A Perfect Week in Northern Costa Rica | Standard Itinerary
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A Perfect Week in Northern Costa Rica | Standard Itinerary
Getaway Goose
Available for hire
Get ready for a stunning week of scenery, wildlife, and relaxation! You'll spend your time in 3 areas of Northern Costa Rica: the majestic Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, the cloud-kissed forests of Monteverde, and the sun-soaked beaches of Tamarindo.
🧳Trip summary
Day 1 - Travel day
Day 2 - La Fortuna (hiking & swimming)
Day 3 - La Fortuna (wildlife & hotsprings)
Day 4 - La Fortuna + Monteverde (hanging bridges & night hike)
Day 5 - Monteverde (canopy tour & excursion options)
Day 6 - Monteverde (cloud forest)
Day 7 - Tamarindo (excursion options)
Day 8 - Tamarindo (beach day)
Day 9 - Travel day
This itinerary is perfect for a Saturday through following Sunday week-long trip, but could be adapted to any date range. The trip is laid out with stops in three popular Northern cities, but any city could be added or removed to extend or shorten the trip. The itinerary assumes you have rented a car to travel between each destination, but there you can also find plenty of options to take shuttles between each city.
Why this guide?
🎟️ Advance ticket purchase recommendations. Avoid the lines - and disappointment - by booking tickets ahead of time. You'll be guaranteed entrance and will enjoy walking straight in, past any lines for ticket purchases. Special call outs for combo tickets to bundle and save will also be included where available!
🧾 Location-specific packing list. This won't be a comprehensive list (surely you've remembered your socks), but it will cover some key items to toss in your bag for a truly great experience at your destination.
🏆 Honorable mentions. Unless you booked a one way ticket (jealous!), you've only got a limited time to explore. The suggested itinerary includes my opinions of the best choices for first time visitors with general interest. Feel free to swap those out with any of the honorable mentions.
✨ And finally...
If you are looking for a more tailored experience with a unique twist based on your interests, travel dates, and more, a custom itinerary may be best. I look forward to helping bring your vacation vision to life!
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General Info
When to go
Costa Rica experiences two primary seasons – the dry season (December to April) and the rainy season (May to November). For those seeking sunny days and minimal rainfall, the dry season is the optimal choice. However, it also coincides with the peak tourist season, resulting in larger crowds and higher prices.
The rainy season offers lush green landscapes and is the best time for wildlife enthusiasts, but it comes with sporadic downpours. If you don't mind getting a little wet and want to avoid crowds, take advantage of more budget-friendly options during the shoulder seasons of May-June or September-October.
We traveled in January and while we did experience some rainy hours, none of our activities were impacted, and we only got caught in one really bad downpour (luckily in bathing suits & chacos hiking back from a waterfall!)
How to get there & get around
There are two airports in close proximity to the destinations included in this itinerary: Liberia (LIR) and San Jose (SJO).
Buy to unlock full guide
Access all the local insights and recommendations from @getawaygoose when you purchase this guide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Getaway Goose
Available for hire
Hi! I'm Lucy, the type-A, overly organized, travel enthused person behind Getaway Goose. I'm everyone's favorite travel companion because I'm that friend. The one who plans a trip down to the minute. The one who has thought of everything, packed everything, and wants to do everything. As my dad put it so eloquently in his Father of the Bride speech, "if you want to have a good vacation, just have Lucy go there first."
I specialize in incredibly detailed travel itineraries that ensure you get the most bang for your buck and most experiences for your travel time on every single trip. You can expect detailed timings along with any and all pre-trip arrangement information to guarantee every second of your trip is spent in vacation-mode not the black hole of "what do we do?", "where do we eat?", and "when should we go?"
My husband is my most frequent travel companion, but I am no stranger to planning trips for large groups of people, and all of my plans could also be modified for solo or family travel with children.
I hope you'll count me as your newest travel buddy and enjoy all the adventures I have to share!
What's included
Digital Map
Fully interactive, digital map for finding places nearby
54 places
54 hand-picked places with notes from the creator
10 links
10 links from the creator to go even deeper with more info
DESTINATION(S) COVERED
Costa Rica
Alajuela Province, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
FOCUSES AND THEMES
Couples
Family
Female Solo
Adventure
Outdoors
Coffee
People & Culture
Photography
Relaxation
Road Trip
Romantic
BEST TIME OF YEAR
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Format
Itinerary
Itineraries typically include day-by-day plans, with food, lodging and activity recommendations for each day.
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