How to get from La Fortuna to San Jose

Why visit San Jose?

San Jose is a bustling urban landscape in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Being the capital city, it may not be as pretty as the beach and jungle destinations that the country is known for. But if you are stopping by anyway, might as well explore for a few hours or a day before moving on to your next stop.

You will find plenty of things to do in San Jose. Within the city, you can check out the colonial buildings turned museums at Barrio Amon, try out the famed restaurants at Barrio Escalante, or party the night away in El Pueblo. If you want to venture outside the city limits, the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens are highly recommended!

There are 6 ways to travel the 130 kilometre (81 miles) distance from La Fortuna to San Jose. You can choose between the bus, minivan, private transport, flight, indirect bus and car rental. The journey takes 2 hours 15 minutes to 6 hours and the quickest way is by minivan. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 4,320 CRC ($9.30).

The bus is the most affordable option for travelling from La Fortuna to San Jose, with prices starting from 4,320 CRC ($9.30).

Buses are not as reliable as minivans, though, with pickpockets known to be lurking around unknowing travellers. If you become a victim, you might end up spending more than a minivan ticket.

There’s only one direct bus operating from La Fortuna to San Jose. And it often fills up fast. We recommend booking your tickets in advance online via mibus.cr. There’s an additional booking fee that costs about a dollar, but well worth the convenience. Alternatively, you can buy your tickets at the bus station.

Departure and arrival stations

The bus departs from La Fortuna Bus Terminal and arrives at Terminal Atlantico Norte in San Jose city centre.

Note that travel time is highly dependent on traffic and the number of stops to pick up and drop off passengers, so it really can take between 4 to 6 hours.

Attention: Terminal 7-10 closed in April 2025. Buses operating to San Jose from La Fortuna used to arrive at San José’s Terminal 7-10. This was the main hub for buses from Cóbano, Monteverde, San Carlos, Jacó, and even international routes from Nicaragua and El Salvador.

If the direct bus doesn’t fit your schedule, you can take an indirect bus from La Fortuna to San Jose via Ciudad Quesada, a town 50 km southeast of the famous Arenal Volcano. Combined rates cost around 4,410 CRC ($9.50) and travel time is 4 to 6 hours.

The advantage of taking an indirect bus is that buses depart frequently throughout the day, so you can be more flexible with your schedule.

Buses from La Fortuna to Ciudad Quesada depart as early as 05:00 in the morning, and continue until 19:30 in the evening. You have two route options:

• Via El Tanque (north): This route is quicker.
• Via Chachagua (south): This route offers more scenic views.

Both routes will take about 1 hour to reach Ciudad Quesada Terminal.

A ticket costs 1,550 CRC ($3.30) and you can buy them at La Fortuna Bus Terminal.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you’re out of La Fortuna before 18:00 if you want to make it on time for the last connecting bus from Ciudad Quesada to San Jose.

At Ciudad Quesada Bus Stop, you can then transfer to another bus going to San Jose. You should be able to catch one any time between 04:30 to 19:45.

The bus journey from Ciudad Quesada to San Jose takes around 3 hours without traffic. You can get a ticket for 2,860 CRC ($6.20). Buses park at Terminal Atlantico Norte, San Jose city centre.

Most tourists prefer to take a minivan from La Fortuna to San Jose for comfort and convenience. Although shared, most minivans for this route will take you door-to-door from your hotel in La Fortuna to your hotel in San Jose, or the airport if that’s where you’re headed.

Fares start from 20,000 CRC ($43). Travel time is 2 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes depending on where you’re going in San Jose. When you book your tickets, make sure to pick the correct arrival point to avoid any hassle on the day of your trip.

You can choose from seven minivan operators: Volcano Travel, RideCR, Interbus, Tropical Tours Shuttle, Expedition CR, Costa 24/7 and Amazing Go Costa Rica.

For groups, a private transfer can be cheaper than a shared minivan ride when you split the cost. You can choose from various types of vehicles — from regular cars to more luxurious ones.

Rates start from 71,000 CRC ($155) for a 6-seater minivan from La Fortuna to San Jose. Divide the cost and that’s about 12,000 CRC ($25.50) per person.

Private minivans operating to San Jose from La Fortuna can accommodate groups of up to 18 persons.

Private Transport options from La Fortuna to San Jose

Do you plan on going on a road trip around Costa Rica? It’s an easy enough drive from La Fortuna to San Jose. The roads are paved and easy to manoeuvre, even for tourists.

We don’t recommend driving this route at night, though. It gets dark pretty early in this region. And there are a lot of twists and turns in some areas, which might not be safe if you’re not familiar with the roads. Also, there are plenty of trucks taking these roads at night.

Why rent a car from La Fortuna to San Jose

When you’re travelling in a group, having your own car in La Fortuna can come in handy. The town’s highlights are far apart and you’ll need a car (or a motorbike) to travel between Arenal Volcano, Chato Volcano, Fortuna Waterfalls, El Salto, and the town’s other attractions.

Once you’re done exploring La Fortuna, you can bring the same car to drive to San Jose.

Where to rent a car in La Fortuna

We don’t recommend renting a car in La Fortuna if you’re not going back here. Rental prices are significantly more expensive if you’re dropping off the car in another town, with rates starting from around 56,000 CRC ($120) on the first day.

If you’re starting your Costa Rican journey in San Jose and ending it there as well, it’s best to rent your car from the capital city. Prices are cheaper when you have the same pickup and drop-off point, starting at 19,000 CRC ($40) per day.

But if you don’t have a car yet when you arrive in La Fortuna, there are a few rental shops here you can choose from. You can ask your hotel for recommendations on where to rent a car, or you can just find one online.

We normally recommend checking Skyscanner for the best car rental prices (and flights), but occasionally you might find even better prices on Kayak. Both are reliable search engines which make it easy to search for the cheapest car deals and apply relevant filters.

Driving directions from La Fortuna to San Jose

There are two routes you can take when driving from La Fortuna to San Jose: via San Ramon and via Ciudad Quesada. San Ramon is the most direct, and usually the route that will be recommended to you when you use Waze or Google Maps.

From La Fortuna, drive south and follow the winding roads to Route 702. We recommend driving a bit slower for this part if you don’t know the roads well. You’ll pass through the towns of La Tigra, San Lorenzo, and San Ramon.

Turn left once you reach the Pan-American Highway (Carretera Interamericana) going to San Jose. Continue on this road until you reach the capital.

The entire drive from San Jose to La Fortuna takes about 3 hours 30 minutes unless you decide to make a stop along the way — something you are definitely free to do when renting your own car!

The flight might seem like the fastest way to get from La Fortuna to San Jose. But when you add in the waiting time at the airport and the additional time you spend getting from one transfer to another, you don’t really get to save time compared to taking a door-to-door shared shuttle van or private transfer.

We don’t recommend taking a flight for this route unless your aim is to get a bird’s eye view of the Costa Rican landscapes.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Flights bound for San Jose depart from Arenal Airport, 8 km east of La Fortuna town centre. You can get to the airport in 20 minutes via taxi that costs around 7,000 CRC ($15).

Sansa Regional offers 2-3 flights from La Fortuna to San Jose every day during the peak tourist season from December to April.

Airfares start from 53,000 CRC ($115) and the flight takes around 30 minutes.

If you’re travelling from May to November, check Skyscanner beforehand to see if flights are available.

All flights arrive at San Jose Airport, also called Juan Santamaria International Airport, 15 km northwest of San Jose city centre. You can get to the city in 2 ways: a 1-hour bus or a 30-minute taxi.

You can save on cash if you take the bus, which costs only 695 CRC ($1.50). Buses are available every 10 minutes or so from the bus stop just outside the airport. It’s best to confirm with the driver if he’s going to San Jose city centre before boarding. Buses bound for Alajuela in the opposite direction also make a stop here.

Note that these buses can be crowded, especially during rush hour. It’s not rare for passengers to have to stand on the way to TUASA Terminal in San Jose city centre.

If you want to be more comfortable, you can also take a taxi for around 14,000 CRC ($31). Note that airport taxis add extra fees so if you don’t want to spend even more, we recommend walking to the main road and hailing a taxi from there. You can also try hailing one through the Uber app.

IMPORTANT: Uber is widely used in Costa Rica, but it is not entirely legal. There have been rare cases of Uber rides being stopped in the middle of the journey. In this case, the passengers were forced to transfer to a regular taxi.