Adventure Awaits: The Perfect Friends Getaway to Costa Rica for a Long Weekend

Detailed Itinerary:

Today, I planned a trip for a group of friends from Miami to Costa Rica. I used Google Flights to find the best days to fly and the best (in their case, cheapest) flight from Miami. Since I chose to create this trip as a long weekend getaway there was obviously a lot we couldn't fit into the plan. We skipped the pristine beaches entirely, including Manuel Antonio National Park, and opted instead for the lush rainforests. This entire itinerary focuses on Arenal Volcano National Park and all the exciting adventures in this part of Costa Rica. Here's the detailed daily overview…

October 18

• Arrive at airport around 8:00 am

• Breakfast at airport

• Flight departs at 10:29 am

• Arrive in San Jose at 11:39 am

• Get rental car

• Lunch

• Drive to La Fortuna (2.5 hours)

• Check in to Airbnb

• Dinner

• Explore La Fortuna

• Get groceries for breakfasts

October 19

• Breakfast at Airbnb

• Tour starts at 7:30 am

• Lunch (included)

• Tour ends at 6:30 pm

• Dinner

October 20

• Breakfast at Airbnb

• Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges (https://www.misticopark.com/ - $32)

• Lunch

• Rainforest Chocolate Tour at 1

• Los Lagos Hot Springs (https://www.hotelloslagos.com/ - $18)

• Dinner

October 21

• Breakfast at Airbnb

• Drive back to San Jose (2.5 hours)

• Return rental car

• Arrive at airport at 12:00 pm

• Lunch at airport

• Flight departs at 2:25 pm

• Arrive in Miami at 7:25 pm

• Return home

• Dinner

Budget:

As I plan the trip, I fill in the obvious costs like flights and tour fees. When I’m all done planning, I go in and add additional funds for things like food, souvenirs, travel insurance, etc. All in, this trip came in under $1,700 per person. I round everything up to the nearest $25.

Trip Preparation Details:

Finally, here are the tasks that this group needs to complete in order to book their trip. These are the specific dates/prices I pulled as of August 2024, but if you are looking to do a similar trip, hopefully some of the links below will be helpful for you as well.

Transportation Details:

• Book flights on American Airlines for October 18-21. Flights AA413 and AA946. www.aa.com 

Accommodation Details:

• Book Airbnb for October 18-21: https://www.airbnb.com

Other Important Booking Details:

• Book Arenal tour for October 19: https://www.viator.com/tours/La-Fortuna/Full-day-Arenal-Volcano-La-Fortuna-Waterfall-and-Hotsprings/d821-18265P8 ($95)

• Book Chocolate Tour for October 20: https://rainforestchocolatetour.com/ ($30)

This vacation plan makes me excited to return to Costa Rica and especially the La Fortuna area! Costa Rica is well known for its outdoor adventures. I think this itinerary is an awesome option for a short trip with a group of friends. Happy traveling!