How to Get From Nicaragua to Costa Rica By Bus (2024)

Table of Contents

At a Glance: How to Get From Nicaragua to Costa Rica By Bus

Getting from Nicaragua to Costa Rica by bus is entirely possible but can be confusing. In this travel guide, we’ll cover logistics, costs, our experience with this border crossing, and more! This will be a long travel day, no matter what your start and end destinations are. If you are going from Costa Rica to Nicaragua, just do these steps in reverse.

Taking public transportation is definitely the budget option. If you aren’t on a budget, the easiest option is to just fly from Managua to San José and get private transport to your Costa Rican destination. If you’d rather not fly or want some more flexibility, you can book a bus from Managua to San Jose for around $30-$40 here. Anyways, let’s get into this guide on how to get from Nicaragua to Costa Rica by bus!

Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase.

What to Bring on Your Nicaragua / Costa Rica Border Crossing Journey

We recommend keeping the following items easily accessible during your journey:

Passports: Officials will ask for these a few times on the Nicaraguan side and once on the Costa Rican side
US Dollars: You’ll need these for fees and they also help for exchanging to Costa Rican Colones
Snacks & Water: If you don’t have to stop and eat, this journey will go much quicker!
Sunscreen: You’ll be standing and walking in the hot sun at the Nicaragua / Costa Rica Border!
Proof of Onward Travel: We weren’t asked for this, but Costa Rica technically requires proof of onward travel

Tips for Crossing the Border From Nicaragua to Costa Rica

Keep an eye on your belongings. Liberia and Rivas are both hotspots for pickpockets and thieves
Leave as early as possible (even if it’s at 4-5 am)
Bring enough snacks/meals to keep you sufficiently fed for 8-10 hours
See what locals pay for the buses in Nicaragua, and then pay the local price.
Bring small bills/change for the buses
If you want to pay for comfort, you can take a taxi between these destinations, but make sure to negotiate a fair price!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!

Safety Wing’s Nomad Insurance is how we travel knowing that if something bad were to happen to us, we’d be protected. They cover medical assistance if you get sick or get into an accident which gives us peace of mind while on the road. In addition to medical benefits, they also cover lost baggage, travel delays, and even evacuation from political and environmental dangers! They have additional add-on coverage for non-US residents for extreme adventure activities, electronics theft, and US coverage. This is a must-have for every long-term traveler!

How to Get From Nicaragua to Costa Rica By Public Transportation

Step 1: Get to Rivas, Nicaragua

Rivas is the main transport hub connecting all the cities and towns in the South of Nicaragua. This is where you’ll catch the bus to the Nicaragua / Costa Rica border. Follow the steps below for how to get to Rivas from major Nicaraguan travel destinations!

How to Get to Rivas, Nicaragua from Ometepe

You’ll probably be staying in Balgue, but if you’re not, check this bus schedule and double check the times with your host! You can take the 5:30 am bus from Balgue, which will get you to Moyogalpa in time for the 7 am ferry, (ferry schedules are here). If you don’t think you’ll make the 7 am ferry (the ferry did wait for our bus), you can get off in San Jose del Sur and take the 7:30 am ferry. The ferry takes an hour and costs 50 cordobas.

From San Jorge, you can take the mini bus to Rivas, which comes every hour or so, takes 30 minutes, and costs 30 cordobas. You can also take a “colectivo” (which is just taxi with strangers) for $1-2 a person.

How to Get to Rivas, Nicaragua from San Juan Del Sur

Buses leave to Rivas every 30 minutes to an hour from the Market Bus Stop and cost 50 cordobas ($1.25 USD). They will definitely try raise the price to 70 cordobas if you don’t negotiate.

How to Get to Rivas, Nicaragua from Granada

Take a bus from Nueva Terminal de Buses a Rivas which costs 70-100 cordobas (~$2-$2.50 USD) and takes 1.5 hours.

How to Get to Rivas, Nicaragua from Managua

Buses leave every 30 minutes from Mercado Roberto Huembes, takes around 2.5 hours and cost 100 cordobas ($2.50 USD).

Step 2: Get to Peñas Blancas/La Frontera

From Rivas, get on any bus going to “La Frontera” (which translates to “The Border”), or Peñas Blancas. This takes 50 minutes and costs 50 cordobas ($1.25 USD). This bus leaves every hour on the 30 minute mark from the main Rivas Bus Station. We recommend getting there early as the bus was insanely crowded!

Step 3: Exit Nicaragua

Once you get dropped off at the Nicaragua / Costa Rica Border, follow the main road, and veer left towards the big white building. Try to walk fast so you beat everyone else on your bus! You’ll pay a $1 or 72 cordoba exit fee, which can be in cordobas or dollars. You’ll pay another $3 fee, which is only payable in US dollars (they do not take credit card). This was definitely the slowest process on our Nicaragua to Costa Rica bus journey, so be prepared to wait an hour or so!

how to get from Nicaragua to Costa Rica by bus

Step 4: Enter Costa Rica

After you exit Nicaragua, follow the “Salida a Costa Rica” signs for a 10 minute walk. There are a few people giving a pretty fair exchange rate from Nicaraguan cordobas to Costa Rican colones. To get stamped into Costa Rica, go into this building which will be on your left. This process took around 10 minutes and you didn’t have to pay an entry fee. It’s easy to walk by this and no one will check you, so make sure you get stamped! There is also an ATM here which doesn’t charge fees, and you can withdraw either colones or dollars.

If you’re heading to La Fortuna, there is a bus at 2:30 pm that goes to El Tanque, which is extremely close to La Fortuna. Otherwise you may have to do the bus changes mentioned later on in this article.

Step 5: Get to Liberia, Costa Rica From Peñas Blancas

There will be a blue, green and white with a Peñas Blancas / Liberia sign on it. It’s a much nicer bus than the chicken buses are! These leave every hour on the hour, cost 2000 colones ($4 USD) and took 1.5 hours.

Step 6: Get to Your Final Destination in Costa Rica

Chances are, you aren’t going to stay in Liberia, although staying the night here isn’t a bad idea if you’re exhausted or not going to make it to your final destination. If you have time, follow these instructions on how to get from Liberia to La Fortuna, Monteverde, San Jose, Tamarindo, Puntarenas, Jaco, and Quepos! The Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia is where you’ll be dropped at and also where you’ll leave from unless you’re going to San Jose.

How to Get to San Jose, Costa Rica from Liberia

You’ll need to go to the Pulmitan de Liberia Station and take the one of the buses to San Jose that leave every hour, take around 4.5 hours, and cost 3,210 colones or around $6 USD

How to Get to Tamarindo, Costa Rica from Liberia

This bus to Tamarindo leaves from Liberia at 5:15 am, 8:10 am, 11:10 am, 2:10 pm, 4:10 pm and 6:10 pm. This costs around 3,000 Colones or $6 USD and takes around 7 hours.

How to Get to Puntarenas, Costa Rica from Liberia

This costs 3,450 colones or $7 USD and takes 3 hours. This bus leaves at 5 am, 7:45 am, 8:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm, and 5 pm.

How to Get to La Fortuna, Costa Rica from Liberia

Take the bus from Liberia to Cañas (this is the same bus headed to Puntarenas). Get off in Cañas, and head to Tilarán. The bus from Cañas to Tilarán leaves at 6 am, 7:35 am, 8:15 am, 9:10 am, 10:45 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 1:50 pm, 2:35 pm, 3:15 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm, 7 pm, 8:20 pm, and 9 pm. From Tilarán, take the bus to La Fortuna, which leaves every ~2 hours.

How to Get to Monteverde, Costa Rica from Liberia

Follow the same instructions above to get from Liberia to Cañas to Tilarán. Then take the bus from Tilarán to Monteverde, which takes 2 hours and leaves at 4:30 am, 7 am, 8:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 4 pm, and 5 pm.

How to Get to Jaco, Costa Rica from Liberia

Take the bus to Puntarenas and walk to Terminal de Buses Puntarenas – Quepos. Take the TQP bus that leaves at 4:30 am, 5 am, 7 am, 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm, and 5:30 pm and costs 1,345 colones or ~$3 USD. This takes just over 2 hours.

How to Get to Quepos, Costa Rica from Liberia

Take the bus to Puntarenas and walk to Terminal de Buses Puntarenas – Quepos. You’ll take the same bus as you would to get to Jaco, but you stay on until Quepos. It costs 2,525 colones or $5 USD. This takes 3.5 hours.

Summary: Nicaragua to Costa Rica By Bus

Getting from Nicaragua to Costa Rica by bus can be a tough journey, especially if you are further north in Nicaragua and want to go far south in Costa Rica. We recommend leaving as early as you possibly can to make this trip as easy as possible. If you can get to the Nicaragua – Costa Rica border in the early morning, you won’t have to wait as long in customs lines. If you pack enough food, you won’t have to stop for meals and can take the buses as soon as they leave. Overall, we hope you’ve enjoyed this travel guide on how to get from Nicaragua to Costa Rica by bus! Safe Travels!

Check Out Our Nicaragua Posts!

Our Favorite Travel Resources

Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.

Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.

Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.

Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.

International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.

eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.

Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!

How to Get From Nicaragua to Costa Rica By Bus