22 days in Costa Rica Itinerary
22 days in Costa Rica Itinerary
Created using Inspirock Costa Rica Trip Planner
Route & dates
22 days in Costa Rica Itinerary
Start: Ottawa
+2
train + bus + Fly:
22h 15min
1
San Jose
— 2 nights
Find places to stay »
Drive:
1h 30min
2
Poas Volcano National Park
— 1 night
Find places to stay »
Drive:
2h 15min
3
La Fortuna de San Carlos
— 3 nights
Find places to stay »
Drive:
2h
4
Monteverde
— 4 nights
Find places to stay »
Drive:
3h 15min
5
Tamarindo
— 1 night
Find places to stay »
Drive:
1h 30min
6
Nicoya
— 1 night
Find places to stay »
Drive:
6h 30min
7
Manuel Antonio
— 3 nights
Find places to stay »
Drive:
3h
8
Chirripo National Park
— 4 nights
Find places to stay »
Fly:
23h 45min
End: Ottawa
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2
nights
San Jose
2
nights

A trip to San Jose, the capital, commercial center, and cultural hub of Costa Rica, gives you a chance to experience the lively atmosphere and rich cultural past of this vibrant country.Start off your visit on the 15th (Tue): view the masterpieces at Galeria Namu. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: explore the world behind art at Precolumbian Gold Museum, then get engrossed in the history at National Museum (Museo Nacional), and then tour the pleasant surroundings at Parque La Sabana.
To see where to stay, traveler tips, ratings, and more tourist information, read San Jose trip itinerary builder.
Ottawa, Canada to San Jose is an approximately 22.5-hour flight. The time zone difference moving from Eastern Standard Time to Central Standard Time is minus 1 hour. Traveling from Ottawa in August, San Jose is a bit warmer at night with lows of 22°C. You'll have a few hours on the 17th (Thu) to wrap things up before traveling to Poas Volcano National Park.
Things to do in San Jose
Find places to stay Aug 15 — 17:
Highlights from your plan

National Museum (Museo Nacional)
12:00pm, Wed Aug 16

Galeria Namu
4:30pm, Tue Aug 15

Parque La Sabana
2:30pm, Wed Aug 16
1
night
Poas Volcano National Park
1
night

Kick off your visit on the 17th (Thu): explore the wealth of natural beauty at Poas Volcano.
To find traveler tips, where to stay, maps, and more tourist information, you can read our Poas Volcano National Park itinerary planner.
Getting from San Jose to Poas Volcano National Park by car takes about 1.5 hours. Expect a daytime high around 33°C in August, and nighttime lows around 21°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 18th (Fri) early enough to travel to La Fortuna de San Carlos.
To find traveler tips, where to stay, maps, and more tourist information, you can read our Poas Volcano National Park itinerary planner.
Getting from San Jose to Poas Volcano National Park by car takes about 1.5 hours. Expect a daytime high around 33°C in August, and nighttime lows around 21°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 18th (Fri) early enough to travel to La Fortuna de San Carlos.
Things to do in Poas Volcano National Park
Find places to stay Aug 17 — 18:
Highlights from your plan

Poas Volcano
1:30pm, Thu Aug 17
3
nights
La Fortuna de San Carlos
3
nights

Set against the backdrop of the imposing Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna de San Carlos offers visitors a chance to explore diverse natural landscapes and sample some delicious local produce.Spend the 20th (Sun) among the fascinating landscape of Arenal Volcano (Volcan Arenal).
To see ratings, more things to do, maps, and other tourist information, refer to the La Fortuna de San Carlos vacation builder.
Getting from Poas Volcano National Park to La Fortuna de San Carlos by car takes about 2.5 hours. You'll have a few hours on the 21st (Mon) to wrap things up before traveling to Monteverde.
Things to do in La Fortuna de San Carlos
Side Trip
Arenal Volcano (Volcan Arenal)
Find places to stay Aug 18 — 21:
Highlights from your plan

Tabacon Hot Springs
10:00am, Fri Aug 18
River Rafting & Tubing
2:00pm, Sat Aug 19
Canyoning & Rappelling Tours
10:00am, Sat Aug 19
4
nights
Monteverde
4
nights
©
Monteverde is all about natural attractions, not surprising for an eco-tourism hotspot known for its cloud forests and rich diversity of animal life.Monteverde is known for wildlife areas, adventure, parks, nature, and shopping. Your plan includes some of its best attractions: look for all kinds of wild species at Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, take in nature's colorful creations at Monteverde Orchid Garden, take in the exciting artwork at Art House, and look for gifts at Souvenir Rosewood.
For maps, traveler tips, more things to do, and more tourist information, read Monteverde trip itinerary maker.
You can drive from La Fortuna de San Carlos to Monteverde in 2 hours. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 25th (Fri) to allow time to drive to Tamarindo.
Things to do in Monteverde
Find places to stay Aug 21 — 25:
Highlights from your plan
©
Zipline
2:30pm, Mon Aug 21

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
11:00am, Tue Aug 22

Curi Cancha Reserve
10:00am, Wed Aug 23
1
night
Tamarindo
1
night

Surfing remains the main reason to take a trip to Tamarindo, as the beachside town is mostly known for its excellent waves.Kick off your visit on the 25th (Fri): admire all the interesting features of Pura Aventura, then relax and rejuvenate at some of the top local wellness centers, then stop by Diamante Boutique, and finally enjoy the sand and surf at Tamarindo Beach.
To find maps, ratings, traveler tips, and tourist information, use the Tamarindo trip generator.
Drive from Monteverde to Tamarindo in 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of shuttle and bus. In August, plan for daily highs up to 38°C, and evening lows to 26°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 26th (Sat) early enough to travel to Nicoya.
Things to do in Tamarindo
Find places to stay Aug 25 — 26:
Highlights from your plan

Pura Aventura
10:00am, Fri Aug 25

Tamarindo Beach
3:00pm, Fri Aug 25
Spas & Wellness
12:00pm, Fri Aug 25
1
night
Nicoya
1
night

Nicoya, a city on the Nicoya Peninsula of the Guanacaste province, Costa Rica, is one of the country's most important tourist zones; it serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. Kick off your visit on the 26th (Sat): kick back and relax at Puerto Carrillo and then identify plant and animal life at El Viejo Wetlands. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: explore the wealth of natural beauty at Barra Honda National Park.
To find more things to do, other places to visit, and other tourist information, read our Nicoya itinerary planner.
Traveling by car from Tamarindo to Nicoya takes 1.5 hours. Expect a daytime high around 38°C in August, and nighttime lows around 26°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 27th (Sun) to allow time to travel to Manuel Antonio National Park.
To find more things to do, other places to visit, and other tourist information, read our Nicoya itinerary planner.
Traveling by car from Tamarindo to Nicoya takes 1.5 hours. Expect a daytime high around 38°C in August, and nighttime lows around 26°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 27th (Sun) to allow time to travel to Manuel Antonio National Park.
Things to do in Nicoya
Side Trip
Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands
Find places to stay Aug 26 — 27:
Highlights from your plan

Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands
2:30pm, Sat Aug 26

Barra Honda National Park
10:00am, Sun Aug 27

Puerto Carrillo
10:00am, Sat Aug 26
3
nights
Manuel Antonio
3
nights

The rainforest meets the sea at Manuel Antonio National Park, a small but scenic natural preserve on the west coast of Costa Rica.Manuel Antonio National Park is known for nature, adventure, beaches, outdoors, and spas. Your plan includes some of its best attractions: explore the wealth of natural beauty at Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, push the limits with an extreme tour, explore the stunning scenery at MidWorld Costa Rica, and kick your exploration up a notch at some of the top local zipline courses and adventure parks.
For other places to visit, traveler tips, more things to do, and tourist information, read Manuel Antonio National Park itinerary planner.
Getting from Nicoya to Manuel Antonio National Park by car takes about 4.5 hours. Traveling from Nicoya in August, expect Manuel Antonio National Park to be little chillier, temps between 31°C and 22°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 30th (Wed) early enough to travel to Chirripo National Park.
Things to do in Manuel Antonio
Find places to stay Aug 27 — 30:
Highlights from your plan

MidWorld Costa Rica
1:30pm, Mon Aug 28

Playa Biesanz
2:00pm, Wed Aug 30

Beso Loco Boutique de Playa
5:30pm, Wed Aug 30
4
nights
Chirripo National Park
4
nights

Get out of town with these interesting Chirripo National Park side-trips: Dantica Gallery (in San Gerardo de Dota), Los Cusingos Neotropical Bird Sanctuary (in San Isidro de El General) and Savegre Reserve (in Cartago).
To see maps, other places to visit, where to stay, and other tourist information, use the Chirripo National Park itinerary planner.
The Route module can help you plan travel from Manuel Antonio National Park to Chirripo National Park. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 3rd (Sun) to allow time to travel back home.
To see maps, other places to visit, where to stay, and other tourist information, use the Chirripo National Park itinerary planner.
The Route module can help you plan travel from Manuel Antonio National Park to Chirripo National Park. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 3rd (Sun) to allow time to travel back home.
Things to do in Chirripo National Park
Side Trips
Cartago, Chirripo National Park, Dantica Gallery, Los Cusingos Neotropical Bird Sanctuary
Find places to stay Aug 30 — Sep 3:
Highlights from your plan

Chirripo National Park
2:30pm, Thu Aug 31

Cloudbridge Nature Reserve
10:30am, Thu Aug 31

Dantica Gallery
11:00am, Sat Sep 2
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