The Best Way to Spend 8 Days in Costa Rica!
If you are planning for 8 days in Costa Rica, here is a fun, action-packed itinerary to fill your days! There is SO MUCH to do in Costa Rica, it can be hard to narrow down where to go and what to do!
We prioritized wildlife and adventure! This 8 day itinerary includes monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, ziplining, volcano hiking, waterfall chasing and white water rafting!
This is still one of our favorite trips we have taken!
- Summary of our 8 Days in Costa Rica
- Saturday: Day 1- Arrival in San Jose and Drive to Manuel Antonio
- Sunday: Day 2- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Monday: Day 3- Jaco Beach, Rio Tarcoles Crocs and Monteverde
- Tuesday: Day 4- Monteverde Cloud Forest & Zip Lining
- Wednesday: Day 5- Rio Celeste & Free Hot Springs
- Thursday: Day 6- Arenal Volcano National Park & Tabacon Hot Springs
- Friday: Day 7- La Fortuna Waterfall & Hot Springs
- Saturday: Day 8- White Water Rafting & Volcano Lodge Hot Springs
- Sunday: Last of your 8 days in Costa Rica
- 8 Days in Costa Rica Recap
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Summary of our 8 Days in Costa Rica
As we did research and laid out all the popular places to visit in Costa Rica, we narrowed it down to western Costa Rica because:
- We knew we wanted to see the Arenal Volcano
- We wanted to zipline through the cloud forest in Monteverde
- Soaking in the hot springs was on the to-do list
- Travel time from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean coast can take 3-4 hours so we didn’t want to spend that much time traveling
In Summation: we stayed
- Manuel Antonio: 2 nights
- Monteverde: 2 nights
- Arenal: 2 nights
- La Fortuna: 2 nights
For details on how we filled our 8 days (9th day= travel day) then keep reading!!
Saturday: Day 1- Arrival in San Jose and Drive to Manuel Antonio
We took a 5:30 am flight out of the US with arrival time of noon in Costa Rica! After picking up a rental car (recommended way to explore Costa Rica), head out of San Jose toward Manuel Antonio!
- Drive time from San Jose airport to Manuel Antonio= 3hours
- Account for extra time to get through customs and to get your rental car
- Upon arrival to Manuel Antonio, it was dark (Sunset ~5:30 pm in October!)
- Have dinner at Rafeals if it is open (recommended by our hotel staff!)
For this itinerary, I HIGHLY suggest renting a car. You can get to many of the main cities via bus, but trying to get to specific hikes, waterfalls, etc can be difficult.
Rent directly through a car rental agency rather than a 3rd party (such as Expedia) to avoid unforeseen fees. Be sure to ask about car insurance; it is mandated!!! Book a car here!
Where to Stay in Manuel Antonio?
Alma Vida Hotel
Again, I recommend staying between Manuel Antonio and the entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park on rd 618. Alma Vida Hotel has a great location and is a bit cheaper than some of the hotels in this area.
Sunday: Day 2- Manuel Antonio National Park
Morning: Manuel Antonio National Park
- Prepare to spend around 3 hours in the park (give or take). This allowed enough to visit the beach, stop and look at the monkeys and do the hike we wanted to do.
- Be sure to pre-purchase your tickets here (required!!). TO NOTE: You will have to create a login to purchase tickets!
Lunch: We opted for a grocery store-bought lunch at an overlook on the side of the main road. I don’t know the exact location, but as you drive through town keep your eyes peeled for a pull-off with incredible ocean views!
- One of the highlights of the whole trip: 6 Scarlet Macaws flew by in pairs 😍
Afternoon: Zip Coaster
- We spent about an hour and a half doing the zip-coaster. It was relatively in-expensive and we saw a sloth in the trees the coaster started!
- FYI: The zip-coaster doesn’t really “zip”. It is slow-type of ride and takes you through the tree canopies.
Dinner: El Wagon
- We enjoyed this restaurant. It has a patio with jungle views (it was raining when we went and it was such a Costa Rica “vibe” as bad as I hate using that word 🙃.)
Monday: Day 3- Jaco Beach, Rio Tarcoles Crocs and Monteverde
Day 3 will be one of the cheapest days of your 8 days in Costa Rica! It will be a travel day from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde and the drive is about 3 hours. I recommend two pit-stops on the way there!
- Pitstop #1- The black sand beach in Jaco!
- It is right off the road and we stumbled upon it by accident, but it is such a beautiful black sand beach!
- Pitstop #2- Rio Tarcoles to see the wild crocodiles
- Have you seen a crocodile in the wild before? Neither had I!
- FREE AND WORTH IT
- You don’t have to veer off your path from Manuel>Monteverde, but you have to be driving yourself around CR in order to make the pitstop.
- You can park on the side of the street and walk onto the bridge to see the crocodiles below!
- The road to Monteverde was wild. Potholes, steep, curvy and at one point the pavement was washed out and we thought we had gone the wrong way, but we weren’t so know that you just have to keep trucking along
Afternoon/Evening:
- Monteverde arrival: around 1:00 pm.
- Have lunch at Taco Taco if you are into great tacos and DELICIOUS passionfruit margaritas 😍
- If you are visiting Monteverde during dry season, try for a night jungle tour! We went during Monteverde’s rainy season and it POURED in the evenings, so we opted out and kind of had a waste of a late afternoon/evening.
- If you are traveling during rainy season I recommend to have an indoor event planned!
Where to Stay in Monteverde?
Near Santa Elena
Santa Elena is located just north of Monteverde and is closer to the ziplining and has more accommodation and restaurant options!
Tuesday: Day 4- Monteverde Cloud Forest & Zip Lining
We woke up to BEAUTIFUL clear skies.
Morning:
- Head straight to the cloud forest of Monteverde
- Cost: $25 per person
- The hanging bridge was closed when we visited due to a tree falling on and we didn’t’ see any wildlife on our self-guided tour.
- In my humble opinion, it wasn’t worth $25, especially without the hanging bridges.
However, the cloud forest has an incredibly diverse ecosystem, so I think it would be a completely different experience if we had chosen to go with a guide!
Afternoon:
- A Costa Rica itinerary isn’t complete without ziplining!
- We chose to do it through 100% Adventura and I 100% recommend the company!
- It POURED through nearly the entire zipline, but everything was well-organized, sturdy and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable!
Want to Zipline in Monteverde?!
We opted to zipline with 100% Adventura and we loved it!
-Cost: $67 per person
-Time: About 2 hours
Evening:
- We got our car stuck in the airbnb driveway 🙃
- The owner graciously helped get us out and her dad cooked us a delicious Costa Rican meal 😍
- It turned out great, but recommend 4-wheel drive when renting a car in Costa Rica and, again, be prepared for the October rains in Monteverde!
Wednesday: Day 5- Rio Celeste & Free Hot Springs
Travel Monteverde to Arenal, which is about 4.5 hours total. However, I recommend a pit stop at Rio Celeste waterfall (3 hours from Monteverde to here):
- I’ve never seen a waterfall and creek with SUCH blue water! Looks like a waterfall of Gatorade!
- The hike is about two hours to the falls.
- There are additional trails that go beyond the falls, and we went on one expecting a view of the falls from the top.
- However, you CAN’T see the waterfall further down the trail, so I really don’t recommend doing this extra part of the hike.
Noted: If it has just freshly rained, the water MAY NOT be the blue color you see here and on Instagram. It can become browner and murky and then it WON’T BE WORTH IT AT ALL!
- Know that there is a $7 entry Fee per person and there is no swimming allowed at the falls.
- However, once you leave the parking lot, a little further down the road you will see the blue creek water running that you can walk down to and dip your toes in!
After the hike it is about a 1.5 drive from Rio Celeste to Arenal.
Guided Tour to Rio Celeste
Still not feeling the rental car thing? But still want to visit Rio Celeste? You can take a full day tour to Rio Celeste from La Fortuna!
Dinner:
- Arenal area has less options than La Fortuna
- We ate at Que Rico based on a recommendation from the hotel staff. Tilapia stuffed with shrimp was 😍
Evening:
- After dinner take a night swim in the free hot springs! RECOMMEND!
- Located across the street from Tabacon hotel
- It isn’t well-lit to take a headlamp! Also recommend taking a candle to light and sit beside you while you relax in the spring!
Where to Stay in Near Arenal?
Hotel Lavas Tacotal
We stayed at Hotel Lavas Tacotal the night before splurging at Tabacon. It was clean, affordable and close to the FREE HOT SPRINGS! Recommend!
Thursday: Day 6- Arenal Volcano National Park & Tabacon Hot Springs
Day 6 of your 8 days in Costa rica consists of a little hiking around Arenal Volcano and then relaxing in hot springs!
Morning:
- Hike the Arenal Volcano National Park
- There are two main trails: The Volcano Trail and the Forest Trail
- The Volcano Trail can lead to the Forest Trail, or you can turn back to the entrance
- I recommend hiking the Volcano Trail back to the entrance and then taking a left from the entrance to the restaurant for a nice view of the volcano
- The Forest Trail along the lake didn’t provide anymore views of the volcano and the lake was green and not a good view (kind of felt like a waste of time.)
- Entry is $17 per person
Lunch:
- After you hike, have lunch at El Novillo del Arenal which has a great view of the volcano (depending on your seat) and good food!
Evening:
- Tabacon
- We splurged for a night at the Tabacon because the thought of the beautiful resort surrounded by hot springs fed by the volcano was too appealing!
- One night at the hotel gives you access to the springs until 10 pm the next night.
- It was about $375 for one night in October (off-season), but we split this cost three ways.
- Entry into the springs for those who are not staying at the hotel is typically $80 by itself. So, with the hotel stay, it was only about $40 more per person, so it was justifiable for us!
- Click here to book at stay at the Tabacon!
**Warning: we found fly larvae (little red worm-looking things) in our swimsuits when we got out. I’d rather not share this information, but it is worth you knowing so you can check and shower off ASAP!*
Friday: Day 7- La Fortuna Waterfall & Hot Springs
Morning:
- Free breakfast included with the stay
- Hike to the La Fortuna waterfall
- Cost $18
- The hike is only about a 20 minutes to the waterfall on a nice and paved trail. However, know that there are 552 steps down (and back UP!)
- You ARE allowed to swim in this waterfall
- Note, though, that there are no bathrooms at the waterfall. There is one at the parking lot, so take advantage of it before you climb down!
Take a Guided Tour to La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano! Best Bang for your buck!
Evening:
- Hot springs at Tabacon
- If you opt to stay at the Tabacon on Thursday, you have access to the springs for two nights! Take advantage of it!
Saturday: Day 8- White Water Rafting & Volcano Lodge Hot Springs
Saturday was one of my favorite days of our 8 days in Costa Rica 😍
Morning:
- White water Rafting
- On more than one occasion we had recommendations to do water rafting in La Fortuna
- Arenal Rating Company was recommended by someone who had rafted the day before, and I will continue the recommendation! It was a blast. The staff was great and a homemade, wonderful lunch was provided at the end
White Water Raft with Arenal Rafting Company
This was one of the TOP things we did while in Costa Rica! (along with ziplining 😍) We really enjoyed our tour with Arenal Rafting Company. They were organized, safe and fun!
Evening:
- Volcano Lodge Hot Springs
- You can stay at the Volcano Lodge directly, which is a really nice hotel and will be cheaper than the Tabacon while still having really great hot springs
- Or, if you want to stay more budget-friendly, San Bosco hotel provides free entry into the springs of Volcano Lodge.
- San Bosco is no fancy hotel, but it was clean enough for us and we enjoyed being able to see another spring. Also, it is on the list of free pick-ups with Arenal Rafting Company!
- Book a night at San Bosco here!
Sunday: Last of your 8 days in Costa Rica
Travel day home and back to work on Monday 😜 (so technically 8.5 days 😬)
Your drive from La Fortuna to San Jose will be about about 3 hours, so PLAN YOUR FLIGHTS ACCORDINGLY! You also need to make time to drop off your rental car as well, so you won’t want to book a flight any earlier than probably 2-3:00pm to be safe.
8 Days in Costa Rica Recap
If you are planning a trip, I hope this Costa Rica itinerary helps! We chose an itinerary where we could make the most of the 8 days in Costa Rica and check off the adventures we had on our list. Our thoughts after the trip:
- It felt well spaced-out
- If you are traveling in October or anytime during “rainy season,” I recommend not staying in Monteverde for long. You only get about half a day without rain in Monteverde each day.
- I definitely recommend ziplining in Monteverde, but I suggest making it a pitstop or only staying one night during rainy season.
If you are looking for adventure, Costa Rica has it! Enjoy your time and Pura Vida!!
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