Short stays in Costa Rica: our selection

Do you have limited vacation time but want to explore Costa Rica, its volcanoes, beaches, and lush nature?

These short trips are designed to optimize your time on the ground, ensuring you experience the highlights without wasting a moment. We offer 9, 10, 11, or 12-day getaways for those who aren’t able to stay longer.

Our short trips are tailored for families and budgets of all kinds. It’s important to keep in mind that in 10 days, you won’t be able to see the entire country, of course. Choices have to be made, so we’ve carefully selected each stop to minimize travel time while maintaining a high-quality experience.

Whether you’re traveling solo or with family, we’ll customize your short stay so you can make the most of this nature-filled and active journey—without changing hotels every day or spending hours on the road. Even though Costa Rica is a small country, travel distances can be long, and we’ve taken this into account in our short-stay itineraries.

We’ve crafted balanced itineraries that give you a taste of part of the country and leave you wanting to come back to Costa Rica for a longer trip in the future.

hiking back river jungle

Hiking Circuit

ALAJUELA, DRAKE, PUERTO JIMENEZ, CARATE, SAN GERARDO DE RIVAS, SANTA MARIA DE DOTA

A tour designed by a trekker for trekkers.  A gentle start to the trip in Corcovado with a snorkelling trip to Isla del Caño. The next day, things get serious. You’ll c...

A tour designed by a trekker for trekkers. 

A gentle start to the trip in Corcovado with a snorkelling trip to Isla del Caño. The next day, things get serious. You’ll cross Corcovado National Park from north to south and spend a rustic but fabulous night. You’ll be able to enjoy the park’s wildlife at your leisure, and your English-speaking naturalist guide will be on hand to give you some expert advice and explanations.

Leave the park at Carate and take the 4×4 to Puerto Jimenez. 

This is where you pick up your rental car. Head for Rivas, at the foot of Costa Rica’s highest peak: Cerro Chirrripo. 

The next day, you’ll climb this 12,000ft-high giant, then descend and head back towards the Quetzal region.

A last stop to observe this sacred Mayan bird. Costa Rica is the easiest place in the world to observe this bird, all year round.
  • 10 Days
  • Sport
  • Self-guided

Standard Hotel

2 489 pp
landscape beach conchal guanacaste is

Volcano, sun and sea

ALAJUELA, VOLCAN ARENAL, PLAYA HERMOSA

There’s no need to multiply the number of stops to take in the sights! Land in the capital, enjoy the surrounding countryside from the outset, then set off the next day for C...

There’s no need to multiply the number of stops to take in the sights!

Land in the capital, enjoy the surrounding countryside from the outset, then set off the next day for Costa Rica’s iconic volcano: Arenal. After walking the suspension bridges, discovering the country’s gastronomy with a local family and going wild at the Arenal canopy, you descend to the southern Caribbean to bask on beaches surrounded by dense jungle.
  • 9 Days
  • Honeymoon
  • Self-guided

Upscale Hotel

1 830 pp

Luxury Hotel

5 125 pp
landscape volcano arenal horse costa rica decouverte

Butterfly

Do you only have a few days to discover Costa Rica? Then we invite you to take advantage of a short 9-day tour. You’ll enjoy a complete change of scenery as you pass through ...

Do you only have a few days to discover Costa Rica? Then we invite you to take advantage of a short 9-day tour.

You’ll enjoy a complete change of scenery as you pass through the little Amazon, Tortuguero. The rainforest, canals and wildlife will transport you into a 100% natural world in just a few hours.

After this first stage, you’ll take your vehicle to the majestic Arenal volcano. A colossus dominating a region rich in activity and entertainment. Your guide will accompany you across the suspension bridges and you’ll relax in the thermal waters. A truly relaxing experience.

Finally, you’ll reach the Pacific coast and the small seaside resort of Samara. A cove lined with white sand where you can enjoy the pleasures of the sea.
  • 9 Days
  • Nature
  • Self-guided

Standard Hotel

1 753 pp

Luxury Hotel

3 465 pp
culture indigenus house cabecar costa rica decouverte

Costa Rican Culture

SANTA ANA, LAC ARENAL, PLAYA CHIQUITA / COCLES, TURRIALBA, UVITA

This 10 day tour will introduce you to the country’s culinary and cultural traditions. You’ll be introduced to the local cuisine, discover the production of sugar cane,...

This 10 day tour will introduce you to the country’s culinary and cultural traditions. You’ll be introduced to the local cuisine, discover the production of sugar cane, coffee and coconuts, meet the indigenous Bribri and Borucas and share a typical meal with them. 
You’ll have the chance to meet and share with others. You’ll come away with unforgettable memories, unsuspected recipes, different flavors and exotic-sounding first names. 
In addition to its cultural aspects, this loop will enable you to discover the Arenal volcano, the Caribbean coast, the central cordillera at Turrialba, the Dota valley renowned for its trout and its fabulous Quetzal. Finally, a relaxing cultural break on the Osa Peninsula. A tour of sharing, gastronomy and encounters that will not leave you indifferent, and will enable you to meet the local populations.
  • 10 Days
  • Nature
  • Self-guided

Standard Hotel

1 910 pp

These tours are all customizable! You can choose them as they are or adapt them to suit your preferences.

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