costa rica day trip to nicaragua

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Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica

Nicaragua's best highlights all in one day.

• INFORMATION

Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica – One Day Tour

Book online now!

Explore all of Nicaragua’s most famous highlights all in one day on this Nicaragua tour from Costa Rica! You will see a dormant volcano crater, the active Masaya Crater, go shopping at the artisan markets, explore the colonial town of Granada, and go on a boat ride viewing the islets of Lake Nicaragua, and even get to feed monkeys!

NICARAGUA OVERNIGHT OPTION: Stay Overnight in Granada and come back any day you like!

Visit the highlights of Nicaragua in One Day

Look into the Masaya Active Volcano Crater

Visit to Colonial Town of Granada

Boat Ride in Lake Nicaragua

Shop Artisan Markets

Door-to-door service: Pick-up and Drop-off at your hotel

All Border Taxes included ($27)

Shared Tour:

Adults & Children – $190 per person

Overnight Option – $260 per person

Private Tour:  

2-3 People $300 per person

4+ People $225 per person

Overnight in Granada Option:

Book your Hotel in Granada and return any day you like with our tour! Hotel not included, we can help you with this upon request. $260 per person, Option Available at Checkout.

Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica Itinerary

You will picked up from your hotel promptly and taken to the border where your guide will help you in every step of the crossing, which takes about 30 minutes.  The guide will make the process easy for you and will take care of all of the passport paperwork and visas. From here we will travel to eat a hearty breakfast to start off the day.

Catarina Volcano Outlook Point:

Here you will enjoy an incredible view over the dormant volcano crater, Granada, and Lake Nicaragua. You will be allowed to walk around freely for a while before getting back in the bus and heading to the next stop.

Masaya Artisan Market:

Do some shopping for inexpensive souvenirs and experience the Nicaraguan life style before sitting down for a typical Nicaraguan lunch.

Masaya Volcano:

An active volcano where you will have the opportunity to stand right next to its crater and hear it rumbling and spewing of gases. An incredible, rare sight.

Next stop: Granada!

An old Colonial town near Lake Nicaragua. Stop at La Merced Church, considered one of the most beautiful buildings of Granada. It is flanked by a large tower that houses the church bells. You will ascend the stairs and reach the roof of the church. From here, you’ll have a panoramic city view of Granada, Mombacho Volcano, and Nicaragua Lake with the islets. This is the perfect place to take pictures of the beautiful city and the surroundings.

Lake Nicaragua:

Your last stop is a one hour boat ride in Lake Nicaragua viewing the Nicaraguan Islets around sunset. Your guide will stop by Monkey Island consisting only of monkeys that will come out and take food from your guide on the boat! You will then head back to Costa Rica, stopping on the way to pick up some snacks for the ride home.

Overnight option: – Hotel is NOT Included, but let us know if you need help with this. Please send us what hotel you will be staying at, what date you will be returning to Costa Rica and your drop off location in Costa Rica.

Entry to Nicaragua Requirement

SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR PASSPORT to [email protected] or our WhatsApp

DISCLAIMER:

ASK OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS IF YOU NEED A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT DUE TO YOUR NATIONALITY OR PASSPORT

Transportation Info:

We pick up from the hotels, condos and private residences in the following areas:

Hacienda Pinilla/JW Marriott: 4:00 AM Langosta/Tamarindo Hotels, Condos, Apartments, Houses: 4:30 AM Conchal (W/Westin Conchal), Brasilito Hotels, Condos, Apartments, Houses: 4:45 AM Playa Grande, Flamingo, Potrero Hotels, Condos, Apartments, Houses: 4:30 AM Catalinas: 4:15 AM ($60 extra per booking, not per customer/Viator $50) RIU Hotels Main Security Gate, Not the Lobby: 5:00 AM Playas del Coco Hotels, Condos, Houses: 5:20 AM Playa Hermosa & Panama (Occ/Secrts Papagayo, Villas Sol, Condovac, Mangroove): 5:30 AM Liberia Peri Supermarket: 6:00 AM Andaz, Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood: 5:20 AM ($50 extra per booking, not per customer) Dreams Las Mareas: 6:00am

Pick up times above are an estimate. We will send you an official pick up time the day before the tour. Please be ready outside 10 minutes before your scheduled pick up time, but it can take up to 20 minutes longer depending on the day’s pick up schedule and traffic.

Special Notes

• All border taxes are included
• Minimum to operate the shared tour is 4 people, if we don’t meet the minimum we will send options 1 or 2 days before
• It is prohibited to enter the country of Nicaragua with the following items: all kinds of Drones, all kinds of Binoculars, including those for Night vision, and any object considered for professional, journalistic, and similar audiovisual reproduction.
• Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
• A moderate amount of walking is involved
• Children must be accompanied by an adul
• Adult pricing applies to all travelers

Cancellation Policy

Departure time, return time, not included, from our gallery.

Hotel Pick up

Catarina volcano outlook point, masaya volcano, boat tour in lake nicaragua of isletas, tour location.

Granada, Nicaragua

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Costa Rica Travel Information

See Nicaragua in a Day with the Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica

March 28, 2019 By Sammi 89 Comments

If you’re staying in Guanacaste, I highly recommend taking the one day Nicaragua tour from Costa Rica. It’s a great day trip for visitors staying in Playas del Coco , Tamarindo , Liberia or La Cruz (Dreams Las Mareas).

This is an excellent way to see another country, especially if you don’t plan on visiting Nicaragua in the future. The tour company takes care of all the border fees, immigration, transportation, guiding and itinerary, making it an easy and convenient day excursion.

Unfortunately our tour operator partner no longer runs this tour.

Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica Itinerary

The Nicaragua one day tour from Guanacaste is a full day activity starting from about 5 AM to 9 PM.

Places you visit on the Nicaragua day excursion :

• Lake Nicaragua (take pictures of the Ometepe volcano)
• Laguna de Apoyo

Masaya Volcano National Park

Masaya market.

We got picked up at 5:30 AM very close to our condo in Playas del Coco. Our second time at the tour we got picked up at Tamarindo at 4:45 AM.

Nicaragua one day tour pick up locations

Tour companies can pick up in:

• Las Salinas Bay (Dreams)
• Tamarindo/Conchal/Flamingo/Portrero/Brasilito
• Playas del Coco/Ocotal/Hermosa/Panama
• Andaz/Four Seasons/Occidental/Planet Hollywood/Secrets
• JW Marriott
• Riu Guanacaste

After you get picked up, it’s about a 2 hour drive from Liberia to the Penas Blanas border. When you arrive at the border, the guide will tell you what to do.

Border crossings are really easy when you’re on a tour since the guide does half of it for you. You need to do the Costa Rica one yourself but the guide does the Nicaragua one. This gives you time to check out duty free and if you want to buy anything, I highly recommend getting some Nicaraguan Flor de Cana (rum).

Lake Nicaragua Breakfast and Photos

After crossing the border, they take you to breakfast at a local restaurant in Nicaragua near Lake Nicaragua. It’s a typical Nicaraguan breakfast with gallo pinto (with red beans), eggs, cheese, coffee and plantains.

When you’re done eating, you can walk around and take some photos of Lake Nicaragua. It is a huge lake with windmills all around and on a clear day, you can see the two volcano.

After breakfast, our next stop was Santa Catarina.

Catarina town and Laguna de Apoyo

At Catarina, a very small town in Masaya, there is a great viewpoint of Laguna de Apoyo. This volcanic lake is a nature reserve in an extinct volcano and it is just beautiful! It’s one of our favorite places in Nicaragua.

We stayed for about 20 minutes and then headed off to Masaya Volcano.

Our next stop was Masaya Volcano. Unfortunately it was a pretty rainy and cloudy day so we couldn’t see the crater, but this active volcano is famous for being one of the few in the world and the only one in the western hemisphere where you can actually drive up to the center.

We got out and spent about 45 minutes walking around and taking pictures.

Along the way there, our guide told us some history and background about this volcano and the national park which was really interesting. The Mayans who used to live in this area would sacrifice beautiful women at the cross whenever the volcano erupted or rumbled.

To this day, this active volcano continuously spews sulfur dioxide gas. As of December 2016, there is lava flowing at the volcano!

If you walk towards the entrance of the parking lot, you can get some beautiful views of Nicaragua below.

Our next stop was the Masaya market, one of the most famous souvenirs stores in Central America. We first had lunch which we got to choose from a variety of dishes.

Nicaragua has excellent beef so if you like meat, this is a good place to get some. They also have kebab, vegetarian and chicken options.

After lunch we had about 20 minutes to browse the Masaya market. If you want souvenirs, this is the best place to buy them.

Souvenirs in Nicaragua are cheaper than Costa Rica and their leather items are top notch quality. You can find everything from leather bags and purses, shoes and belts for a good price.

You can also get cheap shirts for $5, hammocks, cigars and other knick knacks. Remember to bargain! They’ll always start high but you can negotiate down a lot. I highly recommend doing souvenir shopping here since it is so much cheaper than Costa Rica.

You can use dollars at the market but they give your change back in cordobas. Ask if you want your change in USD.

Lake Nicaragua boat ride

After Masaya, we headed to Grenada. First we passed through the city to take a boat ride on Lake Nicaragua which was my favorite part of the tour. We climbed into a boat and went off into the lake to see the thousands of little islands.

If you’ve ever wanted to have your own private island and build a house on it, this is a premiere place to do so! We saw a sign for a house on an island for $300k.

After the boat ride, we stopped in Granada which is one of the most important cities in Nicaragua due to its very rich colonial heritage, apparent through its architecture and city design.

You’ll see colonial buildings and churches everywhere and automatically see why so many people love this little city. In fact, many foreigners who move to Nicaragua choose Granada as their new home.

We walked through town towards the main yellow church and visited a hammock making shop along the way.

The second time we did this tour we took a horse carriage ride throughout the town and stopped at a chocolate factory. This was such a fun way to see Granada since they take you to the park, important historical buildings and plus, who doesn’t love a horse ride?

The horse carriage ride now costs $10 USD per person and is optional. If you don’t want to do it, you can walk around town or go up the yellow church which costs $1 USD to get a great view of the city.

Back to Costa Rica

After Grenada, it’s the end of the Nicaragua tour from Costa Rica.

We drove back to the border (about 1.5 hours) and got out to do the border crossing. Similar to what we did for entering Nicaragua, we filled out a custom form and gave that plus our passport to our tour guide to do our Nicaragua exit. Then we got out to enter Costa Rica and after that finished, they dropped us back home.

Things to Know About This Nicaragua One Day Tour

• You need to bring your original passport.
• The guide does the entry and exit to Nicaragua for you but not Costa Rica. You need to stand in line to exit and enter Costa Rica and the guide will help you fill out the forms.
• Bring small USD bills if you want to purchase souvenirs. Nicaragua accepts USD but NOT Costa Rican colones so you do not need to exchange. They will give you your change back in cordobas (Nicaraguan currency) or you can ask them to give you dollars back.
• Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.
• The tour provides water, breakfast and lunch but not dinner so bring snacks.
• The bathroom at the border on the Nicaraguan side costs a dollar. Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Bathrooms are not the best at the border but they are clean at the other stops.
• Bring a print out copy of your flight itinerary out of Costa Rica to present when you’re entering Costa Rica (madantory)

Read about other things to do in Guanacaste below!

Diamante Eco Adventure Park (get 10% off): Adventure park in Gulf of Papagayo with a zipline, animal sanctuary, local house with chocolate/coffee/sugar cane tour, botanical garden and a beach.

Hacienda Guachipelin :  Adventure park next to Rincon de la Vieja National Park that has rooms, ziplining, horseback riding tours, white water tubing, mud baths, hot springs, waterfalls and an terrarium. Most popular is their one day adventure tour.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park : National park in Guanacaste with hiking trails, waterfalls, rivers, volcano and boiling mud pots.

Reader Interactions

March 7, 2024

Your Masaya guide had a vivid imagination! It was the Chorotega people who lived in the area, not the Mayan – in fact there are many small towns (“pueblos blancos”) in the surrounding area (including Catarina) where many Chorotega still live and manufacture traditional wares. There is a museum at the Masaya volcano that perhaps provides a more reliable history – as far as I recall the cross was put up by Spanish missionaries to “banish the evil” emanating from the volcano. But yeah, they did allegedly throw people down there from time to time.

Cristie March says

October 23, 2021

Hi, do you know if this tour is running again in December 2021/January 2022?

Unfortunately our partner isn’t operating this tour anymore 🙁

March 18, 2022

Do you have another connection to do a similar tour?

Callie Frazier says

April 3, 2021

Hi! We are do to renew our visa stamps and we were wondering if booking this day trip would make it easy & fun. Would that work? Have you used it for a run?

Hi Callie, unfortunately the tour has not resumed operations yet.

Ryan Finch says

April 20, 2020

Hi, we are fro. The UK and staying at Riu Guanacaste next year. We won’t have USD, so is there any way to exchange for Nicaraguan curency at the hotel?

You can exchange Costa Rican currency for Nicaragua currency at the border.

February 2, 2020

Hi I read that the Nicaraguan immigration officers might ask for a yellow fever card for entering the country. Do you know if that’s true? At what time is the tour usually back in playa del coco? Thank you!

Hi Peter, you will need a yellow fever card if you have just previous been to South America. You’ll arrive around 9 PM depending on how long the border/traffic is.

Chadrock says

January 13, 2020

We took the Nicaragua tour last week and felt 100% safe. It seemed to us that any turmoil that the country had been going through is no longer there. We had about 20 people on the tour. The Masaya Volcano itself was worth the cost. I’ve been to many places but have NEVER seen anything like that. Beautiful!

Thanks for your feedback Chadrock and glad you had a great time! Masaya Volcano is pretty spectacular!

November 24, 2019

Hi Victor! You can request your Nicaragua tour here and then we do communication via email.

Christina says

November 23, 2019

Hi there I thinking of booking this for myself and my two kids (11/13) for December 30th. Wondering about the safety factor right now? Have you heard any updates? Also how big are the tour groups? Thanks Christina

Hi Christina, the tour company has been operating the tour like normal, they will cancel operations if the conditions get too serious and unsafe and so far they haven’t cancelled the tours. The tour groups are as big as however many people sign up for the day as these are open tours. Holidays are usually quite busy for tourism so that time of year usually has a decent amount of people.

Hello Victor, the tour from RIU is $140 USD per person and we have a $10 discount so it’s $130 USD per person. The tour picks up around 5 AM and drops off around 8-9 PM depending on the border. The lake is super calm and the boats are on motors so they speed around, I get seasickness too but have never gotten seasick because this lake is huge and aren’t really any waves. You can read more about booking it with our discount here

Victor says

Thanks! How can I contact you from Riu? Give me phone number or you have a person to contact at the resort?

November 22, 2019

Hi Samantha! My wife and I will be in Riu Guakanaste in mid-December and plan to go on a tour to Nicaragua. How much will it cost? What time do you pick up tourists from Riu and drop them back? I have seasickness, so the question is how big are the waves on the lake?

October 19, 2019

Hi, My husband and I will be in Costa Rica tonight, staying for about a week. We are staying at Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas. Does the tour company pick up from there? If not, where would be closest place to meet them and park a rental car? Thank you!

Hi Gail, they do pick up from Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas 🙂

October 29, 2019

Thank you for your blog, the recommendation to do the Nicaragua day tour and the discount to do it! We had a fabulous time and even got to see the lava! We highly recommend this tour!

So glad to hear that Gail! 🙂 Glad you had a good time!

September 7, 2019

Hi, again, Sammi.

Our schedule now to go to Nicaragua will be Monday, 9/16. Do you know if the company have availability?

Also, our hotel is Hotel Laguna del Cocodrillo and was wondering if they pick up from there. If not, which pickup location will be closest and if parking is available for our car.

Thanks so much. Again, there will be 3 of us.

September 8, 2019

Hi Nino, they’ll be running it the 16th and they can pick you up directly from your hotel. You can book the tour using the form

Thanks so much!!!

September 5, 2019

We will be there on the weekend of the13th. Do you think the weather will be good enough for a trip to Nicaragua? Would be nice to do another country. Thank you

Hi Nino, which month are you visiting?

Hi. September. I’ll be there next Friday :/

Weather hasn’t been too bad lately, cloudy with some rains in the afternoon but short. It is much more humid in Nicaragua though so it may have some longer rains and the volcanoes may be very cloudy.

Hi, again. I’m considering going to Nicaragua on Sunday, 9/15, would it be available, do you think? Thank you

Sep 15 is Independence Day here in Central America so I would have to check if they are running the tour that day as the border may be too crazy. I’ll get back to you once I find out.

They operate the 15th but not the 13th.

Thanks so much! I will be sure to use your codes when I finalize

You’re welcome 🙂

Lillian says

September 3, 2019

How physically strenuous is this tour? How much walking/hiking would be required?

Also, for our trip we’re looking at staying at the El Mangrove Papagayo Hotel, do they pick up from this hotel? Thank you!

September 4, 2019

Hi Lillian! Very minimal physical activity level required. You walk a little bit around Masaya Volcano but not too much since the viewpoint is small, you walk around the Masaya market if you want to do some shopping, Granada city and then you go for a boat ride so it’s very minimal walking.

They do pick up at the Mangroove.

June 14, 2019

Sounds like a great experience. We will be making CR our base for several months but we need to exit the country at least once , perhaps twice to renew our tourist visa. We had planned on only going to Panama ( we’ve been before & loved the old city in Panama ) but I have always wanted to see Nicaragua , at least the “highlights.” Can I use this as a “visa run” and will a bus pass to Panama for instance work for proof of onward travel ? ( we own a truck down in CR so this trip we planned to drive to a place close to Panama border & take a bus to David) My return to Canada ticket exceeds the 90 days so I can’t use my plane ticket.

June 16, 2019

I know some people who have used this and generally I would say it is OK. It really depends on the immigration officer you get however, I have seen officers who only accepted a plane ticket so hopefully you will get an officer that doesn’t care too much. Just make sure the Panama bus ticket is within the 90 days of your entering Costa Rica.

Jessica says

April 9, 2019

Hi, I would like to get your opinion on the safety of Nicaragua right now. We have been staying just south of Coco for the last 2 months and have been wanting to take this trip, but have been told by many locals that it just isn’t safe to do right now. We are traveling with 4 young children, if that makes a difference.

Hi Jessica!

We actually just did this tour on Sunday, March 31st and we had a great time. We felt safe the whole time and all the sites are actually kind of empty. More tourists are going back to Nicaragua since things have settled down and we really enjoyed it. We went on this day tour with two other ladies and they had a very nice time too.

Dustin says

February 21, 2019

Whats the best way to go to nicaragua cheap? If i rent car in coco can I take it into nica? Let me know please! Your site is great btw.

February 22, 2019

Rental cars aren’t allowed to cross borders, the cheapest way is to take the bus. Ticabus and Nicabus go throughout Costa Rica.

January 2, 2019

Do you have to have a printed copy of your flight itinerary or can your phone reservation work instead?

Printed is best but I have used my phone before. Make sure to take a screenshot if you don’t have internet and that it shows your name and date of the flight.

March 29, 2018

Hello! I will be there around July 2018, when do you recommend booking this tour? (does it fill up quick?)

Hi Vi, you can book it about a week before. They run this tour every day.

taylor a says

February 5, 2018

Can I take this tour but not return to Costa Rica? In other words, just stay in Nicaragua after Granada.

Hi, no this is a one day tour so you will need to go back to Costa Rica (and they will look for you if you don’t and that would be not very nice to do to the tour company). If you want a transfer to Granada, I recommend taking the Ticabus or Nicabus.

November 20, 2017

Hi, I like your blog. I am coming to visit Cista Rica with my family. I want to take the day trip to Nicaragua. I have a 2 year old daughter. Will she need a ticket? Also after I pay the deposit through PayPal, the balance I will need to pay to the driver. Will he accept US credit cards?

November 21, 2017

Hi Subde, your daughter only needs to pay the $30 border fees and the company doesn’t take credit cards, only cash.

Michelle says

November 2, 2017

Wonderful and informative! How long is the ride there?

It depends on where your pick up location is but it is around a 2.5 hour-3 hour drive

William says

July 21, 2017

Hello My wife really want to do this tour but we fly on to and staying in San Jose CR, is there any shuttle or service to get us there before the 6AM departure

Hi William! You can take a bus or shared shuttle to Liberia (the closest and most convenience city the tour company picks up from). You will need to go the day before though since there are no buses or shared shuttles at 2 AM, or if you want to get there at 6 AM and not go thte day before, you’ll have to book a private shuttle but that is more expensive (around $200).

May 20, 2017

Hi Katie! Yes the tour company can pick up from Playa Brasilito. It costs $160 per person and with our discount, you get $10 off. You can book the tour and get the discount here: Nicaragua one day tour discount

May 19, 2017

Hi, Great blog! I continue to reference it! We are going to be in Playa Brasilita near Playa Flamingo tomorrow. Do you know if the one-day Nicaragua tour can pick us up there? Or does it start from Tamarindo? Sounded like it was cheaper if we stay more north. I couldn’t find the tour on the company site. Thanks for any tips.

May 9, 2017

Hi James, I have a post of things to do in Guanacaste here for ideas of day trips: Things to do in Guanacaste and we offer a discount for the Nicaragua tour you can book here: Nicaragua one day tour discount

May 8, 2017

We are staying in Guancaste for 1st week July 2017. Planning a rental car to drive several day trips in Costa Rica and book a one day tour to Nicaragua . Any suggestions for Costa Rica day trips and a tour to book for Nicaragua?

Robbie says

February 25, 2017

I would like to visit there in June 2017. How is the weather?

June is the beginning of rainy season so it gets more humid and may rain occasionally.

Diane Lalonde says

February 12, 2017

My frriend Rosetta was on a tour of Nicaragua with you yesterday and loved it.We would like to go and visit and stay on one of the islands for a couple of days. Any suggestions ?

February 13, 2017

Hi Diane, we have never stayed on the islands in Lake Nicaragua before, most of them are private residential homes. You can visit Isla Ometepe though which is super cool!

January 11, 2017

Hi Kenny, it’s normally $160 from the Tamarindo/Conchal area but Mytanfeet readers get a $10 discount. You can reserve the tour here: Costa Rica car rental discount

Kenny Su says

My family plan to take a day trip to Nicaragua in July-2017. I would like to how much it cost for 2 adults and 2 children (8 and 11) pickup from Westin Hotel in Guanacaste.

Vivian says

January 7, 2017

Are there any tours to Nicaragua that have an overnight stay?

January 8, 2017

I do know of this one operated by Costa Rica Monkey Tours: http://costaricamonkeytours.com/nicaragua-costa-rica-tour/

December 7, 2016

My cousin and I are trying to plan to trip to Nicaragua, and your post is incredibly helpful since we wanted to visit Costa Rica as well. If we wanted to add on going into Panama City for the day from Costa Rica, is the process similar to that of entering Nicaragua?

December 8, 2016

Hi Carla, for border crossings yes. Panama is a bit more strict than Nicaragua and they will ask for your ticket out of not just Panama, but Costa RIca as well and you need $400 (I think) to show you have enough money for your travels. Also I should note that Panama City is about an 8 hour drive from the costa Rica/Panama border, so going for a day isn’t possible.

November 7, 2016

Hi Rachelle, you can take Ticabus from Liberia, they stop by the Burger King in Liberia and you need to be there to wave it down. From Granada, you can take a chicken bus to the border and from the Penas Blancas border, you can take another bus back to LIberia. You can read more about crossing the border here: Crossing the Costa Rica Nicaragua border guide

As for beaches, you can check out these ones we have written about but any beach in Guanacaste is a great option for relaxing: Best beaches in Guanacaste. I would definitely book your hotels before you go because January is high season and it is super busy in Guanacaste.

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle says

Hi Sammi. Great post! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Nicaragua this December. We will be flying in to Liberia Costa Rica, as the flights to that airport were cheaper than flying to Nicaragua directly. I was wondering what do you think the best way to get to Granada would be? I have read that the Ticabus is a good option; however, can you only purchase tickets from San Jose? This tour company you used sounds like a good option for people who want to take a day trip into Nicaragua. However, $140 per person would be a little expensive for us considering we only need a way of getting to Granada (and not a round-trip tour / day trip.) On the other hand, we do like the option of using a shuttle / tour service because from everything we have read, it sounds like that will help expedite the border crossing. Do you have any recommendations on the best way to get from Liberia Costa Rica to Granada Nicaragua? Also, after returning back to Costa Rica from Nicaragua, we will have 5 days to spend in Costa Rica. We want to spend the last few days of our vacation just lounging on the beach…and doing nothing. Any tips for best beaches near Liberia? And hotel recommendations? This will be around Jan 7th 2017. Do you think since it’s near the holidays we should book now or could we just wing it and try and find hotels when we get there? Sorry so many questions! But thank you so much in advance for all your help on our travel planning!! =)

September 10, 2016

Hi Ron, we don’t operate the tour, a tour company called Plus Papagayo does and they have buses that can fit around 60 people so they can accommodate large groups. We can help you book a tour with the tour company and we have exclusive discounts for Mytanfeet readers with them. You can read more about it here: Costa Rica car rental discount and please send us an email about the tour if you’d like to book it. Thanks!

September 9, 2016

How many people are normally on the tour ? There will be 12 of us staying at the RUI Palace in late February. Would it be better to book a private tour or stay with this tour, which by the way, sounds and looks fantastic. Will definately book through you.Thanks.

August 29, 2016

Hi Merry! The tour runs every day and from Coco, it is $140 and we have an exclusive discount for Mytanfeet readers.

Hi! We are a party of 6 currently staying in Playas del Coco. We are interested in the one day your of Nicaragua. What day is the tour available and what is the cost? We are here until sept 8th.

August 19, 2016

Hi Barbara, they can pick you up at the hotel. If you’d like to do the tour, we offer an exclusive Mytanfeet discount you can read here: Costa Rica car rental discount and you can contact us 🙂

Barbara Mullen says

Hi Sammie, This is great. We’re going to Costa Rica in October (RAIN!) but we’re staying at the Secrets Resort, I still want to do this for a day. Do I need to go into town to get picked up?

Big Mike says

March 13, 2016

Thanks, nice article. Is there anything to do right at the border since we can’t bring our rental car over?

March 14, 2016

There are a couple duty free stores and a couple bars. Not much else around.

Maurice says

December 9, 2015

This is a great blog – -we’re visiting Costa Rica in a few weeks, and learning a lot from it. The big question this article raises is this: can we rent a car at the Nicaragua border, after leaving our car behind at the border? Thanks for any thoughts you have on this.

Hi Maurice, yes there is some Nicaraguan car rental companies at the border.

Ryan Biddulph says

September 1, 2015

Loved the review Sammy! Kelli and I are going to Grenada for a house sit in about a month. Excited to do the Lake Tour! Thanks for sharing 🙂

September 3, 2015

You’re welcome Ryan, have a great time in Grenada and Nicaragua!

Mike Orobona says

July 31, 2015

I found myself trying to eat your picture of a churrasco. It might have been one day, but it sounds like it painted a decent picture of the place.

August 1, 2015

I just looked at the picture again and imagined myself eating it, it was so good haha. The tour definitely lets you see a nice bit of Nicaragua, and enough to make you want to go back!

July 30, 2015

Thanks for your answer, will definitely take that as an option for us. What a pity we miss us!!

August 3, 2015

I knoww! You must be excited though! I hope you and your family have a great time. Definitely let me know if you happen to swing by Jaco in Sept or have any other questions Stef!

July 29, 2015

Hi guys! We stay a week in Tamarindo to get to know the Nicoya Peninsula. Do you think it’s worth to go to Nicaragua for a day? Or is there so much to do on the Peninsula that you would suggest staying there? Thanks! Hope to see you soon! You’re living in Puntarenas province right? Will be there in mid August.

There is definitely lots of things to do in the Tamarindo area for a week but Nicaragua is definitely a great option if you don’t have time to go already and you want to see Nicaragua. My parents were in Coco for a week and the Nicaragua trip fit perfectly with our itinerary.

Aw we will miss you actually. We will be in the US in August!

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Nicaragua One Day Tour

The main attraction of this tour is Great Lake of Nicaragua, a freshwater lake located in Nicaragua with an extension of over 8,624 km² (3330 mi²) and called"The Sweet Sea" by Spaniards who visited this land hundreds of years ago. Lake Nicaragua is the second largest lake in Latin America and is the only place in the world where freshwater sharks are found. It is also known for its large number of islands, including 3 main islands (Solentiname, Ometepe, and Zapatera), 400 islets, and 2 volcanoes.

The tour starts at about 6:00 a.m. as we head to Los Chiles on the northern border of Costa Rica, once the immigration procedures are completed, our Nicaraguan Transport will be waiting for us for a scenic trip to San Carlos de Nicaragua Through the Santa Fe Bridge that crosses the San Juan River which serves as a border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Once in San Carlos, we will take a short historical tour to visit the city streets, the Fortress, the viewpoint,and Malecon.

Next, we will board a speedboat to head to the Solentiname Archipelago which has 36 islands which have natural, cultural, archaeological, and historical riches and has been declared a Nicaraguan National Monument. We will visit 2 of the islands called Zapote and Zapotillo or popularly known as "Bird Island" where we can see countless birds such as cormorants, herons,pelicans, pink spoonbills, ospreys, among others. Later, we will visit another of the islands called San Fernando to savor a traditional Nicaraguan lunch with the option of fresh fish from the lake as the main course.

After lunch we will take a short boat trip to reach the Mancarron Island, known to be the largest and most important of the archipelago. In Mancarron, we will walkthrough the town visiting points of interest such as the Archaeological Museum With unique pieces found on the island, The Farm Church "The Refuge"known for its great history and which has been of inspiration for great creative greats such as the writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the singer Carlos Mejía Godoy and the poet Ernesto Cardenal. During the tour we can visit some workshops dedicated to woodcarving to create unique crafts and paintings.Finally, we will return to Costa Rica.

• Things to bring
• Boat Transportation
• Entrance fee
• Free breakfast
• Transportation from/to the hotel with A/C & Wifi on vans
• Experienced bilingual guide
• Mineral bottled water
• Hiking shoes
• Change of clothes
• Comfortable clothing
• Insect repellent

• Any cancellation or modification of the reservation made less than 24 hours before departure will incur a penalty of 100%
• The customer shall it be at the agreed time and place, we’ll wait a maximum of 5 minutes. In case of No Show, the reservation will be charged to 100%

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COSTA RICA DAY TOURS & SHUTTLES.

Nicaragua Day Tour from Costa Rica (Guanacaste area)

Enjoy a unique day in Nicaragua, discover the culture of this beautiful country full of colors and flavors, land of lakes and volcanoes.

Visit the first city in america founded by Europeans ” Granada “, explore the amazing cathedral LA PLAZA  discover the main monuments of the city in a VOLANTA  “horse-drawn carriage, like Spanish used to do it 200 years ago”  , after a delicious lunch in the city of Granada overlooking the great lake of Nicaragua , we will go to  Masaya Volcano ( National Park) where you can observe an active volcano with lava, we will end our visit in this beautiful country with a stop at the Masaya market where you can see the authentic artisans make and sell their products.

It is important to mention that on this tour from Liberia to the Border  with Nicaragua it is approximately 1:15 hours, then you have to cross the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua which can take 1 hour on busy days and 25 minutes  in not busy  days,  from the border with Nicaragua to Granada is around 2:15  hours and from Granada to Masaya it is around 35  minutes. From Masaya to the border with Costa Rica again it is about 2  hours.

Exit taxes are included.

• Tour Duration 15 Hours approximately
• The pick up is at 5 am approximately in the area of ​​Liberia, check  the pick up for other areas like Coco Beach, Ocotal, Papagayo Ocotal,  and more..

Nicaragua Day Tour from Costa Rica.

Tour Inclusions

What to bring, length of tour.

• Water bottle
• Professional bilingual guide
• Transportation in an A/C bus
• Entrance fee at the park.
• Exit taxes are included
• Passport and ID
• Light comfortable clothing
• 15 Hours approximately
• The pick up is at 5 am approximately in the area of ​​Liberia, check  the pick up for other areas like Coco Beach, Ocotal, Papagayo Ocotal, and more..

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

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Nicaragua One Day Tour From Guanacaste

Nicaragua One Day Tour from Guanacaste is an excellent option to discover a different culture, gastronomy, and architecture in a one-day trip. Nicaragua is a beautiful country full of colors,  active volcanoes, and colonial towns, some of the oldest in Latin America, founded in 1524. This is the perfect way to discover Nicaragua in just one day!

Nicaragua One Day Tour from Guanacaste starts early in the morning, heading to Peñas Blancas, where the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua is located.  Once on the border, your guide will help you with all the paperwork. He will take your passports to proceed with the paperwork at both borders . You can visit the duty-free shops where you will find electronic items, clothing, liquor, and other products free of taxes.

Just 10 minutes after crossing the border, you will visit the shores of Nicaragua Lake . Here, you can take beautiful pictures of the world’s largest island, Ometepe Island, in a freshwater lake. Nicaragua One Day Tour continues to Catarina´s viewpoint point. This is an amazing extinct crater with a beautiful lagoon and fantastic views of Granada and Nicaragua Lake. You will visit the local hand-craft market to buy excellent clothes, shoes, belts, jewelry, and souvenirs for all your family and friends. 

Nicaragua One Day Trip takes you later to visit the majestic Masaya Volcano . This is a fully active crater with gases emanating from it to form an impressive cloud in the sky. On clear days, you can see the lava lagoon in the crater. This is an excellent opportunity to visit a living volcano. From here, you can have amazing views and incredible volcanic landscapes.

Nicaragua One Day Tour continues the journey towards the Colonial City of Granada . Here, you will visit La Merced church, where you can visit the tower and have a fantastic panoramic view of the city and the lake. Also, you will walk through the city center, where you can see the different colonial-style buildings. You will see the local council, the fantastic cathedral, the fortress, and many other colonial homes. Walk by La Calzada, the oldest road in the town made of cobblestones. 

Finally, the last stop on your Nicaragua One Day Tour takes you towards the Granada Islands on Nicaragua Lake. Take the boat for a ride around these beautiful islands created by the eruption of the Mombacho Volcano and enjoy the amazing landscapes and fauna. Once we finish this activity, we will start our drive back to Costa Rica.

Rates Nicaragua One Day Tour From Guanacaste (Shared Tour)

• Rates Plus Taxes.
• Departures on specific dates.
• Shared Transportation and activities.
• Read special requirements before the book.

Nicaragua One Day Tour Regular Tour Includes:

• Shared Transportation
• Border Taxes
• Breakfast & Lunch
• Visit Masaya Volcano
• Catarina’s’ Lookout Point and Souvenirs Market
• The Colonial City of Granada
• Nicaragua Lake Boat Tour 

Important Info:

• Pick-up times vary depending on your area. This will be communicated to you by email.
• We need Full names, Passport numbers with expiration dates, and citizenship for reservations.
• Passports need at least 6 months before expiring.
• You need a copy of your flight itinerary with you to show at the immigration office. This is a requirement to enter back into Costa Rica.
• Breakfast is taken in Nicaragua. Please bring something with you as we can’t assure you the time we will take at the border.
• Some restrictions and extra visas may apply to India, Asia, and the Middle East citizens.
• Guests coming from South America must carry a yellow fever vaccine card. This is mandatory to enter Nicaragua.

More Nicaragua Tours From Guanacaste

Nicaragua Overnight Tour From Guanacaste

Nicaragua Private Tour from Guanacaste

Additional services for your Guanacaste Vacations!

Nicaragua One Day Booking

Nicaragua One Day Tour From Guanacaste (shared)

Nicaragua One Day Tour from Guanacaste  is the perfect full-day adventure to discover this beautiful country in just one day. Visit one of the oldest cities founded in Latin America in 1524 and navigate Nicaragua Lake. Also, visit the Masaya Volcano and its amazing active lava lake. Enjoy the Masaya market, where you can find fantastic handcraft souvenirs, clothes, shoes, hammocks, jewelry, and more.

Nicaragua One Day Tour from Guanacaste starts early in the morning when we pick you up and start driving towards the border with Nicaragua. Before  ariving at the border, we stop for a delicious typical breakfast in the town of La Cruz.

Once at the border, our guides will take your passports and proceed with all the paperwork at the migration offices. Meanwhile, we take you to the duty-free shops where you will find products such as clothing, liquor, and other products free of taxes.

We continue with the Nicaragua One Day Tour later when we make a short stop at the edge of the Great Lake of Nicaragua. Here you can take amazing pictures of the world’s largest island in a freshwater lake, Ometepe.  The next stop in the Nicaragua One Day Tour takes you towards the majestic crater of the Masaya Volcano . The volcano is fully active, and the gases emanating from the crater create an impressive cloud in the sky. On clear days you can see the lava in the crater’s center.

Nicaragua One Day Tour    continue down to the city of Masaya, where we expect a hearty lunch, and then visit the colorful craft Masaya market. Here you can buy souvenirs at very good prices and with fantastic quality.

Later we moved to Colonial City of Granada , founded in 1524. We take a hike through the city center for a while; here, you can see the different colonial buildings and churches.  Finally, the last stop in your Nicaragua One Day Tour takes you toward the islands of Granada; you will take a boat to make a tour to see over 30 islands scattered on the shores of Nicaragua Lake.

Daily departures from Guanacaste: Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Ocotal, Andaz Papagayo, Secrets Papagayo, Mangrove Hotel, Four Seasons Peninsula, Planet Hollywood Guanacaste, Riu Guanacaste Hotels. As well from Tamarindo, Playa Conchal, Flamingo and Playa Potrero, Marriott Hotel, Hacienda Pinilla, Liberia & Dreams Las Mareas.

Nicaragua One Day Tour Photo Gallery

Take a look where you going, nicaragua one day tour rates (regular tour).

From Coco Beach, Playa Hermosa, Ocotal, Riu Guanacaste Hotels,  Secrets Papagayo, El Mangroove, Occidental Papagayo & Villas del Sol.   As well from  Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, Andaz Papagayo & Four Se asons Costa R ica

From Coco, Hermosa, Ocotal, Riu Guanacaste Hotels, Villas Sol, Bosque del Mar

• Rate Plus Taxes

From El Mangroove Resort, Occidental Papagayo, Secrets Papagayo

From andaz papagayo four seasons costa rica, planet hollywood, peninsula papagayo, from tamarindo beach, flamingo, conchal, potrero, dreams las mareas.

Includes:   Private Transportation, Guide, Border Taxes, Breakfast, Visit to Masaya Volcano,  Souvenirs Market, Colonial City of Granada, Horse Carriage Tour, Islets Boat Tour, and Lunch.

What to bring:  Light clothes, tennis shoes, passport, flight itinerary, cash in small bills, sweater, sunblock, bug repellent, sunglasses, and camera.

If you are under medical prescription or have a health problem, please let us know to take care of any conditions that could put on risk your safety.

For Reservations, we need the following information:

• Full names, Passport numbers with expiration dates, and citizenship
• Passports need at least 6 months before expiring.
• Because of the migratory regulations, you need to bring a print copy or digital document of your flight itinerary with you to show at the immigration office.

Nicaragua One Day Tour Reservation

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COSTA RICA FAYLA TOURS

Nicaragua one day tour from costa rica, nicaragua one day tour.

Nicaragua Tour

Masaya market and volcano, granada city and river boat.

Are you seeking for a cultural day in Nicaragua?

This one day package is the best option to get to know Nicaragua during your vacations in Costa Rica.  Nicaragua  is the Costa Rica’s northern neighbor, very close located to the province of Guanacaste and Papagayo Gulf.

Nicaragua  is beautiful country very rich in culture. There are lots of things to explore, the history, art and the picturesque Pacific Coast of Nicaragua.  This journey will begin early in the morning to avoid lines while crossing the border.

Please be advised all tour individuals need to have handy their passport and flight itinerary.  Once across the border, you’ll enjoy a yummy breakfast nearby the city of Rivas.

You will then continue to the Granada Village, one of the first villages founded by Europeans (Spain) in America Central. Granada Village is a colorful and picturesque place that was built with Spanish colonial architecture that still remains in place.

In Granada, a horse-drawn carriage will take you to the city’s most lovely attractions (optional – not included). You will visit the main church, known as “The Catedral”, and Plaza de España, where you can see magnificent views of Lake Nicaragua. Nearby, you will have lunch in a very cozy restaurant with fantastic views.

After lunch, you will aboard the bus and drive to a viewpoint of the Masaya Lake. This exceptional location allow people to see magnificent views of both, the lake and the active  Masaya Volcano.

The tour wraps up with a visit to the active Masaya Volcano and a local town with an excellent pottery and souvenir market.

Departure Point:

• Guanacaste hotels, villas or private residences

Departure Time:

• 5:30 am (may vary depending of your location)
• 14 hours (approx)

Return Details:

• Returns to original departure point

Inclusions:

• Air conditioned shared transportation
• Entrance fees
• Lunch in restaurant
• Bilingual guides
• Border crossing taxes

Exclusions:

• Gratuities (optional)
• Note: Breakfast not included from Dreams Las Mareas Resort

Additional Info:

• A down payment is required to book this excursion
• Complete vaccination scheme required

Highlights:

• Nicaraguan Lake Boat Tour
• Cultural encounter
• Mid-size group tour (private services only upon request)
• Local and bilingual tour guides
• Breakfast and lunch included
• Visit to an active volcano (entrance can be restricted without previous notice)
• Picturesque views of the Granada City
• Shops for local crafts
• Vegetarian meal option available

What to Bring?

• Please bring original passports, a printed copy of your flight itinerary of Costa Rica, light shoes and light clothing, a raincoat during rainy season, day bag and your digital camera.
• We also highly recommend buying/bringing snacks. The tour includes breakfast and lunch but, No dinner . Sometimes the border returning to Costa Rica may take a while so, it is best to bring something to eat, as the tour doesn’t make any stops for food in the evening except the border.

Nicaragua One Day Tour from Costa Rica FAQ

• This tour runs almost every day with few exceptions during extremely busy times of the year at the border (Christmas/New Years and Easter time).
• Depending on your hotel’s location, pick up is usually 5:30 am. Depending on how long time takes the border, you will be returning around 8pm – 9pm or 10pm.   Hence, we cannot guarantee an exact drop off time.
• Our Nicaragua one day tour from Costa Rica includes breakfast, lunch, border fees, a bilingual guide, pick up and drop off at your resort and bottle drinking water.
• Deposits may vary according to distance, usually  $45   usd  from Papagayo’s hotels and surroundings areas. When you fill out the form, you will automatically be taken to our PayPal in order to send the deposit. Once clear payment has been received, we will send you an email confirmation with all details.
• Please bring  original passport , a printed copy of your flight itinerary of Costa Rica, comfortable shoes and clothing, a raincoat during rain season, day bag and your camera. We also highly recommend buying/bringing snacks. The tour includes breakfast and lunch but, not dinner.
• Sometimes the border returning to Costa Rica may take awhile so, it is recommended to bring something to eat, as the tour doesn’t make any stops for food in the evening except at the border.  Note : You can buy snacks at the border, Masaya market or Granada Village.
• Yes. If you want to do some shopping, bring small bills. They will give you your change back in Cordobas “Nicaraguan currency”. If you want your change back in USD, please ask them prior your purchase.
• United States and Canada don’t require visa. To verify if you need a visa or there are any restrictions please refers to the following link:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Nicaragua

Cancellation Policy:

• Full refund is available if cancelling at least 48 hours prior to the tour date.

This volcano features the Best Rain Forest Experience in Costa Rica

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10 Day Costa Rica and Nicaragua Itinerary

Table of Contents

Here is the 10 day Costa Rica and Nicaragua itinerary I used on my trip:

Day 1 – arrive in san jose, costa rica, day 2 – manuel antonio, costa rica, day 3 – tamarindo, costa rica, day 4 – costa rica – nicaragua border crossing to san juan del sur, nicaragua, day 5 – san juan del sur to leon, nicaragua, day 6 – volcano boarding in leon, nicaragua, day 7 – surfing in san juan del sur, nicaragua, day 8 – cross back into costa rica to monteverde, day 9 – ziplining in monteverde, costa rica, day 10 – fly home, related posts – central america.

• Monteverde Itinerary 2 Days
• Renting a Car in Costa Rica
• Volcano Boarding Nicaragua: What You Need to Know
• Ziplining in Costa Rica – Monteverde
• 7 Days in Panama Itinerary
• How to Get Around Panama
• Best Places to Go in Panama
• Hike Cara Iguana – Panama
• What to Do in Bocas del Toro

Melissa is the founder of My Beautiful Passport. A Canadian who has explored 15+ countries on 4 continents, she enjoys combining adventure and affordable luxury. Through sharing her own experiences, travel tips, and destination itineraries, she helps others plan their unique adventures whether it be at the beach, in the city, or in the mountains.

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• Miravalles Volcano Combo Tour
• Barra Honda Caves Spelunking Tour
• Extreme Monteverde Cloud Forest Experience
• Arenal Volcano One Day Escape + Hot Springs Tour
• Palo Verde National Park & Guaitil Pottery
• Monteverde Cloud Forest Hanging Bridges, Sloth Sanctuary & Reptile House
• Rio Celeste, Sloth Sanctuary & Llano de Cortez Waterfall
• Tubing Rio Celeste
• Heliconias Hanging Bridges & Rainforest Hike
• Rio Celeste, Tenorio & Heliconias Hanging Bridges

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• Tamarindo Mangrove Safari Float
• Estuary & Mangrove Kayak Tour Tamarindo
• Corobici River Float Safari
• Private Dolphin and Whale Watching Charter

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• Liberia Shopping Tour

Nicaragua One Day Tour

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Water Tours and Activities

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• Gulf Islands Boat Tour
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• Sea Bird Private Sailing Charter
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• Family Fun Day in the Gulf of Papagayo
• Family Fun Day + BBQ Beach Break in Papagayo
• Private Surfing Excursion Ollies Point & Witches Rock Costa Rica
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• Mamacita 48 ft Ocean / 8 Passengers

Surfing and Watersports Tours

Papagayo watersports tours.

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• Private Surfing Excursion Witches Rock & Ollie's Point
• Gulf of Papagayo Jet Ski Rental
• Gulf of Papagayo Jet Ski Tour
• Tamarindo Mangroves & Estuary Kayak Tour

Flamingo Beach Watersports

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• Flamingo Beach SUP Tour to Isla Plata
• Flamingo Surf Lessons (2 hrs)

Whitewater Rafting Tours

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• Whitewater Rafting Tenorio River Class III/IV

Airport Transportion

• Liberia Guanacaste Private Transfers
• Liberia Guanacaste Shared Shuttle Transportation
• San Jose Private Airport Transportation
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Ground Transportation

• Caribbean Shuttles - Costa Rica to Panama
• Hotel + Car Rental Package (Free Pass)
• Hotel + Shuttle Tranportation Package (Free Pass)
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• Hotel to Hotel Shared Shuttle Transportation
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Costa Rica Domestic Flights

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• San Lorenzo Adventure Park (Lands in Love)
• Rio Balsa Class II/III
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• Rio Sarapiqui Class III/IV
• Veragua + Canopy Tour
• Veragua Aerial Tram + Nature Park
• Tortuguero 2 Day
• Pacuare River Whitewater Rafting
• Rafting, Hike & Indigenous Visit

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Tour Details

Tour Includes:

• * Round trip transportation
• * Professional bilingual guide
• * Entrance fees
• * All meals
• * Bottled water
• * Insurance
• * Exit taxes

Departures: Friday and Sunday at 5:00 AM. *If you have a group of 6 people or more, this tour operates daily.

Length: 15.5 Hours.

Recommendations:

• * Insect repellent
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• * Passport and ID
• * Cash for tips

Children: Minimum age is 5 and children ages 13 and up pay the same price as an adult.

Groups: 7 or more? Save even more!! Ask about our group discounts.

Note: Must bring passport and identification.

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Round Trip Transportation included in the price for most hotels in the following areas:

Retail:        $190.00

Real Deal: $182.00

Child (5-12):

Real Deal: $177.00

Limited Transportation is included in these areas and transportation fees may apply:

Dreams Las Mareas will have to contact us to arrange private transportation for an additional fee.

Nicaragua One Day Tour deposit is $30.00 per Adult and $25.00 per Child. (The balance of $152.00 per Adult and $152.00 per Child + tax per person to be paid via provided payment link 48 hours prior to departure) This tour departs Friday and Sunday at 5:00 AM.

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The Perfect 2 Weeks in Nicaragua Itinerary (+ Tips!)

Spending 2 weeks in Nicaragua makes for an unforgettable trip, offering you enough time to sample everything from volcanoes to colorful cities to stunning beaches.

Of the 6 Central American countries we visited during our time backpacking the region, Nicaragua is that we said goodbye in the biggest hurry to get back to–it’s beautiful, it’s comfortable, and (especially compared to its neighbors to the south, Costa Rica and Panama) quite a bargain!

Two weeks in Nicaragua is the perfect amount of time for an introduction to the country: long enough to hit several of the major sites, as well as get off the beaten path a bit, without feeling too rushed.

If you only have one week, though–book the tickets anyway! You won’t be sorry. And, of course, you can certainly burn more than 2 weeks in Nicaragua without being bored.

Looking for a Nicaragua itinerary that will get you excited about 14 days in Nicaragua? This one will do the trick.

Table of Contents

How We Structured This Nicaragua Itinerary

A note on safety in nicaragua, the ultimate 2 week nicaragua itinerary, getting around during 2 weeks in nicaragua, other places to visit in nicaragua, what to pack for nicaragua.

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This itinerary for Nicaragua works itself through the country from the north to the south.

It’s perfect for backpackers coming from Honduras and heading toward Costa Rica as we did, but it’s also easy to adapt to flying in and out of Managua.

If you’re traveling from south to north through Central America, simply reverse the itinerary and go from there.

We included 11 scheduled days on this 2 week Nicaragua itinerary, leaving one day at each end of the two weeks for traveling in and out of the country, and one extra day to either work into a favorite destination or count as a “lost day” when traveling between destinations takes up the bulk of your time and energy for the day.

We followed this Nicaragua backpacking route fairly closely ourselves, with one notable exception: we spent 2 weeks relaxing in Granada, though the amount of actual sightseeing we did could easily be condensed to this itinerary during a more direct trip.

Before getting started, it’s important to note that we went backpacking in Nicaragua in 2017, before the widespread civil unrest in 2018 that changed travel in the country.

Things have absolutely improved since 2018, and backpackers have returned to the region.

Hotels are open, flights are operating, and travel insurance is available for purchase.

Tourists are not the focus or target of the protests (which should absolutely be avoided by travelers).

Nicaragua is still a destination for intrepid travelers, offering a far different experience than Costa Rica to the south, but it always was.

This Nicaragua itinerary sticks close to the backpacker trail, making it a good option for those who want to visit Nicaragua but stick to the comfortable backpacker safety network of travelers, hotels, and tour operators.

Would we return to Nicaragua today? Yes, with precautions.

This post provides a good overview of some precautions to take.

I’m updating this post in 2021, so travel warnings from the US State Department are focused primarily on other world events, however, when it comes to crime, the State Department travel page for Nicaragua says simply to “exercise increased caution due to crime”.

As always, use your best judgment when planning travel in Nicaragua (or anywhere else), and stay up-to-date with news alerts on the ground as you travel.

Nicaragua Itinerary Stop 1: 2 Days in Leon

The highlights of visiting leon.

People tend to come to Leon for a few things specifically: first, the roof of its UNESCO-World-Heritage-designated cathedral, where you’ll think that you’ve stepped out onto the island of Santorini –the entire roof is blindingly white, incredibly beautiful, and worth admiring from every angle.

Second, the revolutionary murals found throughout the city (best admired when snacking on street food if you ask me).

And third (and most famously), volcano boarding down Volcano Cerro Negro .

Honestly, we were happy to stick with the city itself and not book a volcano boarding tour–we’ve heard time and time again that it’s an activity that is more fun in theory than in actual practice–but if you’re excited to add volcano boarding to your list of adventure activities, Leon is where to do it.

Things to Consider When Visiting Leon

Leon is a great city for walking around–try booking a hotel or hostel that is fairly close to the main square, and you should be able to reach anything you need on foot (except volcano boarding, of course–you’ll need a tour for that).

Where We Stayed in Leon

Central Lodge Hostel — This small hostel was basic, but exactly what we needed.

It was quiet and clean, the a/c worked, and it was just a 5-minute walk to the main square of Leon.

Nicaragua Backpacking Route Stop 2: 4 Days in Granada

The highlights of visiting granada, nicaragua.

Even though there’s plenty to do in Granada after you take in the beautiful square, admire the views from Iglesia de Merced, ogle the colorful buildings, and walk along the lakefront, don’t be afraid to let the bulk of your time in Granada be consumed by the things outside the city!

A visit to the Masaya Volcano at night to see lava boiling beneath you is an absolute must, and almost everyone who takes a trip to Laguna de Apoyo (a volcanic lake housed in a crater, whose warm water is full of minerals) raves about the experience.

Things to Consider When Visiting Granada

Granada is one of those destinations where you’ll meet a lot of ex-pats who say things like, “Yeah, I came for a week back in 2004, and now I own a house here and live in Nicaragua full time…”

In other words, it’s an easy place to get stuck: even when you’re not checking sites off of a to-do list (which you should definitely do, no shame there!), the experience of being in Granada itself can suck you in and make you excited to take it slow for a while.

Where We Stayed in Granada

Our Airbnb in Granada was one of our favorite Airbnbs of all time: it was extremely clean, very modern with plenty of nice finishes, and had a private plunge pool inside the apartment–what’s not to love?

The owners couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful.

If we didn’t get an Airbnb, we would have stayed somewhere similar to this:

Casa Cuiscoma (9.1 rating on Booking.com) — Within easy walking distance of the city center, complete with wifi, air conditioning, a low price, and a clean private room, Casa Cuiscoma ticks all the boxes we look for when booking lodging in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua Itinerary Stop 3: 3 Days in San Juan del Sur

The highlights of san juan del sur.

San Juan del Sur was one of those places we expected to feel “meh” about, but actually adored and plan to see again one day.

While the beaches located 30 minutes to an hour outside the city such as Playa Maderas are considered superior to the beach in town, the hike to the Christ of the Mercy statue overlooking San Juan del Sur will be quick to remind you of why the town popped up around this particular beach–the arch of water viewed from above is magnificent.

Horseback riding along Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast is also a must while in town as far as I’m concerned–we spent an afternoon with Rancho Chilamate and couldn’t be more thrilled about the chance to wind our way through the hills, gallop along the coast, and ride home under the cover of night.

Tips for Visiting San Juan del Sur

Not everyone likes San Juan del Sur–it is a bit of a party town in its heart-of-hearts, and a bit dirty around the edges, but even non-partiers such as ourselves can find ways to adore the colorful city.

The center of San Juan del Sur’s party scene is Sunday Funday, an all-day pool crawl that goes heavy on the booze and debauchery and takes place every Sunday.

Depending on whether or not this sounds like a headache or an amazing time, plan your stay accordingly (quiet people should avoid the party hostels that host the party, etc.)

If you don’t care to take part in the Sunday Funday, don’t feel like you need to avoid San Juan del Sur on Sunday–we actually found the town pretty quiet and relaxed when all the party-goers were otherwise engaged.

Also–if you’re looking for a great bargain breakfast, the market in the center of town has several comedors inside it, where you can load up on eggs, beans, tortillas, avocado, nica cheese, and coffee for just a couple of dollars. Don’t miss it!

Where We Stayed in San Juan del Sur

Moke Huhu Guesthouse — We called Moke Huhu home in San Juan del Sur. The property is in a great location, right in the center of town and a short walk from the beach.

The first room we were put in here was both cramped and loud, but when we upgraded to a larger room with an ensuite bathroom for an extra $5/night, our experience at Moke Huhu got much better.

We wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again if we head back to San Juan del Sur and are looking for a budget hotel.

2 Weeks in Nicaragua Stop 4: 2 Days on Ometepe

The highlights of isla de ometepe.

The island of Ometepe is made up of two volcanoes in the center of the giant Lake Nicaragua.

The island is sparsely populated and completely peaceful–after running around sightseeing for almost 2 weeks in Nicaragua, Ometepe is the perfect place to unwind and relax.

Waterfalls and swimming holes can be accessed if you know where to look (read: ask the locals or take a tour), and the views over the lake are beautiful from any shore.

If the water is low in the lake like when we were there, venture out to “La Punta” to have a chance to walk out so far onto a sandbar that you can turn around and see both volcanoes rising out of the earth behind you.

If you’re looking more for excitement than relaxation while on Ometepe, try climbing either Volcano Concepcion or Volcano Maderas.

Both are extremely difficult day hikes that require a guide to accompany you, though Maderas is supposed to be slightly more manageable. With memories of climbing Volcano Acatenango in Guatemala still fresh in our minds, we were happy to skip climbing while on Ometepe.

Things to Consider When Visiting Ometepe

Ometepe has a very infrequent bus service, very expensive taxis, and attractions that are very far spread out–plan where to stay around what kind of experience you are looking for, and don’t expect to see it all.

If you’re hoping to pack in as many sites as possible, plan on staying in town and booking a pricey (in Nicaraguan terms) tour to help out with logistics, unless you feel like braving a scooter and have strong enough Spanish to get directions to various points along the way.

The easiest way to get to Ometepe from the mainland is from Rivas, a small town right on the lake.

A chicken bus from San Juan del Sur will take about an hour and cost just a few dollars, or for about $20 USD you can find a taxi to take you right to the ferry.

From the Rivas bus station, grab a quick taxi to the ferry (there are plenty of drivers waiting around) and buy your ticket there. You can find the ferry schedule here .

While we saw a lot of talk online about a (reportedly very long, rough, and uncomfortable) ferry to Ometepe directly from Granada, locals and ex-pats told us when we were there in March 2017 that it was not running and hadn’t been for a few months.

Where We Stayed on Ometepe

Hotel La Punta Resort — This hotel wasn’t sure what it was trying to be. It billed itself as a resort, but operated more like a hotel–the large dining room was only open for breakfast (even though most restaurants and shops cost $15 USD round trip to access by tuk-tuk and were too far away to walk to).

They didn’t sell tours, but there wasn’t a good place to access any outfitters within walking distance.

Essentially, it was a nice, quiet hotel that didn’t make any effort to compensate for its beautiful, but remote, location. We will definitely stay closer to town if we visit Ometepe again.

In Nicaragua, the easiest way–by far–to get around is by chicken bus.

We took chicken buses for several of our city-to-city routes, and they were overall more comfortable than the tourist shuttles we took when chicken buses weren’t a viable option for us–sure, the buses get crowded, but at least there’s decent airflow!

It’s also hard to beat the price–we paid about a dollar/hour per person, making the chicken buses completely affordable. If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, taxis can be negotiated to go just about anywhere.

Frankly, we would never want to drive a car in Nicaragua due to navigation and road conditions, but if you are set on driving yourself, definitely take out insurance on the vehicle!

Some   insurance policies cover collision damage while driving a rental vehicle, but be sure to double-check the details with your company before heading out onto the road.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of places to stop in Nicaragua–in fact, we hope to go back and expect that we’ll have very few repeats on things to do when we’re there!

If you’re looking for more to do during two weeks in Nicaragua (or even longer), check out this great Nicaragua bucket list from my friend Allison.

Personally, we’re most sad to have missed a chance to hang out on Little Corn Island off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, and it is at the top of the list for our next visit.

Here are a few things we recommend bringing along on your trip to Nicaragua!

Travel Insurance  — We don’t ever suggest traveling without insurance–anything can happen, and this is definitely a case of better safe than sorry.

Comfortable Day Bag  — We currently use  Pacsafe’s sleek anti-theft backpack and love it, but if you don’t want to shell out the cash for your trip to Nicaragua, that’s totally understandable.

Just aim for something comfortable to wear, not flashy, and medium-sized–we used a  Northface Jester backpack  for years and loved it as well.

Steripen  — Save money and avoid adding more plastic to the Earth–a SteriPen is a win/win. We’ve used ours in more than a dozen countries over the years, including all throughout Mexico and Central America, and never gotten sick from the water.

About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

9 thoughts on “The Perfect 2 Weeks in Nicaragua Itinerary (+ Tips!)”

Nicaragua is definitely becoming increasingly popular. Excellent suggestions for first time visitors. Great photos and travel inspiration! 🙂

Thanks, Robert! I’m so curious to see how much it will change in the next decade.

• Pingback: ChocoMuseo Chocolate Workshop in Granada - DIY Travel HQ

Hi! I really loved the way you structured this post. We’re starting a RTW trip in Nicaragua and have planned for approximately two weeks. I like how you highlighted the main regions we should visit, and gave a reco on how many days to spend there, and the “things to consider” section is helpful too.

Oooh, thanks so much, and Nicaragua sounds like an amazing start to a RTW trip, Vanessa! Hope that you guys love it as much as we did and that your whole trip is fantastic!

Nicaragua ?? is so Beautiful! I’ll take my vacation there with my family ?????‍♀️??‍♀️

Great post! I’m wondering if it’s worth it to spend a couple nights around La Laguna de Apoyo. Any thoughts? Or just a day trip kind of thing?

Thanks Nancy! We didn’t make it to Laguna de Apoyo ourselves, but my understanding is that while it is more of a day trip place, you can spend a night or two nearby if you want to enjoy the area with fewer crowds!

I would like to visit Nicaragua for 2weeks I am happy you help me with the itinerary Martin Damoah Ghana

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Welcome to granada, the oldest city in central america.

Enjoy the beauty of Granada, one of the oldest cities in America. This place will delight you not only due to its rich history but also due to its nature and beautiful tourist places.

Let’s take a look at this awesome Granada Tour.

Granada Tour: From Costa Rica to Nicaragua

Our journey starts early in the morning. Between 6 am and 7 am, we will pick you up at your hotel in the Guanacaste area of Tamarindo, Conchal, Flamingo, El Coco, or Liberia and take you in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan to Costa Rica’s northern border of Penas Blancas. (Only one hour from Liberia)

We begin by walking through border control, the fastest and easiest way to cross. Our guide and driver will be waiting outside the customs gate. Along the way from Rivas to Granada, we will make a stop in La Virgen to see the Big Lake Nicaragua and the magnificent and active Concepción Volcano in Ometepe Island.

Then, a quick stop for breakfast.

Granada Guided Tour

Upon arrival, we will enjoy a guided journey through the historic streets of the oldest city in Central America. Founded on the shore of Lake Cocibolca ( Lake Nicaragua ) in 1524, pretty-as-a-picture Granada has been settled for over 500 years.

The charm of this colonial gem of a town begins in the Central Park Cathedral , a plaza framed by Moorish arcades and populated with splashing fountains, strolling ice cream vendors, and decorated horse-drawn carriages at the ready for clip-clopping along cobbled streets.

Around town, we find well-preserved colonial homes in a full palette of tropical colors and historic mansions converted to delightful boutique hotels and fine restaurants.

After the city, get ready to explore Las Isletas by boat . The Isletas are a group of 365 small islands scattered about the Asese peninsula.

Covered mostly by vegetation, the islands were formed thousands of years ago when the Mombacho Volcano blew much of its cone into the lake, creating the archipelago.

Enjoy beautiful scenery, abundant birdlife, and astonishing views over Lake Nicaragua and the nearby volcanoes of Ometepe Island & Mombacho .

Our last stop is the active Masaya Volcano National Park to see the crater and possibly lava. Comprising an area of 54 km and including two volcanoes and five craters, the volcanoes have erupted several times in history and were feared by both the indigenous people and the Spanish conquerors.

The Spanish baptized the active Masaya Volcano “La Boca del Infierno,” or, “ The Mouth of Hell. ” They planted a cross, La Cruz de Bobadilla (named after Father Francisco Bobadilla), on the crater lip in the 16th century to exorcise the Devil.

At the end of our day, we head back to Costa Rica, where our tour ends with drop-off at your hotel in Guanacaste (approx. 20:00hrs)

Does not include:

• Costa Rican exit tax ($9 USD)
• Nicaraguan taxes in & out ($14 customs + $2 City Hall TOTAL)

Don’t hesitate! Get our Granada One Day Tour

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• Private transfer all your tour in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan
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• Entrance to the tower of The Merced Church (Highest building in Granada)
• A Nicaraguan dish, vigoron, in Central Park
• Boat tour of Granada Islets
• Entrance fee to the Masaya Volcano National Park

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Getting Around Costa Rica

There are many ways to get around Costa Rica- which is good because despite being a small country, Costa Rica has big distances.

For example, you may want to go from San Jose to La Fortuna. Put it in Google Maps and it’s only about 80 miles. But what you don’t see are all the curvy two-lane roads, stops, and other road conditions that might arise while taking what turns out to be an almost 3-hour drive. Driving in Costa Rica can be its own beast.

That’s one reason why it is so essential to pick the right way to get around Costa Rica when you are visiting- especially if you are visiting Costa Rica with kids as we do.

In this post, I’ll walk you through all the different ways you can get around Costa Rica. My vote? If you are exploring Costa Rica with kids and need both flexibility and a good bang for your buck, I recommend car rental. If you have a larger budget or a large group, then definitely opt for a private shuttle with a tour guide.

Arriving in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is well connected both through its international airports and international bus systems from Nicaragua and Panama.

When you arrive at either the San Jose Airport or the Liberia International Airport , you’ll find flights coming in from around the world- just like you would at any major international airport. If you need to know which airport to fly in to, it depends on where you are going after you arrive.

Land crossing in Central America between Costa Rica and either Panama or Nicaragua is also common.

You’ll need a valid passport to enter the country, and tourists from most countries are allowed a 90-day tourist visa automatically upon entry.

The issue is- how do you get around once you arrive?

Domestic Flights

If you are heading to some of the more remote areas of Costa Rica, and have the budget, then taking a domestic flight is a great option. I usually recommend these flights for people going to popular destinations such as the Osa Peninsula (Corcovado National Park), Puerto Viejo or the Caribbean coast, or remote areas like Tortuguero National Park.

You can also consider a domestic flight from San Jose to Guanacaste, although do keep in mind there is now a bustling international airport in Liberia . The domestic flights are done with a pretty small plane, so if you are a nervous flyer these are probably not the best option.

Have a big group or a big budget? Consider chartering a private plane to your destination. You can also do private helicopters. I have to say I have never done these, so am not a good resource on how to do them or the costs. It is an option, though.

Renting A Car

Renting a car in Costa Rica is the best option in my opinion, and we recommend renting from Adobe Rental Car. This is because you’ll pay less overall, support a local company, and they have the best customer service of any rental car company around. (And after 20 years of renting cars in Costa Rica, I’ve tried them all!) You can also get a 10-20% discount on your rental car through Pura Vida Moms.

You have to keep in mind a few things when renting a car, however:

• Your credit card insurance won’t cover the mandatory insurance in Costa Rica, so make sure to get a quote that includes insurance
• The car seats provided are not great as they are old and only 3 point harnesses so I take our own
• Gas in Costa Rica is more expensive than in the States and is sold by the liter. The good thing is that gas prices are fixed across the country, so you don’t need to play the gas game as you do in the US.
• You’ll need a navigation app for Costa Rica- whether you purchase a GPS with your rental car or use your cell phone, it’s a must.

I’ve written extensively about driving in Costa Rica and renting cars in Costa Rica , so please refer to those posts for more info.

Direct Transfers

You can hire a direct transfer (Adobe Rental Cars even does them) from point A to Point B. There are two types of direct transfers, private and shared.

Shared Shuttle

A shared shuttle means that you and a few other people (usually no more than 15 total) will share a bus that goes from one place to another. The advantages are that these are much faster than a public bus, and worth the money especially if you are a solo traveler who wants to get somewhere quickly, safely, and without hassles.

Another advantage is if you are doing what is called a tour connection where you are rafting from Point A to Point B, for example. This is common for those who choose to take a boat across Arenal Lake from Monteverde to La Fortuna to drastically cut down on travel time.

The disadvantage to a shared shuttle lies in the advantage- you will go from Point A to Point B and that’s it. Comfort stops for the bathroom and snacks are kept to a minimum, and you are in the shuttle with people you don’t know.

We use shared shuttle buses when we are going ot a walkable destination where we won’t need to get around much farther than the town center. A great example of those would be in Tamarindo, San Ramon, and Grecia. La Fortuna would not be a great example as everything is spread out.

Some people who hire shared shuttles will then use Uber or taxis when they arrive at their destination. Of course, this does add cost to the overall trip, which is why many times renting a car is cheaper for small groups.

Join the Costa Rica With Kids Facebook Group. Ask all the Costa Rica Travel questions you want- we will answer them!

Private shuttle.

This is essentially where you hire a private driver to take you exactly where you want ot go when you want to go there. You have shuttle services on demand for your whole trip. You can also hire a private guide in this instance as well, and the guide and driver work together.

A private shuttle is the more expensive option of the two, but for large groups, the cost per person can actually be less when you add up all the transportation costs.

If I had an unlimited budget and could hire a private shuttle and guide for every trip I went on to Costa Rica, it’s definitely the option I would pick. It’s not always feasible, however.

Costa Rica By Bus

Many many travelers want to see Costa Rica by public transportation, and public buses are definitely the absolute cheapest option (other than hitchhiking which I don’t recommend!).

There are two different types of buses that interconnect Costa Rica: direct buses ( bus directo ) and indirect buses, or colectivos . Here’s a bit on each:

Direct Buses

You can get on a bus that will go directly to your destination with very few stops. These buses will generally make one restroom stop at a public place where food and drink are sold. They will generally do this every 4 hours. A great example of this is the bus from San Jose to Liberia that stops in Esparza.

Direct buses adhere to a strict schedule and are not late. If you miss the bus- you missed the bus.

These buses tend to get crowded as there are both seats and people who are able to stand in the aisles while the bus is in motion. When the bus stops people generally get off and come back to their same seat. You need to watch your hand luggage in this case, as thieves know to target these bus stops.

For families with kids, direct buses are the best way to get around if you absolutely want or need to ride the bus. Keep in mind there are no toilets or food on board, and there isn’t entertainment.

The colectivo busses generally go shorter distances. They stop at each bus stop and pick up or let off passengers as needed. You can just ring a bell and the bus will stop. If the bus driver sees people flagging him down on the side of the road to stop, he will do so.

It’s a very slow way to travel- it’s also cheap. It can be fun for a while to meet new people on the bus and see the types of people that come and go, but honestly, if you don’t have much time, this can be a real test of patience.

For example, the local buses that go between San Ramon and Palmares (a distance of 5 km) can take up to an hour.

If you are looking to plan a Costa Rica trip via bus, I highly recommend the Costa Rica by Bus Facebook group .

Taxis are everywhere in Costa Rica as there are so many people without cars who live there. There are several types of taxis you can take, and note that it can be nearly impossible to get a local taxi when it’s pouring rain.

Note that the airports have official taxis that are to take people to and from the airport- these taxis are orange.

There are red taxis all over town in Costa Rica. The red taxis mean that the government has insured and licensed the taxi drivers and that they have a set fee for transport between destinations.

These taxis are metered (by what we call la maría). You simply ask the driver to start the meter, and when you arrive the fee for the ride is displayed. Most local taxis take a credit card, but not all so it can be good to have some cash on hand when traveling via taxi.

Taxi Pirata

These “pirate taxis” are not officially bonded and insured by the government. Therefore, you must agree on a price for your destination before you enter the vehicle. When you take a pirate taxi, you will generally pay less than you will for a red official taxi.

You also run a bigger safety risk with these taxis as they are not overseen by a dispatch. Some are, and you will find collective taxis that are “pirate” but run by a dispatch.

these taxis can be hired out for a half day or a day, and this can be an economical way to get around a destination if you don’t rent a car.

In large metropolitan cities and urban areas in the Central Valley (think San José, Heredia, Cartago Grecia, San Ramon, Palmares) you can find an Uber pretty easily. uber is generally cheaper than taxis, and you have the advantage of not having to exchange money because you pay in the app.

I think some beach destinations like Jaco may also have Uber, but it’s definitely not something that you have everywhere in the country so if you take an Uber to a destination, make sure you can also get home via Uber from that dentitions. For example, when I was at the Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia recently a couple was dropped off by Uber with their luggage so they could take the tour. At the end of the tour, they tried to get an Uber and couldn’t, and it was a huge mess to get a taxi out there to them.

Boats and Ferries

Water transportation is of course popular in Costa Rica, and can be an economical way to get to some remote destinations.

There are boat rides that will take you to remote areas not widely accessible by car. Two examples of those would be to arrive at Drake Bay or at Tortuguero.

There is also a nice boat transfer between La Fortuna and Monteverde.

You’ll also find boats that take you to Isla del Coso for extremely diving, and boats that will take out offshore for fishing, snorkeling and diving expeditions.

Ferries leaving from Puntarenas can be a great way to get your car onto the Nicoya Peninsula without taking a circuitous route. this can connect you with destinations such as the Bioluminescent Bay , Montezuma, Santa Teresa, and more.

The ferry has a really fun atmosphere too- they sell ice cream and beer and some have fun music. You can enjoy a shortcut while you relax and have fun. I think the ferry is a really fun experience for families.

Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into getting around Costa Rica. If you would like to talk to me about a customized itinerary or specific Costa Rica travel advice for your family’s next Costa Rica vacation, (zero sales- just advice!) check out my “ Ask Christa ” page for more information on custom Costa Rica trip planning geared towards family

The post Getting Around Costa Rica appeared first on Pura Vida Moms .

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Help with 10 day itinerary - Dec 2024, 2 kids ( 8 and 10) - Costa Rica Forum

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Help with 10 day itinerary - Dec 2024, 2 kids ( 8 and 10)

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D 1 - arrive at San jose . Hotel near the airport due to late arrival.

D 2 and 3 La Fortuna

D 4 to 7 - Papagayo

D 8 Monteverde

D 9 and 10 Manuel Antonio national park

D 11 early flight back from San José

Cannot alter D4 to 7 plan but rest can be adjusted. Thank for the input

8 replies to this topic

If this is around Christmas, note that the coast and traffic to it, will be very heavy. I wouldn't plan the driving to Manual Antonio for around the holiday.

If you have an early flight home on the 11th, you'll have to stay near the airport your last night. You need to be in the terminal at least two hours before your flight , three would be better, and you need time to return the vehicle and get shuttled to the airport.

Given your commitment to Papagayo, I would start in Monteverde and choose either Arenal or MA for after there. To balance out your experiences, I would go with Arenal.

Thank you make so much sense

You misunderstand. I am suggesting Arenal for after Papagayo, when there seems to be more time.

I was wondering the same thing. It would help to clarify how many nights (not days) you're committed to Papagayo. If it's four nights, considering you really should stay near the airport your last night, that only leaves four to divide between two locations. Two would be for before Papagayo and two for after.

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