Five Days in Costa Rica
Planning a five-day trip to Costa Rica? You can see a lot without feeling rushed. In just a few days, you can enjoy wildlife encounters, light adventure, and plenty of relaxation. We’ll help design an itinerary that makes the most of every day while keeping travel time easy.
Why Spend Five Days in Costa Rica?
Sometimes you need a vacation but don't have the time. Sometimes you need something like a long weekend to recharge your batteries. And sometimes you just need a break. Did you know that Costa Rica is perfect for this? It's a great place to run down to for a few days of fun, sun, and adventure.
Most of our clients come down to Costa Rica for at least a week, but we know that's not always possible and we don't think that limited time should necessarily be a hindrance to visiting. After all, many cities in the United States—places like Miami, Houston, and Atlanta—are a short flight away, making a long weekend in Costa Rica a feasible thing to enjoy.
It's possible to come down to Costa Rica for a few days of fishing, surfing, birdwatching, or whatever else takes your fancy. For North Americans, Costa Rica is close enough to get that dose of winter sunshine during a drab January or February, or enjoy a long weekend of hiking and rafting. If you’re part of a family group, or a group of friends celebrating something—a bachelor/bachelorette party, graduation, or anything else, a quick few days in Costa Rica could be the perfect treat for you all.
While most vacations in Costa Rica involve traveling between various destinations, a five-day trip is best spent in one place. We'll outline a couple of ideas for people seeking a short break in Costa Rica instead of a longer trip. Sometimes, good things come in small packages.
General Travel Tips for a Five-Day Trip to Costa Rica
Before we start on a Costa Rica five-day itinerary, though, we'll look at some logistics. For a start, did you know that Costa Rica has two international airports you can fly into/out of? This is important, as the international airport you use determines where you'll visit, especially on a short trip when you want to minimize your travel time.
The two airports are Juan Santamaria (SJO) in the Central Valley, just outside the capital of San José. This is the larger and busier airport, Costa Rica's main gateway, and receives more flights and airlines from more destinations around the world, including Europe. The second airport is Guanacaste (LIR), in Liberia in the northeast part of the country.
Which airport you choose depends on what you're looking for out of your five days in Costa Rica. If you seek time at a beach resort, then Guanacaste Airport (LIR) is your best bet. This airport is close to most of these types of hotels, including all-inclusive resorts. But if you seek more nature and adventure, flying in and out of San José (SJO) could be better. Your Travel Consultant can talk you through all this.
As mentioned above, for a five-day trip to Costa Rica, we recommend staying in just one place. Five days, after all, is just over a long weekend. That means the usual traveling times between the Arenal Volcano, rainforests, cloud forests, and beaches isn't feasible. It's possible, yes, but not feasible. Travel times are too long and nobody wants to spend most of their short break sitting in a car or transfer van. If you really want to explore different parts of Costa Rica, our professional suggestion is to wait until you have at least a whole week to travel.
So, if you fly into Guanacaste (LIR), expect to travel anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours between the airport and your hotel. For Juan Santamaría (SJO) in San José, unless you're basing yourself in the Central Valley for your short stay (possible if you really want), your travel time will be longer, from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending where you want to stay, assuming that you want to stay at the beach.
Traveling in Costa Rica is straightforward, with choices of public transportation, private or semi-private transportation, renting a car, or internal flights all available. Discuss your preferences with your travel consultant or check our general Costa Rica travel FAQ page for more information, although for a five-day trip, we'd strongly recommend private transfers where we just pick you up and drop you off at the airport. Easier and quicker all around.
Another thing to consider with a short trip is the time of year. You only have a few days, so you want to make the most of the weather, right? Check out our best time of year to travel to Costa Rica guide to help you decide. But again, talk to us about your preferences and we'll find the right place for your five days in Costa Rica, whatever the month.
Now let's look at how a Costa Rica five-day itinerary might play for you, to give you an idea of what you can expect.
Day 1: Arrive in Costa Rica
As already discussed, you can fly into either Guanacaste (LIR) or Juan Santamaría (SJO) airports. Where you arrive and depart from influences directly where you're spending your five days here.
If you seek pure beach time, fly into LIR, where you'll be a short distance away from the resorts and beach communities of Guanacaste on the northern Pacific coast. Whatever time you arrive, we'll pick you up and get you over to the beach to check into your hotel and relax.
Those of you seeking something more adventure and nature-orientated for your short break, should fly into SJO. From there, we'll meet you and take you down to the Central Pacific coast, where—for a vacation of this length—we recommend Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio offers beaches, rainforests, national parks, nature, and plenty of activities, and is about 2.5 hours from the airport.
Travelers wanting to visit the Arenal Volcano or Monteverde cloud forest areas certainly can do this, but for such a short time they would be forgoing the beach, so we recommend coming for a longer stay to accommodate these places. That said, if you're not interested in the beach and just want to spend your five days inland near the volcano, it's certainly possible.
Day 2: Explore National Parks in Guanacaste or Manuel Antonio
Today's the first full day of your five-day Costa Rican trip. You can either relax and take it easy by the pool or beach or, if you're feeling adventurous, go out to take on the world. Either way is okay—it's your precious time, after all.
If you're at a beach hotel in Guanacaste, how about a full-day tour over to the Rincón de la Vieja National Park? It's a perfect way to check out a volcano in a short trip and enjoy some natural, healing mud baths. There's a great zip line adventure to enjoy here, too, plus horseback riding and other activities.
Those of you down on the Central Pacific in Manuel Antonio can use today to explore the Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica's smallest national park and one of its most beautiful. A guided hike through the trails is well worthwhile and you'll spot monkeys, birds, sloths, and more. You can also enjoy some of the beautiful beaches inside the park after your hike.
Each of these tours involves us picking you up and dropping you off at your hotel, so you don't need to worry about logistics. And after we drop you off, the rest of the day is yours to relax.
Day 3: Get Into Guanacaste or Manuel Antonio’s Waters
Today could be a good day to do nothing but relax—we're fully conscious you're on a short trip and need some time to yourself. But, if you felt the urge to get out and about, that's possible, too.
In Guanacaste, consider taking some surf lessons or getting out on the water some other way—fishing (depending on the time of year) or snorkeling. If you're a scuba diver, get under the water to check out some big fish off the Catalina Islands. You need a couple of days between diving and flying, so today's the day for this.
If you're in Manuel Antonio, you can also enjoy ocean activities. Surfing and surf lessons are available here, too, plus ocean kayaking, snorkeling, diving, and more.
Day 4: Make Time Your Own in Guanacaste or Manuel Antonio
Again, this could be a day to do nothing—in fact, that's what we would recommend. You don't need something organized for you every day. Practice some surfing if you took lessons yesterday or hang by the pool to enjoy the sunshine.
If you really wanted to do something, though, in Guanacaste, maybe a cultural tour would be cool. Take a walking tour of Santa Cruz or Liberia and discover the real Costa Rica. Or, if you feel like another full-day trip, take a boat ride through the wetlands of Palo Verde National Park for some outstanding nature and birdwatching. Horseback riding or ATVs are another option.
In Manuel Antonio, you can visit jungle waterfalls, take a canopy zip line tour in the rainforest, or do some whitewater rafting on nearby rivers. Horseback riding and ATV tours are also available here.
Day 5: Seize the Day in Guanacaste or Manuel Antonio
This is the last day of your short break in Costa Rica. What do you want to do? Again, you can do nothing organized if you want. Spend today on the beach or by the pool, or head into your local beach community to check out some restaurants, shops, and bars. In Guanacaste, Tamarindo and Flamingo are great for this, while Manuel Antonio village and Quepos are great places to explore.
If you want to do something organized, how about a sunset cruise in the afternoon? Both Guanacaste and Manuel Antonio are great for this, and these trips are a perfect way to wrap up your time before heading back home tomorrow.
Day 6: Traveling Back Home
Today it's time to travel home after spending five days enjoying Costa Rica. Check out of your hotel and we'll be there to take you back to the airport, whether that's Guanacaste (LIR) or Juan Santamaría (SJO). Again, if you're staying in Guanacaste, you're anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours from LIR airport and if you're in Manuel Antonio, you're about 2.5 hours away. Either way, we'll pick you up at an ideal time to ensure you reach the airport for your check-in. And now you’re headed back home with a backpack full of memories!
Customize Your Five-Day Trip Today!
We hope we've given you some ideas of how to spend five days in Costa Rica. It's not a long time, but long enough to give you a great taste of the country and enjoy yourself. Remember that all our vacations are 100% customizable and that the outlines above are recommendations based on our experience. If you are coming down for a short five days in Costa Rica, contact us to explore your options.
