Costa Rica Itinerary: 5 Days In Costa Rica; Sample Itineraries, How Many Places To Visit, How Many Activities To Do, And More!

Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Want to save money in Costa Rica?

Our sister site, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., has discounts for Costa Rica tours and activities. Con mucho gusto (you’re welcome) and pura vida!

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The article below is the first part of a five-part series about Costa Rica itineraries. Information is divided across five pages:

Costa Rica Itinerary: 5 days in Costa Rica (4 nights)
Costa Rica Itinerary: 8 days in Costa Rica (7 nights)
Costa Rica Itinerary: 10 days in Costa Rica (9 nights)
Costa Rica Itinerary: 12 days in Costa Rica (11 nights)
Costa Rica Itinerary: 15 days in Costa Rica (14 nights)

Costa Rica vacation planning

Vacations in Costa Rica are as unique as the travelers who take them. Money, interest, previous travel experience, ability, endurance, and patience are a few of the factors that help shape a trip itinerary but time is the most telling. How you should plan and execute your Costa Rica experience is a question best answered by the number of days and nights you wish to spend in the country.

The good news is, despite popular belief, you don’t need anyone to plan your Costa Rica trip for you. If you know the number of days and nights you’re able to travel to Costa Rica for, you can quickly and easily create your own Costa Rica itinerary. Of course, as always, we’re here to help guide you through this process. In particular, the article below will teach you how to plan a trip/itinerary for 5 days in Costa Rica.

Do you have 5 days in Costa Rica or are you considering a 5-day trip to Costa Rica? Here’s who we think you are.

At the risk of making general assumptions about Costa Rica travelers, our years of working for Costa Rica’s tourism industry have shown us patterns in Costa Rica itinerary planning; specifically, patterns across the types of travelers who vacation in Costa Rica, and patterns in the number of days they visit. If you identify with a type of traveler listed below or with any of the wants/desires listed below, a 5-day vacation to Costa Rica may be right for you.

People who choose to vacation in Costa Rica for 5 days tend to be the following:

• Couples looking to get away from home for a quick romantic trip
• Individuals looking to get away from home for an extended weekend trip
• Individuals who travel to Costa Rica for health purposes (dental work or other medical procedures) but who also have a number of days to spare before/after their procedure
• Friend groups looking to relax and/or party in Costa Rica for an extended weekend trip (i.e., bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, engagement parties)
• Businesspeople who travel to Costa Rica for work purposes (i.e., meetings, conferences, site checks) but who also have a number of days to spare before/after their work commitment

People who choose to vacation in Costa Rica for 5 days tend to want the following:

Either/or…

1. A visit to one of Costa Rica’s top destinations, ideally a destination that offers a variety of adventure experiences, nature experiences, or beach experiences.
2. To stay in a predetermined region (e.g., San Jose, near their work commitment or medical procedure) with the exception of day tours taken to/from that region and other areas of the country.

Travelers who vacation in Costa Rica for 5 days also typically want…

• To minimize travel time between destinations and maximize time spent at destinations given the limited amount of time they have to spend in the country
• A variety of experiences, including things to do in Costa Rica, things to see in Costa Rica, and things to learn in Costa Rica
• To travel to Costa Rica’s most raved about destinations, sites, and attractions (skipping the country’s most remote locations)
• To participate in Costa Rica’s most popular tours and activities

With 5 days in Costa Rica, here’s how many places you should visit

If your time in Costa Rica is restricted to one geographical area (i.e., if you identify with traveler type #2 listed above) then you have already decided how many places to visit during your trip: one. Fortunately, tourism companies centered in many of Costa Rica’s top destinations (San Jose included) offer day tours to other notable regions, including the La Fortuna/Arenal area, the Monteverde area, the Manuel Antonio area, and others, so experiencing much of what the country has to offer is possible via daily travel to and from your required home base.

Even if your time in Costa Rica is not limited to one geographical area and you wish to fit in everything you can during your limited time in the country (i.e., if you better relate to traveler type #1 listed above), choose one destination to visit (in addition to the region that contains the airport you’ll fly into and out of) and focus on making the most of your time while there.

Why choosing one destination is best

Unless you plan to fly to Costa Rica incredibly early in the morning and depart from Costa Rica incredibly late in the evening, international travel will likely eat up most of the first and last days of your vacation. Though there may be time to fit in an activity on these days, the information provided below errs on the side of caution and assumes that Day #1 and Day #5 are lost itinerary days.

Let’s assume that a 5-day trip to Costa Rica provides 3 full days to explore the country (i.e., Day #2, Day #3, and Day #4). With such little time to enjoy Costa Rica, time is of the essence. The quickest and easiest way to avoid wasted itinerary time is to cut back on unnecessary or inefficient travel between destinations, a problem that’s easily solved by limiting the number of destinations you visit. Fortunately, because most popular destinations in Costa Rica have enough sites and attractions to entertain visitors over a 3-day period, travel to more than one destination isn’t necessary.

To confirm, 5 days in Costa Rica is enough time for you to a) travel between the airport and Destination #1, and b) travel between Destination #1 and the airport. With such a simple and direct itinerary plan, you’ll maximize the time you have to participate in tours and activities of interest, and minimize cross-destination travel and hotel check-in/check-out procedures.

Can/should I add in a second destination?

It’s possible to visit two destinations with 5 days to spend in Costa Rica but we don’t recommend doing so. If you’d like to experience more than one area of Costa Rica, it would be best to extend your vacation by a few days, if at all possible. (Our Costa Rica Itinerary: 8 Days In Costa Rica blog post can help you coordinate a longer stay.) Otherwise, you may find that squeezing in visits to three destinations over the 3 full days you’ll have in the country creates a rushed travel experience, increases stress, and decreases opportunities for exploration and rest.

Suggested itinerary / itineraries for a 5-day trip to Costa Rica

If you’re in the process of planning a 5-day vacation to Costa Rica, aim to build an itinerary that mirrors one of the itineraries below.

Note: The itineraries below can be adjusted to fit your preferred travel arrangements (i.e., rental car delivery/pick-up time, domestic flight departure time, private transfer service pick-up time, or shuttle service departure time).

5-day itinerary #1: If you want to spend the first night near the airport

• 5-day itinerary #1 summary: 1 night in the airport region and 3 nights at Destination #1
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight from home to Costa Rica arrives into the airport region late in the day on Day #1 (our recommendation also assumes that you would prefer to schedule an overnight stay in the airport region for your first night in the country)
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight back home from Costa Rica departs late in the day on Day #5 (our recommendation also assumes that your flight departs late enough in the day to travel between Destination #1 and the airport on your last day in the country)

4-Night / 5-Day Costa Rica Itinerary #1:

Day #1: Arrival into Costa Rica, overnight in the airport region
Day #2: Morning travel to Destination #1, afternoon exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #3: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #4: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #5: Morning travel to the airport region, departure from Costa Rica

5-day itinerary #2: If you want to spend the last night near the airport

• 5-day itinerary #2 summary: 3 nights at Destination #1 and 1 night in the airport region
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight from home to Costa Rica arrives into the airport region early in the day on Day #1 (our recommendation also assumes that you would prefer to travel between the airport region and Destination #1 for your first night in the country)
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight back home from Costa Rica departs early in the day on Day #5 (our recommendation also assumes that you would prefer to schedule an overnight stay in the airport region for your last night in the country)

4-Night / 5-Day Costa Rica Itinerary #2:

Day #1: Arrival into Costa Rica, afternoon travel to Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #2: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #3: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #4: Morning exploration of Destination #1, afternoon travel to the airport region, overnight in the airport region
Day #5: Departure from Costa Rica

5-day itinerary #3: If you want to spend both the first night and the last night near the airport

• 5-day itinerary #3 summary: 1 night in the airport region, 2 nights at Destination #1, and 1 night in the airport region
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight from home to Costa Rica arrives into the airport region late in the day on Day #1 (our recommendation also assumes that you would prefer to schedule an overnight stay in the airport region for your first night in the country)
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight back home from Costa Rica departs early in the day on Day #5 (our recommendation also assumes that you would prefer to schedule an overnight stay in the airport region for your last night in the country)

4-Night / 5-Day Costa Rica Itinerary #3:

Day #1: Arrival into Costa Rica, overnight in the airport region
Day #2: Morning travel to Destination #1, afternoon exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #3: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #4: Morning exploration of Destination #1, afternoon travel to the airport region, overnight in the airport region
Day #5: Departure from Costa Rica

5-day itinerary #4: If you want to spend neither the first night nor the last night near the airport

• 5-day itinerary #4 summary: 4 nights at Destination #1
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight from home to Costa Rica arrives into the airport region early in the day on Day #1 (our recommendation also assumes that you would prefer to travel between the airport region and Destination #1 for your first night in the country)
• The below itinerary recommendation assumes that your flight back home from Costa Rica departs late in the day on Day #5 (our recommendation also assumes that your flight departs late enough in the day to travel between Destination #1 and the airport on your last day in the country)

4-Night / 5-Day Costa Rica Itinerary #4:

Day #1: Arrival into Costa Rica, afternoon travel to Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #2: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #3: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #4: Full-day exploration of Destination #1, overnight at Destination #1
Day #5: Morning travel to the airport region, departure from Costa Rica

As a side note, if you’re wondering which specific destination in Costa Rica you should choose (i.e., which area should be Destination #1)…

Don’t miss our related blog post:

Where To Go In Costa Rica: Determining The Best Places To Visit During Your Trip

Why spending 5 days in Costa Rica might be the best option for you

A 5-day vacation in Costa Rica may be your only opportunity to explore the country

To be honest, we don’t normally recommend 5-day vacations to Costa Rica. It’s tough to jam-pack several worthwhile experiences into such a short amount of time, and even if you could, we bet that would be quite a tiring and uncomfortable trip to endure. This being said, we know that life is both busy and expensive. If your only window to experience Costa Rica is a brief 5 days, so be it. With some careful trip-planning and wise itinerary decision-making, those 5 days in Costa Rica can still be life-changing.

A 5-day vacation in Costa Rica allows some time to take in many of Costa Rica’s highlights

Are you asking yourself, “Is 5 days in Costa Rica enough time?” If so, you’ve joined the club; this is one of the most popular questions we receive from travelers. To it we could respond, “Is 5 days in Costa Rica enough time… for what?” Is 5 days enough time to get away from home, have some fun, and get a taste of what Costa Rica is all about? Of course! Is 5 days enough time to experience what other travelers do when they visit for 8 days, 10 days, 12 days, 15 days, or longer? Sadly (and obviously), no.

With 5 days to spend in Costa Rica, we recommend participating in no less than 2 tours/activities and no more than 9 tours/activities. The chart below provides a breakdown of this range according to the itineraries already discussed above.

A 5-day vacation in Costa Rica warrants either a personal car rental or reliance on other modes of transportation; the decision is yours!

Some travelers ask us whether they should rent a car for a 5-day trip to Costa Rica or whether they can get by without one. The short answer to both inquires is “Yes” but to elaborate, renting a car has its advantages, especially when time is limited. Having access to a rental car offers the greatest flexibility; not only can you drive wherever you want, whenever you want, but you won’t need to rely on transportation service providers’ preset departure times. If you’d prefer not to rent a vehicle, you have the option to use shared shuttle services and/or city-to-city transportation-inclusive tours, the latter of which reduce transportation costs while maximizing adventure. Domestic flights and/or private transfer services are also options, ideal if you need to execute a trip itinerary according to a tight travel schedule. Let it be known in advance, however, that (on average) both represent the most expensive modes of transportation in Costa Rica.

Don’t miss our related blog posts:

Costa Rica Tour Transportation: How To Use Tours To Travel Between Destinations

Costa Rica Transportation: 15 Ways To Get Around Costa Rica

Renting A Car In Costa Rica: Should You Do It?

A 5-day vacation in Costa Rica may be the best for your budget

It’s no secret that the longer a vacation is, the more it will cost. At its core, Costa Rica trip planning (and Costa Rica itinerary planning) depends mostly on the number of days you can afford to spend in Costa Rica. If a 5-day trip—and not a day more—is what best suits your budget, it’s likely the right trip plan for you. 🙂

Pura vida!

Do you have questions about visiting Costa Rica for roughly five days, or need help formulating a 5-day itinerary that incorporates the destinations you want to visit and the tours/activities you want to experience? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂

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