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My 1 Week Costa Rica Road Trip Itinerary for 2024

A gorgeous, empty beach along the stunning coast of Costa Rica, with lush trees nearby

As the country that sparked my wanderlust, Costa Rica will always have a special place in my heart. The lush jungles, the stunning waterfalls, the incredible wildlife, and the super friendly locals who have a love for love – it’s all just great. Costa Rica a beautiful, beautiful country.

It’s also a perfect destination to road trip. Since distances aren’t too long, you can easily get a good feel for some of the main areas in the country in one week. (If you’ve got more time, great! You can extend your stays in places or even add on more destinations. I’ll share a few recommendations at the end).

But, even with just seven days, you can cover a lot of ground. The freedom of having your own wheels means that you won’t be beholden to bus schedules or end up forking out a lot of money for expensive tourist shuttles. That means you’ll save both time and money.

To help you plan your trip, here’s my ideal one-week Costa Rica road trip itinerary:

Where to Rent a Car in Costa Rica

My go-to rental car company in Costa Rica is Vamos. They allow additional drivers for no extra fee, have great customer services, and their prices are reasonable.

You can click here to get a quote. (You’ll get 5% off by using that link too!).

If Vamos doesn’t have what you’re looking for, try Discover Cars. They compare prices from thousands of companies to help you find the best deal. You can use the widget below to find a deal:

Once you get a car, take photos and video of any scratches or dents. That way you have evidence proving you didn’t cause them should the car rental company ask (they usually won’t but it’s always better to be prepared).
 

Days 1–2: San Jose

Historic rotunda in San Jose, Costa RicaHistoric rotunda in San Jose, Costa Rica
You’ll likely be flying in and out of the capital, San Jose. That means you can return your rental car to the same location when you fly home (which is cheaper than dropping it off somewhere else). Many people skip right over the capital, opting to just stay overnight and head out the next morning to greener pastures but I think it’s worth two nights. All the country’s best museums are here, so you can learn the history of the country before embarking onwards. That said, depending on when your flight arrives, you could just do one night here and add more time somewhere else.

Things to do in San José:

  • Visit the Costa Rican National Museum – If you only visit one museum in the city, make it this one. Housed in the fortress that was home to the (now defunct) Costa Rican military,…

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