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FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 18 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

NEW! Our awesome Costa Rica Destination Tool filters 66 destinations by nearly 150 criteria to help you quickly and easily decide where to go in Costa Rica according to your unique preferences, wants, and needs. Learn more and access the tool on our sister site, DIY Costa Rica, here.

How To Plan A Trip To Costa Rica For Free Step By Step

How To Plan A Trip To Costa Rica For Free Step By Step

Last updated on July 16th, 2024 at 02:29 pm


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. ❤️️

Costa Rica Travel Consulting Nikki Solano


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!
🙂

Need to plan a trip to Costa Rica? We can help!

A few nights ago, I caught the tail end of the Academy Award-winning movie The Help and I let the words of the main character, Aibileen, sink in: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” I also bawled like a baby at the end of the movie when (spoiler alert!) little Mae bangs on the windowpane for her beloved Aibileen’s return. I wondered if fictitious little Mae would remember the inspiring words of wisdom she was told, and if so, whether the words would shape her life for the better. Then I questioned whether all forms of help that support and uplift others possess a similar kind of power.

I started thinking about the help we provide travelers who set out to plan a trip to Costa Rica. Ricky and I like to think that our style in helping others build their dream Costa Rica vacation is similar to the confidence-building strategy that Aibileen employed toward her precious Mae. You is kind. You is smart. You is important. That you are, you can, you will attitude resonates well with us, and if there’s one message above all others that we aim to deliver to travelers, it’s this message of empowerment and encouragement: You can plan your own trip to Costa Rica. You don’t need to buy a vacation package to experience Costa Rica, and you don’t need to rely on a travel agent to get what you want. No matter the destinations you want to visit, the time of year you’re able to travel, or the amount of money in your bank account, if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of traveler, you can plan your own trip to Costa Rica.

With a little help anything is possible, so allow us to be the Aibileen to your Mae. Let us shower you with support so you can cleanse yourself with confidence. Let us hold your hand and lead you far enough until you’ve listened to us, leaned on us, and learned from us as much as you need before giving Costa Rica vacation planning a go on your own. Start by reading our article below. It will show you how to plan a trip to Costa Rica for free on your own in 8 simple steps.


Step #1: Get to know Costa Rica

Put your mind at ease early by familiarizing yourself with the country and learning some of the basics of Costa Rica travel.

Start with the following blog posts:

The experience you’ll have in Costa Rica will be decided in part by the month during which you plan to visit. Get to know Costa Rica month by month:

The above articles provide introductory information about Costa Rica, including safety tips to put your mind at ease with respect to travel in the country, suggestions regarding the best times of year to travel, and helpful airport information to keep in mind as you research flights.

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #2” when you have read the above texts.


Step #2: Determine your vacation window

Figure out how much time you want (or are able) to spend in Costa Rica.

If your vacation time is determined by work, school, or other demands, you may not have much say in this step of the Costa Rica trip-planning process. However, if you’re able to be flexible with your Costa Rica vacation planning, use all or some of our free Costa Rica itinerary guides to figure out how many days and nights you should spend in the country. Our detailed itinerary guides also cover how the process of planning a trip to Costa Rica differs according to the amount of time you have to spend here.

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #3” when you have determined how many days and nights you will spend in Costa Rica.


Step #3: Research Costa Rica destinations

Explore our Costa Rica Travel Blog to familiarize yourself with Costa Rica’s most popular destinations and not-to-miss hot spots.

You may find our related blog posts helpful:

Tip:

  • If your flights to and from Costa Rica aren’t yet set, allow your destination interests to influence your airport/flight plans. This can help minimize in-country travel time. For example, if you are interested in visiting a Central Pacific beach, consider flying into and out of the San Jose airport (SJO). If you’re interested in visiting a Northern Pacific beach, consider flying into and out of the Liberia airport (LIR).

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #4” when you have determined which airport you would like to fly into and out of, as well as which Costa Rica destinations you would like to visit. Note that only a rough idea of destinations is needed during this step; a list of exact cities, towns, and beaches isn’t needed just yet.


Step #4: Choose cities, towns, and beaches to visit based on your tour and activity preferences

Use our recommended “bottom-up approach to trip planning” to narrow down the destinations (i.e., the Costa Rica cities, towns, and beaches) you would like to visit and determine how much time you should spend at each.

Read our related blog post Planning A Vacation To Costa Rica? READ THIS FIRST!, which provides an explanation of our “bottom-up approach to trip planning”, followed by our blog posts How To Save Money On Costa Rica Tours and Costa Rica Tour Transportation: How To Use Tours To Travel Between Destinations. These three blog posts will help you understand in sequence:

  1. Why tours and activities should be selected first and how they influence most other trip decisions.
  2. How a lot of money can be saved by making your tour and activity reservations the right way.
  3. How precious vacation time can be maximized and travel time can be minimized as a result of smart tour and activity planning.

Once you’re convinced that tours and activities are the holy grail of Costa Rica trip planning, read our blog posts 30 Popular Things To Do In Costa Rica and Costa Rica Off The Beaten Path: Where To Go And What To Do, then browse through our online Costa Rica Tour Discounts database. Doing so will:

  1. Give you an understanding of the types of tours and activities that are available in Costa Rica and which in particular interest you.
  2. Help you determine which cities, towns, and beaches would be the best for you to visit according to the tours and activities that interest you the most.
  3. Help you determine how many days and nights you should spend at each destination according to the number of tours and activities you wish to experience.

The easiest way to find discounts for the tours and activities you’re interested in experiencing is to browse our discount database according to one of the following three categories:

You can also browse our discount database according to traveler type, which is a great way for families to learn where extra discounts are available to students and children:

You can also narrow your search within our discount database to display discounts for Costa Rica tours that a) are education-based, b) are family-friendly, c) are good for wildlife-viewing, d) encourage personal pampering, e) are super for senior travelers, or f) are time-efficient tours that squeeze multiple experiences into a short amount of time. Alternatively, you can search our tour discounts by activity adrenaline level (“mild” vs. “extreme”), difficulty level (across “low”, “mild”, “moderate”, and “high” levels), or tour guide requirement (“guided tours” vs. “unguided tours”). If you’re unsure whether you would like to participate in guided tours and activities throughout your trip, you may find our related blog post helpful: Guided Tours In Costa Rica: Are They Necessary, Valuable, And/Or Worthwhile?

If you would rather read about our specific experiences participating in many of Costa Rica’s best tours and activities, you can do so by exploring our activity-related blog posts below:

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #5” when you have determined:

  1. Which tours and activities interest you the most.
  2. Which destinations (i.e., which cities, towns, and beaches) would be the best for you to visit according to the cities, towns, and beach areas where your preferred tours and activities are run.
  3. The ideal number of days and nights you should spend at each destination in order to have enough time to see and do what you wish to experience in each area.

Before proceeding to the next step you should also have an idea of the order in which you would like to visit each destination (i.e., destination X first, destination Y second, and so on).


Step #5: Research and choose your desired accommodations

Select and reserve your ideal accommodations in accordance with the number of days and nights you plan to spend at each destination according to the outcome of STEP #4.

Before you reserve your preferred Costa Rica accommodations, familiarize yourself with our related blog posts:

In addition, don’t miss our property-specific Costa Rica Accommodation Recommendations and Reviews.

Don’t miss our free discount codes for Costa Rica hotels which can help you save roughly 15-25% off the cost of Costa Rica hotel rooms

Click here to access our free discount codes for Costa Rica hotels

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #6” when you have determined which Costa Rica accommodations you wish to stay at (according to the ideal number of days and nights you should spend at each destination, depending on what you wish to experience in each area).


Step #6: Research and choose your desired in-country transportation services

Select and reserve your ideal transportation arrangements.

Imagine each Costa Rica destination that you plan to visit as a dot on a map. Now is the time to connect them. If you don’t know how you would prefer to travel around Costa Rica, you may find our related blog posts helpful:

Don’t miss our free discount codes for Costa Rica transportation services which can help you save 20% off the cost of shuttle services and roughly 25-50% off the cost of car rentals

Click here to access our free discount codes for Costa Rica car rentals and shuttle services

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #7” when you have determined which Costa Rica transportation services you will rely on to get between destinations throughout your trip.


Step #7: Secure reservations for your desired tours and activities

Reserve the Costa Rica day tours and activities (that you discovered you have an interest in during STEP #4) through Pura Vida! eh? Inc., home to hundreds of discounts for Costa Rica day tours.

In preparation for making your Costa Rica day tour and activity reservations, you may find our related blog posts helpful:

When you are confident and ready to make your tour/activity reservations, do so through Pura Vida! eh? Inc.. As per its unique operation, no money or credit card information ever passes through the company in order to maintain travelers’ privacy!

Proceed to “HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA STEP #8” when you have secured your Costa Rica day tours and activities through Pura Vida! eh? Inc. and other chosen trip items through other providers. You’re almost done! 🙂


Step #8: Consider these travel extras

Now that your Costa Rica trip has been planned, reserved, and confirmed, prepare yourself for other facets of the travel experience.

You may find our related blog posts helpful:

Whew, you made it!

Yes, the process of planning a trip to Costa Rica is time-consuming. Yes, it takes focus and determination. But that’s what Costa Rica travel is all about. Costa Rica isn’t the average all-inclusive vacation destination that asks little of you. It requires thought, work, patience, and detailed planning. Then it delivers rewards greater than your wildest dreams. You’ll get so much more out of your Costa Rica trip than gift shop souvenirs and a tan. Congratulations for not selling yourself and your vacation short. You is kind. You is smart. You is important. And, you’re about to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

Pura vida!

Costa Rica expert Nikki Solano Costa Rica travel consulting
Do you have questions about planning a trip to Costa Rica, or need help executing the Costa Rica vacation of your dreams? 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! 🙂


Hey, Costa Rica Travel Blog reader, thank you for visiting and reading our blog! We're truly grateful for your time and preference.

Do you know that your spam-free reading experience is most important to us? Unlike some other Costa Rica blogs, we do not to sell your personal information, and we choose not to display ads, sponsored content, or affiliate marketing on our blog so we can keep your visit as distraction- and junk-free as possible. Because we prioritize your privacy, we don't earn money when you visit us, when you sign up for our e-course, or when you click on our links, which means the time and work we put into this blog—including its 300+ articles—is entirely voluntary! If you find our content valuable, and you'd like to thank us for making the trip-planning process easier and your Costa Rica vacation more enjoyable, please consider making a small donation ($1, $2, $3, or an amount of your choosing) to our blog. Doing so is a great way to pat us on the back if you feel we deserve it. 😊 Pura vida, amigos!

Click on the button above to donate through PayPal. (If you cannot see the PayPal button above, click here.) A PayPal account is not required to make a donation; credit and debit cards are also accepted. PayPal donations are confidential; we never see your payment details.


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Summary
How To Plan A Trip To Costa Rica For Free Step By Step
Article Name
How To Plan A Trip To Costa Rica For Free Step By Step
Description
Want to plan a trip to Costa Rica? Follow our steps for free and easy Costa Rica vacation planning help!
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The Official Costa Rica Travel Blog
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Viewing 6 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
  • #194731
    Nikki Solano
    Keymaster

    The comment section of this article has moved! If you have a question or comment about our article above or Costa Rica travel in general, please post it in our Questions and Answers Forum on DIY Costa Rica, our sister website, where you can also access our private Costa Rica recommendations, our Costa Rica Destination Tool, and our Costa Rica Recommendations Map. See you there, amigos! 🙂

  • #194732
    Rajiv
    Guest

    Shall I put Costa Rica on my bucket list?

    • #194733
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hey Rajiv!

      We certainly hope so! 😉

      Pura vida!

  • #194734
    fallingoffbicycles
    Guest

    Going to Costa Rica next month. Can’t wait!

    • #194735
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi fallingoffbicycles!

      That’s great to hear! We wish you a wonderful time. 🙂

      Pura vida!

      • #194736
        fallingoffbicycles
        Guest

        Thank you!

  • #194739
    Ryan
    Guest

    I’m planning a trip with my fiancee for the first week of April (thankfully 2 weeks before Easter this year — less crowds) and have found your websites to be immensely helpful so far!

    We have 8 days to work with and a cannot miss experience for us is Corcovado. Would it be too much to try and visit Monteverde and Arenal after the 3 day Corcovado hike? Our itinerary (location wise) currently looks like this:

    Day 1: Arrive SJO, fly to Puerto Jimenez
    2: day 1 of Corcovado 3: day 2 4: day 3 – boat to Drake (on Surcos tours website, they say they can taxi your luggage to Drake from Jimenez — is this reliably safe in your opinion?)
    5: Fly to SJO early AM, private van to Monteverde
    6: Jeep-boat-jeep to Arenal
    7: Private transport to hotel near SJO in early evening
    8: Depart SJO

    Sorry if this post is in the wrong place! Things are starting to become overwhelming, and I would love your input!

    • #194740
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Ryan!

      It sounds like you have your hands full! It also sounds like you’re going to have a great time. 🙂 Also, congrats on the upcoming wedding! I’m sure you and your fiancee are going to love it here.

      With 8 days to spend here, I’ll be honest, visiting Corcovado for 3 days and then visiting Monteverde and La Fortuna/Arenal (with a stop in San Jose in the middle) is tough. Definitely not impossible, though, and since we’re all for exploration, we say go for it!

      First, please read our related blog post how To Decide Between La Fortuna / Arenal Or Monteverde (Or Why You Should Visit Both). It will help you decide whether you should visit both destinations or only one of the two. Alternatively, you can check out our La Fortuna/Arenal and Monteverde tour discount databases to give you an idea of the tours and activities that exist at each destination, to help you decide which is more your style:

      La Fortuna/Arenal Tour Discounts
      Monteverde Tour Discounts

      With respect to Corcovado, a quick question: where exactly do you plan to stay on the Osa Peninsula? If you stay in Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay, you can fly from either of those destinations to La Fortuna/Arenal (with a quick stopover at the SJO Airport), which would skip the longer stop in San Jose and the drive to Monteverde, saving you some previous travel time.

      Pura vida! 🙂

      • #194741
        Ryan
        Guest

        Thank you so much!

  • #194743
    rara
    Guest

    im getting a bit frustrated and stressed out about a spontaneous trip to costa rica in 2 weeks n came across your website. i havent started reading up the articles yet but i’d like to thank you for putting together so many useful information for all the wanderlusts out there! <3

    • #198290
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Rara!

      Awe. 🙂 That’s very kind of you to say, thank you! If you’re looking for a resource that can quickly and easily help you narrow down Costa Rica’s many, many destinations, please check out our Costa Rica Destination Tool, which narrows down 66 Costa Rica destinations according to nearly 150 criteria in less than 1 minute. Simply input your interests, preferences, and needs, and the tool will tell you exactly where you should go.

      Pura vida! 🙂

  • #194745
    Costa Rica Tour Operator
    Guest

    I was there at Costa Rica and the experience was unforgettable.Its natural diversity, Costa Rica is still a stand out. Thanks to a longstanding tradition of preserving its natural assets, much of the country’s verdant rainforest still stands, opportunities for nature-based adventures abound and the beaches on both coasts are in exceptional nick.

    • #198289
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Costa Rica Tour Operator!

      We agree! Costa Rica is one of a kind! 🙂

      Pura vida!

  • #194746
    Tim Wood
    Guest

    Very useful blog with lot of resources to plan your next trip to Costa Rica. Thanks.

    • #198287
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Thank you so much, Tim! 🙂

      Pura vida!

Viewing 6 reply threads
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