Traveling solo in Costa Rica: itinerary, budget and advice

Traveling alone means choosing your day each morning: a hike at dawn, a surf lesson, a conversation with other travelers around a lodge table. Costa Rica lends itself well to it. The country is welcoming, shuttles connect the main stops and small-group tours make it easy to meet people. Here is our advice for preparing a solo trip.

Why Costa Rica solo?

• A country easy to travel without a car, thanks to hotel-to-hotel shuttles.
• Many small-group activities: nature outings, rafting, surf lessons, night walks.
• A warm welcome, and stops frequented by travelers from all over the world.
• A great variety of landscapes within short distances: volcanoes, cloud forests, beaches on two oceans.

A two-week itinerary

• Days 1 and 2 – San José: arrival, Mercado Central and downtown museums.
• Days 3 to 5 – La Fortuna: Arenal Volcano, waterfall, hot springs, rafting or zip-lining.
• Days 6 and 7 – Monteverde, reached by the “jeep-boat-jeep” transfer: hanging bridges, cloud forest, night walk.
• Days 8 to 10 – Guanacaste (Tamarindo, Sámara or Nosara): beach, surfing, sunsets.
• Days 11 to 13 – Manuel Antonio: national park (closed on Tuesdays), beaches, catamaran trip.
• Day 14: back to San José and return flight.

See also our two-week itinerary.

Getting around alone

Shuttles are the most practical solution: they pick you up at your hotel and drop you at the next one; allow about 60 to USD 95 per trip. Public buses, cheaper, are slower. Alone, a rental car costs more, since nothing is shared, but it remains worthwhile to explore a region for a few days. See our guides traveling without a car and getting around Costa Rica.

Budget

Traveling alone costs more per person, since the room and transport are not shared. The main items are:

• lodging: from a simple hostel to a boutique hotel (100 to USD 250 per night);
• meals: a dish of the day in a soda, a small family restaurant, remains inexpensive;
• shuttles;
• park entrance fees and guided tours.

See our budget guide.

Meeting other travelers

Guided tours, surf lessons and rafting trips naturally bring together travelers from all backgrounds. Hostels and small hotels in La Fortuna, Monteverde, Puerto Viejo or Guanacaste often have lively common areas. To travel alone without being isolated, a small-group tour is a good solution: our Le Puma tour brings a few travelers together around a guide.

For women travelers

Many women travel alone in Costa Rica every year. The precautions are common sense: well-rated lodging, daytime travel, official taxis in the evening, care with alcohol. We have also designed Women’s Escape, a trip created for women who wish to discover the country with other women travelers.

Safety when traveling solo

• Share your itinerary with someone close and tell your lodging before a hike.
• Do not hike alone in isolated areas: choose a guided outing.
• Do not swim alone on unsupervised beaches: currents are strong.
• In the evening, take an official (red) taxi or a ride-hailing app.
• Keep a digital copy of your documents.

See our guide safety in Costa Rica.

Frequently asked questions

Is Costa Rica suitable for a first solo trip?

Yes: the classic stops are well connected and tours are easy to book.

Do you need to book everything in advance?

In high season (December to April), it is better to book lodging and shuttles; the rest can be decided on site.

Can you organize a trip for one person?

Yes, with or without a driver-guide, depending on your budget and wishes. Let’s talk about your project.