- Days
- 10–14
- Typical leg
- ~3 h
- Total driving
- ~800 km
- Recommended
- SUV/4x4
Day-by-day itinerary
| Days | Base | Drive | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alajuela | — | Arrive at SJO |
| 2–4 | La Fortuna | 3 h | Arenal hikes, waterfall, hanging bridges, hot springs |
| 5 | La Fortuna / Bijagua | 1.5 h each way | Río Celeste |
| 6–7 | Monteverde | 3.5 h (or 3 h jeep-boat-jeep) | Cloud forest, zip-line, night walk |
| 8–10 | Manuel Antonio | 4 h | National park, beaches, catamaran |
| 11–12 | Uvita | 1 h | Marino Ballena, Nauyaca, whales |
| 13 | Alajuela | 3.5–4 h | Back to SJO |
7 days? Do Arenal (3 nights), Monteverde (2) and Manuel Antonio (2). Prefer beaches? Fly into Liberia and replace Uvita with Guanacaste or the Nicoya Peninsula. Two weeks or more? Add Tortuguero or the Caribbean coast, or fly to Drake Bay for Corcovado.
Planning tips
- Don't over-pack the route. Two or three nights per stop is the sweet spot; drives take longer than maps suggest.
- Drive in daylight. It gets dark around 5:30–6 pm all year, and mountain roads are unlit.
- Book key activities early: Manuel Antonio tickets, the Monteverde reserve, and Tortuguero packages in high season.
- No car? Shared shuttles connect every stop on this route.
Prefer a guided trip? Multi-day tours cover Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio with transport and guides.
Multi-day tours ↗Lodges in Monteverde and Manuel Antonio are the first to sell out from December to April.
Book Monteverde & Manuel Antonio ↗Plan your trip to your road trip
Tours & tickets
Guided tours, day trips and activities with free cancellation on most bookings.
See tours ↗Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Costa Rica?
Yes. Ten days covers Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio comfortably, with time for either Río Celeste, a beach region or Uvita.
What order should I visit Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio?
From San José, Arenal → Monteverde → Manuel Antonio makes a smooth loop. From Liberia, start with the beaches or Río Celeste and end in Manuel Antonio, flying out of San José.
Can you do Costa Rica without a car?
Yes. Door-to-door shuttles link the main destinations, and domestic flights reach remote areas. You lose some flexibility for stops along the way.
Last reviewed October 2026. Opening hours, prices and road conditions change: check official sources before you travel.