more about Costa Rica here!

*I may earn a small commission from qualifying bookings made through some links in this article.