There are 6 ways to get from San Francisco to Costa Rica by plane, bus (Flixbus), car, train, or shuttle
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)SFO - SJO
9h 8m$200–613Fly Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
cheapest- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)OAK - SJO
11h$175–709Bus
- Take the bus from San Francisco to Los Angeles Union Station
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
5d$415–610Drive 5,937.9 km
- Drive from San Francisco to San José5,937.9 km
3d$797–1,151Caltrain to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Take the train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)SJC - SJO
12h 27m$203–766Fly San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)SFO - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas
12h 10m$675–2,112
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San Francisco to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $200 - $650 and takes 9h 8m.
The fastest way to get from San Francisco to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 9h 8m and costs $200 - $650.
No, there is no direct bus from San Francisco to Costa Rica. However, there are services departing from San Francisco and arriving at Terminal Tica Bus via Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, Los Angeles and Managua. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5 days 0h.
The distance between San Francisco and Costa Rica is 4921 km. The road distance is 5937.9 km.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 0h and costs $410 - $650.
It takes approximately 9h 8m to get from San Francisco to Costa Rica, including transfers.
San Francisco to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, depart from San Francisco station.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 9h 8m and costs $200 - $650. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $410 - $650 and takes 5 days 0h.
San Francisco to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, arrive at Los Angeles Union Station.
Costa Rica is 2h ahead of San Francisco. It is currently 10:37 PM in San Francisco and 12:37 AM in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between San Francisco, CA, USA and Costa Rica?
United Airlines and Avianca - Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from San Francisco to Terminal Tica Bus via Los Angeles Union Station, Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, Los Angeles, Managua, and Managua in around 5d.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 43m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 11h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–800
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 16m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $400–1,600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 7m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $420–1,700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $450–1,800
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 44m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 52m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 29m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 17m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $430–1,700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 6m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $490–1,900
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 29m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 18m
- When
- Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $400–1,600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $410–1,600
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $240–750
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 20m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 10m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 35m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $210–800
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 55m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guadalajara
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 42m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $260–850
- Website
- jetblue.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Fort Lauderdale
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $490–1,900
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- caltrain.com
Train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- https://www.caltrain.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.caltrain.com/?active_tab=route_explorer_tab
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from San Francisco to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $40–170
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- info@boletosdebus.com
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 6h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $340–400
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- info@ticabus.com
- Website
- ticabus.com
Bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
- Phone
- 1 800 715 1970
- info@ridecr.com
- Website
- ridecr.com
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $223
- Website
- https://www.ridecr.com/
Shuttle from Monteverde to Puntarenas
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $171
- Website
- https://www.ridecr.com/
- Phone
- +506 2640 1900
- info@tropicaltourshuttles.com
- Website
- tropicaltourshuttles.com
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $55–75
- Website
- https://tropicaltourshuttles.com/
Want to know more about travelling around Costa Rica
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
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More Questions & Answers
Yes, the driving distance between San Francisco to Costa Rica is 5938 km. It takes approximately 3 days 0h to drive from San Francisco to Costa Rica.
There are 794+ hotels available in Costa Rica.












