Day 1 · San José
Arrive in San José and collect the car
You are met at the airport and shown to the car hire centre to pick up your vehicle. The rest of the day is free in the capital.
7 days · 6 nights
Your own car, a volcano, and two days on the Pacific, with the hotels already booked.
Choose your dates when you enquire
Ask about datesCollect a hire car at San José airport and drive north through the hill town of Zarcero to the Arenal Volcano for two nights. Then head south to Manuel Antonio for two nights by the Pacific, and return to the capital past volcanoes or valleys of your choosing. The route is a suggestion, so each day is yours to shape.
The same person from your first question to the flight home, with a wedding or vow renewal planned alongside if you like.
How the days unfold. Your advisor tailors the pace, the hotels and the extras to you.
San José
Day 1 · San José
You are met at the airport and shown to the car hire centre to pick up your vehicle. The rest of the day is free in the capital.
Arenal
Day 2 · Arenal
Drive north and stop in Zarcero, where the park in front of the pink and blue Iglesia de San Rafael is trimmed into animal-shaped topiary. Continue to the Arenal area, known for its volcano, lake and hot springs, and perhaps spend the evening at one of the thermal spas, many of which have restaurants.
Day 3 · Arenal
Spend the day as you like: hike in Arenal Volcano National Park, soak in the hot springs, or ride on horseback through pasture and rainforest to the La Fortuna Waterfall. A gondola climbs through the forest to a lookout over the volcano and Lake Arenal.
Manuel Antonio
Day 4 · Manuel Antonio
Drive to Manuel Antonio, on the Pacific, known for its beaches and wildlife. Spend the afternoon on the sand, take a boat through the mangroves and estuaries around Damas Island, or visit an organic spice farm growing vanilla, cocoa, pepper and cinnamon.
Day 5 · Manuel Antonio
A full free day. Zip lining and horse riding are both on offer nearby, as is a guided afternoon walk in Manuel Antonio National Park with time on one of its beaches, or a catamaran trip with snorkelling and sunset over the Pacific.
San José
Day 6 · San José
Drive back towards the capital, perhaps by way of Poás Volcano National Park and its crater lake ringed by cloud forest, or Irazú, the country's highest active volcano, and the Orosi Valley with Costa Rica's oldest church. In San José itself there are museums and the old Mercado Central food market.
Day 7 · San José
After breakfast, drive to the car hire centre at the airport and drop off your vehicle before your flight home.
The hotels for each stop. Your advisor confirms them, or something just as good, for your dates.
San José · 2 nights
Your first night and your last. Or similar
Arenal · 2 nights
Or similar
Manuel Antonio · 2 nights
Or similar
Tell us when you would like to travel. Your advisor confirms dates and hotels, tailors the trip to the two of you, and stays with you until you are home.
Costa Rica
4 days · 3 nights
La Fortuna → Monteverde
Two nights in La Fortuna, in sight of Arenal Volcano, with a guided walk to look for sloths and time for the hotel's thermal pools. Cross Lake Arenal by boat to the misty highlands of Monteverde for a guided night walk in the cloud forest.
Costa Rica
4 days · 3 nights
San José → Arenal → Monteverde → San José
Fly into San José and head north to La Fortuna, at the foot of the Arenal Volcano, for two nights of hot springs, a gentle river float and lunch with a local family. Cross Lake Arenal by boat to Monteverde for a guided walk in the cloud forest, then return to the airport on day four.
Costa Rica
3 days · 2 nights
San José → Arenal → San José
A short trip from San José to La Fortuna, the village beneath the Arenal Volcano. Your one full day crosses the hanging bridges of Mistico Park and ends with a swim below the La Fortuna Waterfall, with two quiet evenings in the rainforest either side.
Collect a hire car at San José airport and drive north through the hill town of Zarcero to the Arenal Volcano for two nights. Then head south to Manuel Antonio for two nights by the Pacific, and return to the capital past volcanoes or valleys of your choosing. The route is a suggestion, so each day is yours to shape.
Every trip can be shaped around you before you book.
Arrive early or stay on at the end, in the same hotel or somewhere new.
Your travel expert books flights that fit the first and last day.
Choose a better room or a hotel with a view for the nights that count.
A honeymoon, an anniversary or a birthday, planned into the trip.
Other ways to see Costa Rica, closest in length first.
Small group tour | 7 days | San Jose · Arenal · Tamarindo | Price on enquiry.
Small group tour | 8 days | San José · Arenal · Manuel Antonio | Price on enquiry.
Self-drive | 8 days | San José · Arenal · Manuel Antonio
Small group tour | 8 days | San José · Monteverde · Tamarindo
